Getting back into imaging after a long break

[DaveS]

Maxim reported a seeing of around 1.12 FWHM with the 130 f/7, close to the pixel scale.

[Gina]

4 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Worth trying manually with a bhatinov mask?

James

Not really - I can remote focus manually and then take an image and see the result.  I can't see that a Bhatinov mask could achieve anything.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

This lens is c**p!!!

[Gina]

I have another 105mm f2.8 lens I can try.

[sloz1664]

The problem with autofocus is that you have to be reasonably focused in the first place to get it to work effectively.

Steve

[JamesF]

I wonder if it can't focus to infinity or something like that?

James

[Gina]

Even without focussing this lens looks much better,  Now running autofocus.

[Gina]

Autofocus completed.  Moved focus from 1000 to1132.  Here's a 20s Ha sub of NAN and Pelican.  Some of the stars look a bit odd.

[Gina]

Thought I'd try a meridian flip and it seem to have worked.

[DaveS]

Some of those stars do look a bit odd, as though there's something obstructing part of the light path.

[Gina]

[Gina]

[Gina]

Seem to be having problems tonight - can't capture images now!

Here's the last test exposure.  When I tried to take a set of 20 ROI images it refused.

[JamesF]

Refused in what sense?

James

[Gina]

Restarted everything and had capture working again.  Slewed to target and plate solved to "really" slew to it.  Captured a single test image successfully then tried to capture 20 subs and it wouldn't.   I don't understand it - it's always worked before.  I just can't think what can be wrong!  Guess I'll have to "knock it on the head" for tonight unless I can think of anything else.

[Gina]

[Gina]

This method of multiple subs works - one at a time.  I've added a few more plus a 10 set on the end to see what happens.  The sky seems to be getting poor now though.

[Gina]

Working now but the sky has stopped play.

[DaveS]

Oh dear.

Still usably clear so far. Not quite as dark as I've seen here, but not too bad.

[Gina]

All closed up for the night.  Total cloud coverage.  So... what achieved tonight?  Meridian flip successful, lens change successful.  That seems to be it!

[Stub Mandrel]

Those are little airy discs. Focus is not good...

[alacant]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Focus is not good

Hi. Yeah. You beat me to it. I think this is why it won't solve. Try removing the default auto and down-sampling more?

HTH

[Gina]

Plate solving is working fine on my system despite seemingly poor focus but I'll bear that in mind if I have a problem.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Gina

[alacant]

45 minutes ago, Gina said:

Plate solving is working

Sorry Gina. I misread.

 

[Gina]

Yes, it was capture that wasn't working.