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Gday Rex,
great post with all my questions answered.
The SW 102-500 is an achromat but reading reviews the chromatic abberation is much less than what would be expected in a scope of that size.
That said,the scope is my travel scope and what I am using to try out some pics. I will get more serious in the spring and use the camera on my 8" Newt. I have great dark sky views of the planets,Omega centauri,Tarantula,etc from my back patio overlooking the ocean so i have high hopes of some good pics.
You have certainly eased my mind with your daytime experiences with the camera the same as mine - I know now that it is working as i have tried it in the lounge and there is an image,albeit way out of focus. Thanks also for confirming that this size of chip is really not suited for ANY terrestrial stuff.
Re focusing,I have downloaded a 4" baht mask template and will have a go at making one - if that doesn't work too well,I'll buy one as from your advice,sharp focus will be critical. I do use SW electric focusers after learning from experience with my first Celestron scope that you can't focus properly on a small EQ3 tripod while it's still vibrating from turning the focus knob.
Re the barlows,I have a 2x but have a 5x on order for the planets - due in 2 weeks or so.
For the finder scope conversion,i am pleased to hear you had no focus issues after the conversion. From what I read on that English site,it can/could be an issue, so a plus there for me as i have a spare 9x50 finder which i will convert the same way.
As for processing,I made a mistake previously in that I was trying those oil rig pics using video and using Registax but i understand what your saying about the importance of the calibration images.
One last question however,before I sign off for a little while,do you think i should be putting the camera in the eyepiece holder at the back of the 45 (or 90 deg)star diagonals or should i try it straight in the back of the OTA? (might need an extension tube to achieve focus however)
Thanks again for your help
Rgds
Ron
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