AMcD

I think the weather and the inherent complexities of the hobby conspire sometimes to leave us feeling the way you describe. As the weather gets worse, the pressure to extract good data from the small number of good nights increases. When multiple things go wrong in this context, as they inevitably do in this hobby in which all aspects are interconnected and highly technical, the negative impact on us is amplified by the decreasing window of opportunity. I have certainly noticed a new twinge of anxiety when powering up my equipment on a rare clear night, hoping that it is not a night to be ruined electronic or mechanical gremlins. I am not sure I want my hobby to become a source of stress. As you say, a break is sometimes a good thing and helps lend perspective. For my part, I think your image is great. The colours are subtly done and it has a wonderful natural look.

Many thanks @Richard_, I will give it a go. Yes, that is what I see when I run SPCC. Many thanks again.

Many thanks Richard. I combine the RGB in Channel Combination, the apply Background Neutralisation and SPCC before removing the stars using StarXTerminator. From there I stretch the stars only image. I have been using GHS but I also find I get quite good results from using Masked Stretch. I wonder whether inverting the image and then applying SCNR would deal with the purple / magenta cast on the stars. I have entered a version into the image into the current SGL Narrowband Challenge with HOO stars, but looking at @gorann's collection of entries comprising his narrowband masterpieces I suspect a mug is a forlorn hope 🤣

IC443 in Ha and OIII This version of my most recent image is a rendition of IC443 in Ha and OIII. This version has HOO stars. The image was taken with a QHY268M and Antlia Pro 3nm filters on my TS130 Photoline APO. The TS130 is mounted on a Paramount MyT guided with a QHY OAG and ZWO174MM mini. The image comprises 6 hrs of 600sec integrations in OIII and 5 hrs of 600sec integrations in Ha. The data was acquired in late February and early March 2024 with SGPro and processed in PixInsight.

Thanks Fegato, that means a great deal coming from you. I agree with respect to that stars. I find processing the stars more challenging than the main event on many occasions. You would think it would be the other way round. I have read about "pre-stretching" them using ArcSin Stretch before applying the final stretch but I have not yet tried that.

Many thanks for your kind words. I am pretty pleased with it and with the performance of the MyT so far

This is the first image I have acquired using my new mount. The HOO image of IC443 comprises 6 hours of 600sec integrations in OIII and 5 hours of 600 second integrations in Ha. The stars are RGB with 20 minutes for each channel. The data was acquired using my QHY268M and Antlia Pro filters with a TS 130 Photoline APO mounted on a Paramount MyT guided using a QHY OAG and ZWO 177MM mini. The data was acquired under Bortle 5 skies with SGPro and all processing was done in PixInsight. Constructive criticism always welcome 🙂

In early January I purchased an unused ex-display Paramount MyT Mark 5 from FLO to replace my aging Losmandy G11. Unusually for me, I did virtually no research, and certainly none of the anxious back and forth and scouring of SGL and CN that should go with these weighty decisions. I was looking to replace the G11, and I could not resist the level of discount on a 'premium' mount arising from it being an ex-demo item and proximate to the impending launch of the new MyT Mark 6 mounts from SB. Whilst that approach to things is probably unwise, I also found it quite liberating and, happily, my experience of the mount thus far has been extremely positive so far. The build quality of the mount is very impressive. Even though I am used to the beautifully machined aluminium of the Losmandy, the quality of the construction on the Paramount is immediately evident. The only slightly surprising thing has been the level of sound emitted from the MyT when the mount is tracking. I understand that this is normal, but the MyT is louder than my G11 in this regard. The other notable difference to the G11 is the absence of clutches. The RA and DEC worms on the MyT are either in the engaged position or not. This means there is a specific transport and unpackaging protocol for the mount to avoid damaging the worm gears. It has also caused me to think more carefully about the consequences of the observatory roof impacting the telescope as the roof will now not simply push the scope out of the way as would have been the case with the G11's clutches. Whilst through the mount cabling is provided for, I have found it is not really a practical proposition despite the mount being able to accommodate it. The reality is that it is incredibly fiddly to accomplish, not really suited to thicker cables such as USB3 without an optional versa plate spacer, appears better suited to set-ups using scope rings on the versa plate rather than dovetails and, as I understand it, risks limiting the life of the cables threaded through the mount as they move repeatedly during slews. I have a roll off roof observatory in which the mount is permanently mounted. FLO supplied an adapter plate to enable me to mount the MyT on my existing pier. The observatory is controlled remotely over the Internet and the mount power supply and communications were wired into the existing system: At least for me, this is definitely a mount that required a detailed reading of the instruction manuals prior to setting it up, particularly when it came to ensuring that the mount communicated with the observatory computer (to ensure operation with the software used for capturing data and controlling the observatory remotely) and for getting the best mechanical performance. I found it necessary to plan a pretty structured commissioning process to ensure that I completed all of the steps necessary to get the mount working as it should. With respect to the software, the mount requires downloading the MK5000 driver and the installing of SBs own software, TheSkyX, which comes included with the mount. TSX does initially present as complex, but if you are used to SGPro or NINA, it is not a particularly steep learning curve as far as the basics of the programme go. The T-Point module in TSX is excellent and makes accurate polar alignment and the construction of an accurate pointing model quick and easy. Once the T-Point model is completed, ProTrak can assist with accurate tracking. The PEC evaluation and modelling module is also very easy to use and effectively automates periodic error evaluation, modelling and the application of the PEC model. Once the all of the software is set up the mount can be roughly and then finely polar aligned using the T-Point module. This module allows very accurate polar alignment to be achieved in short order. Thereafter, having calibrated the guiding module in TSX, the SB PEC module can be used to build and apply a PEC model. Prior to the PEC model being applied, the peak to peak error on the mount was in the region of 5 arc secs, well below the guaranteed specification of 7 arc secs. After applying the PEC model there is no detectable periodic error reported by the TSX PEC module. The final set up step was to perform a 300 point T-Point model to ensure accurate go-to pointing and to maximise the efficacy of ProTrak. Once the model had been constructed and applied, the mount placed the object slewed to in the centre of the cross hairs every time. In circumstances where I prefer to control my system with SGPro or NINA, except for T-Point, PEC and Protrak, I am using TSX as a very large ASCOM driver for the MyT. This requires the downloading of the SB ASCOM 2X Driver to allow SGPro or NINA speak to the mount. In this regard, the TSX software is conceptually similar to the Germini.Net software used as the ASCOM driver for the G11. Having started TSX once in Administrator mode, I have been able to connect the MyT to NINA, SGPro, PHD2 and the Talon roof opener software. The MyT will park prior to the Talon closing the roof in response to an "Unsafe" message from the Cloudwatcher. In terms of customer service, the service from FLO was excellent. With respect to Software Bisque, have only needed to contact SB once following a delay in them responding to my email request that they register my mount and software (the process is not yet automated). They responded immediately to the reminder and were apologetic for the delay. The website now has my subscription details and additional downloads of updates etc. have been smooth. Of course the proof is, as they say, in the pudding. Once I had polar aligned, completed the PEC training and completed the T-Point model, I took a 5 minute unguided test exposure in order to get a rough idea how the mount was performing. This is the single unguided 5 minute exposure (which has had noise reduction applied and been stretched in PixInsight): Following PEC and T-Point modelling and with ProTrak activated, during guiding with PHD2 I have found the MyT performs well, maintaining an RMS of between 0.25 and 0.35 with an off-axis guider in good seeing. Importantly, whatever the RMS that is achieved, the RA and DEC RMS figures are consistently very similar. I have not had much chance to image with the mount due to the inclement weather, but I did manage this HOO image of IC443 comprising 4 hours of OIII and 2 hours of Ha with RGB stars. It was taken with my TS130 Apo and QHY268M with Antlia Pro filters and guided with an OAG and ZWO 174MM: For a price, the MyT Mark 5 can be upgraded in due course with the MK6000 electronics that are standard on the new Mark 6 versions of the mount and, as I understand it, it is easy to swap out damaged belts and worms if that becomes necessary, although again the parts are very expensive. All in all, I am very pleased with the mount so far, and somewhat relieved that my impulsive approach at the outset has not yet lead to disaster.

After 15 years of use, I managed to get a final three hours in last night on my second hand Losmandy G11, ahead of removing it from the pier for the last time to make way for a Paramount MyT. This image comprises 3 hours worth of 600s integrations taken with a QHY268M and Antlia Pro 3nm h-alpha filter, on my TS130 Photoline Apo, guided with an QHY OAG and ZWO174MM Mini. There was a good deal of high cloud and I was closer to the Moon than I would have liked. I will be very sorry to see the G11 go, it has put in great service.

Oh My(T) 🤗

With my G11/Gemini I have not been bothering with a model as, after a solve and sync, plate solving and centring usually gets me within a few pixels of the target. I suspect I will try T-Point to build a model as I have a permanent set up and am curious to see how it works.

I have started to read up on the SkyX software and it would appear conceptually similar to the Germini.Net software used with my current Losmandy G11, in that SkyX can be used as the ASCOM driver for the MyT in the same way as the dedicated Germini.Net software is used as the ASCOM driver for the G11. The need to make the model for the MyT in SkyX would appear similar to the need to make any adjustments to the Losmandy mount settings using Germini.Net. In the circumstances, I am hoping to be able to continue using SGPro or NINA with SkyX sitting in the background as the driver.🙂

Well, it was not such a long run up after all. I am not sure whether I have been canny or stupid, but I decided to purchase the ex-demo Paramount MyT that First Light Optics had available. On the plus side, it allowed me to save £2.5K on the new list price for the mount, keeping me closer to my original budget. I also have the security of a manufactures warranty and the reassurance that comes with buying from an established vendor. On the down side, I have done virtually no research, and certainly have done none of the anxious back and forth and scouring of SGL and CN that usually goes with these decisions, although I am finding that strangely liberating! The mount arrives at the weekend and I may do a separate post on setting it up, solving the inevitable teething issues etc. It will also allow me to relate whether this cavalier approach leads to triumph or disaster! 🫣

P.S. After giving me a whole evening of inexplicable problems with no obvious cause, the bloody G11 is now guiding along at 0.6 RMS (which it almost never achieves) like nothing happened.🙄

Thanks @Laurin Dave. I have read great things about Mesu mounts and have always remembered @ollypenrice's view that "they just work", which is certainly what I am looking for after this evening. Am I right in thinking that the firmware for the Sitech box now provides for ASCOM park commands and the like?