Just a quick test to see how the SN10 performs before I fit the fridge to it. Drift aligned using the SN10 and aligned the guidescope optical axis to the SN10 optical axis. This minimises rotation and drift when autoguiding. The Paracorr PLU-1106 actually has a slight 'barlow' effect x1.15 so you dont have to go in to get focus. The Meade SN10 is now 1150mm FL and f/4.6. As you can see the field is well corrected for 'coma'. The EQ6 is coping with the load quite well. There was no wind.
Details
Canon 5DH. Meade SN10 with Paracorr PLU-1106, Astronomik HA & O3 filters. 5x8 min at 800 ISO at ambient 15C for each filter. ICNR on. Moon was about 75%.
Corrected for flats with IP and stacked in Registar levels in PS. Ha red to RED, O3 green to Green and O3 blue to Blue with IP.
Thanks for the comments all. As some of you know I like to 'modify' scopes to do far better than the cost cutting configuration they came in. Mike the guidescope is a 90mm mak firmly held by its own rings to the SN10 OTA. It is just a matter of counter rotating the rings and a bit of packing (washers) to get the guidescope pointing at the same object as the SN10. The focuser is a Borg helical and Borg bits with a 48/52 mm filter box. The scope is fast and the maximum time I can expose is 16 min at 800 ISO with NB filters. With the Moon around a lot less. I am also seriously thinking of making a carbon fiber tube to eliminate focus change with ambient temperature variation.
Wow! Nice Bert! You get some good resolution with your 10". I've got the same FL with my 5" and I struggle a bit to get all the details you're getting in there. Maybe I need to focus a bit better or wipe my mirror Cool shot. Gotta love this fridge. Keep them coming.
Just as a small aside the other advantage of this OTA is there are NO diffraction spikes due to the secondary being supported by the corrector plate. After thirty years of collecting x ray diffraction data I do not want to see any unnecessary pollution of my images. You may as well scratch a big cross into your optic surface! I know it is unavoidable with a really big diameter reflector but I do not have to put up with it!
Just as a small aside the other advantage of this OTA is there are NO diffraction spikes due to the secondary being supported by the corrector plate. After thirty years of collecting x ray diffraction data I do not want to see any unnecessary pollution of my images. You may as well scratch a big cross into your optic surface! I know it is unavoidable with a really big diameter reflector but I do not have to put up with it!
Nonsense; diffraction spikes are the way of the future!
Cool shot. Gotta love this fridge. Keep them coming.
