Another M27,4th attempt at DSO's(unguided)

[Oily]

Took this last Monday using my modified Canon 350D,40 x 60 second subs and 40 x 40 second subs with 10 flat frames,all in all just over an hours data.Stacked in DSS and processed through CS6(my mate did the processing ,cheers QM )

[Ouroboros]

That's lovely. How many of the frames are you having to reject? I have an EQ5 and reckon I have to throw away up to 50% of the frames in a pre-sort .... and that's with 30 second exposures. The tracking on my mount just isn't smooth enough.

[Oily]

Thanks Ouroboros,think DSS rejected about 8 frames as I seem to recall it stacking 72.I'm up to 90 second exposures now,used the EQMOD polar aligning tool which has really helped.

Why isn't your tracking smooth on the EQ5?

[Ouroboros]

Good question. Having taken it apart to see how it's made I think it's because it's a very poor piece of engineering. It reminds me of the sort of thing I used to knock together with my Mechano kit as a boy. It's fine as an observing mount, but not for imaging.

We are talking about the same EQ5 aren't we? This one. I've added the dual motor kit.

[WaveSoarer]

Very nice image.

[Oily]

Good question. Having taken it apart to see how it's made I think it's because it's a very poor piece of engineering. It reminds me of the sort of thing I used to knock together with my Mechano kit as a boy. It's fine as an observing mount, but not for imaging.

We are talking about the same EQ5 aren't we? This one. I've added the dual motor kit.

That's the one but mine is black Have you taken out the backlash?

[Ouroboros]

I'm trying to remember what I have done now. Some while ago I read around to see what others had done and then loosened and tightened things to see if it helped. It didn't. I've sort of given up with it and accept what it gives me. ..... With the idea of getting around to buying a better mount at some stage.

I'd be very interested though in any specific advice you have. Mine is one of the black ones too.

PS when you modified yours for GoTo did you change the motors? My motors would be far to slow to slew the mount to a new target even on their fastest speed.

[JamesF]

I've been wondering about using the existing motors for the AstroEQ mod. The motor housing actually contains a motor and gearbox, with a 120:1 reduction and hideous amounts of backlash through it. Remove the gearbox altogether and they might be quite usable.

James

[Oily]

I'm trying to remember what I have done now. Some while ago I read around to see what others had done and then loosened and tightened things to see if it helped. It didn't. I've sort of given up with it and accept what it gives me. ..... With the idea of getting around to buying a better mount at some stage.

I'd be very interested though in any specific advice you have. Mine is one of the black ones too.

PS when you modified yours for GoTo did you change the motors? My motors would be far to slow to slew the mount to a new target even on their fastest speed.

I followed QM's video on removing slack which worked

I've been wondering about using the existing motors for the AstroEQ mod. The motor housing actually contains a motor and gearbox, with a 120:1 reduction and hideous amounts of backlash through it. Remove the gearbox altogether and they might be quite usable.

James

With regards to the motors I'm still using them as I'm hopefully buying a new mount next year so didn't want to spend any more on this mount but may end up buying some new stepper motors,cogs and belts just to speed up the slews etc.At present it's slewing at X68

[Daniel-K]

i think the black data looks clipped, you propbaly have some goos usable data but just needs to be processed better

[Ouroboros]

I followed QM's video on removing slack which worked

With regards to the motors I'm still using them as I'm hopefully buying a new mount next year so didn't want to spend any more on this mount but may end up buying some new stepper motors,cogs and belts just to speed up the slews etc.At present it's slewing at X68

Yes, I have tried that a while ago. Maybe I need to repeat the process.

X68? That's fast. Mine is a max of X8 if I remember rightly. I suppose you're using a different controller?

[Oily]

i think the black data looks clipped, you propbaly have some goos usable data but just needs to be processed better

I'm not sure,you're better speaking to Mark(Quatermass)who did a quick job on it for me

Yes, I have tried that a while ago. Maybe I need to repeat the process.

X68? That's fast. Mine is a max of X8 if I remember rightly. I suppose you're using a different controller?

Yeah I'm using the AstroEQ,got to keep on top of that backlash,did my DEC yesterday which I found was quite bad

[Ouroboros]

Going back to your image though ..... Your M27 is nicely resolved. There's also little or no coma on the image, but I suppose the picture is only about 80 minutes across, so we don't see the coma near the edges. Or did you use a corrector too?

[Oily]

Thanks but what is a 'corrector'?

[Daddystu]

Thanks but what is a 'corrector'?

Good to see you got your eqmod problems sorted. This is a coma corrector http://www.altairastro.com/product.php?productid=16363

[Quatermass]

I'm trying to remember what I have done now. Some while ago I read around to see what others had done and then loosened and tightened things to see if it helped. It didn't. I've sort of given up with it and accept what it gives me. ..... With the idea of getting around to buying a better mount at some stage.

I'd be very interested though in any specific advice you have. Mine is one of the black ones too.

PS when you modified yours for GoTo did you change the motors? My motors would be far to slow to slew the mount to a new target even on their fastest speed.

Just want to chip in here on the eq5 mount. Its no doubt that the heq5 has better gears and more stable put I have used my eq5 mount for all my imaging and still do. It may not be such a tart as the heq5 but its still a great mount. Loaded with the 200p camera and finder scope its coped well and given me all my images loaded with a lighter ed80 or 130pds its even better so dont think its no good for imaging a quick look at my blog should silence that argument

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk 2

[JKB]

Yea agree. EQ5 is a decent mount when set up well. My EQ3-2 used to get 3min subs when well aligned etc. Lovely image by the way. Next on my list I think

Cheers

Jamie

[Oily]

Thanks James