The "No EQ" DSO Challenge!

[happy-kat]

yes I find file groups works and putting the calibration files in the right ones.

[patraip1]

As the clouds are up I am restacking old data. Here is a mix of ISO200 and 400, exposure times and even 200 subs of M31 setting (180 rotated with regard to the rest!!!), total subs 562 , total integration time 1:45, corresponding flats and biases. 

Stacked in groups in DSS with average mode and all the rest of the settings as per startools. 

Heavy crop and process in Startools

Edited November 24, 2021 by patraip1

[patraip1]

brand new target

NGC 6960-western veil nebula

170 subs 20 sec, flats and bias ISO400

DSS, startools

[patraip1]

NGC 891

118 subs @15sec iso400

28 flats and master bias 

Skywatcher heritage 130p, AZGti, NikonD5500 prime focus, 

DSS, ST, snapseed

[patraip1]

Horsehead and flame

just 73 lights 15sec iso400, flats and bias. 

Skywatcher 130p azgti, nikon D5500 prime focus, DSS, ST, Snapseed

my mount is having issues.... I will open it up to service it. My azimuth axis is not tracking well. I had to discard 209 frames with obvious tracking issues

[twobleak]

Some fantastic images in here; taken me a few days to get through the whole thread

I  have been thinking about picking up the Skywatcher AZ GTI mount and attempting some of these shots myself... I was wondering how I would go about attaching my DSLR and lens to the mount though? Assume some kind of L bracket would be needed?

[happy-kat]

Skyywatcher do an L bracket for attaching anything with the tripod screw like on a DSLR like this one for example

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/skywatcher-l-bracket-dovetail.html

Edited December 5, 2021 by happy-kat

[patraip1]

some more pictures I took 2 nights ago together with the flame and horsehead nebula.... 

180 frames of NGC 891 and 87 from an older session for a total of 267 subs of 15sec, flats and bias DSS ST Snapseed taken with my heritage 130p and Nikon D5500 on a azgti mount

 

180 light frames 15 sec of M42. same setup as above (before my tracking issues) 

and here is my previous attempt at m42 @iso200 100subs of 15sec for comparison

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by patraip1

[happy-kat]

You've been busy with your clear skies. Why not do a stack combining your two sets of Orion data, though what you have so far has come out well, the previous image is showing slightly more clouds.

[patraip1]

well there have been occasional clear nights.... Unfortunately the old data from m42 are in another laptop to which I currently do not have access. Do you think iso 400 or iso 200 looks better? I still have not decided what my goto ISO will be. I think 400 brings out nebulosity better even if slightly, but is bloating the stars a little.... 

Opinions are very much welcome! 

[happy-kat]

I think as atmospheric conditions I've found influences star bloat you'd have to test on the same night the different ISO on the same target.

[patraip1]

iso400 15sec times 140, flats, biases DSS, ST

The fireworks galaxy

Edited December 9, 2021 by patraip1

[patraip1]

63 subs 15 sec, iso400, flats, biases, nikonD5500 skywatcher heritage 130p, azgti. DSS, Startools, Snapseed

The rosette nebula

 

[patraip1]

124 subs 10sec iso400, flats, bias DSS, ST, Snapseed

M45 Pleiades

[patraip1]

more data on the rosette... 

153subs 15sec iso400

and the horsehead with 215 subs 15sec....

Edited December 11, 2021 by patraip1

[patraip1]

Here is a link to a post with my complete setup for anyone interested

https://stargazerslounge.com/messenger/331615/?tab=comments#comment-733149

[Peter_D]

2 hours ago, patraip1 said:

Here is a link to a post with my complete setup for anyone interested

https://stargazerslounge.com/messenger/331615/?tab=comments#comment-733149

Super images! Your link isn't working, would like to see your setup

[patraip1]

works fine in my browser..... 

maybr because it is an answer to a pm it is not visible to everybody? 

Don't know how to copy a post with lots of photos and repost here.... 

[happy-kat]

You can't link to a post within your messages

[patraip1]

ok here goes my setup

I have a Nikon D5500. I bought it 2nd hand. I tried to find a dslr with as little weight as possible and the D5500 has an awesome sensor for AP!!! Extremely low noise and isoless. The only negative it has is that it does not capture red Ha very well. 

I removed the camera stock lens and have attached these two items on the camera body

I simply then slip the camera with the T adapter into the focuser just like any other 1,25" eyepiece... 

the blue cable wires you see is just an extra strengthening step but not really necessay, the focuser handles the weight of my nikon (420gr) easily.... 

You can also see the brown thin electrical tape (more on that later) 

A light shroud is absolutely necassary. I also have fabricated a dew shield about 30cm long (from the same black paper I used for the light shroud) which I put in the front end of the OTA just before taking the pictures after I have framed my target and checked my tracking and taken my test frames. This is very important in keeping stray light from nearby sources to a minimum. I also take my flats with the dew/straylight shield on at the end of my imaging session pointing the entire rig to a laptop sceen playing a youtube video named :"24 hours of pure white" from a distance of about 1,5 meters in a completely dark room. Flats taken with a tablet on top the end of the telescope covered with a white t shirt were a huge problem for me at the beggining, because light found its way directky from the secondary to the camera......

I have the heritage mounted on an Skywatcher AZGTI alt az mount

I also put a counterweight on the bar of 1kg.You can also see the distance that the trusses are retrieved in order to achieve prime focus with my dslr. 

I have a layer of thin electrical tape in the focuser threads which makes the focuser very hard to screw and unscrew but once I find focus I never have to move the focuser again for many imaging session. I have the focuser almost completely screwd in. (You will have to try moving the trusses inwards while focusing on a star) The shorter the length of the telescope the shorter the F becomes, so you can capture more light!! When I had the trusses adjusted I was just shy of perfect focus. I then used 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn of the focuset to achieve perfect focus. It was actually very easy. Just make sure the focuser threads are covered with the tape and it is very very tight, because otherwise it is very easy to lose focus if the camera twists even a little and twists the focuser along with it. Screw the 2 screws that hold the tring adapter to the focuser evenly. If you want a different frame rotate just the camera! The focuser must be tight!! 

I focus on Jupiters moons with the camera in live view and maximum zoom until I see the smaller possible moons. I asked a friend with a 3d printer to make me a bahtinov mask which I found in this link

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2493073

I have only used it once since it comfirmed my already focused camera was spot on!

Cheers and clear skies!!

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by patraip1

[patraip1]

the sculptor galaxy 

43 subs 15 sec iso400, flats, bias

DSS, ST, Snapseed

 

the coccon nebula 

264 subs 15 sec iso400, flats, bias

DSS, ST, Snapseed

[mxgallagher]

Not been out with the camera/scope for a while, but managed this the other night with my go-to dob and my phone. (2 different edits of the same 4min single sub)

[AstroNebulee]

1 hour ago, mxgallagher said:

Not been out with the camera/scope for a while, but managed this the other night with my go-to dob and my phone. (2 different edits of the same 4min single sub)

Both great images, nice to see you got your scope out at last the top inage is brilliant and the core very well controlled 👌

[mxgallagher]

Got back out last night and despite the he full moon managed to get some OK(ish) images of M31

Top is 26mins worth of mixed 8s 10s and 30s subs

Bottom is 72x10s subs with 10 darks and 10 bias.

All images taken with my 70d on my 250mm go-to dob, then stacked and stretched in SIRIL 

Looks like I need to take some flats though - might try to take some today

 

[mxgallagher]

Did a little bit more editing in snapseed