Problems first time imaging

[scottphillips]

Hi guys first time stretching my DSLR to my telescope tonight to attempt imaging jupiter, and to no success,

Got jupiter smack bang centre of view using SynScan and it also started tracking, so I attached the DSLR using a t-ring and adapter to a 2x barlow and slotted it into the telescope.

The live-view screen was completely blank and no matter what I did I couldn't get any light from jupiter on my screen.

This has really annoyed me because I have just got my camera and read up about using it with my scope but have had no success so could anyone help please ???

[ronin]

The camera sensor and where the eyepiece sits are different.

So in effect the image is way out of focus and does not appear.

You will have to refocus the scope for the camera and you may find that it cannot reach the right position, insufficent travel on the focuser.

The other aspect is by the time you have pulled things off and added others on you have moved where the scope is actually pointed at, as in it is no longer pointed at Jupiter.

[scottphillips]

Ok I understand that but I did turn the focuser slightly and still not even a blurred light the screen was just black, and about moving the scope it was tracking jupiter while I was changing from eyepiece to camera ?

Any easy way to ensure jupiter will come onto the screen without the fuss i went through tonight ?

[Stargazer33]

If you added the camera AND the x2 barlow then you would have to adjust your focus by a lot! As Ronin said, depending on your scope you may not have enough travel on your focuser to achieve focus. Also even if your scope/mount is rock solid changing over from a light ep to a heavy camera on the end of a long tube (x2 barlow) you will not get it exactly in the same alignment and so your target will have effectively moved out of your field of view. This together with the much narrower fov with the x2 barlow and Jupiter could be quite some way out of your fov.

Try centering your target in a high power ep. Then change to the camera. Get that centred and focused and then add the barlow. Again centre and focus and hopefully that will work.

[msh1]

focus all the way in and all the way out it will be there somewhere , are you sure its bang in the middle it only has to be out a bit and with the barlow it might not be in the centre

[scottphillips]

I had it centred using the 2x barlow and 10mm eyepiece and was tracking smoothly that's why I was annoyed when I removed the 10mm and instered the camera into the 2x barlow and saw nothing

[davefrance]

Scott, happens to me every time. As stated above the reduced FOV, difference between eyepiece and sensor position, possible movement of scope whilst fitting the camera, and the weight of the camera, can all lead to what looks like a black screen. As said you will need to refocus, probably moving quite a distance from the original setting. If it is still in view you will see the fuzzy outline of Jupiter reduce in size as you get nearer the focus position. You don't state what scope you have so we have no idea whether it is possible to reach focus, some telescopes do not have sufficient inward travel. 

[scottphillips]

I have a 127mak eq-5

[davefrance]

I have a 127mak eq-5

Doesn't seem to be an issue with focusing with that scope. It has quite a narrow FOV which will magnify any small scope movement when attaching camera. I have seen somewhere the suggestion to remove the diagonal and then replace the eyepiece and recentre image. Then remove eyepiece and attach camera. It was said that this reduced the possibility of scope movement caused when removing diagonal. Also it is a slow scope at F11.8 so I would suggest to assist focus you use the largest ISO setting on your camera, this will brighten the image in live view. You can then reduce the ISO again before starting capture.