Imaging with the 130pds

[Bibabutzemann]

On 15/05/2023 at 14:38, Astro_by_sona said:

do you think I need a primary mirror clip mask?

 

 

 

Hi, nice setup!

its an easy and cheap but effective tuning for better star shapes and less halo. I bought mine at a shop from austrian astro youtuber Daniel Nimmervoll (liquidart-shop). Its a high quality 3D print in mat black with perfect fit and minimal intrusion in the optical path. (mat is optional for 6 euro)

Another easy fix is to cover the back of your scope with a swimming cap to reduce light gradients.

To reduce risk of tilting its recommended to replace the 2 screws at the 2" adapter wtih nylon tipped screws. Ideally make a third hole for evenly applied pressure. (i dont know where to get those nylon screws though, im wondering that myself)

 

 

 

 

[AstroMuni]

On 07/04/2023 at 11:44, Space Oddities said:

This focuser from Artesky is sadly only compatible with the 150P-DS and bigger, but not the 130P-DS due to the lack of a notch on the 130P-DS (just above the stickers, on the picture above).

The other reason maybe the curvature of the OTA as well, so worth checking this too.

[AstroMuni]

On 15/05/2023 at 13:38, Astro_by_sona said:

do you think I need a primary mirror clip mask?

Sorry to hear about your personal loss.

Ref spikes, I would say its down to personal preference on how much diffraction is acceptable for you? The mirror clip mask should reduce the spikes in the centre, and in order to make the large spikes pointy(er) you would need to straighten the vanes.

Also bear in mind that its not often that you are going to image a star as bright as Vega 🙂

Nice mount, btw 🙂

Edited May 17, 2023 by AstroMuni

[Astro_by_sona]

On 17/05/2023 at 18:57, AstroMuni said:

Sorry to hear about your personal loss.

Ref spikes, I would say its down to personal preference on how much diffraction is acceptable for you? The mirror clip mask should reduce the spikes in the centre, and in order to make the large spikes pointy(er) you would need to straighten the vanes.

Also bear in mind that its not often that you are going to image a star as bright as Vega 🙂

Nice mount, btw 🙂

Thanks for your response and the condolences.

I love the spikes so that's something I look forward too, my concern was reflection of the primary mirror in the brightness of Vega.

I do have a mirror mask made, will try with it.  Yes I'm very happy with cem40 ☺️

Cheers! Clear Skies!

[Astro_by_sona]

On 17/05/2023 at 04:18, Bibabutzemann said:

Hi, nice setup!

its an easy and cheap but effective tuning for better star shapes and less halo. I bought mine at a shop from austrian astro youtuber Daniel Nimmervoll (liquidart-shop). Its a high quality 3D print in mat black with perfect fit and minimal intrusion in the optical path. (mat is optional for 6 euro)

Another easy fix is to cover the back of your scope with a swimming cap to reduce light gradients.

To reduce risk of tilting its recommended to replace the 2 screws at the 2" adapter wtih nylon tipped screws. Ideally make a third hole for evenly applied pressure. (i dont know where to get those nylon screws though, im wondering that myself)

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Yes am very happy with the setup so far🤞 you never know in this hobby what will be your next purchase😆.

I do have a primary mirror mask 3D printed will use it, and have been hearing a lot about  the swimming cap, will get one!

I have already invested in a three screws adapter, it holds the imaging train quiet well.

Thanks so much for your time, clear skies!

 

[gaz81]

Thought this might be useful, I had an idea for a dew shield. 
 

so popped to Screwfix and got a few things, a 150mm pipe connector and a 150mm pipe. 
 

These happen to fit perfectly inside the front of the 130pds. 
 

Course all needs a proper build, flocking, gluing bits together etc etc.  

Also… it’s cheap!

Basically, the pipe connector is a snug fit into the front of the 130pds tube, and the pipe goes on the end of that. 

[sagramore]

On 20/06/2023 at 22:08, gaz81 said:

Thought this might be useful, I had an idea for a dew shield. 
 

so popped to Screwfix and got a few things, a 150mm pipe connector and a 150mm pipe. 
 

These happen to fit perfectly inside the front of the 130pds. 
 

Course all needs a proper build, flocking, gluing bits together etc etc.  

Also… it’s cheap!

Basically, the pipe connector is a snug fit into the front of the 130pds tube, and the pipe goes on the end of that. 

 

This is *genius*. As someone who spent "astronomy gear" level cash for the wrong-sized dew shield and then was too disorganised to send it back for a refund, I've just been persevering without one. This, however, looks like it's far closer to my budget...

I guess the question though is whether or not flocking it out costs a lot... I have no experience with that either. Although I do need to install a mirror clip mask so maybe while the scope is disassembled I should look at flocking the main tube too. Do people find it makes a large difference?

Then again, I've had a belt mod for my NEQ6 sitting in the box for nearly a year because I've not found time (and the courage) to install it so maybe none of this will ever get done....

[gaz81]

Yeah, flocking isn’t that expensive. Maybe about £10 off Amazon for some black stick on velour stuff. 

[alacant]

Hi everyone

Not much 130pds activity recently so, here's one from the current heatwave in south eastern Spain. We found some blue bits in the sea of red, aka Cygnus.

Thanks for looking and heat or no heat, don't forget your humble 130s.

ngc6914 apil siril 1.3.0a proc st 1.9.588b ~4h uhc

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by alacant

[Whistlin Bob]

Not been around much lately, but just caught this video. Bless him, it takes a while, but the penny eventually drops with Dylan O'Donnell and diffraction spikes...

 

[Dedanann]

On 11/03/2014 at 03:14, andre808 said:

Ok here goes, tonights M81 M82. 140 30 second subs with flats darks and bias. Not a patch on the excellent images displayed above but hey ho.

I think it's a pretty good image, well done, I find it's actually more about the process than the final image I enjoy the most, but seeing the results of one's efforts is absolutely amazing of course. Always gonna be people comparing, I think it's a great photo.

[RomainD]

Hello! Following this topic for a while, I have now a 130PDS as well and took a couple of pictures with it alongisde a Canon 100D ; L-enhance filter on a CEM25P mount. The upgrade I have on it are the spider vanes, disk around the primary, part of the insight flocked and focuser tube cut.

Here are the best pictures I took with it so far.

I am very glad with the pictures but I really struggle with the mount so I would like to upgrade. I do travel some time to time to a dark site but I mainly image from my balcony in a bortle 7-8 zone. I don't plan to upgrade soon but if I do it would be for something like a 150P quattro on a mono camera.

Right now I will buy a 533mc pro which will gave me image scale of 1.25", so I should aim for an average guiding at 0.6 Rms. I am torn between the HEQ5 and the EQ6R - any advise would be welcome

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by RomainD

[alacant]

Hi everyone

Not much 130 activity ATM so in an attempt to redress the balance here is the alma in Cassiopeia with a cheepo UHC and -not so cheap- GPU.

Gotta love the little pds.

Thanks for looking and do post your 130 nebula images if you've had a go recently.

130pds  calibración y apilado, siril 1.3.0a procesado st 1.9.588b ~5h

[Bibabutzemann]

 

On 26/09/2023 at 18:28, alacant said:

Thanks for looking and do post your 130 nebula images if you've had a go recently.

Ok  Clean shot btw! 

 

M31 from September, 2 Panel mosaic with 3 hours each.

And here NGC663 & friends

HEQ5, EOS 2000D, Bortle 5

CS Patrick

Edited October 16, 2023 by Bibabutzemann

[AstroMuni]

1 hour ago, Bibabutzemann said:

M31 from September, 2 Panel mosaic with 3 hours each.

Colours have been brought out beautifully for just 3hours. Amazing. What software did you use to process the image?

Edited October 16, 2023 by AstroMuni

[bomberbaz]

On 18/09/2023 at 12:51, RomainD said:

Hello! Following this topic for a while, I have now a 130PDS as well and took a couple of pictures with it alongisde a Canon 100D ; L-enhance filter on a CEM25P mount. The upgrade I have on it are the spider vanes, disk around the primary, part of the insight flocked and focuser tube cut.

Here are the best pictures I took with it so far.

I am very glad with the pictures but I really struggle with the mount so I would like to upgrade. I do travel some time to time to a dark site but I mainly image from my balcony in a bortle 7-8 zone. I don't plan to upgrade soon but if I do it would be for something like a 150P quattro on a mono camera.

Right now I will buy a 533mc pro which will gave me image scale of 1.25", so I should aim for an average guiding at 0.6 Rms. I am torn between the HEQ5 and the EQ6R - any advise would be welcome

 

I would be looking at the HEM15. I too am looking at the quattro 150p and it will marry really well with that mount.

[Bibabutzemann]

8 hours ago, AstroMuni said:

Colours have been brought out beautifully for just 3hours. Amazing. What software did you use to process the image?

Thanks!

Mosaic and Photometric Color calibration was done in Pixinsight.

Stetching was done in Siril. To preserve more of the colours, i first apply two moderate arcsinh stetches before doing the final stretch in Photoshop.

At the end i remove the green tint and do some final saturation but with a star mask to prevent oversaturated stars.

CS Patrick

[8472]

Long time 130P-DS owner here who's performed a few mods (part flocked, primary mirror moved up the tube, shortened drawtube for zero light path intrusion, etc etc).

I'm not sure if this has been brought up before, but am I right in thinking the light gathering surface area of the primary mirror is roughly equivalent to an 80mm refractor (considering the central obstruction of the secondary is 47mm)?

(130mm X pi) - (47 X pi) = 260.75mm²

260.75 / pi = 83mm

Happy to be corrected and sorry if this has already been beaten to death and/or debunked.

[AL1]

I think it is surface area that gives light gathering power

i.e

(pi X (130/2)^2) - (pi X (47/2)^2)  =  (pi X R^2)

 

R = sqrt((130^2-47^2)/4)

R = 60.6 mm radius for equivalent refractor

Just over 120mm diameter.   I would double check my maths though

 

Edited October 17, 2023 by AL1

[8472]

36 minutes ago, AL1 said:

I think it is surface area that gives light gathering power

i.e

(pi X (130/2)^2) - (pi X (47/2)^2)  =  (pi X R^2)

 

R = sqrt((130^2-47^2)/4)

R = 60.6 mm radius for equivalent refractor

Just over 120mm diameter.   I would double check my maths though

 

God, I'm stupid - of course it is! 🤦

Thanks!

[woldsman]

On 30/01/2023 at 22:09, Elp said:

If you get a gso coma corrector you don't need to perform this mod, it's the reason I had one when I had this scope.

Why would a gso coma corrector obviate having to address the issue of focuser protruding? Am thinking about getting a 130pds but the focuser mod is off-putting.

[woldsman]

On 20/06/2023 at 22:08, gaz81 said:

Thought this might be useful, I had an idea for a dew shield. 
 

so popped to Screwfix and got a few things, a 150mm pipe connector and a 150mm pipe. 
 

These happen to fit perfectly inside the front of the 130pds. 
 

Course all needs a proper build, flocking, gluing bits together etc etc.  

Also… it’s cheap!

Basically, the pipe connector is a snug fit into the front of the 130pds tube, and the pipe goes on the end of that. 

Nice mod. Maybe you do need a mirror clip mask though as those two plastic connectors are protruding. Test shot on a bright star will reveal all.

[Stefan73]

10 hours ago, woldsman said:

Why would a gso coma corrector obviate having to address the issue of focuser protruding? Am thinking about getting a 130pds but the focuser mod is off-putting.

If you choose the right coma corrector it can move the focus position further out.  eg I use the GPU one https://www.firstlightoptics.com/coma-correctors/ts-10x-gpu-superflat-4-element-2-coma-corrector.html and the focuser is nearly at full extension with no noticeable protrusion.

 

[alacant]

On 01/11/2023 at 23:46, woldsman said:

Why would a gso coma corrector obviate having to address the issue of focuser protruding?

It moves the focus position away from the tube. The disadvantage is that it puts the focal plane so far from the tube as to be on the limit of what the focuser can manage, inducing tilt as the tube tracks the sky.
We would recommend a first generation GPU cc at bf-52mm, if only to retain sensible focus position, native focal length and field of view.
Cheers and HTH

Edited November 9, 2023 by alacant
he she it protrude(s)

[Elp]

As above, not all CCs function the same.