Quetzalcoatl72

In nina are the graphs available for manual focus right away or only with a focuser plugged in?

this headache here

That's the problem, I don't want to learn algebra to improve my images. I've seen tutorials on FWHM / HFR curves and stuff it goes right over my head, I'm incapable of understanding maths and equations

I have an NEX 3k, but it's super old, surely I'd want something less than 5 years old to keep up with the competition. Only used it for daytime stuff, looks very noisy now. I still want a camera for everything, there's a site that does mods and you can clip on a filter for normal astro. I have a a7r on my watch list but reading what you said I'm less sure, because I still have this sony E mount f14 lens sitting doing nothing.

I assumed auto focusers were for people who do everything indoors, do they know when a star is out and correct it?

I have most of my problems sorted out now but it seems when I do go out on the rare occasion, focusing seems to be the main issue. I use a batinov mask for my RCT 8/f8 scope because it's impossible to tell focus otherwise when looking at the diffraction spikes I notice they move around a lot so when I think the middle spike is centered the left or right part of it seems to move up and down so I can never get it to stay still to make sure I know it's 100%. I have a lot of broadband cables across the sky so I think that's causing the problem, which I can't avoid obviously, They also make collimating difficult as I see it distorting the ring pattern. I always thought you focus on the brightest stars which is what I do, but I've also been told you focus on the target which could be impossible as the stars are usually smaller and hard to tell the diffraction spikes. Bright stars would have to be above 30º in the azimuth to clear any wires. My images have looked fine through the cables above f6 otherwise.

also looking for a focus mask for this? any available to buy in the uk? can i just make my own easy enough, any special shapes?

so i can only use this scope with the reducer at f4.5 when it's advertised as both 4.5 and 5.5 otherwise i get terrible commas?

one thing I can tell you is that it's extremely high quality. I just can't wait for darker nights so I can spend more than an hour testing it out.

not sure, I used the 2 smallest extension tubes. Just checked the manual and for "photographic mode" you use the reducer connection tube and reducer for f4.5 and extention 2 and reducer tube for f5.5. I could try that next time. Still don't fully understand backfocus. Extention 1(the one i used) is shown to observation mode

I bought the askar 180 triplet ed super from flo because it had good reviews I've seen what people have captured for this. Thought I'd try it out on m32 which is my main reason why i got it. Obviously the worst time of the year to do so, but desperate times! If you look at the image I captured 2 180 stacked(broadband cables constantly blocking it) you will see that it has terrible star shapes going on. I'm guessing coma? this was taken at f5.5 220mm with my asi533

i'm not sure, what do people usually go for?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ALLPOWERS-Portable-Generator-Emergency-Technology/dp/B081DSC1HD/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KJEGPKJZJYAVDYJ5BHD2 was looking into this one, that is quite a lot of wattage

I think on maximum I'm out 3 hours because I'm not the one driving on location, come to think of it, will I even need a dew heater for that short of time? could depend on time of year I guess.

my leisure battery has huge stumps for connectors so they aren't 100% secure because I'm using large croc clips attached to cig lighter. I'm looking at my equipment and I don't know what they output, how would I know? tried looking up my neq6 mount and it says 5a, the dew controller I have is 10a I think? what is that more its only heating up something, Do i count the cig cables and an output source too?

Didn't know anyone replied to this, but anyway thanks, I have a deep cycle leisure battery but it's 75amps, only used it to power the mount, lasts about 3 hours then it drops below 12v at half bar, it has liquid cells not gel. The connectors are awkward huge stumps so I can't use those rings everyone seems to use.

the last eclipse i did was out of focus, disappointed because it was larger, bring on 2026! almost full eclipse then

I'm not sure myself i just take 3 minute videos, i found that i cant stack all of the 3 minutes because the moon moves so fast it breaks the stacked images so the limit is probably 1 minute or 350 frames

yeah, I didn't know anyone replied to this. I did end up getting the eclipse with basic stuff. looked at that comparison and I have that oplong filter but I thought it was just for night time astro so I didn't bother. Here's the result in white light stacked

bought the asi462 and ir pass and uv filters, i wonder if the pass filter would help with imaging venus when it is bright

I bought a small scope for more wider field of imaging so now this camera will be exclusively for milkyways and normal photography. are you sure these cameras don't need to be modded?

the dovetail slits are too narrow for the right bolt size to go through. bolt for the head is 8mm, dovetail slit is 7

could this setup work? I would need something to fix the ball head to the dovetail somehow, not sure what screws. I will only be using this for milkyway shots now as i've bought myself a powerful smaller scope which is about the size of that finder in the picture. the dovetail u see is used on the top of my stellar lyra and the larger losmandy goes on the bottom to attach to mount.

Does it even matter if you use a 1.25" filter rather than a 2". I use 2" lenses and LP filter

Thanks, probably Monochrome, as my asi533 is a MC and I don't want to get into the whole filter wheel business, not worth it IMO for my bortle 8 zone. I used a barlow lens with my f/8 and in the images you could actually see the sensor of the camera which can probably be fixed with a good IR filter. Speaking of filters do you know any that people use that bring out the details and better contrast, It probably doesn't matter much being where I live.