bosun21

Thanks Kostas. I have actually just downloaded Astrosurface and image analyser after doing a bit of snooping on previous threads. Astrosurface looks very intuitive to use and I will load a few SER files tomorrow and play around with it after watching a couple of YouTube videos. Yes they were taken last night and the seeing was pretty poor as you say. My Maksutov is f12 and 5 X 2.9 pixels = 14.5. Does that mean I'm slightly undersampled? I do focus on the planet using an electric focuser on a really slow speed as I find any vibration very off-putting when focusing. Do you use Astrosurface from start to finish or just for the final processing? Thanks again.

I just attempted to take my first ever image of Jupiter and i have the capture process pretty well understood (i think). I use Sharpcap for the capture and then PIPP and Autostakkert 3 then finally Registax 6. What is the best way to use the wavelets? Is it linear, linked wavelets, or some other setting? I seem to be losing the colour along the way. I am determined to stick at it and progress in this dark art. SW 150 Maksutov, ASI585MC.

I believe that for planetary it's actually 5 x pixel size. That's what i have been going by for average seeing conditions.

These are great zipped covers for scopes. Lightweight and completely waterproof/wind proof. I ended up buying three of them. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404407114615?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=rup-waovs0q&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=bx3n7nxfspg&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Out again tonight with the SW 150 Maksutov to capture Jupiter at a decent elevation. I grabbed 7 x 5000 frames before swapping the camera for a diagonal and eyepiece. There’s just something different and special with observing through an eyepiece. Oh well I’m getting the best of both worlds. And finished for the night.

I found that the Oklop bag for the EQ6 tripod to be the perfect size for 100 - 102 refractors. Fits my Starfield very well.

When I take my 150 Maksutov outside from indoors and set it up in daylight I looked through it at low magnification to check my finder alignment it was like looking through water. I returned 1 hour later and although greatly diminished the shimmer was still detectable. Another 30 minutes and it was perfect. As I use this primarily for planetary imaging it’s crucial to cooldown fully. The 127 is about half this time and significantly less again if stored in a shed or outhouse.

Regarding the app running in your Android phone and stopping it running, just press the square and get a list of recently used apps and swipe it up off the screen. This closes the app and will require a fresh relaunch the next time you use it. I think you need to slow down a little and get a grasp of the basics and of how things work individually. Once achieved you can then piece them together with a better understanding of how they work together.

Maks definitely require cool down time to get the best from them. My SW 150 needs at least 1 - 1 1/2 hours if taken from the house directly to outside before it's ready to use. Of course I could use it before this but the heat in the tube is seen as a shimmering image. I also previously owned a 127 which could be ready in about 45 minutes give or take. Once cooled the images are clear and crisp.

Regarding refractors I heartily recommend the 4" Starfield. It's far better made than the 100ED and has better quality glass than the SL110. It has Japanese O Hara FPL53 and Lanthanum glass optics which is an excellent combination. I have seen no chromatic aberration at magnifications over 200x. It's also F7 which is a good focal length and could be used for astrophotography with the addition of an 0.8x reducer should you decide to take this path down the road. All in all it's my most used telescope. PS don't forget that with your conditions at home you will require dew heaters regardless of the telescope design. My refractor dews up in England on occasion, necessitating a dew heater to be used. You could buy an AZ4 mount to mount it on which is also very capable. Good luck with your new endeavour.

I also love my set of Morpheus eyepieces and they are basically all I use now apart from the occasion when I need a lower magnification. For this i use the SL UFF 30mm. I use them in all my scopes which range from f7 to f12. If I want to go higher than the 4.5mm can provide I simply use a 2x ES extender with the 6mm. I have no intention of looking for anymore eyepieces. Well just maybe a Svbony 3-8 zoom 😁.

I owned the 3-8mm SVbony zoom but foolishly sold it on. I am now on the verge of buying a second one as I do like a zoom for fine tuning the magnification on the planets without having to repeatedly change eyepieces. Darn it ££££ 🤔.

Postie just dropped off an Optolong L Enhance and a UV/IR cut filter. This delve into EAA and planetary imaging is more expensive than I first thought. Thankfully this is the last of the bits I need. I took my very first image of Jupiter last night with my 150 Maksutov/ADC/ASI585MC/Flip mirror and it turned out better than I had hoped. All the software to learn is definitely a steep learning curve.

Another thumbs up for a 8” dobsonian. How dark are your skies?. Visually you will get the best bang for your buck. If you want to take photographs EAA is possible with the addition of an Equatorial platform down the road. I’m afraid a proper astrophotography set up is way beyond your budget at the moment. The Seestar S50 is a decent choice for an all in one package at a little over your budget. Search for Seestar S50 on the search bar and have a look at the results that are achievable.

I’m still sticking to the Skywatcher Heritage 130P.

Another thumbs up for Autostakkert 3.

Welcome to SGL 👋. My two cents worth is for the Skywatcher Heritage 130P for the question in your other post.

What’s important is that we do what is right for us and our particular observing style. It just goes to show how individual we all are.

Yes I agree 100%. Looking forward to your first light.

Have they specified what type of glass the ED lens is yet? I was also looking at this scope but my Starfield does everything I ask of it well so no need to change it. The 120 is also catching my eye.

The only one in my set of Morpheus eyepieces that i fitted the extension piece to is the 4.5mm. Even then I can use it without it. I do the same as @cajen2 and just have the eyecups turned down and position my eye to get a comfortable full FOV. This is now become second nature to me.

Until the next one 🤔.

Looks pretty bad Michael, and winter hasn’t even arrived yet. I hope you can find a cost effective solution.

Great captures and animation 👍.

If the terminals on the telescope port are not showing the 12v then check the soldered connections and tracks on the telescope end are okay. If they are and both tracks have continuity then it looks like something on the board itself has failed.