First results from BWM.

[xelasnave]

BWM = Bojan Widefield Mount.

A friend I have never met, Bojan, helped me out to complete a project to use an old mount from over a decade ago as the basis for a widefield set up...the rational being that the mount could be useful using short focal lengths.

Bojan offered to help when I found my motor did not work by effectively replacing the motor, board and even printed a gear wheel to take the mount to belt drive...I helped by giving him the wrong return address to which he sent the parcel twice before I realised I had given him a PO box that belongs to my father in another suburb...so finally I asked him to send the parcel to Tabulam where the post master would not send something back just because it had the wrong address..I posted the build details in DIY here if you need to see it.


Anyways here are my results from last night...Only a low number of subs and I managed a reasonable PA although I did not actually use the polemaster softeware but used the camera in Sharpcap to center things..I took so long I basically said that is good enough no more time wasting lets go

The Coal sack received the most attention...35 subs of 25 seconds and even more darks at iso 3200.

The rest are less subs (down to 16 in the case of Eta region)and I stacked them but I was convinced the clouds would beat me so I tried to get as much as possible...as it turned out it was a perfect night but I was still tied so I finished around midnight. The idea was to have the 80mm running as well but my legs were really playing up so I gave in to the discomfort and only ran the new set up.

Problems...the tripod is missing the part that you fasten to hold everything tight..its around but next time..the belt must be watched as it wanders off..a sign I have not lined things up perfect but I will add some guider things so finally the unit can crank along for hours unattended and do widefields with really long exposures.

I was really surprised how well 3200 iso went for me and although there is a lot of noise startools reduced it dramatically...I am working on ideas to dither things in a simple fashion.

Anyways here are the results. Thanks for looking in.

alex

[Startrek (Martin)]

Alex
The Bojan widefield Mount is a winner !
Superb images for such a high ISO setting and I concur Startools does a great job for noise reduction
Martin

[xelasnave]

Thanks Martin.
The last couple of times with star tools I have been over the top aggressive in the noise reduction step...I blur that first part such that you can hardley see an image ... anyways this set up is also great for those "do you or dont you nights".. Tonight I am just going to get PA with the camera (nikon) ..get some star circles going and adjust the mount to center that ( like I did before polemaster) so it does not need the lappy.

There is a chance for tonight.
Alex

[Ant0nio (Tony)]

Excellent work Alex, it's gratifying to tinker with something old & make it useful again, you must be very satisfied with the result. I love the last one of Barnards loop particularly & the first image (which I can't identify). I'm sure the BWM will be getting some use in the future.
Cheers,
Tony

[xelasnave]

Hi Tony
Thank you for your encouraging words I do appreciate hearing from others as I find I lose perspective after hours processing.
I near fell over to see a hint of the loop with such a short run...I have never had a hint when at 1600 iso...the 3200 really worked well...I was really not trying for decent images but to get a feel for how the BWM worked.
The first is in the Eta Carina region.
Alex

[Ant0nio (Tony)]

Thanks Alex

[casstony]

My favourite is the Coal Sack - great image Alex.

[RyanJones]

What a great collection of images Alex

I love the Orion region. M42, Horse Head and Flame and wide enough for the loop. Awesome work !

[bojan]

I am supposed to be neutral
Especially because my part is really small compared to what you did.
However - this is a great result and lots of stuff were caught in your images!

As to belt slippage, I was sort of afraid it would be a problem, I should have printed the rims... You can add rings on both sides of the timing pulley, cut from your balsa sheet (and reinforced/soaked with super glue or araldite..

I will try to print a new one for you after next weekend.

[Outcast (Carlton)]

Lovely shots as always Alex

Great Stuff

[leon]

Super stuff Alex, man, do you ever sleep

Leon

[ChrisV (Chris)]

A winner Alex, but I'm a sucker for a dark nebulae!

[xelasnave]

Thank all for the encouragement.
Folk around me are really not interested and well for me I do delight in showing what I have done.
I just hope the folk out there with a dlsr and any sort of lens at all have a go...these days, although I have not tried yet, I expect that you could get good astro shots with a static tripod and just a stack and minor adjustment in Deep Sky Stacker.
So have a go it is particularly satisfying I find.
Specific replies.
Bojan I say without you I would have given up.
I am out again, forget the 80mm and the heq5☺ but its clear with clouds on their way...so this is perfect.
I am trying the 18 to 50 mm lens that I thought only focused under auto...it works manually so its runing now taking a static shot of the pole region so I can align...but at that fl it does not seem to matter if its not good pa...built in dither really.
Thank you again I will be forever in your debt.
Leon
Thanks.
I sleep a lot but a bit all over the place...I seem to prefer being up at night and nap during the day sometimes.
Thanks again.
Alex

[kosborn (Kevin)]

Great captures. I especially like Orion with Barnard's Loop. That is one target I would love to capture. It's too easy to get caught up with longer focal lengths!


Kevin

[JA]

That's a great result Alex (and Bojan)

Best
JA

[xelasnave]

Well that lens has a problem...I focus it stick it in place with blue tak and it goes way out for no apparent reason...so going to have a run at 200 mm and see how that goes☺.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Thanks Kevin thanks JA
Alex

[Decimus (Richard)]

Amazing detail, Alex. A great result - I especially like the Eta Carinae wide field image as it includes one of my favourite observational clusters (NGC 3532, the Wishing Well Cluster) in glorious colour!
Cheers,
Richard