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First Light Modded 1100D - M51

Gina

By Gina
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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Gina

Gina

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That last stacked version is a massive improvement Gina and good to see all the frames looking much nicer now, when you start getting to grips with the processing side of things and your guiding you will be leaping ahead I am hoping tonight we get some clear skies as I am itching to try out my focal reducer.
Thank you :( Yes, I thought it was much better.

The sun has been peeping out now and again this afternoon and, with solar filters on ED80 and ST80 and finder removed, I pointed the scopes to the sun and ran the QHY5 software and focused on the sun's disc. Didn't get enough time to pick out sunspots because the cloud kept coming over. I'll probably try the QHY5 on ST80 for solar when we get proper sunshine. Anyway, the object of this afternoon's session was to get the ST80 focused onto the QHY5 ready for stars whenever we see them.

Yes, I too am hoping to see the stars tonight :D I've got such a lot to do when we do actually get a clear night or two!

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Gina

Gina

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Well, there were a fewe gaps in the clouds earlier but it seems to be total coverage now. I am all set up to try guiding and another go at M51....

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Gina

Gina

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Another clear bit but I don't think I'm getting much in 2m subs. The clear bits are too short. Guiding is working well when there's stars to be seen and it even picks up the star again when it appears from behind the clouds :)

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Gina

Gina

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Good luck, hope the guiding goes well:)

edit

well that was a badly timed post, there's always tomorrow Gina:)

I think I'm getting nowhere with imaging but at least I've got guiding working using my ST80 which is a major milestone :) There were several bright enough stars in the guide field - so no problem there.

As you say, I can see what tomorrow night brings :confused:

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Quatermass

Quatermass

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Managed to grab a few test shots when I got home of m13 and the antennae galaxy but clouds kept rolling in so could not get a clear run. Never mind it was good to test my focal reducer it gives a lovely flat field of stars from end to end very impressed by it. I will be back! :) Good luck with your guiding Gina :confused:

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk 2

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Gina

Gina

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Glad you've found your FR/FF good Mark :confused: I would hope so - they cost enough!!

Forecast is good for tonight but I would never bet on the forecast - fingers crossed :)

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Gina

Gina

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I have never regretted buying the NEQ6 :) This afternoon I was watching my scopes and mount slew to various points while I checked how far each part moved and which parts might might interfere with my camera water cooling system. Watching the slewing of three scopes (I include the finder) with cameras fitted, all over the place, I thought how marvellous it looked - like a small version of the big professional telescopes. What with that and the incredible deep sky images of nebulae and galaxies, I find this hobby quite awe inspiring :confused:

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Gina

Gina

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After lots of clouds earlier we seem to be having a nice clear spell :) I have PHD guiding working fine and taking subs of 150s at ISO 800. :confused:

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Gina

Gina

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It was indeed :)

Took me some time to get set up properly last night. Started just after 9pm as it was getting dark but after getting PHP guiding and taking subs I found the focus had slipped so it was a re-start. No bright enough stars in the FOV for using the Bahtimov mask so had to slew to a bright star and focus on that. Then slew back to M51 get it roughly centred in the frame which is a rather slow - move it - check it - move it - check it - sequence. Set PHD off calibrating, go and get a cuppa and then start off the main subs.

Got 42 lights I think when the camera battery ran out (have a problem to sort out with the mains supply). That caused everything to stop working for some reason and PHD locked up. It was nearly 1am and I was very tired so just parked scope, closed roof and then restarted netbook and set up for 25 darks with a fresh battery, and left it running. I didn't feel like going through the whole setting up routine again to get more subs. I'll see what comes out from 42 lights of 150s at ISO 800 plus 25 darks. I'll take some flats today.

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Zakalwe

Zakalwe

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Now your cooking. Once you get PHD sorted and guiding, then there really is no limit to your sub length. Personally, with my skies and set-up. I think anout 6-8 minutes is my "sweet-spot".

Your skies look a lot darker, though! That single sub that you posted looked pretty damn good....lots of signal in there waiting to be pulled out.

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