1st ever DSO .....M42 of course

[LostNSpace]

Hi All!!!!

As i havent had much chance to use my new SW expl 250px since i got it due to some balance issues i thought i would try and use my old SW skymax127 on the HEQ5pro mount to see how much difference it made....trying to previously image M42 with the 127 on its Alt/az mount was a big failure, not that i expected the images to come out great in the 1st place but i just had to try.......I didnt really expect too much swapping the mounts over due to the fact the 127 is an F11.81......but i was pleasantly surprised by the result.......this is just 1 sub of 8 secs/ISO 800 taken on Canon 350D modded tweaked a little in PS Elements 6. Ok focussing isnt perfect but at the same time seeing conditions werent perfect, spent a lot of time cloud dodging.

(click to enlarge)

Anyways, hoping to be up and running with my new scope within the next 48 hours saying i have the balancing issue sorted out.......

Comments welcome as always........

Mark

[Cloudwatcher]

You will see more detail in the image if you play with the contrast and saturation a bit. As it is it looks rather overexposed for an 8 sec exposure. Here's a quick tweak to show what I mean.

Cheers

CW

(click as usual)

[LostNSpace]

Hi CW

I was playing around for ages in PS E6 trying different things to try and not make it looked over exposed or the core looking burnt out, but couldnt get what i was looking for.......i have more subs but will have to try and manually align them in registax if i can get my head around that program,lol.......just a shame there isnt a manual alignment option in DSS, its a lot easier to use.....then again, is there that option in registax?

This was just a trial run though using the HEQ5, focussing was off and trailing is apparent. Alignment was far from being spot on on the mount then add to that the scope i used was slow, being an f11.81......Hopefully once i change over scopes my imaging will improve immensely.......I`ll have a crack at the subs again today to see if i can improve what i took last night.......

Thanks CW

Mark

[Cloudwatcher]

I love my Mak 127 but I do find it is not the best tool for imaging DSOs with it's smallish field of view,not that I do a lot of imaging mind you. It sits well on the HEQ-5,a good mount, and requires minimum counter weights. Great for a quick set up and gives excellent Luna views at high magnification I find.

Cheers

CW

[LostNSpace]

Well tried to play around with the subs in registax without any success.....whether its to do with alignment on the mount being off or it just isnt meant to be, imaging through that particular scope, probably a combination of the 2.......

I do find the 127 a great observing scope though.

Mark

[Roy Batty]

Hi Mark

I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised once you start using your 250px for imaging - at F4.7 it going to be miles faster at capturing DSO detail than your Mak.

Best of luck...

RB

[LostNSpace]

Thanks Roy.......

I wait in anticipation to use the new scope, cant do anything until the balancing is sorted out but once it is hopefully there will be no stopping me

Cheers

Mark