Tarantula - Guiding Error

[Gavin1234]

This is the few frames I took of tarantula last night. Obviously something has gone very wrong with the guiding or something. I suspect it might have even been my dog bumping the scope on a few of the frames. I wasn't very careful when sorting out the junk subs.

Anyway it looks like an interesting target. I will have a proper go at it over the next few nights.

[RyanJones]

I know the Dog ate my scope work story only too well Gavin. :(

I love the Tarantula nebula. I've done a bit over 6hrs of usable subs on it on my C5 SCT in my back yard ( Bertole 8 ). I'm aiming for a result Like another member, Cimitar (Evan) SCT version. You should look it up, it's beautiful.

[Gavin1234]

Thanks Ryan. Can’t seem to find Evans version but I’ll keep an eye out for it. Couple of clear nights coming up for me coinciding with the new moon so I’m looking forward to getting some good data on this.

Will be locking the dog in the house lol.

[RyanJones]

I hope this link works properly.

Here's Evans Tarantula
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=235432

[AstroBogan]

Not sure if this is more a focus issue than an auto-guiding issue like you've said. Sure, the stars are a little elongated, but the focus looks off to me atleast.

Awesome shot though, would look very nice with a crisp focus.

Cheers,
Jacob

[LewisM]

Definitely a soft focus IMHO. Even if the rig was focused, with temperture shifts, the focus will alter - significantly - over the period of an hour or more. With my Tak FSQ-106, I focus every 3rd shot.

[Gavin1234]

Thanks guys, I had been thinking about getting anauto focuser and that’s just made my decision for me.

I’m looking at a feather touch hsm and control box. Any other recommendations? I want to be able to program it through SGP so I set my sequence to take say 10 x 5 minute subs then refocus every 10 subs.

Is that what an auto focuser will do for me?
Is that all I need to buy for an auto focus system (a HSM and a control box)?

[AstroBogan]

I personally use a moonlight focuser with the motor drive and mini v2 controller which can be used in SGP and other programs such as APT (Which i use).

I'm not sure about the feathertouch HSM, but with the moonlight you can pretty much tell APT when to refocus (intervals in either subs or seconds).

Mind you, the cheapest alternative is to use a bahtinov mask and do it yourself every 10 subs if that's how you want to run it, which is what I did for over a year with no issues.

[Gavin1234]

Thanks jsmitt, I definitely want to automate it. I usually run my sequences all night.