my first M42 for 8 months - not properly processed yet

[h0ughy]

As a spur of the moment decision last night, I got out the EQ6 and the vixen R200SS with ED80 guide scope and plonked it on the ground roughly facing south, no polar alignment or mucking about with drift alignment. I set up at 10.30pm and packed up at 2.30am. What I did next was to test out the TV guider I have, and for me it wasn't working, so I changed it and whacked on the GPUSB and the toucam. Unbelievable it guided where the TV guider just ran away (I really need to work on this it shouldn't be that hard).

I took the Sword of Orion in a number of shots, 2x10 seconds, 4 x 30 second, 4 x 60 seconds, 8 x 120 seconds, 7 x 180 seconds and 15 x 240 seconds at ISO 400 with the cooled 350D running at 4 degrees Celsius. So thats 6200seconds or a tad over 103 minutes, and I have never taken anything at ISO400 in the city light pollution. I have yet to learn how to process these properly and because of my highly technical setting up there was some rotation. Also temperature killed the original focus I had, I should have realised it but hey its the first of the season for me.

this shot is a conglomeration of everything just thrown into the pot just to see what I had:D, its crap but I like it - as i did it myself:lol:. All I need to do now is learn how to process the data I have and see how the ugly duckling can be developed in to the swan (if I end up with the swan neb I will have done something really wrong:rofl:)

[Lee]

Top shot mate..... I think you've done pretty well with the processing. It doesn't have that over-processed look you see sometimes - very natural.
:thumbsup:

[acropolite]

A fine effort Sir h0ugh, not at all crap, I'd be happy with something half as good as that.:thumbsup:

[Dennis]

Pretty good effort H0ughy. In fact, a darned fine image - well done, give yourself a pat on the back!

Cheers

Dennis

[[1ponders]]

Nice shot Dave. Good to see you getting back out there. :thumbsup:

Which direction was the TV Guider heading off to, RA or DEC?

[tornado33]

Yep, nothing wrong with that. The diffuse outer loop is there and plenty in the Running Man Neb.
Scott

[iceman]

I like it Dave, heaps of exposure! Next time it'll be spot on!

[h0ughy]

I have to work on the masking technique, and have a few practice goes on this one ready for next new moon.

When i can find the other half i will let you know - in the meantime its a pretty ordinary image for me and yes I should have drift aligned a little to stop the rotation

yes I deserve a lot of flogging for this effort

yes is was desperate to get out - in both Paul, It ran away so I adjusted by 90 degrees it did the same then turned it another 90 degrees and it wtill did it, then I reveresed the settings and it still did it. it has me buggered as to what I am doing wrong. I have to see the setups again for the camera position on your scopes. I am using a straight through piece, no diagonal.

thanks Scott - I posted comment on yours

still need to work on it - and I think a really dark sky site is needed to get the faint outer whispy bits and for a lot longer time. Need to remember to checkthe focus after being out there after an hour;):lol:

[jase]

M42 is certainly "flavour of the month". Pleased to hear you got out there Houghy. A pleasing image is the reward. Watch out for black clipping though as I'm sure you can extract some more nebulosity on this one. Well done.:)

[Shawn]

Not too Shabby Houghman, for a plonk a go... Very nice in fact...


S

[h0ughy]

large learning curve for me Jase:D

[dcalleja]

Houghy
I feel a strong urge to go out tonight in order to emulate your 'crappy' image! :) Its got a nice 3D effect - well done!

[Tamtarn]

Great image Houghy, for a quick setup you have done well.

Look forward to seeing more images from you. :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

hope it is clear for you - cloudy here

[[1ponders]]

Which output port were you using from the TV?

[ballaratdragons]

No, it's actually a 350D effect :lol:

Good onya Houghy for getting out there and getting into it again :thumbsup:

Nice result for no alignment :)

[h0ughy]

the st4 port not the lx200 one

[h0ughy]

tthanks Ken, was chastised by the wife for getting to bed at 3.30/4am, also woken at 7:whistle:

[Garyh]

Not bad at all houghy! :thumbsup: you have done a nice job of processing this and your polar alignment must have been pretty good for just plopping it down..
Nice one!
cheers

[Ric]

Very nice Houghy, a lovely capture.

Cheers

[h0ughy]

you get to know where South is in your own yard, but still can be up to a degree out sometimes - chook lotto? at least it was level?

[[1ponders]]

STV and LX200??? Mine are marked Mount and Com.

[thierry]

hello,splendide !good work,cheers;):thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

the one on the left:shrug: havent got it in front of me

[h0ughy]

thanks Mate!! :thumbsup: got any comet pics?:D

[[1ponders]]

On the off chance have you tried running it through the Shoestring adapter? (shouldn't need it)



Forget that, it wouldn't work anyway. Need more Caffine!

[h0ughy]

yes more coffee??? I will take it to see Paul Mayo and Lee and see what it does on two seperate losmandy mounts, then find another EQ6 owner in Newcastle and try it, do that after I sit down and slowly reread the instructions again and check the cable installations, drift align and whatever then switch it on. Could you please take a photo of the camera positioning on you guide scope just to compare to the orientation of mine (or what I did anyway)

[[1ponders]]

I'll see if I can find someone in the area with an EQ6 and see what I can do for trying it out. If not I know of a couple of HEQ5s around the place that I can try it on.

BTW, what guide speed were you using?

[h0ughy]

nothing changed 0.5:shrug:

[[1ponders]]

How fast does the guidestar move offscreen, 0.5 rate or faster?

[h0ughy]

faster

[dugnsuz]

Very nice
You've got heaps of data there houghy - looking forward to your reprocessed effort. I'm sure it'll be a cracker!
Doug

[alan meehan]

well done dave,who needs more processing looks very impressive well done mate.

[h0ughy]

thanks Al

[ballaratdragons]

Houghy,

there is an action in Noel Carbonis 'PS Actions' to remove minor star trailing :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

I havent seen or heard of that. where/what is it?