Well Done Inland Revenue - No Seriously Well Done :)

[saac]

Well just about this time of year a letter drops through the door from HM Revenue and Customs with a tax refund (overpaid tax).  It's happened now for the best part of 5 years to the point that I was getting twitchy waiting for this year's but hurrah it came today   So what to do , what to do.   I'm looking at the next step to take me down the imaging rabbit hole - I don't have any guiding  capability yet but I also don't have any dedicated image processing software.  I have been hankering after PixInsight after I played with the trial version last year.  I liked the way it worked, I also appreciated all the tutorials available (you tube and books etc).  At the same time I'm also hankering after the Telescope Drive Master - I know bit left field that one   There is something about the TDM that appeals to me - now I know it only corrects mechanical deviations in the RA axis (ver 2 allows for a guiding input to cover dec but it's too expensive for my taste).  Ver 1 TDM plus adapter for my AZ EQ6 GT would be a little over £700 - the tax man wont pay for all of that  sadly but he would give me a shiny copy of PixInsight    Or do i go for a conventional guiding setup: camera and guide-scope, rings etc.  Now remember that left field, the TDM. Here's my thinking, there are a combinations of things which limit my observing opportunity at the moment :  weather (most dominant),  work (I really cant do late nights during the week), knowledge and skill (I am still trekking on the foothills here people).  I'm attracted to the TDM then as an "easy in" to some longer exposure work without having to wrestle with guiding issues in what limited time on task I have.  The TDM would, in theory, allow me to get more out of my window of opportunity for imaging. I'm really aware that weather and seeing are always going to be a limiting factor on any imaging I do, it is what it is.  So my goal is to have not so much a Rolls Royce setup, but something that works with relative ease and as reliable as possible.  Anyway, I think I'm going to allow HM Revenue to buy me PixInsight (ok I know it's really my money but I'm happy being deluded).  I'll look for Santa to get me a TDM later    So I was wondering what folk think of PixInsight , is it a step in the right direction for me, anything else to consider in its place (£300 to play with).  And perhaps to make it a wee bit more fun what would you pick up if the tax man was kind to you (£300 limit).   

 

Jim