Mars 12th April

[Clayton]

Just another night that didn't live up to Skippy's promise

The seeing was quite variable, but never great.

Still it was nice to be out again, and at a decent hour:D

[Space Cowboy]

Looks pretty darn good to me Rob! Really nice!

[Clayton]

Thanks Stuart!

I'm not really happy with how sharp my images are but I'm hoping a combination of great seeing and good collimation will fix that

The seeing was so ordinary that I only took 6AVIs (2 each at 3 different FLs)

This shot was from the shortest FL. I might post some of the others tomorrow for comparison

[si@nite]

Nice one Rob loads of detail. Simon.

[Clayton]

Thanks Simon!

[neil phillips]

Thanks Stuart!

I'm not really happy with how sharp my images are but I'm hoping a combination of great seeing and good collimation will fix that

The seeing was so ordinary that I only took 6AVIs (2 each at 3 different FLs)

This shot was from the shortest FL. I might post some of the others tomorrow for comparison

Yes Rob bigger newts need perfect collimation and consistent seeing i think. or you will get softer images consistently. But with great collimation and seeing it usually all sharpens up nicely. I just get parenoid about the figure of optics, its another reason for soft images, but not the only one. Mars is getting harder now. looks reasonably good all things consisdered Rob, have you thought about mods fans peltier coolers and such, i left a interesting thread from bird on stuarts post the AS/2 one. Not sure what you use ?

[Alan]

Very nice image Rob and I hope you get some better seeing to show what the 14" dob can really do

[Clayton]

Yes Rob bigger newts need perfect collimation and consistent seeing i think. or you will get softer images consistently. But with great collimation and seeing it usually all sharpens up nicely. I just get parenoid about the figure of optics, its another reason for soft images, but not the only one. Mars is getting harder now. looks reasonably good all things consisdered Rob, have you thought about mods fans peltier coolers and such, i left a interesting thread from bird on stuarts post the AS/2 one. Not sure what you use ?

Thanks Neil,

I would really like the opportunity to image under very nice seeing with good collimation before I decide to go down the cooling path

We often have much less difference between the Max/Min temp than Bird (more like 10 degrees C than 20) and whils it is still significant, a plain fan may suffice. I really need the data logging done before I jump in. The SW Dob is a very open tube and the mirror is not full thickness across it's width, being tapered towards the edges.

I will do the testing one day soon:rolleyes:

As for the Figure, it's always a worry for me as well. It seems quite obvious to me that some optics perform much better than others from the same stable, but I guess in the end you must work with what you have. I am pretty happy so far with the SW but I also recognize that Darryl is pulling a lot more detail with the same aperture. He does travel a fair way to take advantage of better conditions and spends time fine tuning collimation each session, so maybe that is the big difference, but maybe he has better optics I plan to travel with him one day to his "spot" and we can do a side by side comparison which should be much more telling. Another factor is that the tracking of the SW is not great and a significant number of frames are lost during centering adjustments, but the stacking software should take care of most of that, just that at times a few nice frames might be lost:confused:

The other closely related factor is the quality of the Barlow. I would love to substitute a high quality Barlow to compare with the GSO.

The GSO is quite nice but I have never compared it with a known performer:icon_scratch:

[Clayton]

Very nice image Rob and I hope you get some better seeing to show what the 14" dob can really do

Thanks Alan

I think the above post is relevant

[starnut]

Mars is Mars and that's the shot you got so well done

[Space Cowboy]

Would be interesting to see what difference a 5x powermate would make but the tube thermals can't be ruled out as I have discovered though I know your situation is very different as you don't use a dew shield, shroud or keep the scope in a warm house?

[neil phillips]

Thanks Neil,

I would really like the opportunity to image under very nice seeing with good collimation before I decide to go down the cooling path

We often have much less difference between the Max/Min temp than Bird (more like 10 degrees C than 20) and whils it is still significant, a plain fan may suffice. I really need the data logging done before I jump in. The SW Dob is a very open tube and the mirror is not full thickness across it's width, being tapered towards the edges.

I will do the testing one day soon:rolleyes:

As for the Figure, it's always a worry for me as well. It seems quite obvious to me that some optics perform much better than others from the same stable, but I guess in the end you must work with what you have. I am pretty happy so far with the SW but I also recognize that Darryl is pulling a lot more detail with the same aperture. He does travel a fair way to take advantage of better conditions and spends time fine tuning collimation each session, so maybe that is the big difference, but maybe he has better optics I plan to travel with him one day to his "spot" and we can do a side by side comparison which should be much more telling. Another factor is that the tracking of the SW is not great and a significant number of frames are lost during centering adjustments, but the stacking software should take care of most of that, just that at times a few nice frames might be lost:confused:

The other closely related factor is the quality of the Barlow. I would love to substitute a high quality Barlow to compare with the GSO.

The GSO is quite nice but I have never compared it with a known performer:icon_scratch:

Great reply Rob those that know how hard it is to do the very best that we want too, rather than just a occassional pic of mars on here. Know exactly how relevant your post above actually is. Its those types that dont stop untill they are achieving the quality they want, and i can see youve got it all covered. from that point of view if that big dob will do the buisness then im sure your the man to make it happen.

And yes differences from the same stable Rob, ive in the past sold my soul to go foward, only to take two steps back, lose a ton of dosh, and get my beloved 9.3/4 orion back. So i know first hand, how difficult it can sometimes be getting the equipment we need to get the quality we desire. I still need a bigger scope Rob but can not now afford it, after selling everything for a scope that basically failed to deliver. Sometimes its better to cut your loses. but you have to be sure, as none of this cheap, and most of us aint loaded. BTW its actually my second time ive had a expensive item fail to deliver. just bad luck. but it hurts when it takes me years to aquire such items. So i say all this to you fully understanding, what your trying to discover and achieve. Not some fly by night comment, from someone that likely will never achieve great things in planetary and lunar imaging. Im already happy with what ive achieved. But want so much more, and know i can deliver so much more. but am constrained by health and money issues. violins out now plz:(

Yeah i get what your saying as mentioned great reply. and good luck

[Clayton]

Thanks Neil

No violins here though Like a lot of us, I struggle financially, and have some serious health issues

It was only through some good fortune that I managed to get a good Tax return last year and it was a big gamble for me buying the SW, and at the time (not so in hindsight) the DBK 618. But that was basically all the money I had, gone in very short time:eek: and although I have the 10" AOS Newtonian waiting to go on the EQ6, it is as yet untested for planetary work. Apart from that there is no prospect of me upgrading in the foreseeable future (unless I win Lotto )

Scary stuff:icon_eek:

Mars is Mars and that's the shot you got so well done

Thanks

Would be interesting to see what difference a 5x powermate would make but the tube thermals can't be ruled out as I have discovered though I know your situation is very different as you don't use a dew shield, shroud or keep the scope in a warm house?

Can you send me the Powermate Stuart Promise to give it back

[neil phillips]

Thanks Neil

No violins here though Like a lot of us, I struggle financially, and have some serious health issues

It was only through some good fortune that I managed to get a good Tax return last year and it was a big gamble for me buying the SW, and at the time (not so in hindsight) the DBK 618. But that was basically all the money I had, gone in very short time:eek: and although I have the 10" AOS Newtonian waiting to go on the EQ6, it is as yet untested for planetary work. Apart from that there is no prospect of me upgrading in the foreseeable future (unless I win Lotto )

Scary stuff:icon_eek:

Thanks

Can you send me the Powermate Stuart Promise to give it back

The best high power lens ive owned Rob,Def look for one, they tend to come up from time to time, as a lot find them too powerful. but i was surprised to find thats not the case, There sharp and BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG btw, your processing looks like darryls on that one. Not being funny it actually does.

[Clayton]

The best high power lens ive owned Rob,Def look for one, they tend to come up from time to time, as a lot find them too powerful. but i was surprised to find thats not the case, There sharp and BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG btw, your processing looks like darryls on that one. Not being funny it actually does.

That would be pure coincidence Neil

Darryl and I sometimes discuss our processing (as we did today) and in fact our processing could hardly be more different

Darryl with RGB and me with OSC. Things that work wonders for him don't work at all for me eg. 3x Drizzle in AS!2 to mention but one

There is of course some overlap, mostly in Photoshop tools, but that remains a very individual exercise re the application of filters and their settings to achieve our individual desired result. I can't speak for Darryl, but my personal aim is to recreate what I see in the eyepiece, crossed with an idealzed picture of what I imagine Mars may look like if I was much closer

Having said that, I don't care too much if someones colour looks a bit odd, as usually that can be fixed in PP. I prefer to judge on the detail captured. Detail is what I long to capture, and I still have some way to go before I get close to what I think the gear is capable of, as I said before "seeing permitting"

I will keep my eye's open for a Powermate (5x I think ) the 4x will struggle to get me up to my current FL.

All I need now is another nice Tax return or a Lotto win:headbang: