m5

[alacant]

Hi everyone

Despite the heat, steady enough for 1000mm focal length last night. 

Thanks for looking and do please post any dslr tips you may have for this one.

700d + gso203   apilado: siril 1.1.0 git, revelado: startools 1.8.527-2

[jacko61]

That's yet another nice sharp image.  Do you get any true astro-darkness at your site this time of year?  I'm at 55 north and there's still a glow even at 2am.

Graeme

[alacant]

On 31/05/2022 at 12:31, jacko61 said:

astro-darkness at your site

Hi

Not sure. Seems it's a hover on this app. Don't know how accurate it is:

So apparently, yes. We're at 38º N.

But we loath charts and graphs and so usually begin imaging in the east when it looks dark enough. Many of the frames for this shot would have been taken before official darkness.

I'm sure m5 would be doable from your location.

Cheers

Edited June 8, 2022 by alacant

[AstroMuni]

Great image @alacant
Is that a double star that you have captured here?

[alacant]

2 hours ago, AstroMuni said:

a double star

Hi and thanks for posting.

Had to reference it. It is indeed double. kstars has it as hd136202 with LH3060, an orbiting double.

Never noticed it before. You can probably see why. Here's the same target before removing the primary mirror clips:

Edited June 8, 2022 by alacant

[AstroMuni]

On 08/06/2022 at 17:07, alacant said:

Here's the same target before removing the primary mirror clips:

Wow, just the removal of clips and so much more detail.

[Stu Wilson]

Hey great images as usual.

Ive done another mod on the TS Optics f4.

I 3D printed a ring to cover the Mirror clips. ive only tested it once as no clear skies over last week as such.

However with new camera (Altair 294C Pro Tec) and the mod ive got lovely sharp star instead of a little flary thing going on 🙂

 

Clear Skies

 

Stu

[alacant]

21 minutes ago, Stu Wilson said:

lovely sharp star

Great news.

If you want even better, simply remove the clips and the ring.

The mirror is then held in the cell using silicone. This has the added advantage of preventing lateral movement of the primary mirror and so helps collimation hold at all tube angles.

Cheers 

[Stu Wilson]

1 hour ago, alacant said:

Great news.

If you want even better, simply remove the clips and the ring.

The mirror is then held in the cell using silicone. This has the added advantage of preventing lateral movement of the primary mirror and so helps collimation hold at all tube angles.

Cheers 

Is my mirror already siliconed in place and clips are just a precaution?

 

Stu

[Stu Wilson]

Here's a quick snap of vega to test the clip cover ring.

[alacant]

16 hours ago, Stu Wilson said:

Is my mirror already siliconed in place

Hi

No. Only the high end TS e.g. the ONTC range, are.

The economy TS-gso mirrors just rest on cork pads in an ill fitting cell. This is one of the reasons they lose collimation so easily.

16 hours ago, Stu Wilson said:

quick snap of vega

Lovely shot. With stars like that, you'll get an excellent m5, 

Good luck and do post if you have a go.

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by alacant

[Stu Wilson]

As soon as there's some clear skies

[Avocette]

On 16/06/2022 at 20:56, alacant said:

The mirror is then held in the cell using silicone.

Any particular type of silicone? Are we talking about construction silicone rather than bath sealant?

I’m thinking of doing this with my SW 150p (not PDS). If I remember well I have read on this site that the secondary mirrors on the two 150 types are the same size, unlike the 200PDS and the 200p.

[alacant]

4 hours ago, Avocette said:

type of silicone

I only know the Spanish version which I translate as 'neutral silicone sealant'. The 'A+' may help identify what it is.

HTH

[Paul M]

As always, a brilliant image and a tribute to the skilled use of DSLR cameras!

I too did away with the mirror clips on my 10" newt, out of necessity really. I removed the mirror from the cell to clean it and afterwards could not get symetrical stars! No matter what I did, the mirror was either pinched in some direction or slopping around in the cell. So off the clips went and I set the mirror on three generous globs of good quality "high modulus" sillicone selant that I already had sat in the garage. Just let it settle under gravity and it collimated a treat!

Not really looked for improvement in diffraction artifacts, only had a couple of usable clear nights since I fixed it.

[alacant]

44 minutes ago, Paul M said:

off the clips went and I set the mirror on three generous globs of good quality "high modulus" sillicone

Hi

So many issues are solved by their removal; convert a bottom of the range reflector into an autograph.

I wonder if you could help answer a question I am asked often. What was the silicone you used?  Source, type... etc. I have no knowledge of non-Spanish brands. A photo would be great.

Cheers and TIA

 

[Stu Wilson]

Alacant.....

Any good silicon will suffice.

I know it's horrible on your hands but if it's watery/runny it's cheap and mierda.

If its thick and gooey es bien.

😀

Stu