Bullmastiff

Still no clear skies in uk worst ever 

We have had bad skies in uk it’s probably the worst I have ever experienced in all the years let’s hope it’s a one off year 

Just a quick update I don’t want you to think I have forgotten but I have had no clear skies to try out the moonlite once clear skies I will definitely update 

I did about 1 hour of visual just to see how things were setup I 1st focused then locked the mirror and used focuser on a few stars and Jupiter and changing a few EP and it went well regarding focus. According to the skies tomorrow I have about 3 hours so I will actually setup AP With reducer and see how that goes I will up asap on results fingers crossed 🤞 

I have the reducer on the right hand side of the photo and camera on the left I have also known it to be 105mm when using reducer and 133mm without reducer 

Hi so this is what I have managed to do. The way I did this to get the 105mm back focus was screw the reducer into moonlite then draw back the focuser out by 1/4” measure inside the draw tube put in the camera and it’s given me the 105mm to the camera sensor. What’s your opinion on this 

Hi I will have a good look at it today see if I can put something as a photo of what I have 

Thanks for that

i dont use a filter wheel I have a 533mc pro 1 shot colour camera. back focus is 105mm from the reducer . But being the reducer screws into the moonlite I’m not sure how that works. 

Sorry about asking a few times but I’m not sure where to put the thread that’s why i did it again normally there’s a response within a few days but because there was no reply I thought I put it in wrong chat. Again I’m sorry if I have upset anyone. Am I in the correct chat to discuss the moonlite CHL 

Hi I have managed to get myself a new moonlite CHL for my edge hd 8 I’m wishing to you it with my .7 reducer I have a 533mx pro camera I need some help with back focus once I screw the .7 reducer into the moonlite. Could I have done help please 

On 07/04/2020 at 12:23, souls33k3r said:

Hi All, 

I think I mignt have to end up buying an external focuser for my EdgeHD 8" scope and because I'm not too well versed in this subject matter, I'd like your kind help in suggesting something which will fit my purpose. 

Allow me to explain my setup, I have EdgeHD which has a stock focuser and I've had a terrible experience using the motorised stepper focuser on it so was suggested to leave the stock focus knob and buy an external focuser which does make sense for my application. My scope is currently in such formation

EdgeHD 8 - 0.7x Reducer - Spacer/Adapter to attach to an OAG - TOAG - Spacer/T2 to attach to FW - ZWO FW - Asi1600 camera 

I would like to keep all the components so the external focuser needs to come somewhere in between. Can you kindly suggest any that does not break the bank? I already have a Lakeside focuser so will look in to attaching that.

Options I have seen so far are:

1) Moonlite CHL 2.5" focuser for which I've seen the price hike (£130 in the last few days) so that's out of the question. 

2) Primaluce lab Essato 2" which again is stupidly expensive and I already have Lakeside so now what? 

3) Baader SteelTrack Diamond SC for SCT Telescopes

4) Revelation 2" SCT Crayford - 1:11 Dual Speed Focuser 

Any others? Any experiences with any of the above? Whatever choice I would like to have like I said will need to incorporate all of my gear above. 

Thank you. 

Hi I have just managed to find myself a Moonlite CHL for my edgeHD 8 I wish to use it as AP I have the .7 reducer but I can’t find anywhere what’s the back focus is using a asi 533mc pro camera.

also how to install the .7 reducer into the focuser so I can keep the back focus as it should be I would appreciate as much help as possible thanks in advance 

Hi I really need some help been scratching my head for months and I can’t get an answer from anyone. I have 2 celestrons edgeHD 8 & celestron edgeHD 11. I have a moonlite CHL 2.5 which fits onto my C11 and want to put it onto the edgeHD 8 using my .7 reducer do I need to buy a new flange for it to fit the edge 8? Or do I need a new moonlite to fit the edge 8.

Basically can I use the same focuser for both and just change the flange when needed for the edge HD 8?

thanks in advance hope someone can clear this for me 

Hi I really need some help been scratching my head for months and I can’t get an answer from anyone. I have 2 celestrons edgeHD 8 & celestron edgeHD 11. I have a moonlite CHL 2.5 which fits onto my C11 and want to put it onto the edgeHD 8 using my .7 reducer do I need to buy a new flange for it to fit the edge 8? Or do I need a new moonlite to fit the edge 8.

Basically can I use the same focuser for both and just change the flange when needed for the edge HD 8?

thanks in advance hope someone can clear this for me 

I need some help please re celestron 9.25 which I have already but considering edge HD8, I started about 6 months ago do AP with my William optics and definitely know it’s a great scope for AP, I went for a 9.25 as I was told it’s also good for AP When using a celestron 6.3 reducer I have tried it but know way as good as the William optics, so am i wasting my money considering an edge HD8?

I have read that the 9.25 would be better as more light and fainter objects for visual is better than edge8?

can I please have some advise just stick to the 9.25

4 hours ago, Elp said:

I don't bother taking so many darks, 10-20 is fine for me, the more you take the better the average between pixels but its so minimal, the end calibrated result will need some sort of noise reduction done to the final image anyway. The total number isn't so much an issue if you're using a cooled camera as you can take them once per length, gain and temperature setting per batch at anytime, if you're using uncooled though that time at the end of the imaging session taking darks adds up.

My camera is a zwo 533mc pro cooled camera 

5 hours ago, AstroMuni said:

The exposure time for each dark frame needs to match exposure time for each light frame. You will need to stack around 20-40 such dark exposures to get a master dark. Does that make any more sense? 🙂

So if you are taking 30s exposures for lights, you would take darks with same 30s exposure setting. Total number of lights exposures could be many hundreds.

So what your saying if my lights are 1 minute my darks should also be 1 minutes but only need between 20 to 40 darks correct?

So let me just see if I understand this if I take 2 minutes lights, I need to take 2 minutes darks but around 30 to 40 exposures?

3 hours ago, Elp said:

Are you using an LED tracer panel to illuminate for the flats?

Software you can used Deep Sky Stacker but I prefer Siril as you can do much more stuff with it and properly assess your calibration routine as I'd advise you learn to do it manually so you understand the process.

I’m using an A4 led panel for my flats as for software I have tried Deep sky stacker but not sure if it’s me or I’m totally stupid I do have siril but I think I need to learn more about how I actually image re light flats and darks 

my lights I set as autorun example 2 minutes for about 3 hours, then I take flats and darks maybe I’m doing something wrong when doing flats and darks I’m not sure ?

Hi all I really appreciate the help I’m getting here @Stuart1971you say darks have to match the lights so if I’m taking 2 minute exposure with lights I need to do the same with darks? Sorry to sound stupid.

Also what’s a good filter to use ?

I have been advised by FLO

L Enhance dual narrowband or

L-Extreme dual band narrowband?

Hi I’m really struggling with what exposure times i should be taking for deep sky with my RedCat 61 using the zwo 533mc pro colour camera. 
im looking for help on a ball park figure on taking lights, flat, darks bias 

 I also have an asiair plus any help would be really appreciated. Also what’s do I use to stack and process images 

4 hours ago, bomberbaz said:

I use Siril to do the main work, there is a process which is largely automated and does 3/4 of the work. I then use gimp to finish things off. My siril process is below if you want to try it:

1.       In Siril apply Colour calibration.

A From the top, select Image Processing > Color Calibration > Photometric Color Calibration.

In the window which appears, select the "Image Parameters" box, type in OBJECT DESIGNATION and click Find.

Some options should appear underneath after clicking Find.  Select Simbad OBJECT NAME (or NED OBJECT DESIGNATION if you don't get that option).  Then click OK.

Wait for it to complete and click close.  The bright green RGB picture should disappear and be replaced with something looking better but suffering from gradient.  The Crescent will be in the centre against a greenish/black night sky and framed by reddish clouds.

 

B Select the Blue Red or Green channel but not the RGB channel.

The Siril background tool dither option is there to dither the background samplers, leave this unchecked.

On the topic of the background tool, make sure you have cropped the incomplete edges, dont place too many samplers and that none of the samplers are on stars or nebulosity. Put the preview mode to Histogram and negative to get the best view on faint stuff. Dont trust the automatic sampler placement!

Select Image Processing > Background Extraction.

Use these settings in the window which appears:  Degree order 4; Samples per line 20; Tolerance 1.00; leave Add Dither unchecked.  Click Generate.

A load of small green boxes will appear.  Right click on whichever green boxes touch or are very near to the Crescent nebula to make them disappear.  (You can't get rid of boxes if in the RGB channel, hence changing to one of the others).  I got rid of 4 boxes.  You don't want them touching your target as that'll make the program think it's part of the gradient.  Click Apply then Close when it's finished.

Thank you Bombarbaz I will look at your advise it’s really frustrating that I can’t get my head round all this stacking 

Just another question I believe images need stretching debayer and curves is there a software that does this all or do I need to have more than one,

basically is there a software that does it all?

I’m definitely prepared for the long journey I need to find something that will let me see the image properly after stacking and processing. There are a few but just want to make sure I getting the right one that I can work with and understand?

I’m goign to try it but not sure what I need to do asi studio is not that great If you could help me with what your using and the process that would be really kind of you to help so yes would be great to compare ? Plz help 

I tried using deepskystacker yesterday it seemed to go all through the process with my lights flats and bias took about 2 hrs and it really did not show much I can’t find much on YouTube as help with deepskystacker. 
just a quick question on the photo I put in here is that what’s expected? 
I did 2min exposures x 75 I did plan on doing 100 but my battery went flat