First Horsehead

[smudgeball]

Hi all

Well I'm finally starting to put all the techniques together.

On Friday night I guided my mount for the first time.

I've still a long way to go but I'm slowly getting there.

My previous imaging outings were a bit of planetary and then some un-guided 30sec to 1 min exposures with my (sadly departed) EQ3-2

This is the first time I've gone for long exposure using the NEQ6Pro and Megrez 72

Image is 4 x 4 min light images stacked in DSS.

Next will be things like "Flats" or "Darks" etc... but that will all come in good time.

I'm very pleased with this and it shows what my gear is capable of from my back garden.

Regards

Neil

[NIGHTBOY]

Exellent work!!!

May I ask tho how you use to take 30 second 'un-guided' shots?????

[smudgeball]

Thanks

EQ3-2 was the pro version so had the RA and DEC motors plus synscan handset.

Polar scope on mount not the best so polar align was never great.

But if you connected to laptop and used Sidereal (the default) tracking, it would manage a good minute or so before stars lost their shape.

I had way too much weight on the mount and burnt out the dec motor last month, so keeping it for visual with my 6SE.

I think if you get polar align and balance, then it's possible to go unguided around those times.

I now use a 9x50 finderscope plus webcam to guide and went straight past 3 minute exposures no problem.

But the mount I have now can easily cope with the Megrez even with all the "extras" hanging off the back.

I personally said I would stay with the eq3 regardless of commentss about going for the best mount if you want to do imaging.

But circumstances and my increased interest in imaging meant that I progressed to the neq6.

Neil

[NIGHTBOY]

Great stuff thanks Neil.