CotswoldsBloke

Hi, Does anyone use a rotator (manual or powered) with their EdgeHD? I will use a 11” (with reducer), an OAG and filter wheel, but I can’t see how I can fit a rotator without causing back-focus issues. Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks

Hi I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I moved from an a refractor with beautiful stars and an ease of use that I miss so much. Tempted by the thought of faster imaging, I moved to a RASA 11 with a OSC and am on the verge of just giving up with it. My first issue was one of vignetting, a common issue with a larger sensor. I invested in a set of Baader UFC components (tilt plate/filter slider) and a Precise Parts connector to improve my chances of dependable back focus/tilt. After weeks of waiting, I had all my components ready and a clear night. Auto focus worked well but I couldn’t help notice the egg shaped stars right across the field of view, getting worse in the corners. Even the central stars were egg shaped. I checked back focus and it was accurate, so I decided to check the collimation. The RASA has a good reputation for holding collimation but from CCD inspector’s real time collimation tool, it was clearly out. I checked the collimation screws and one of the smaller locking screws was loose! Having only used a refractor before, I had never collimated before but decided to give it a go, all the while being mindful of the need for tiny adjustments. I’ve improved it but I still don’t think it’s perfect. The stars are better, but still not great. So, onto the issue of tilt. Using a combination of NINA’s aberration inspector and CCDI, I have tried to improve things, but I’m failing to. I clearly have some sort of mental block in understanding how to translate what’s on the screen to using the tilt plate. If anyone out there wants to help this particular simpleton, I’d be very appreciative. If anyone is in the Cheltenham area and has experience and would like to spend an evening watching me lose my mind, that would be perfect. Cheers Nick

Thanks for replying, Jason. I have gone down the DIY route and had my friend tap 4 holes for me on the top plate of the pier. I get it back on Friday and I’m hopeful it will all fit nicely. If it’s out, I’ll just have to open up one or more of the holes and secure it from underneath. Can’t wait!

Hi Does anyone have any experience in mounting a CEM120 to a Skyshed pier? Altair don’t make an adapter for that mount, but I wondered if anyone had found one/modded something to fit? Any help gratefully received. Cheers Nick

Hi all, i’m trying to setup my new rig but I’m having difficulty with focus. I have an Esprit 120ED with a matching field flattener, which I want to connect to an ASI2600MC PRO, with a ZWO filter drawer. The attached picture shows the optical train. The camera end if 17.5mm from sensor to flat side of the camera + 21mm for filter drawer + 16.5mm tube (supplied with camera). That adds up to 55 mm, which is the published back focus for the camera. the middle adapters total 20mm and I’m using them to attach the camera to the FF. that takes it to 75mm which is the published back focus of the FF. I’ve attached this to the Esprit, and using a ZWO EAF, try to get focus. The focuser moves smoothly in and out but I cannot get focus. I used Vega as my focussing star but it was huge in the image. Something is amiss and at 2:30am I cursed a wasted clear night and went sulking to bed. I’m just looking for some pointers and any assistance. I’m not sure the configuration is correct or if there’s something much more fundamental at play. I will be removing the EAF tonight so that I can use the focussing ring manually to try and speed things up until it’s working. Anyone got any ideas? Thanks Nick

I've attached the version with the stars, too.

Yes, you're almost certainly right. Still learning and really appreciate any feedback.

Hi I've started to get to a stage where I can reliably capture decent data and get something recognisable out of Pixinsight. A long way to go, but I thought I'd share this with you. It's a starless version that was 40 x 300s exposures, unguided on a AZ-EQ6 GT PRO mount, Redcat 51, ZWO ASI533 and an L-Extreme filter Many thanks to everyone that has helped me start out on this brilliant hobby.

Hi I have a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 GT PRO. Cheers Nick

Hi I currently use a Redcat 51 for AP (mainly DSO targets). The Redcat has a focal length of 250mm and I really enjoy using it with my mirrorless FF camera and my ZWO ASI533. I’m thinking about adding another telescope to help me target objects further afield and to get in closer to my current targets to allow for more detail. I’ve looked into SCT’a like the Celestron Edge HD or even a RASA, or something like a Skywatcher Esprit - they all offer me something. I’m not an experienced guider yet, so I know that very long focal lengths may cause me more trouble than I can sensibly handle right now. Can anyone offer me advice on what to add to my arsenal? Models/brands are handy but I’m more interested in views on what could offer me more imaging choice at this stage. Many thanks Nick

Which tools do you prefer? It would be good to understand why, too. Thanks

That's very generous of you. I will certainly run through it and practise. I had a go myself following a tutorial using Pixinsight. It's way off what you and alacant achieved, but it's a start! What a great day - I've learned a whole lot and got a recognisable image too. Heart Nebula 270521.tif Heart Nebula 270521.tif

Wow.

vlaiv, do I mind? Absolutely not! I am amazed that you've gone to such lengths to help me. Seriously, I can't thank you enough. I am just pleased that I managed to get good data, which is a step forward for me. The processing side is still mysterious to me, but seeing what you've done with my data only encourages me. I just need to work out how to do it myself as my initial efforts of levels and curves produced an absolute mess.

Thanks for replying. I've attached as requested. Light_IC1805_300.0s_Bin1_0001.fit Light_IC1805_300.0s_Bin1_0030.fit Autosave.tif

Hi After much anticipation, I finally got out last night for a clear night. My aim was to photograph the Heart Nebula using my ZWO ASI533 MC PRO, which was attached to my Redcat 51 & Optolong L-Extreme filterEverything was linked to a ZWO ASI PRO and everything worked as it should in terms of finding the object, plate solving. I had the camera set to fire 30 x 5 min exposures with a gain of 100. When the first exposure came through, I could clearly see the red of the nebula and nice pinpoint stars. I left the rig running and was very excited to see 29 frames all showing a nicely centred image. All good. The issue comes when I come to stack the images in Deep Sky Stacker. When I check the light frames, I cannot see the nebula itself even with aggressive stretching. In fact, it really doesn't show very much at all, even the stars are very muted. I have stacked the image, but the histogram is showing very little data. I am a relative newbie to this and I'm struggling to understand why the image looked decent on the ZWO preview/review but seems almost devoid of data in DSS and Photoshop. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks Nick

Thanks, Stu. I will try try to track that book down and I’ll take a look at Astro Baby’s site, too. Cheers Nick

Thanks for that link, I was unaware of that group. Thanks to all for such a warm welcome.

Hi Stu, Thanks for the welcome. Astrophotography is my main area of interest, with DSO's like Galaxies and Nebulae being the focus. Like most of us in the UK, the weather hasn't helped and in my specific case it has really hampered the build up of experience and momentum to help me progress. That coupled with a lack of patience...... Hoping for some clear skies to experiment with soon. All the best Nick

Hi all, Like many, I started looking up when searching for things to do at the star of lockdown. I spent most of the summer getting very frustrated at my lack of ability and end results. The equipment went unused over winter. I’ve decided to try again and build on last year’s experience. Browsing this site tells me I’m not alone in my experiences thus far! All the best. Nick