@Brazac My only progress is that I have been able to put the camera into my refractor scope and get a close up image of a leaf from about 100 yards away with color too. So in the day time it can pick up lighter/darker, colors and image details if through a telescope. But in the dark I am just getting a funky bunch of dots that look like they're burned into the receptor or something. The more gain or the longer the exposure the more those "burned in" dots are visible.
What exposure and gain are you using when you can get an image of a planet or DSO?
@Cosmic Geoff That's interesting about the camera needing to be nearest the objective lens. I could try dropping in the camera as far as possible and cranking in the focus such that it's as close to the secondary mirror as possible. Worth a shot. Perhaps it is a focus issue. Although it seems like I've tried every permutation of focus, exposure, gain available.