A night with the Midges and a new EQ6

[BlueAstra]

I spent my first night out with my new EQ6 pro & C8 SCT last Friday. This was my first chance to test my mobile pier concept (C 8se for grab and go or C8 on EQ6 mobile pier for photos). I wanted to check I could set it all up in resonable time and put it away later, and try to establish a procedure for photos. So, wheeled the pier+EQ6 from the garage to the patio, took the C8 off the 8se and mounted it on the EQ6.

After a few dummy runs during the day I had the balancing procedure completed quickly. I then leveled it with the polar axis roughly in the right direction. I'd previously aligned the polarscope and set up the setting rings, but found it much quicker to use the Polarfinder prog to set polaris. Prog says at time now polaris is at '11pm', set polar axis to put it there - sorted in 2 min. Good enough for visual and longish exposures (~30s). Memo - always remember to remove scope cap and rotate RA so polarscope views through hole!

I'd fitted a focal reducer to try it out, but noted heavy vignetting with it. After advice later from PBilly on SGL it turned out I was using 1.25" T mount adapter, thereby cutting the aperture down considerably with my Canon camera. I've ordered a 2" one from FLO for future use. However, my current snaps show a heavy roll off in the corners.

After a quick polar align, I carried out the 3 star alignment visually. I mounted the camera and connected it to the laptop so I could control it with the Canon camera s/w. This allows camera setup, liveview, remote shutter control and raw image review. I then went to Vega to focus the camera with my Berbatov mask (its round). Well, lets have a look at M13. Selected it, and the scope slewed round. Took a quick shot and there it was, right in the viewfinder. Took a few subs at 30s, 1600iso.

Had Stellarium running on the laptop, but not connected to the scope. Had a look what was in the area and saw M57. Selected this on the HC and took a quick sub. There it was, dead centre! Even the midges crawling over the laptop were impressed. Took a few more subs, now slightly excited and looked for a new target. Went to M27, quick sub, there it was! More subs, what next? How about M71 and M92. Needless to say, the EQ6 found them effortlessly and more subs followed.

Well, it wasn't a dedicated seesion one one target. My main aim was to check out the EQ6 and camera procedures, but I did get carried away seeing things I'd never seen before. What a fantastic hobby this is. Always something new to see. Next time I will concentrate a bit harder on technique, and in the coming months will experiment with EQMOD control and perhaps a guidescope. I know the GOTO can be frowned on a little, but without a fixed observatory and mandatory setup and tear down it certainly maximise observation time.

Anyway here are the results of my quick survey of the night sky. They were not intended as serious photos, just a record of what I'd seen. I'm rubbish at processing images, one more skill to learn. I sure they were worth the 35 midge bites it took getting them!

[Beyond_Vision]

Looks like you had a great night. A smashing first light with your new set up.

Regards

Kevin

[brianb]

Looks like a good start to me.

I know the GOTO can be frowned on a little, but without a fixed observatory and mandatory setup and tear down it certainly maximise observation time.

Yup, that's what GOTO is useful for ... as a short cut for those who can do without it. Not as a tool for turning the beginner into an "instant expert" - that's simply impossible, & IMO the technology just adds to the steepness of the bottom of the learning curve.

I sure they were worth the 35 midge bites it took getting them!

Only 35? I'm not at all impressed .... 35,000 is just getting started.

[Psychobilly]

Yep a good satrt on a range of targets ... The new adaptor should drastically reduce the vignetting to a level where takign a few flats will enable you to use the whole frame...

In the mean time you could make a feature of it and remove any hint of stars in the vignetted regions to give you a circular "EP" view.....

Peter...