LaurenceT

Welcome to SGL

Fitted the adapter today, brilliant upgrade. Thanks @alanjgreen for your informative illustrated instructions, I think they must be the only detailed instructions available for this upgrade, luckily I had just one imperial allen key among my vast collection of allen keys!

1 hour ago, Trucker360 said:

Not negative persay, confusing. 

1) this adapter ring thing. Sounds counter productive. 

2) I like close up action. This is less focal than my current lens.

 

3) another person said stop down my current lens to fix coma, but I'm not sure what to stop down to. 

I'm sorry but I can't find a reference to an adapter ring in the link I supplied. In that link Trevor Jones says the lens is not suitable for small DSO's and most galaxies but he does give a fairly impressive list of suitable targets.

7 hours ago, Trucker360 said:

I'm going to need more explanation and or pics. I don't get how that sounds good. 

Specifically which bits sound negative to you?

A highly recommended camera lens for deep sky astrophotography is the Samyang 135mm F2 lens. I have the Sony version and although I haven't yet used it for astrophotography I have used it for general photography and it's the sharpest lens I own, 135mm fast primes usually are. Unfortunately the filter size is 77mm.

The Rokinon 135mm F/2 was Built for Astrophotography (Examples) (astrobackyard.com)

1 hour ago, banjaxed said:

Just wondering how you managed to fit that motor focuser to a Skymax 127. 🤔

Check out the second part of the video I linked to.

I've had this telescope/mount combination for a few weeks and so far the only mod I've made is an electric focuser. I lack the engineering skills of @banjaxed so I bought this:

Sky-Watcher Auto Focuser | First Light Optics

and followed this guys video with his supplied 3D printed back and accessories:

 https://youtu.be/yWQPqdAQ_ps

it works well for me. I'm hoping for a RACI finder in my Xmas stocking ( I don't like grovelling on the ground to look through the red dot finder!) and I'm considering upgrading the diagonal but so many people consider this to be an unnecessary upgrade.

I know I shouldn't say it but fingers crossed for tonight here in Surrey......

After a frustrating couple of days when trying to fit this auto focuser:

Sky-Watcher Auto Focuser | First Light Optics

to my new Skymax127 I realised I was looking at the wrong Youtube video. My 127 is part of the Az Gti bundle so the dovetail bar is on a different orientation. I eventually found this Youtube video:

https://youtu.be/yWQPqdAQ_ps

the latter part of which related to my scopes orientation. I contacted Vasco who supplied the kit from Portugal for €35 which took less than a week to arrive, very easy to fit following the video instructions.

I have just bought this mount as part of a bundle with A 127Mak. My main use for this setup is for lunar and planetary observation and photography. I know that I can change the firmware to convert it into an EQ mount and I would like to use this mode with my very basic lightweight wide field DSO kit.  Age and physical infirmity is making my use of my Skyguider pro very difficult and I'm looking for an alternative to give me remote control of the mount and guidescope/camera.

 I have read that the firmware upgrade means that it turns the left handed mount to a right handed one so that if I wanted to use it in AZ mode the new positioning of my Mak's RDF would make it impossible to use. I understand that the Synscan Pro app has the option to control the mount in AZ or EQ mode. If I selected "use in AZ mode" would that  mean the Mak could then revert to left handed use?

Try setting a custom white balance.

Edit: Sorry, I should have added a lot more but got sidetracked domestically!

I have been having similar problems with my modified Sony A5000. The image in the LCD screen was a mass of swirling red blobs and I can barely see the effect of a Bahtinov mask.

I have been advised to drastically reduce the ISO when focussing, use a custom white balance to reduce some of the red in the LCD. I have also read that switching to jpeg just for focussing improves the LCD image. Apparently adding an IR/UV cut filter is necessary with a fully modified DSLR, whether this improves the LCD image I’ve yet to find out as the stars have disappeared since being given this advice!

It's getting very difficult explaining to my wife why I'm spending money on a new hobby that I never seem to be doing.

She thinks I've lost the plot and I'm starting to feel she is right!

We finished up at CCC site at Graffham in Sussex, bortle 4 which was promising to me but in the event the trees were so tall the sky was only clear directly above. Lovely site though, very natural and not a boring flat field.

I also bought one from there and my experience is similar.

That's how I have assembled the counter weight bracket following Peter Zelinka's advice on his YouTube channel also Ioptron mention this.

I think that it's better this way for centre of gravity balance.

I will check out the WO DEC adapter, thanks, I already use their wedge which is a great improvement.

Hi Noodles,

Thanks for the reply. You're quite correct but when the central tongue is in the vertical position as in your photo then the polar scope is inverted and thus not illuminated. When I re-orientate the the polar scope by rotating the RA axis to illuminate the reticle then the tongue is inverted. As you suggest, the only solution I can see at the moment is to add the equipment after polar alignment when I can re-orientate the mounting bracket.

Just setting up my new SkyGuider, The reticle is only illuminated when the scope is orientated so that the reticle is at the vertical position, no problem there but then the mount for the DEC bracket is upside down and the DEC bracket can't be mounted. There is a solution according to Ioptron and that is to disassemble the polar mount assembly and re-orientate it but in doing so the manufacturers warranty is voided although they kindly supply a pdf with full instructions on how to do this.

I suppose I could always polar align without installing the DEC bracket and once aligned loosen the clutch and turn the RA axis by 90 degrees to the correct orientation and then very carefully install the bracket and then mount the camera and scope. My previous tracker mount the Ioptron SkyTracker had a removable polar scope but that one also had the reticle upside down and I had to perform minor surgery on the scope to re-orientate the reticle. I'm feeling a bit miffed about this at the moment. I've messaged FLO about this, looking forward to their solution.

18 hours ago, powerlord said:

thanks! just looked it up and booked in for tomorrow and friday night!

I see they have a week of astronomy/imaging in November too - I'll probably sign up for that when I'm there !

That astro week looks interesting, I'll give them a call later. As an absolute beginner my knowledge level is a bit basic to say the least so I can look forward to learning more. 

I did a search for dark sky campsites and this one came up which is not that far from us:

https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/west-sussex/petworth/graffham-camping-and-caravanning-club-site/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=Graffham&utm_campaign=google_places

so we've booked it for 3 nights next week in the motorhome.

6 hours ago, powerlord said:

Have a look here.

 

https://astrobackyard.com/light-pollution-filters/

 

You'll find they cut off below 400 (UV), and above 750 or so (IR)

stu

Having been very disappointed in the past with filters I'm inclined to go with better quality glass but I know that costs money. I've singled out two filters, one clip-in and the other a normal screw-on filter, my choices are somewhat limited by having a Sony APSC full spectrum modified camera.

https://www.cliftoncameras.co.uk/stc-clip-astro-ms-filter/brand-fitting/sony-aps-c

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/explore-scientific-filter-77mm.html

41 minutes ago, powerlord said:

I was the same -  been into photography for 35 years... you soon realise AP is a different ball game - think of taking the 'subs' as just getting the raw ingredients for your recipe.

Then it's up to you to make that recipe end up as either a pot noodle or a michellin star meal.

Realising that was what helped me switch up a gear and realise I had to learn more for processing. I use StarTools and Affinity.

Have a look on youtube for affinity tutorials which are very good at showing how to use Affinity with AP.

Filiter wise, if you are in an area with light pollution, if you get a light pollution filter (CLS or UHC ), that will double as an IR/UV filter. 2 burds, 1 stone

stu

Thanks for your reply, I like the cooking analogy.

I can't find any details that a light suppression filter will also block IR and UV, I would be ecstatic if that were the case. Do you have any further information?

1 hour ago, Space Oddities said:

Careful, I believe the pictures shows the mirrorless version of the lens (Sony E-mount). This version has built-in spacer, to compensate the space taken by the mirror of a DSLR, to which the collar seems to be attached.

Therefore I don't think this collar would work on the Canon/Nikon version of the Samyang, as you can see below there would be nowhere to attach it... Or perhaps between the focus ring and aperture ring, if the diameter allows it?

 

I think that you're correct, if it wasn't for the increased depth afforded by Sony version I wouldn't have been able to attach the teleconverter.

Thanks for the very useful replies, I shall be investigating using a UV/IR filter. Why would a clip in filter be better than a screw in front mounted filter?

My processing of this image would have fairly "agricultural" when compared to the large amount of processing of astro images I've seen people doing. I come from a background of many years wildlife and macro photography where the post processing required is minimal compared to astro pp. I'm learning Affinity to be able to post process more effectively.

I'm so glad I found this site, it's a very useful resource with helpful members.

I've just bought this tripod collar from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08KLP1Q8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fits perfectly without the need for tape with easy access to the aperture ring.

Apologies if it's been suggested before.

Just dipping my toes into astrophotography and so my knowledge and experience is very limited, last night was the first time with my astro modified camera.

Gear:

Sony A5000 full spectrum astro modified camera

Samyang 135mm f2

Ioptron Sky Tracker Pro

Bortle 5 area (Surrey)  20 subs, 2 minute exposures, stacked in Sequator and processed in DXO3 and Lightroom 6, no darks etc. Target: Vega

The first image was flooded with red light, I was expecting that. I'm showing here the final processed image. I know that Vega is supposed to be a blue star when viewed with an unmodified camera, is my image what I can expect with a full spectrum modification?