Imaging with the 130pds

[Stub Mandrel]

On 26/07/2020 at 12:40, Jack Jack said:

MPCC Mk3 which helped but not across the whole field

They are very fussy about spacing, try moving it outwards in steps of 0.5 to 1mm, if the coma is more or less away from the centre.

A small amount of tilt will become insignificant when adjusted spot on.

[Maho]

Just ordered my 130 PDS (first scope)and I cant wait!! Really excited.

 

Any idea where I can get a t ring for Olympus EM10 m2 t ring? 

[Stub Mandrel]

24 minutes ago, Maho said:

Just ordered my 130 PDS (first scope)and I cant wait!! Really excited.

 

Any idea where I can get a t ring for Olympus EM10 m2 t ring? 

Here's one, there will be cheaper on eBay I guess.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Micro-Third-Olympus-PL10-PEN-F/dp/B083JHLVXL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=olympus+em10+t-ring&qid=1595872226&s=electronics&sr=1-1

 

 

[rotatux]

17 hours ago, Maho said:

Any idea where I can get a t ring for Olympus EM10 m2 t ring? 

I advise in favor of the Baader adapter : https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p3676_TS-Optics-Optics-T2-Adaptor-Ring-for-Cameras-with-Micro-Four-Thirds-bayonet--Panasonic--Olympus-.html

(This one is from TS as I can't find the Baader page for it atm.)

Without the extension it allows to rack the focuser out a bit more to reach focus, avoiding much of the known problem of focus tube protuberance in the fov.

Also with the SW ComaCorr it allows for several reduction factors (w/ or w/o ext, w/ or w/o M48 filter).

BTW you could find this useful too : https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p3504_TS-Optics-Adaptor-from-M48x0-75-to-T2---low-profile.html

[Jack Jack]

Hi as mentioned earlier i seem to be having collimation issues. Here is an image i took last night with a MPCC and i believe the spacing is correct. i also check for tilt and couldn't identify any and i also went through the collimation process. looking at thisi mage each corner looks different regarding the stars. is there anything else that could be causing this or is this as good as can be expected on a full frame sensor ?

 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/astro_jack6/?hl=en 

[RolandKol]

30 minutes ago, Jack Jack said:

Hi as mentioned earlier i seem to be having collimation issues. Here is an image i took last night with a MPCC and i believe the spacing is correct. i also check for tilt and couldn't identify any and i also went through the collimation process. looking at thisi mage each corner looks different regarding the stars. is there anything else that could be causing this or is this as good as can be expected on a full frame sensor ?

IG: https://www.instagram.com/astro_jack6/?hl=en 

 

I do not think spacing is correct...
The top left corner clearly shows it...
the slight tilt reduces coma in other corners.

add or reduce with 0.5mm derling spacer... slight coma will remain (as in my case), but I simply gave up

P.S.

not sure about the direction... yours is a bit strange..... it should be excentric.. but yours is more vertical...

Have you played with focuser's tilt adjustment?

Edited July 29, 2020 by RolandKol

[Stub Mandrel]

Try downloading CCDinspector

[Spaced Out]

23 hours ago, Jack Jack said:

Hi as mentioned earlier i seem to be having collimation issues. Here is an image i took last night with a MPCC and i believe the spacing is correct. i also check for tilt and couldn't identify any and i also went through the collimation process. looking at thisi mage each corner looks different regarding the stars. is there anything else that could be causing this or is this as good as can be expected on a full frame sensor ?

 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/astro_jack6/?hl=en 

 

My advice would be to work through a few possible causes, it might not be just one thing going on here and I don’t have a simple answer I’m afraid !

Do a star test to check collimation is definitely good.

The image seems to show some coma so check spacing of the CC. My MPCC took an evening of careful tinkering to get just right.  

Stars look more out of focus on the bottom left and perhaps left in general which suggests tilt ? Check the MPCC is placed firmly and flat against the fully lowered focuser tube and screw up each screw little by little alternating between screws to try and get it as central as possible. Many folk have tapped a third screw into the focuser tube to help with tilt problems.

Star shapes top left look a bit triangular which is what I had with a pinched primary mirror, it may just be tilt but it can’t hurt to check the mirror clips anyway and loosen slightly if required.

These are all things I had to do to get the best from my 130PDS with the Baader MPCC. The MPCC is good once you’ve got the spacing right but I had to take my time and work through it.

Good luck

[DBushell1]

Have been thinking about switching from my old Astromaster 130 to the SW 130PDS.  Have done a fair amount of planetary imaging in the past with a webcam, but would like to try my hand at Deep Sky imaging using my unmodded Canon 1100D DSLR.

I understand that in order to get the most out of it, you need a good mount, one that is future proof in terms of adding larger aperture scopes to it, however, I see that FLO are selling the 130PDS with a Goto EQ3 mount - is this a sufficient mount for adding the 1100D and potentially one day a guide scope?   Does that mount have connections to plug into a laptop for use with Stellarium?

 

[RolandKol]

11 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

Have been thinking about switching from my old Astromaster 130 to the SW 130PDS.  Have done a fair amount of planetary imaging in the past with a webcam, but would like to try my hand at Deep Sky imaging using my unmodded Canon 1100D DSLR.

I understand that in order to get the most out of it, you need a good mount, one that is future proof in terms of adding larger aperture scopes to it, however, I see that FLO are selling the 130PDS with a Goto EQ3 mount - is this a sufficient mount for adding the 1100D and potentially one day a guide scope?   Does that mount have connections to plug into a laptop for use with Stellarium?

I saw some users managed to get nice pictures with EQ3 Goto, - but it involves balancing on the tiny line of capabilities of the mount...
The most usual advise would be to go for the secondhand HEQ5 as a minimum or even step further to NEQ6.

As later you will add:

Guidescope + GuideCam

Mono camera instead of Canon, - it will need Electronic FilterWheel.

Once you get bored to focus on each filter, - Autocofuser will come along.

Also, - All the cabling in relation....

And Voilà, - you are few kg above the mount limits.... And long exposures are not reliable due to bad guiding... Around 50% subs to the bin...

So it mostly depends on the area you are in,

if you have lots of clear and free nights, - you can try tinkering the cheaper mount and get most of it and you will most likely succeed.

On another hand, - if you are UK based, - you probably noticed, we usually have around 20 - 25 clear nights per year. 

[Spaced Out]

11 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

Have been thinking about switching from my old Astromaster 130 to the SW 130PDS.  Have done a fair amount of planetary imaging in the past with a webcam, but would like to try my hand at Deep Sky imaging using my unmodded Canon 1100D DSLR.

I understand that in order to get the most out of it, you need a good mount, one that is future proof in terms of adding larger aperture scopes to it, however, I see that FLO are selling the 130PDS with a Goto EQ3 mount - is this a sufficient mount for adding the 1100D and potentially one day a guide scope?   Does that mount have connections to plug into a laptop for use with Stellarium?

 

I'd suggest HEQ5 as a minimum tbh. HEQ5 will give you a stable imaging platform with the 130PDS/DSLR combo and make life easier than using a lesser mount. 

I got the HEQ5 but wish I'd waited and saved more for the NEQ6/EQ6R tbh ! NEQ6 or EQ6R can take heavier gear so is a bit more future proof. I've got a 200PDS too and that is right on the limit of the HEQ5's capabilities once you've added heavy camera gear.

 

[DBushell1]

Thanks for the advice, will look into the HEQ5, I see new it's getting on for £800, not many about on Ebay, but part of me thinks new might be best since I know whats happened to it previously!

[RolandKol]

4 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

Thanks for the advice, will look into the HEQ5, I see new it's getting on for £800, not many about on Ebay, but part of me thinks new might be best since I know whats happened to it previously!

If you target for the new one, - buy it from astro shops...

At least you will have a proper support and warranty. 

Prices will be more or less the same.

Ebay, - for cheaper toys only 

Edited July 30, 2020 by RolandKol

[DBushell1]

3 minutes ago, RolandKol said:

If you target for the new one, - buy it from astro shops...

At least you will have a proper support and warranty. 

Prices will be more or less the same.

Ebay, - for cheaper toys only 

Yeah was thinking about getting it from FLO.  Will my old 1.25" eye pieces work with it's 2" focuser? I guess there's adapters for that?! 

The images in this thread are simply awesome, I've got lots to learn, but at least I'll start with a little experience with DSS and my DSLR having imaged Neowise recently, Pleides and the Orion Nebula most winters, along with Andromeda 😀 - it's amazing what you can do with just a DSLR and tripod.

I do realise though, that astronomy is also a money pit! 🤣 

[RolandKol]

17 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

Yeah was thinking about getting it from FLO.  Will my old 1.25" eye pieces work with it's 2" focuser? I guess there's adapters for that?! 

The images in this thread are simply awesome, I've got lots to learn, but at least I'll start with a little experience with DSS and my DSLR having imaged Neowise recently, Pleides and the Orion Nebula most winters, along with Andromeda 😀 - it's amazing what you can do with just a DSLR and tripod.

I do realise though, that astronomy is also a money pit! 🤣 

as per EP, - yep, will fit as PDS has an adapter for them.

And you are very right, - It is a BlackHole for your earnings!

Just keep in mind, for the flat field (stars without coma in the corners) you will also need coma corrector for PDS (actually, for all newtonians) and it will cost around £140 and there are few options to go for... Like Baader MPCC Mk3 or GPU and etc, 

Skywatcher has the standard one for PDS, which is also 0.9 Focal reducer, - works... but... you may end up shortening focusers tube as 0.9 F reduction forces to move the focuser almost full IN to get focus for imaging, and the drawtube casts shadow on the mirror... it makes some brighter stars in shape of letter D or similar.

if drawtube is shortened by 10mm, - images are perfect, but... you will not be able to use EP for visual, as focus position is much further for EP and drawtube may/will fall off from the internal rollers.

Edited July 30, 2020 by RolandKol

[DBushell1]

27 minutes ago, RolandKol said:

as per EP, - yep, will fit as PDS has an adapter for them.

And you are very right, - It is a BlackHole for your earnings!

Just keep in mind, for the flat field (stars without coma in the corners) you will also need coma corrector for PDS (actually, for all newtonians) and it will cost around £140 and there are few options to go for... Like Baader MPCC Mk3 or GPU and etc, 

Skywatcher has the standard one for PDS, which is also 0.9 Focal reducer, - works... but... you may end up shortening focusers tube as 0.9 F reduction forces to move the focuser almost full IN to get focus for imaging, and the drawtube casts shadow on the mirror... it makes some brighter stars in shape of letter D or similar.

if drawtube is shortened by 10mm, - images are perfect, but... you will not be able to use EP for visual, as focus position is much further for EP and drawtube may/will fall off from the internal rollers.

Thanks for the tips 😀 

[Spaced Out]

42 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

I do realise though, that astronomy is also a money pit! 🤣 

HUGE !!...... If you let it go that way. I vowed to always be sensible and never do that.......... It didn't work !

[DBushell1]

1 hour ago, Spaced Out said:

HUGE !!...... If you let it go that way. I vowed to always be sensible and never do that.......... It didn't work !

Just saw that delivery for an HEQ5 Pro is 40-60 working days! Crikey! Is that a normal lead time, or is it just a result of Covid.....?

Edited July 30, 2020 by DBushell1

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, RolandKol said:

On another hand, - if you are UK based, - you probably noticed, we usually have around 20 - 25 clear nights per year. 

That made me curious, here are my counts since January 2014. I only really started regularly in 2015, and many of my early attempts went undated.

2014  - 3 (actually quite a few more)

2015 - 40

2016 - 43

2017 - 42

2018 - 66 (12 nights in June alone!)

2019 - 41

2020 - 18 to date

 

There's  tendency for me to push my luck if things have been thin (so I might  a short hour or two's window for some planetary or lunar) , and to run out of steam if there are long periods of good conditions. My only blank month is February 2017.

But on the whole, a consistent 40 days a year of actual imaging (not opportunities).

[Stub Mandrel]

10 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

Just saw that delivery for an HEQ5 Pro is 40-60 working days! Crikey! Is that a normal lead time, or is it just a result of Covid.....?

Deliveries from China have been shot to hell by Covid, so most importers are working on long lead times.

They are generally rather frustrated as demand for hobby equipment is booming...

 

[DBushell1]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Deliveries from China have been shot to hell by Covid, so most importers are working on long lead times.

They are generally rather frustrated as demand for hobby equipment is booming...

 

Makes sense, but a shame, was hoping 10 days! But it would give me time to figure things out with the other equipment.  

In terms of power for the HEQ5 does it come with a regular power lead? I have a normal UK mains socket in the garden that might prove useful, but I can't see mention of how it gets it's power for the goto stuff? 

[Spaced Out]

 

9 minutes ago, DBushell1 said:

In terms of power for the HEQ5 does it come with a regular power lead? I have a normal UK mains socket in the garden that might prove useful, but I can't see mention of how it gets it's power for the goto stuff? 

Just 1 power lead in does all (for the mount that is !), I used standard mains power supply with my outdoor garden plug set up. Got my HEQ5 2nd hand so not sure what it actually comes with new.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Spaced Out

[DBushell1]

27 minutes ago, Spaced Out said:

 

Just 1 power lead in does all (for the mount that is !), I used standard mains power supply with my outdoor garden plug set up. Got my HEQ5 2nd hand so not sure what it actually comes with new.

Thanks for the info!

[Stub Mandrel]

Should have a 12V power adaptor.

[DBushell1]

19 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Should have a 12V power adaptor.

Thanks 🙂