What drives you to image?

[JB80]

I'm not sure.

[richyrich_one]

I'm with you on this one, I'm just getting the gear together then hopefully I will be starting in a couple of weeks.

Going in blind, really don't know what I'm doing but its a big learning curve.

I wish I was as near as you!

Only a dob at the moment, which I got for a reasonable price. Obviously I need a decent mount, so I guess NEQ6, but not sure when that will happen. Then all the other associated bits...

Got a 4ft fish tank to clean up and sell on and some possible freelance work in the pipeline, but it's looking more like a few months. In time for the darker evenings probably.

On that, my whole perspective has changed, I used to detest the winter with the long dark days, but if it's clear(big ask I know), I can't wait!

[richyrich_one]

in-laws in the "granny-annexe"...

My worst nightmare!!

[richyrich_one]

the lxs are nice in the 250... A bit iffy at the edges but far better than the stock ones.

great thread by the way. I always swore blind I couldn't be doing with faffing about setting up cameras and polar aligning, but it gradually bites :-)

gone from a 250 dob for purely visual to a C8 edge / avx mount for webcam planetary in a few years :-)

also dabbled with M13 and M57 attempts :-) its catching...

The LXs seem well accepted, good to hear it from a fellow user.

I was probably going to go for a 5mm at least for planetary, that should give me 240x. Any other suggestions?

The "iffy at the edges" thing, is that the "coma" associated with fast scopes I've seen mentioned a lot?

[hobsey]

I had no intention of getting into imaging.

I'm doing it on a budget and using what I have around me. Webcam guiding with a secondhand 9x50 finderscope, cg5-gt which I had already and a ST80 which I got as a portable scope and a canon 450d.

Doing it this way just in case I don't get on with it.

[Carina Lass]

I used my LX90ACF on a wedge for a couple of years and got some reasonable subs - but threw a lot out.

I wouldn't go to a short FL EP - I'd use a decent Barlow - that way you keep at least a little Eye Relief - I hate jamming my eye on the cup - which is a learnt no no from having an LX on a wedge - wibble wibble wibble wobble.

[Zakalwe]

I had no intention of getting into imaging.

I'm doing it on a budget and using what I have around me. Webcam guiding with a secondhand 9x50 finderscope, cg5-gt which I had already and a ST80 which I got as a portable scope and a canon 450d.

Doing it this way just in case I don't get on with it.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

In 2 years time you'll be sitting here with the rest of us, surrounded by thousands of pounds worth of gear (that gets used no more than once a month) and complaining about out-of-round stars and focal-reducer spacings. :grin:

[Carina Lass]

Hobsey - hi,

If you cut too many corners, you WILL hate it.

Good job your finder and ST80 aren't too far apart in FL - or they wouldn't help your frustration.

I hate not being able to afford decent gear too but my mother in law died and I celebrate her passing with the NEQ6pro (we didn't really get on)

"Obit anus abit onus" as the Romans would say

[hobsey]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

In 2 years time you'll be sitting here with the rest of us, surrounded by thousands of pounds worth of gear (that gets used no more than once a month) and complaining about out-of-round stars and focal-reducer spacings. :grin:

Thanks for the heads up.

A number of times I've had the QHY5L-ii in a basket then chickened out at the last minute. 

Hobsey - hi,

If you cut too many corners, you WILL hate it.

I'm trying not too but sometimes it can't be helped.

[Joseki]

I got an AZEQ6 mount (started out thinking about an EQ3-2, ended up there).  Mainly for the goto with the expectation I won't need to upgrade in the future (and the AZ option which makes setting up very easy).  Now it seems a shame not to do some imaging, especially since I already have a DSLR (now with the correct adapters, remote shutter cable and power adapter), a modified Microsoft webcam (that I converted last year, just for fun), a small frac that would make a nice guidescope and a spare cheap laptop - hmm how did that get there?.  I like photography but never have the time to trek out to nice landscapes that I'd like to capture.  I also like mucking about with data and I like GIMP.

Hobsey - hi,

If you cut too many corners, you WILL hate it.

Good job your finder and ST80 aren't too far apart in FL - or they wouldn't help your frustration.

I hate not being able to afford decent gear too but my mother in law died and I celebrate her passing with the NEQ6pro (we didn't really get on)

"Obit anus abit onus" as the Romans would say

Classic!  Perhaps I should start saving for a C11.  An Atik 11000 Mono would be a more appropriate expression of my 'grief', but at that price I'll have to wait for my own mother to make the transition.

[DaveS]

Don't joke about such things.

I've still got most of mum's estate sitting in my bank account, originally planned for house renovation prior to selling. Having been advised that I don't have to I can now spend it on astro gear, there's enough for some pretty serious kit If I wanted (Think Mesu 200 and big triplet apo). I still don't feel it's really mine though. I may hold off until I down size when the money *will* be mine to spend.

[smudgeball]

I had no intention of getting into imaging.

..................well I'm stealing that quote !

I was the same.

Got back into astronomy about five years ago.

Imaging was that black art that other people did with a high level of frustration.

I was happy with visual till one fateful weekend when I decided to join up with a pal and attend a star party.

After two "perfect" nights, I drooled at how good his images were and thought, mmmmmmm I might have a go.

Since then, I have gone from piggyback dslr on a celestron 6se (alt/az), to dslr only on eq3pro, to WO Megrez 72 on eq3 pro to my final setup with as many trimmings as I can currently afford.

Megrez 72, eq6pro, modded 1100D.

What drives me to imaging ?????

That one night when it all comes together, polaralign, guiding and nice focused 5 min subs.

I then look at all that investment and smile.

As for the remainder of the year ?

Neil

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Well I live in Glasgow and enjoy a challenge I was definitely inspired by Carl Sagan. There is nothing more awesome as the cosmos and the technical challenges of collecting photons that have travelled hundreds, thousands or millions of light years are strangely enjoyable to try and overcome. I suppose it's a creative too - at least it is if you can get enough good subs to make a decent final image. Work in progress there...

Louise

[Merlin66]

Interesting discussion....

I see words like 'Scientific value" and "information", and it reminds me of the issues we used to have in the Astrophotographic Section...

The members would spend all their time "trying" to improve their latest image - round stars, wide® fields etc. and go "Ohhh Ahhh" over the displayed results. BUT....try to get them to do any sort of analysis, possible variable stars, nova, asteroids, limiting magnitude etc. etc. on their images caused the eyes to glaze over...too hard!

We missed out on the discovery of a couple of nova, why? We didn't check the images in a timely manner....

It seems a great waste to collect all those tired photons and not even see the potential "scientific" content.

After almost 15 years of AP I gave up.

Now I only do spectroscopy. Much harder and much more interesting (well, I think so) than AP.

[laser_jock99]

I spent the 80's & 90's looking at the images in Sky & Telescope & Astronomy magazine thinking 'I wish I could take pictures like that'- well now I can. The advent of digital imaging has made the whole exercise a lot easier.

My 1980's M31

vs my 2012 M31

How things have changed!

[JamesF]

At least in the 80s you got it all in the frame  Must be because it's getting closer...

James

[Thalestris24]

Just thought I'd post a link to this episode of The Universe about nebulas. Brilliant series:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pez5yrcnX0A

Louise