I'll preface this by stating that I'm lazy and an idiot.
I've had a 10" reflector for around 8 years, and set it up for imaging with a lovely Moonlite stepper focuser and so on, but have only ever used it for very occasional visual on a dob base. When I first got it I had a play with imaging, but got frustrated trying to get a flat field, never sure if it was my inexperience at collimating, or if the MPCC wasn't doing its job, or if it was the spacing between camera and MPCC and so on. I put it in the too hard basket and never persevered.
Got back from Astrofest and the clear nights have continued, so set up mount at home, but just for something different, instead of putting my usual refractor (TMB92SS), I decided I'd tinker with the 10" and see if I can get some successful images out of it. First tried some planetary stuff since they're all in the sky at the moment.
Tonight I thought I'll try to deep sky. Had a play with the MPCC and some different spacings for the camera, and wouldn't you know, second attempt at a spacing, I think it's pretty good - enough for me anyway.
Here's a quickie M7 from tonight's tinkering, and also the centre and corners for star shapes. I can't believe this big fella has been sitting idle all this time because I'm a lazy idiot.
Think I'll be playing with it a bit more from now on
Lovely! Optics, tracking, acquisition and processing working really well. You've shown the cluster in its milky way context, with some nice dust lanes in there too.
I would love it if you produced an alternate version with less "curve" and more "linear", so the cluster stars shone like jewels against black velvet.
Thrilled that you've got the 10 inch up and running so beautifully.
Yep the MPCC is a fantastic bit of glass, turns fast newts into perfect astrographs. Youve easily picked up the planetary nebula Wray 16_322 also known as M1-30 and He2-259, at bottom end of green line, it stands out well
Wow Troy, you mean you have had this system sitting unused and only now got it out to play deep sky imaging with...??? ..sheesh, what a lazy idiot! ...
This is a beautiful shot of this cluster mate and I love it set against a rich golden bed of stars, lovely...some good times ahead
Thanks again guys. I'm like a kid in a candystore at them moment, going through Astroplanner etc looking for objects I can play with at this "new" image scale
Thanks again guys. I'm like a kid in a candystore at them moment, going through Astroplanner etc looking for objects I can play with at this "new" image scale
Great fun huh? I was doing that too 10 months ago, after the FSQ arrived (I only waited 3 months before my first light..but ) and the sytem worked perfectly first go and blew my narrow field socks off...enjoy
imagine what you could have been doing with it at astrofest.
..sheesh, what a lazy idiot! 
