First Nebula, Rosette - Unguided

[Zaphod360]

Hi,

I had some time last night so thought I'd have a go at imaging a nebula for the first time. The obvious target of Orion is unfortunately behind a large tree for most of the evening for me so I went for the Rosette Nebula.

21 x 58s Lights, a few Darks and my first attempt at a few Flats. I use a EOS 1000D with a remote so viewing the camera screens histogram to do the flats is a bit tricky. I've got a cheep laptop on order from Morgans so this should help.

Anyway, this is the best I could do, I know I need longer subs but I get sick of throwing so many away.

I think I still need to work on the Flats as the nebula extends far beyond my frame, but anyway I was pleased to get anything to be honest.

Skywatcher Explorer 200P - EQ5 unguided

Unmodded Cannon EOS100D

Stacked in Nebulosity 2 with basic colour balance and stretch

Final Process in PhotoShop

Any tips?

EDIT: I've attached a copy of the pic, the link to imageshack mustn't be working?

[Black Knight]

Yes, flats help enormously with vignetting. How do you connect the camera to the scope? Do you use the direct camera connection, or 1.25"/2" T-piece?

You did well to get 58 seconds unguided with this setup. I had this setup for a year, and the best I got was 2 mins unguided - but that only happened once! More often it was around 60 seconds, and that required very good polar alignment and drift alignment. You probably know that longer subs would require guiding, but the extra weight of a guide camera and guidescope would overload your mount. It may be worth investigating a finderguider (there are plenty of threads on SGL about this). I did ponder the idea of a finderguider myself, but in the end decided to upgrade my mount.

[Star Gazer]

Like you I was out imaging the Rosette for the first time last night. It was beatifully clear in Wiltshire.

I took 40 light frames at 200 secs at 800 iso. As well as 40 dark frames to match.

I used BackyardEOS to control my 7D camera (fantastic software BTW). My mount was unguided.

I haven't processed the images yet, but I have some reservations as to the final result. Because the nebula is so faint I think I will have difficulty brining out the detail, but I'm not too sure until I have had a play.

Since you exposure are much shorter than mine I think you will have even more of a problem than me, but may be I am being too pesimistic - I hope so.

If I get anything worthwile I post it here so that you can see what is possible given my settings.

I'd be very interested to see your final image.

Good luck

[Zaphod360]

Yes, flats help enormously with vignetting. How do you connect the camera to the scope? Do you use the direct camera connection, or 1.25"/2" T-piece?

I use a t-ring fitted to the direct camera connection.

I took 40 light frames at 200 secs at 800 iso. As well as 40 dark frames to match. I used BackyardEOS to control my 7D camera (fantastic software BTW). My mount was unguided.

200 secs unguided!!! I salute you sir thats an achievement no matter what you manage to capture! I can only get about 90 secs but then I loose about 75% of the frames, at under 60 secs I still loose about 40% of the frames. Do you have any tips on how you do it?!?!

[Star Gazer]

I don't have any tips for you I am afraid, but I reckon you can get 3 mins (180 secs) unguided out of an EQ5. I don't have an EQ5 but I am sure I have read others have done 5 mins with this albeit with short focal lengths, but I might be wrong.

Are you sure your polar alignment is as good as you think?

Don't forget to show us a picy. Everyone loves picies

[gthomas]

I can usually get 120 secs from my unguided Eq5 with 90% success and 180 secs with 60% success using an 800mm newt. I have got very good 240 secs using a 55mm camera lens. I generally take a carefull polar alignment using the polar scope but don't do drift align.

[Zaphod360]

I do polar then drift align so I think it's pretty good, I've not read of anyone achieving 3 min subs with a 200P on an EQ5, but i'd be interested to know if anyone has and how, I'd love to get some longer exposures under my belt

[Quatermass]

Well Zap I love your picture and inspired to have a go at this one myself now. On this discussion of length of subs that you can get with unguided 200p and eq5 set up. I have managed a tad under 3 minutes but that was rare indeed. Most nights its more like just over a minute but your still chucking out more subs then you would like to. Having used this unguided set up for a year now I was wondering what or how to go about getting a guided system. Stans set up was an insperation to us all when he got the dual axis kit for the eq3 and modded on the st4 port he is now getting good results with his set up. I looked into this last year considering buying the dual axis motor kit for the EQ5 and then getting the ST4 port kit for about a tenner and modding the control pad of the dual axis kit. Its dead easy to do so I thought why not as it will save having to pay out more dosh for an EQ5 or bigger upgrade. Having taken my EQ5 apart last weekend and had a good look at the gears and compared them to the those on the Heq5 model I really dont belive there is that much difference to choose from when it comes to modding up the eq5. And if I can get just under 3 minutes at a push with just a single ra axis kit on my eq5, then stepping it up to the dual axis kit modded with the st4 port has just got to be better.

I have two choices now save my money and get the Heq5 or go the modded dual axis kit with st4 port route. Given what Stan has been able to do I feel I have nothing to lose on this so will go down that road.

Saving money is worth it if you get good results.

I have an LVI auto guider that I intend to use and my finder scope 10x50 is going to become my guide scope for now. Stan uses a webcam and his laptop to autoguide with.

If this works for me it will certainly work for everyone else that is using the 200p and eq5 set up.

Dual axis kit and st4 port costs about 100 pounds compared to getting an Heq5 that's a big saving.

Now the big question to save or to mod? My funds dictate a mod is on the cards.

[Star Gazer]

Hi Zaphod,

Lovely image. I hope mine will be as good as yours.

Note my long exposure are at 450 mm FL, so that makes a difference compared with your 200P. but having said that as a quick test I did manage 6 mins unguided with perfect stars.

[Zaphod360]

Dual axis kit and st4 port costs about 100 pounds compared to getting an Heq5 that's a big saving.

Now the big question to save or to mod? My funds dictate a mod is on the cards.

I didn't know about this, I'll have to do some reading, I thought I was in the same position and basically decided to save for a heq5, do you have any links on how to do with this? Its a fascinating idea.

[Star Gazer]

Here is my quick and dirty attempt at the Rosie. This is out of DSS with a quick spruce up in PixInsight. If you look closely the stars are doughnuts so it needs a full PixInsight workflow

[Quatermass]

Its easy to do you order the dual axis kit two motors ra and dec a battery pack and the controller pad. Next you order the st4 kit this has a wire attatched to an st4 port adapter you then just solder 4 wires to the dual axis controller job done. The dual axis kit and st4 kit come to about 100.00

I dont know of any one else on the forum who has done this with the 200p and eq5 but stan has done it with his eq3 and getting great results.

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk

[Zaphod360]

Okay, hmmm, I must be missing something, I've got the dual axis motors on my eq5, I've got a webcam I could use to guide. If I do the mod and get the st4 port added how do I connect this to my PC?

Would I need something like this? http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Imagers-Shoestring.asp?p=0_10_5_0_5_10

Or this http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/hitecastro-usb-guider_d5350.html

[Quatermass]

Okay, hmmm, I must be missing something, I've got the dual axis motors on my eq5, I've got a webcam I could use to guide. If I do the mod and get the st4 port added how do I connect this to my PC?

Would I need something like this? Shoestring Astronomy GPUSB for auto-guiding.

Or this HitecAstro USB Guider | Telescope Accessories | Rother Valley Optics

Im not using a laptop so dont have a clue but if you ask Stan on the forums Im sure he can tell you as he is using a laptop and webcam to guide with after doing the conversion.

I just started a thread on my conversion in the imaging discussion section if you want to follow it the ST4 port kit costs 12.60 total from OPTIC STAR.

[Zaphod360]

Thanks for the info, how are you planning on guiding without a laptop?

[Star Gazer]

Perhaps he will use a standalone guider like some of them on this page?

Guider Cameras : 365Astronomy: Discovery for every day!

[Quatermass]

The Shoestring Astronomy Store - GPUSB

This guy uses the above see his blog section here.

Deep Space Imaging Equipment | Mike SalwayMike Salway

[Quatermass]

Perhaps he will use a standalone guider like some of them on this page?

Guider Cameras : 365Astronomy: Discovery for every day!

Im going to be using this stand alone guider

[Cozzy]

I have done the mods as above with my kit recently and using the gpusb and laptop, using free guider software, all seems to be working well but still waiting for some good weather to give it a good test.

[Zaphod360]

Brilliant, this will be my next project as well then. Probably take me about a month to get it all together, hopefully!

[Quatermass]

I have done the mods as above with my kit recently and using the gpusb and laptop, using free guider software, all seems to be working well but still waiting for some good weather to give it a good test.

Ah ha so some one who had modded the dual axis motors for the EQ5 mount. As I am about to do this can you tell me how well its going?

[gthomas]

Me too, I'm planning to source the bits to mod the hand-controller myself and do the mod and then use the Hitech Astro and my laptop for guiding

I've just taken delivery of a Canon 450D body that is going off for a filter mod. so the Eq5 guiding mod is going to save me some pennies.

[Quatermass]

Me too, I'm planning to source the bits to mod the hand-controller myself and do the mod and then use the Hitech Astro and my laptop for guiding

I've just taken delivery of a Canon 450D body that is going off for a filter mod. so the Eq5 guiding mod is going to save me some pennies.

Heres my thread that will track the progress of my conversion if you want to follow what Im doing

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-discussion/172701-guiding-conversion-project-200p-eq5.html

[gthomas]

Thanks. will follow with interest

[Quatermass]

Here is my quick and dirty attempt at the Rosie. This is out of DSS with a quick spruce up in PixInsight. If you look closely the stars are doughnuts so it needs a full PixInsight workflow

Nice image stargazer how many subs and what camera where you using