NEW StellaMira 90mm ED Triplet Refractor

[Gary Clayton]

13 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Such a missed step not having a graduated one on the SM90 to start with. Now do I buy one of these or save for a field rotator. 

I would have to purchase the larger M63 motorised version and install it in front my field flattener/reducer due to my back focus constraints, so this manual one will do for now. 

[Anthonyexmouth]

8 minutes ago, Gary Clayton said:

I would have to purchase the larger M63 motorised version and install it in front my field flattener/reducer due to my back focus constraints, so this manual one will do for now. 

Really? Are you using up the whole 55mm already? The mini is only 11.5mm thick. 

[Gary Clayton]

9 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Really? Are you using up the whole 55mm already? The mini is only 11.5mm thick. 

Yep, I have a Gerd Neumann Camera Tilting Unit in front of my filter tray and I have found my back focus to be bang on at 56mm, taking filter width into account.

[Spaced Out]

On 26/01/2023 at 16:19, Gary Clayton said:

Yes it does unscrew leaving an M63 thread on the end of the focus tube, mine has some play in it causing camera tilt when repositioning the camera for better composition of the target. It's something that I had not noticed until imaging more than one target per night.

Just wondering if the WO rotator did anything to improve your tilt situation at all ? I've got some minor tilt that I suspect might be coming from the rotator.  

 

[Gary Clayton]

15 minutes ago, Spaced Out said:

Just wondering if the WO rotator did anything to improve your tilt situation at all ? I've got some minor tilt that I suspect might be coming from the rotator.  

 

Yes the WO version has no tilt at all that I can perceive even with the locking screw loose, there are also small adjustment screws all the way around the rotator for adjustment if you deem it necessary. I am looking forward to the next clear night to test it out and do a final tilt adjust on my camera "APS-C size sensor" now that I have some consistency.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Gary Clayton

[Gary Clayton]

I managed just 2 hours worth of imaging last night on the M81, M82 area before it clouded over yet again.

[FLO]

THANK YOU to everyone sharing images made using their StellaMira 90mm.

They are much appreciated 🤗

Steve

[Anthonyexmouth]

My latest play around with processing some of my Horsehead data, trying out GHS in Pixinsight. Loving my SM90, just need to swap out the 294mc for something with an IMX571 sensor. 

[Gary Clayton]

Question for FLO, do you have a 1:1 flattener that screws onto the M63 focuser?

Edited March 28, 2023 by Gary Clayton

[FLO]

1 hour ago, Gary Clayton said:

Question for FLO, do you have a 1:1 flattener that screws onto the M63 focuser?

They are incoming.

Currently on the water, so will probably arrive at our warehouse mid-late April. 

HTH

[Gary Clayton]

1 hour ago, FLO said:

They are incoming.

Currently on the water, so will probably arrive at our warehouse mid-late April. 

HTH

Magic, I will have one when they arrive 

[Tim]

11 hours ago, FLO said:

THANK YOU to everyone sharing images made using their StellaMira 90mm.

They are much appreciated 🤗

Steve

This was just a test image, 3h 40m with the StellaMira 90mm from light polluted Coventry. Lovely scope!

[Gary Clayton]

Leo triplet taken last night, 60x5 minute subs using an IDAS D1 filter on my Altair Hypercam 26C and 0.8 reducer on the SM90, looking forward to the 1:1 flattener in time.

[Gary Clayton]

I see that the1:1 field flattener is now available from FLO, I will let you know how I get on with it once it arrives

 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellamira-telescopes/stellalyra_adj_flat_90_125.html

Edited June 13, 2023 by Gary Clayton

[Martthebass]

On 13/06/2023 at 18:19, Gary Clayton said:

I see that the1:1 field flattener is now available from FLO, I will let you know how I get on with it once it arrives

 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellamira-telescopes/stellalyra_adj_flat_90_125.html

Thanks Gary, interested in this as I'm looking at getting something more widefield than my EDT90 and going to a longer FL on the 90 would give me a better separation.

[Gary Clayton]

Mine has just arrived and I have fitted it to my SM90, it feels very well made and is very easy to adjust for the correct back focus, hopefully I will get to try it out this evening on something like M13.

[Anthonyexmouth]

On 28/01/2023 at 15:01, Gary Clayton said:

Just a heads up guys to let you know that the William Optics camera Rotator fits and works on the SM90's focus tube, it's about 5 mm thinner than the SM90 version which is easily compensated for with the available focus tube travel.

Was just about to buy one of these and noticed FLO have a new one for sale at nearly half the price. Not quite as good with the scale resolution but hopefully just as well made. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/rotators/stellalyra_caa_m63.html

[SAW]

I was using my 2600MM last night on the 90mm for the first time, normally use the 183MM without any problems. What is causing the really bad star shapes all along the bottom ? Can I fix it or do the optics need collimating ?

[Anthonyexmouth]

16 minutes ago, SAW said:

I was using my 2600MM last night on the 90mm for the first time, normally use the 183MM without any problems. What is causing the really bad star shapes all along the bottom ? Can I fix it or do the optics need collimating ?

Looking at the top of the frame it looks like it was knocked or lost guiding. Is that a single sub? Exposure time?

[Gary Clayton]

42 minutes ago, SAW said:

I was using my 2600MM last night on the 90mm for the first time, normally use the 183MM without any problems. What is causing the really bad star shapes all along the bottom ? Can I fix it or do the optics need collimating ?

If you look at the bottom corners you have cross shaped stars indicating that your sensor is to far away from the reducer as well as having some tilt as the top ones are not as bad 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Gary Clayton

[SAW]

12 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Looking at the top of the frame it looks like it was knocked or lost guiding. Is that a single sub? Exposure time?

That's a stack of 48x300s. 

[Gary Clayton]

Hopefully this guide should help

[Anthonyexmouth]

15 minutes ago, Gary Clayton said:

If you look at the bottom corners you have cross shaped stars indicating that your sensor is to far way from the reducer as well as having some tilt as the top ones are not as bad 

Top stars look like they are doubled up. but nowhere else. 

[SAW]

Thanks all. I'll check a single sub.

[Gary Clayton]

8 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Top stars look like they are doubled up. but nowhere else. 

I think  that it's just coma coming from the reducer as there seems to be both a combination of tilt and back focus errors going on, much worse at the bottom causing the small cross shaped stars

Edited June 24, 2023 by Gary Clayton