2 best nights yet

[goose35]

All

Thursday and Friday nights finally had a break in the clouds so i got the lot out there. The plan was to capture a galaxy that wasnt M31  . I got 3 in 2 nights  .

Astromater 130 eq (shortened and 2 inch focuser mods) with canon EOS 1100 D, Baader MPCC 3 and Baader Neodynum LP filter

St80 guide scope with ASI120MM

mounted on a bresser EXOS 2.

All hooked up to my laptop.

On the astromater i used my new home made dew straps and controll box as per http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2013/05/a-cheap-multi-channel-dew-heater.html

I used Canons own controll software and PHD. I used DSS live stacker to watch progress on the fly. Even got a half decent PHD graph on M51 which i have been struggling with (used a 5 second exposure instead of 3 second)

All controlled from my desktop indoors via remote desktop. All worked flawlessly.

Really struggling with gradients. Ive. tried 2 methods both using a white tshirt over the tube, one with laptop screen and one using dawn sky as the light source. Thes shots both had gradients and heavy LP in that part of sky, leading me to suspect that LP is the source of the problem. Please give any other ideas to try and solve this .

Both images were 24 x 5 min lights with 16 Darks, 20 each bias and flats staked in DSS

Thanks

[laudropb]

Very nice images.

[scotttumsh]

Great stuff well done! i have the 130p but looking to get the 130pds as apposed to modifiyng my current sccpe.

[goose35]

I had to keep the astromaster as it was my first scope off the Mrs. Thus the mods to make it useable. I have a 150p but that is close to the limit of the mount with guidescope etc.

The only downside to the 130eq now is the thick spider vanes

[scotttumsh]

I have the Skywatcher 130p it has the thinner vanes so its good that way, im close to biting the bullet and ordering the 130pds today i think! you are well on the way to some great images! all the best!.  Scott

[MARS1960]

Very nice, i'll get there one day