images captured this year anybody getting lucky with the weather

[shirva]

Post pictures and equipment used...relieve our bad weather boredom. ....please lol

[Carl Reade]

OK then this is what made me a fan of the Samsung 2000p. I got my Skywatcher 150p and camera in Feb and had it out a few times to get used to the EQ mount setup. So mastered that bit and got some webcam shots of Jupiter nothing outstanding with seeing etc. Then a few weeks ago when I set up I am restricted with buildings as to what I can see so looked at Nortons. M51 was in sight so sent the scope on its merry way. Bingo in the 10mm eyepiece there were two fuzzy blobs

I thought at this stage as i was set up I would try the Samsung out for the first time so got the laptop out and gear, popped it in the eyepeice and was shocked! Here is what came up on the screen! (cam has IR removed and pic is totally unprocessed)

Pinwheel gl.bmp

[Carl Reade]

Should add the line on left of the picture at that mag I would think is space junk which happened to pass not the camera lol and I suffer from sodium light pollution

Here is the same picture with a bit of tinkering which I still have to master.....

[shirva]

Wow ...I've not had opertunity to use my Samsung on my ed80 yet...can't wait now...I've not managed to remove ir filter on mine screws on board very tight was starting to round screw heads..going to attempt again if this is the imagining I will get...did get a view on moon with st102 but moon very bright had to increase shutter speed but had a ton of ca...so invested in ed80 .how long was camera on before it captured image.

[Carl Reade]

Cheers Shirva, the screws are tight I ended up buying a box of the fine drivers and slowly firmly got them out. From what I have read it gives 20% more gathering on DSOs but for planets you need to add an IR filter to the C mount.

The cam picked this up within seconds and was on for up to an hour before it got too cold to play. I didnt notice any real degragation or major amp glow throughout.

A dark site would be amazing. I still have a lot to learn about processing and using darks, oh and wait for clear skies

[starnut]

[shirva]

Yeh weather a killer up here in cumbernauld ...usually do my bit from partners back garden. .but took my etx80 to my flat and set it up incase weather breaks.

[Carl Reade]

No one else got any pics?

[Carl Reade]

Well heres tonights effort M82 the Cigar galaxy, one thing I have learned, the moon is a DSO killer lol. M81 wasnt worth the shot. Not going to win prizes but worth it.

[Carl Reade]

Well heres tonights effort M82 the Cigar galaxy, one thing I have learned, the moon is a DSO killer lol. M81 wasnt worth the shot. Not going to win prizes but worth it.

[shirva]

Still having bother focussing this camera ...could image the moon skies still blue getting dark I switched bits n bods about couldn't get image on moon went back to dslr and got some cracking shots...maybe get a video shot on here yet lol..Davy

[shirva]

Doing better than me Carl lol....I can't even get the moon

[Carl Reade]

Davy, I had 45 mins of no picture last night couldnt figure it. In the eye piece stars on camera none! My focus was well out and couldnt sort it due to random clouds. Had to use 10mm with 2X Barlow focus then put cam in. The focuser ended up about 5 mm outwards, pretty tight! But now I know where the focus point is for future ref.

Clouds and the moon wiped out M101 and M81 could just see the core so switched to M82 and finally got a result.

Unfortunatley i've no experience with refractors and the focus. Have you tried through the reflector?

Have you tried manual shutter and then setting the exposure for moon?

I spend 5 mins adjusting my previous photo from last night and and got this from fiddling. Still amazed what this thing can do. Keep at it looking forward to some good shots

[shirva]

_{hi carl...will give the 8'' a go next time round,,,,was ready for bouncing it off shed roof spent that much time fiddling around with settings ,,focus then the focusser on the ed80 pro needs adjusting the weight of camera wouldn't retract will adjust focus tension tomorrow..what is your set up and could you post pics ect..don't want to give up on this,,have came a long way but just cant crack it for some reason..ive started getting results on the dslr side with the help of steve,,Steppenwolf..cheers.....davy}

[Carl Reade]

Davy yes I can relate to getting jarred off in the cold lol. Firstly when I was using a webcam for the moon (it is a very bright target) the exposure settings had to be low and manually adjusted until you started to see detail or it was a whitewash. Jupiter is the same very bright then I would focus the scope, (hopefully no teaching you to suck eggs ). With the Samsung I have found it is far more sensitive to light. Hence it is so good for DSOs.

I had a play today to see what the Samsung does in daylight and its focus points. For the moon I was aiming to get the light settings as low as possible. The lowest light settings I could get were these,

Lens set to video

Shutter set to manual

Brightness set to 1

Shutter speed to 1/120000

AGC off

Sens off

This brought the overall picture down but not a great deal! I would also suggest a moon filter to maybe bring the brightness down.

For focus I place the C mount barrel halfway into the holder and dont put it in fully, I think this gives a bit more play which is crucial at a high mag I think.

I have added photos of my focus range. The first is a 10mm eyepiece with 2 X Barlow in focus on a distant TV aerial about 25-30m away.

The second is the Samsung focused on the same point.

The third is aimed at a treetop about another 7m further than the aerial. (This is roughly where I would be in focus for DSOs). You can see a big difference between eyepiece and camera focus.

I am assuming most of your issue is over exposure but could be wrong.

Hopefully this is useful

I have to stress that I have not even attempted the moon with the Samsung but hope there is something useful in here.

Cheers Carl

[Carl Reade]

Davy, here is the third pic, wouldnt updoad earlier.

[shirva]

Cheers Carl ...very helpful. ..what size if reflector are you using...I have a good copy of a sw 8" reflector. I need to try and find my c to nose cone adapter. ..been using c to t adapter but I can screw it on sw x2 Barlow. ...are you using Barlow with lens on or off...again many thanks Davy...ps clouded out again up here..

[Carl Reade]

Davy, its a Skywatcher 150p (6") on Eq3/2 pro goto mount. The C mount is screwed on to the camera body then placed in the eyepiece holder no lenses, have yet to try a Barlow attached. Yes clouds here as usual!

Cheers Carl

[shirva]

great carl,,,going to set up my 8'' tomorrow night when I get home from work ...you have gave new inspiration to give it a bash....I could do with another tripod right enough save me swapping all the time...saying that a heq5 and an observatory would be good....davy

[johnno]

hi guys, been watching this thread for sometime now, and I've only just got started in astronomy. I was wondering davy if you have Dzoom switched on as this will x your focus. I use a mak 127 and have no problems with focus but only used it a couple times due to the weather but also found i had to turn everything to its lowest settings then move up a bit at a time. for moon and jupiter i think everything was on its lowest settings..cheers John

[johnno]

@ Carl M82 looks amazing, not had chance to try it on DSO's , for what these cams cost i think they are well worth the money

[shirva]

Got the 8" scope set up done a quick focus check on near by tree. 1 to 2 mm of travel on focusser. ..waiting on moon coming up another half hour hopefully will get some where tonight ..slight gusts of wind , skies clear just now...fingers crossed...Davy

[Carl Reade]

@ Carl M82 looks amazing, not had chance to try it on DSO's , for what these cams cost i think they are well worth the money

Cheers Johnno it was the second outing unfortunately M81 was a washout with the moon. They are worth every penny. That was a LP back garden with the moon out! Cant wait to go to a dark site. Have you any pics??

[Carl Reade]

Got the 8" scope set up done a quick focus check on near by tree. 1 to 2 mm of travel on focusser. ..waiting on moon coming up another half hour hopefully will get some where tonight ..slight gusts of wind , skies clear just now...fingers crossed...Davy

Got the 8" scope set up done a quick focus check on near by tree. 1 to 2 mm of travel on focusser. ..waiting on moon coming up another half hour hopefully will get some where tonight ..slight gusts of wind , skies clear just now...fingers crossed...Davy

Fingers crossed Davey!! No matter what post the results. Clouded out here

[Carl Reade]

hi guys, been watching this thread for sometime now, and I've only just got started in astronomy. I was wondering davy if you have Dzoom switched on as this will x your focus. I use a mak 127 and have no problems with focus but only used it a couple times due to the weather but also found i had to turn everything to its lowest settings then move up a bit at a time. for moon and jupiter i think everything was on its lowest settings..cheers John

Impressive setup! Have you modded your cam? Is that a fan on top?