Heya team, I was looking for a resolutions/goals thread and didnt find one, so thought I'd start one here. I'm interested to hear if anyone cares to share a list of targets to image/observe, general improvements sought, and even other stuff outside astro.
Here's what I'm thinking.
No list of targets for me, I just look around at what others are imaging and think about what I'd like to do from there. But in general this year I'd like to
*Use my newt more, capture more galaxies with it
*Either start nailing focus or go down the autofocuser route.
*Build up to the point where I'm happy to share a lunar sketch here
*Help people get their gear humming nicely here in Canberra. I find that super rewarding.
*Find the guts to clean my refractor lenses
Other than that, strangely enough I also aim to back off from astro a bit. It really took over last year and as my sleep hours diminished so too did my energy for family and exercise. I put on a good chunk of weight, and I probably wasn't at my best at work either. So outside of astro:
*Establish a regular running and mtb schedule with my older daughter
*Get back to my best at work
*Run a 5km in under 17mins
And I'll be happy ..or happier... last year also made me happy
Apologies if that is in the "oversharing" basket for some/all of you!
Get everything working finished etc.with the observatories And have all three mounts carrying scopes and cameras, plus two more computers in the big observatory.
Build a shelter over the van or maybe a small house, set up a place to play my guitars real loud, plus buy a couple more guitars, buy a new camera filter wheel and filters, buy another guide camera and OAG, buy a ride on mower, put in a small beach at the dam, rebuild the jetty, set up my little boat, check out the creeks here to see how much gold they have if any, put in a new electrical system 24 vlt, start doing some decent photos with my microscopes, get a motor in my wheel chair, get a garden going, and get into fpv glider flying, spend less time on forums and clean the inside of my car maybe just get another car and register my 4 wd to have a spare car.
I have a list here someplace with more on it.
Alex
1) For me it will be chase dark skies a little more hopefully airbnb/camping will be a little easier this year. Focus a little more on luna obs from the back yard and star testing collimation. (Learn to set the goto function on my scope rather than just using the hand controller for movements.)
2) Grind out my 1st mirror, either a 8" F6 and see if I can get it better than my current SW mirror or skip the 8" and spend extra frustration at a 12" learning the trade...
3) Keep saving up money in my astronomy jar... then work out what I really want to buy... Going to be hard, very tempted by the Hubble UL 16" at F5 as we climb higher against the US$. Damn the shipping costs though... We only have airmail at $500US and NZ gets sea/land at $250US... not happy Jan.
4) Snap up some bargains on IceinSpace classifieds
Finishing my NexDome Obs
Ordered in July 2020 , latest delivery update mid February 2021
My goal is to have it operational by 1st week March
I’m a patient man but my patience is starting to wear a bit thin
I have to keep reminding myself “ you’ve been setting up and pulling down an EQ6-R mount, 8” f5 newt , cabling , workstation etc.... in the backyard for years and years so another month or two of doing this won’t hurt to much until the Nexdome is arrives , how wonderful it’s going to be once it’s operational”
This thought gives me a little boost on the patience meter.
Get COVID jabs!!!
Build small obsy at dark site and automate the pants off it.
Actually do flexible working I have approval for so I can image during the new moon from said dark site
Pick a science project I can contribute to and stick at it. Signed up for gravity wave project last year.
Finish Astro website
1. Stay alive until March for Zack Snyder's Justice League and Doom Eternal TAG Part 2.
2. Learn how to correctly edit astro photos!
3. Get to know my new guiding setup and software
4. End of year, upgrade the DSLR to a ASI2600
5. Purchase more holiday from work and take more holiday
1. Stay alive until March for Zack Snyder's Justice League and Doom Eternal TAG Part 2.
2. Learn how to correctly edit astro photos!
3. Get to know my new guiding setup and software
4. End of year, upgrade the DSLR to a ASI2600
5. Purchase more holiday from work and take more holiday
Adam
Learn and get your guiding up and running (no3) before you jump in and buy the 2600 ( no4 ) this camera deserves long exposures
I champ at the bit every time I go out and image with my 2600MC ( I upgraded from a Canon 600D to the 2600MC after using the DSLR for over 3 years )
A superb camera !!!
Adam
Learn and get your guiding up and running (no3) before you jump in and buy the 2600 ( no4 ) this camera deserves long exposures
I champ at the bit every time I go out and image with my 2600MC ( I upgraded from a Canon 600D to the 2600MC after using the DSLR for over 3 years )
A superb camera !!!
Cheers, Martin
I got the new setup last week, and everything is mostly connected. Some little pain points (e.g. connecting beta version of NINA to ASTAP database) but it works fine in the house
I've been out twice with the setup now and I haven't been able to shoot, because EQMOD is new to me... I really don't like EQMOD (I use SynScan desktop program most of the time) but I'll have to learn it.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the 2600. I'm 85% certain that's the next camera, but that QHY268 is also looking good.
Interested to hear your thoughts as to why the 2600 requires longer exposures. What sort of exposure time are you talking here?
I got the new setup last week, and everything is mostly connected. Some little pain points (e.g. connecting beta version of NINA to ASTAP database) but it works fine in the house
I've been out twice with the setup now and I haven't been able to shoot, because EQMOD is new to me... I really don't like EQMOD (I use SynScan desktop program most of the time) but I'll have to learn it.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the 2600. I'm 85% certain that's the next camera, but that QHY268 is also looking good.
Interested to hear your thoughts as to why the 2600 requires longer exposures. What sort of exposure time are you talking here?
What I meant by “this camera deserves longer exposures” I meant not restricted to unguided 60 second subs, as you hadn’t mastered guiding yet and would have been restricted to around 60 sec or so max
EQMOD is best used with a planetarium like Cartes Du Ceil or Stellarium which I use. I can find objects very quickly and easily with EQMOD once you use it for a while
Anyway there’s so much stuff out there for Goto , plate solving etc ... each to their own
I use Ascom to run my camera and always set the gain to Highest Dynamic Range ( Gain 0 in Ascom ) you sacrifice a little more read noise but utilise full well capacity for more finer detail. I cool the camera to -12C to -15C
1. Join the ASV and try to get out to their dark sky site
2. See if I can image the planets using the ASV's 25" and 40" scopes at this site, hopefully this will cure my aperture fever
3. Decide whether or not I want to learn how to use the CGEM mount I bought last year off the IIS classifieds.
4. If 3 is a yes, work out how to use guiding for imaging galaxies
At all cost avoid receiving poison vaccine, knowing what it does.
Andrew, I'm thinking of joining ASV too. The darksite is close to both my Mum's and Brother's houses, and perhaps this year we can time our family visits with new moons
I'm happy to report that I've made progress on 2 of my goals. The newt has been out and about and I've cleaned the objectives on my refractors... that shouldn't have taken so long to gee up for!
Well the last week saw me complete the concrete pad totally upon which will go a Bunnings garden shed to house the eight batteries, inverter charger, switches fuzes etc, plus the genny for the new 24 volt electrical system.
A big step for me as it seemed impossible at first...
It took three trips gathering rocks in shopping bags, having my car slide off the track and out of service until the clay track dried out such I could drive it again..only a day..and then two trips to town for 12 bags of concrete and one trip for some cement...honestly after I put down the rocks I thought 3 bags should do it..double that ..so 6..mmm should have doubled again...I have to buy concrete cause I can't mix it these days..just put it in dry levelled it with the broom and add a little water..seems to work ok...could be smoother ( I did not have a trowel ) but I will put down a ply floor for battery protection so who cares.
Next thing get the shed, I hope this week but I depend on the kindness of someone to pick it up...I will give them what I would have had to pay to Bunnings for delivery so they get ahead a little...and put it up so I have a place to place the batteries as they are unloaded to save double handling.
A little when you can manage and a little the following day, gets things done...and all this is done with painful legs and a walking stick ..not looking for sympathy at all but to say if you are determined you won't let small difficulties get in your way.
Still doing small things in the observatory but it has become my refuge in the heat of the day now that there is a bed in there..next trip to town I will get a small cupboard to have a stove and tea things, some canned fruit nuts..snacks etc...
Just doing that will save me lots of time as I won't have to go to the van for tea and snacks..every little time saving thing really improves my life greatly..a walk from the observatory to the van is painful and a big effort..mmm another to do,,..a ramp to get in the van..it's like mountain climbing and I just don't get around to fixing it...
Anyways must go..less time on forums is my main goal.
..or happier... last year also made me happy 
