Imaging with the 130pds

[mAnKiNd]

Hi all,

Here's a few images I took this month from my super dark sky backyard.

Details here:

https://www.astrobin.com/9j3re6/?nc=user

https://www.astrobin.com/72lpuk/?nc=user

https://www.astrobin.com/1mbaoz/?nc=user

Cheers,

Minos

Edited January 27, 2020 by mAnKiNd

[Galen Gilmore]

33 minutes ago, mAnKiNd said:

Hi all,

Here's a few images I took this month from my super dark sky backyard:

https://www.astrobin.com/9j3re6/?nc=user

https://www.astrobin.com/72lpuk/?nc=user

https://www.astrobin.com/1mbaoz/?nc=user

Cheers,

Minos

What mount is that? It looks like an EQ5, but with little black boxes for the motors.

[Captain Scarlet]

6 minutes ago, Galen Gilmore said:

What mount is that? It looks like an EQ5, but with little black boxes for the motors.

look like an EQM-35 to me...

 

[Galen Gilmore]

1 minute ago, Captain Magenta said:

look like an EQM-35 to me...

 

Thanks, been out of the loop for a while. Is that a new-ish mount?

[Captain Scarlet]

22 minutes ago, Galen Gilmore said:

Thanks, been out of the loop for a while. Is that a new-ish mount?

New-ish, been around 2-3 years at a guess. If you zoom in to the photo, you can see the letters EQM-35 PRO on the control box.

I have one, I really like it. It's essentially an EQ3-2 (scope payload capacity 4-5kg ish) with the 10kg scope payload capacity of an EQ5. The "M" stands for modular, as you can take it apart to act as a tracker-only for mounting a ball head and DSLR for example.

Cheers, Magnus

[Adam J]

19 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

New-ish, been around 2-3 years at a guess. If you zoom in to the photo, you can see the letters EQM-35 PRO on the control box.

I have one, I really like it. It's essentially an EQ3-2 (scope payload capacity 4-5kg ish) with the 10kg scope payload capacity of an EQ5. The "M" stands for modular, as you can take it apart to act as a tracker-only for mounting a ball head and DSLR for example.

Cheers, Magnus

Its worth noting that its also got a bigger RA gear that the EQ3 or EQ5 and so guides more accurately. 

[mAnKiNd]

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

Its worth noting that its also got a bigger RA gear that the EQ3 or EQ5 and so guides more accurately. 

Having owned both the EQ5 and now the EQM-35, that bigger RA gear does makes a positive difference.

[Stub Mandrel]

M42, luminance only at 60 and 2 seconds. Final image binned 2x2.

Collimation needs a tweak as stars are slightly off, pixel peepers!

 

[Galen Gilmore]

This image was both a failure and a success at the same time. It was my first time shooting the rosette, and I wanted to make it a good one.

I was able to get 20x2mins on Saturday, and 40x2mins on Sunday. Although all of the images on Sunday became completely unusable, I accidentally had the DSLR slightly rotated within the focuser, and I guess more people had their lights on because LP was significantly worse.

So I was only able to use a small portion of the frames I collected, about 40 minutes. 

Although I felt like I really resurrected the image from the grave in post processing. I learned a new technique for gradient removal (the image had the worst gradient possible). And while it’s definitely not great, it looks a lot better than I expected it too be considering the state of the picture.

[vernmid]

Hi All,

Quite pleased with this one from 20th January .

30 x 90 seconds + Flats and Bias

Using the 130PDS, 1100d modified and HEQ5

First time I've seen the horsey 🙂

Cheers

Vern

[OllieN]

Just got my 130PDS and first clear skies so captured the Orion nebula as first target of choice.  Very pleased with the decision to purchase this scope.  Processing could use a little work, looks like some blueing at the edges (maybe bad flats?)

 

[Whistlin Bob]

This is my first full colour picture from a mono camera 🙂

This nebula sits next to Navi in Cassiopeia (Gamma Cass)- apparently the star is gradually eroding the nebula. The nebula itself is both an emission and a reflection nebula, but I think I’ve only managed to capture the emission parts here.

I took this over 2 nights on 15th and 17th Jan. It’s been a bit of a learning process to put this together:

40 mins of 2 minute subs in each of LRGB on 15th

100 mins of 5 minute subs in Ha on 17th

It certainly takes a bit more effort to process mono, and it wasn’t helped by loads of problems with ice and fogging on my secondary. This led to not getting much Ha signal, and I’ve used layers in Gimp to bring it out (don’t tell Pixinsight- they’ll excommunicate me!). I think there’s probably more can be extracted from this data- especially around the body of the nebula- but I’m still pleased to have a full colour image!

I had another go at this a few days later and the whole scope completely iced up- see picture at the bottom!

[Whistlin Bob]

On 27/01/2020 at 14:43, mAnKiNd said:

from my super dark sky backyard.

I think you deserve a medal for getting that under those conditions!

[mAnKiNd]

I managed to squeeze in another 3.5 hours on the 🦉 nebula

https://www.astrobin.com/1mbaoz/C/?nc=user

Minos

[Adam J]

1 hour ago, mAnKiNd said:

I managed to squeeze in another 3.5 hours on the 🦉 nebula

https://www.astrobin.com/1mbaoz/C/?nc=user

Minos

 

Awesome Image, is the 290 your only camera or just using it for small targets? 

[mAnKiNd]

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

Awesome Image, is the 290 your only camera or just using it for small targets? 

Thanks Adam

I currently have the ASI290MM-Cool and ASI290MC-Cool. One for narrowband and luminance and the other for RGB. I have owned a number of cameras over the years, but I sold them off to finance other projects. 290 is a great little sensor, albeit small.

Cheers

Edited January 31, 2020 by mAnKiNd

[Adam J]

Thought I would link this in here as this is the thread that got me started with the scope. 

Adam

[Galen Gilmore]

You guys are so good at this! I just gotta get back in the swing of things, maybe get some new kit.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 30/01/2020 at 22:01, Whistlin Bob said:

I had another go at this a few days later and the whole scope completely iced up- see picture at the bottom!

Suffer for your art, Rob!

[Nova2000]

Just curious, what guiding setup would be ideal to start with the 130pds on heq5 to good more length on the subs ?

[alacant]

1 hour ago, Nova2000 said:

guiding setup

 

Hi

2 alternatives shown here. An off axis guider with t7m or 60mm guide telescope, discontinued zwo120mm and 40mm dovetail clamp. Black shower cap optional.

HTH

Edited February 6, 2020 by alacant

[alacant]

Hi everyone.

Not had the little 130 out for some time, so to redress the balance here's a -bit disappointing- cone nebula. Disappointing through impatience more than anything; need more frames, but there's so much going on below e.g. canis major stuff I never get around to...

There's something there but not enough.

Thanks for looking and all comments most welcome

Cheers and clear skies.

Edited February 6, 2020 by alacant

[gazza]

Found this on Thingiverse and printed one. Cover for the back of the mirror - a little more elegant than the shower cap I used to use:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3476080

There's  also a Bahtinov mask for it her:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3514044

cheers

Gary

[mAnKiNd]

7 hours ago, alacant said:

 

Hi

2 alternatives shown here. An off axis guider with t7m or 60mm guide telescope, discontinued zwo120mm and 40mm dovetail clamp. Black shower cap optional.

HTH

love the showercap! I'm getting one thanks! :)

[mAnKiNd]

8 hours ago, Nova2000 said:

Just curious, what guiding setup would be ideal to start with the 130pds on heq5 to good more length on the subs ?

I went from a QHY miniguidescope on the findershoe to an evoguide 50 screwed onto the top dovetail of the mounting rings and saw a huge difference in guiding i.e. went from a total RMS (px) error >1.5" to ~ -0.5-0.7".

Hope this helps.

Minos

 

P.S. excuse the cable wrapping mess...also, you can see that I'm now using the qhy finder rings to run camera cables through..!

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by mAnKiNd