How do you pass the time?

[allcart]

When all your expensive gear is in your back garden in the middle of a housing estate and you are taking hours of subs. I daren't leave my gear unattended.

[allcart]

5 more to go then darks. Sigh.

then change cards and try again.

[allcart]

If I had another remote I could do the darks on my other camera at the same time and save hours.

[RikM]

I am sitting in the garden, in the middle of a housing estate, tapping away at my laptop, next to my set-up which is currently gathering 10 min subs of the Pacman. Behind me is a small refractor on a camera tripod and I have been sneaking peeks at the moon through a Baader solar continuum filter (seems to help make the full moon interesting) and playing dot-to-dot with open clusters and asterisms

[allcart]

Well thst was almost a complete waste of time. 180s subs at iso 800 all overexposed. I thought I had taken a batch at 120s but they are not on the card, I hope they are on the sd card instead.

Anyway, my tracking works quite well with only a smidgen of trailing at 180s, and I was pretty near on target. Perhaps 120s would be better. might try iso 400 this time.

The light polution here is horrendous.

[BuzzBomb]

I read the posts here on my phone. But then I was imaging the moon so didn't need to worry about dark adaptation.

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Tapatalk 2

[RikM]

Do you use any kind of light pollution filter? I use a standard Skywatcher LPR and it makes a dramatic difference to my subs. The CLS and IDAS EOS clip filters have a great reputation though.

[allcart]

Do they work with a dslr lens? Might help if they do. The super bright lamp at the end of my garden seems to be really high in the red spectrum. its a devil to balance the rgb in PS.

Anyway, it all went Pete Tong. After turning of the mount while I did the subs, it won't work right. I turned the back on and reset the controler. Checked the PA, then tried the 2 star align again to see if I could get it better, and now the GOTO couldn't hit a barn door at 20 paces. It was miles out from any star a tried to align with. The stars were not even in the FOV.

Several attempts later and I have caved in for the night. What with the moon and the street lamp and a nogoto I have been foiled.

[RikM]

Yes, the in-body EOS clip filter versions work with EF series lenses just fine. http://www.modernastronomy.com/filtersAstronomik.htm Astronomic CLS CCD (EOS Clip) on this page. I did notice that the 5D is not listed among the compatible models so maybe they don't fit a full frame camera? If you give Bernard a ring though he should be able to clarify that.

I have just packed up as well. Meridian flip time for Mr Pacman, 21x 600sec in Ha done, so I decided to quite while I'm ahead. I'll add more Ha and RGB for the stars when the moon's gone away. If only setting up was a quick as packing away...

[allcart]

assuming that the filters somehow slip in between the lens and the mount (between lens and sensor) I don't think there would be enough room. Its all a bit cramped in there.

Maybe there is a filter that goes on the end of the lens?

[RikM]

http://astronomik.net/en/eos_clip-filters.html

Doesn't look like it is compatible with the 5D

You can get a 2" Filter and a step down ring to put one in front of a 50mm Prime lens for example. There might be some vignetting, but it should work.

[johnb]

When all your expensive gear is in your back garden in the middle of a housing estate and you are taking hours of subs. I daren't leave my gear unattended.

Ever considered a dark library ?, I use Dark Library V1.07 ok I refresh them now and then but it made my life so much easier.

John B

[allcart]

That could save a bit of time too. On cloudy nights I could just do darks at varios settings and stare them in the library for later use. good concept.

[allcart]

My typing is getting worse.

[kirkster501]

Ever considered a dark library ?, I use Dark Library V1.07 ok I refresh them now and then but it made my life so much easier.

John B

Dark Library? Define.....

[kirkster501]

I am a beginner so still excited and watch the laptop screen waiting for the exposure just taken to pop up in APT However, when I set up an automated sequence to capture 20 x 120s on M27 last night I had my Bins and Sky and Telescope atlas.

One thing I have noticed. When scope set up on concrete slabs need to tiptoe around the scope very carefully to stop vibration trails on the images......

[earth titan]

Dark Library? Define.....

When a useful temperature range occurs, set the camera up to take darks. These can be used later to calibrate the frames and don't care about clouds. In fact, the scope doesn't need to be connected.

Typed by me, using fumms...

[Shibby]

If I had another remote I could do the darks on my other camera at the same time and save hours.

But they wouldn't match!

[RikM]

But they wouldn't match!

Different camera = different hot pixels

[jgs001]

None of the clip filters will work with full frame cameras, as there is not enough room between the filter and the mirror. As has been said, you can't use the clip filters with EF-S lenses, but then you can't use EF-S lenses with full frame cameras, for the same reason, the mirror..

I normally use a pair of binoculars and have a good look around, see some sights, whilst the rig is at work doing it's thing.

[earth titan]

Different camera = different hot pixels

I had to start again when I bought a new camera for modding.

Typed by me, using fumms...