Ags

I had some struggles last night with my new AZ GTi not tracking but after a firmware update it tracks beautifully now, and gotos often put the target on the chip. I added a Wratten #8 between the ASI178 and the ST80 to reduce the chromatic abberations and it seemed to help a bit. M13 delivered the fireworks.

I think I have got it working. Reloaded the latest firmware. Not certain, as it is very quiet when tracking. Hopefully I can test under the stars tonight.

I just updated to firmware 3.16 and no improvement. Still not tracking. Tried EQ and AZ mode.

In a nutshell: my AZ-GTi goes to the North America Nebula but does not track the stars. It points there and stands still. Any ideas?

3 hours ago, Alan White said:

You have been drawn to the dark side

I have been drawn for years, but I have finally arrived! It's an ASI 178MM - I hope it will serve me for EEA, lunar, solar and planetary duties, and in a few months it will snag the DSOs mounted behind some Canon primes!

It's clear blue skies right now, I can hardly believe it....

The beginning of a new era for me.

Sharpcap downloaded and I have even done my first session of live stacking - admittedly of my own face using my laptop's webcam, but you've got to start somewhere right? I dropped quite a lot of frames trying to stack at 30fps or whatever 😃

Anyway Sharpcap looks fairly straightforward. 

@vlaiv I doubt the 0.5 reducer will work in the ST80 but I will see soon enough. It certainly doesn't work with eyepieces in that scope. The reducer does work well enough with eyepieces (for deep sky, not planets) in the Skymax so it might be an option there.

On the subject of EOS-ZWO adapters, this looks interesting:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p10451_Canon-EOS-Objektivadapter-mit-Filterschublade-fuer-Astro-Kameras-ZWO--QHY--ATIK----.html

Aren't those pixels too big for even larger amateur scopes?

I don't have the TS camera lens adapter yet, so that will have to wait, but I hope I can reach focus with my 0.5x reducer and the ST80. It might work OK on the 9mm diagonal chip in the ASI178MM, and that would give F2.5 and 200mm focal length. That would give a 2.1 x 1.4 degree field. It might be nice for some larger nebulae.

What software is easiest for live stacking? Do I need to take flats? Sharpcap looks friendly, based on its website alone!

Yeah, just don't want to disappoint my family. I hope they are not expecting Hubble.

I hope it will be fine for EEA. Going to get that working Ok with a little dabble in planetary and lunar with the Skymax 102, then will get the bits for "tiny chip, tiny pixel, tiny lens" plan. I hope to get the North America Nebula done this year.

Just realized I need to buy a UV-IR cut filter... It never ends. I think without the UV-IR cut the ST80 will be a bit blurry!

@Gina what do you use it for? Do you have the cooled or uncooled version?

I bought an ASI178MM.

The deed is done. ASI178MM and AZ-GTi purchased. Fingers crossed for clear skies.

I showed some EEVA videos to my family and... I have been asked to sort out an EEVA setup today. Happy to oblige of course!

In terms of scope I have an ST80, which I may or may not use with a 0.5x focal reducer. I doubt I could use my Skymax 102, although I would give it a try with the 0.5 reducer for some smaller and brighter targets (such as planetary nebulae).

I don't have a tracking mount, so I am definitely getting the AZ-GTi, which will go on my Berlebach Report tripod.

I don't have a camera, so I am looking at the following:

ASI120MM-S - 3.75μm pixels, gives 0.7x0.5 degrees FOV at 400mm FL

ASI224MC - 3.75μm pixels, gives 0.7x0.5 degrees FOV at 400mm FL

ASI385MC - 3.75μm pixels, gives 1.0x0.6 degrees FOV at 400mm FL

ASI178MM - 2.4μm pixels, gives 1.1x0.7 degrees FOV at 400mm FL

In terms of easy of finding targets the 178 is best, but it has the smallest pixels. On the other hand it is mono, so that compensates and perhaps I can bin 2x2? Can you bin with EEVA? Is a 6MP sensor too big (in data terms) for live stacking?

The 178 also seems best for solar system imaging with smaller telescopes and as its mono I can also use it for narrowband imaging with camera lenses from my light polluted location.

If the 178 is not suitable for EEVA then I would go for the 385. The 120 and 224 are only on the list because of price. Not sure which of these would be better - 120 mono or 224 color? Is color any use in EEVA?

Quick question on 224MC - because of the bayer matrix does it mean that for red (for example) light gathering is 3.75μm squared per pixel, but resolution is actually like 7.5μm pixels?

I'm learning a lot from this thread. From the point of view of DSO imaging and EEVA it looks like a mono sensor would be the best.

Ooh, mission creep! 385 would be very nice, but more than I want to spend. I see I can get the 178 for a little less, but I lose IR sensitivity? The 178 has a bigger sensor than the 385, presumably it's small pixels can be compensated for by binning 2x2 (would still leave a 1.5 megapixel image)?

I made a test image with the resolution of the ASI 224MC, and it's pretty big - big enough to look good at 1:1 on my 1080p monitor. I am tending towards the 224MC now, as in addition to possibly using this for DSOs and planets it is apparently good for live stacking EEVA which might be a good route for me to take given the bad light pollution I have. Also my partner is quite keen on looking at things on a computer screen, so it helps with the sales pitch! 

So now I am looking at:

ZWO ASI 224MC

Teleskop Service Camera Lens Adapter

7mm and 5.5mm T2 extension tubes

1.25" Ha filter (already have UHC) (I want to get the Baader 35nm one because it is cheap and wide enough to work at F1.8, but I suppose it is a bad idea with my light pollution!)

IR pass filter

AZ-GTi

For DSOs I already have 50/1.8 and 100/2.8 lenses. (Might add the 35/2.0 and 85/1.8 lenses down the line)

For planets I am aiming at getting a C6 by the time of the next Mars opposition.

For EEVA, I have an ST80 and 0.5 reducer.

It's not the first APOD along these lines (geddit?)

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190227.html

I think both are amazing and beautiful. No astrophoto shows only what they eye would see - that's the whole point of an astrophoto - to show us more.

Is 1.2 megapixels too low to be useful for DSOs? Looking at the ASI120MC-S or ASI290MC.... The 120 would be good for planets and later as a guide cam?

13 minutes ago, Tubby Bear said:

It'll be cloudy.......

Here or on Mars?

Does anyone know if it's possible to use 1.25 filters in the ZWO lens adapter? And any tips on attaching small lens, ZWO adapter and ASI 224MC? Teleskop Service used to do a camera lens adapter with a mounting shoe, but that doesn't seem to be available any more.

I was wondering if using a small chip with small pixels and a low resolution small lens might lead to soft images. But then I thought about the tiny sensors and tiny lenses on mobile phones, so I guess that concern is not very real.

I've been meaning to mod my 1100D for years, but always been put off by the cost and the fact it would be a bit less suited for daytime photos (although it can be made to work I know). But then I thought I could just put the money (and a bit extra) into one of the smaller astro cameras, and just use smaller lenses. ZWO have an EF adapter, and the ASIair would keep everything light and small...

Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a terrible thing...

6 hours ago, johninderby said:

he sun’s  disc nearly filled the fov and showed good detail that was nearly as sharp as the TV plossl but at a bigger scale.

I was initially disappointed with my ES Nirvana 16/82 when used in an ST80, but I was stunned by how good it was in a Maksutov as a lunar eyepiece.