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TS APO - First light!

Thalestris24

By Thalestris24
in Getting Started With Imaging

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

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So I took delivery of a weighty TS Photoline F6 APO triplet (80/480) on Saturday :) Couldn't wait to try it out! As luck would have it, it was clear Saturday evening until about 2am with a New Moon too. Clear in the sense of no clouds but transparency deteriorated as time passed (as the temperature dropped to well below zero - brrr!). I probably wasted the best imaging time faffing about failing to get my modded 1100d to download images. Then it finally clicked that I'd plugged it into a usb 3.0 port and, from past experience, know that doesn't work - d'oh. The result of being out of practice... Anyway, I fitted the TS 2" flattener with the supplied TSflat2a kit for a dslr, then fitted a 50mm finder with an Altair Astro GPcam as guidescope using pipe clamps and an aluminium bar. I used handy screw holes on the side of the clamp shells to actually mount it. Put it all on the heq5, balanced and was ready to go. After sorting out the 1100d usb, everything worked fine :)

Here's what I got:

First, a quick M45 (only 4 x 60s):

post-33532-0-99552200-1450115695_thumb.p

No blue haloes - good!

Then an M37 (12 x 120s):

post-33532-0-38972500-1450115772_thumb.p

With a centre crop:

post-33532-0-47441700-1450115817_thumb.p

And an NGC 2266 (11 x 360s):

post-33532-0-98718300-1450115866_thumb.p

With centre crop:

post-33532-0-92158600-1450115923_thumb.p

All were stacked in dss with flats, darks and bias frames (except no darks with the M45). I only processed in dss and Paint.NET. I've had PI for months but not got around to using it yet! Oh, I used a cls-ccd clip filter in the full-spectrum modded 1100d.

All images taken through a small window in my living room :).

I think I'm quite pleased with the APO - it's a big step up from an ST-80! Looks like being cloudy for the next week, at least :)

Louise

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

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Looks good. I think my APM 80mm F/6 has the same optics. I haven't used it for AP much except solar and a couple of attempts at M42 and comet Lovejoy. Those results were quite promising, especially given my limited DSO imaging skills.

Yes, I think your right. I'm sure you'll do better dso's than me! I must improve my processing skills and get to grips with Pixinsight!

Louise

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

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Youve picked a good un there! Great star colour.

Might be worth investing in the TS 0.79x 4 element reducer too, then it will be quite fast indeed! (f4.74).

Hi Rob

I want to be able to use it with either a filter wheel or drawyer so need the TSFlat2 backfocus. I saw this - is that what you were referring to an earlier thread I posted? I'm not sure about it though, and anyway it requires unmounted filters. As I've already got a set of 2" narrowband filters I want to use them, I think. Also, I'm not sure that being faster would help me much what with the city lp? Not to mention the cost of the reducer...

Louise

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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I know! But I'm sure you'd do fine with dso's once you get used to working in the dark!

I have worked in the dark often enough, mostly on planets and the moon. I am not sure I have the patience for really long exposures. Need to get polar alignment a few orders better than for my quick stuff (or observing for that matter)

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

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Excellent star colour.  

I like the concept of taking stuff which just drifts passed your window.........  -  much better than being out in the cold !

Hi

Thanks. Unfortunately, at the moment, I have to let the room temperature drop right down until it gets close to the outside temp. Otherwise I get bad thermals that add tails to the stars! I still get some unwanted effects including poor guide star stability. I'm working on a system using a sheet to almost enclose the scope. I tried it out on Saturday with the 130pds, which points out of the bigger window, and it seemed to work quite well :)

Louise

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