First Pic Post EQ5 modifications

[dugnsuz]

Hello...
and a belated Happy Xmas to all!
This is my first post for a while, after I got the balls to take my EQ5 to bits and perform the AstronomyBoy modifications and improvements! Thanks too to mill for the motivation through his "how to" article!
The AstronomyBoy webpage is invaluable to those with EQ4/5 mounts - the results after the mods are obvious and worth the effort IMHO!!
The smoothness in both axes is great and the lack of slop and responsiveness of the hand controller and autoguider are joyous!!!
http://www.astronomyboy.com/cg5/

Attached pic of M42 and running Man Nebula is a single 10 minute exposure @ iso100 through the ED80/Canon 40D and autoguided with PHD on the "new and improved" Skywatcher SynScan EQ5.:P

Please feel free and easy to comment - I had to crop the image as the longer the exposure / the greater the coma with the ED80 - so I find I have to really take greater care in central FOV composition.

All the best - and I wish you all a prosperous New Year:)
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Looks mighty fine to me, Doug :thumbsup:

You even captured a satellite or Meteor :lol: Good stuff.

[Hagar]

Nice image. Doug. You have even managed to save some of the stars in the trapeziam area. Good stuff. Learning to love the 40D 350D may go to the sales section soon.

[Hagar]

Doug, Do you use the EOS utility program for long exposures. I found it the other night. What a great program with the camera.

[Tamtarn]

Wow Doug a single 10 min ISO100. That's really something. A great way to test the modded mount and it looks like it's certainly improved it. Great tracking there :thumbsup:

Looks like all the time and frustration was worth it :lol:

D & B

[dugnsuz]

Yes Doug, I use the EOS utility for automating multiple exposures - works really well. You can also access the LiveView function to view stars on the laptop screen for focusing.



Absolutely!!! To see the guidestar remain in crosshairs of the PHD window for over 10mins without a single "beep" from the computer is the best Chrissie present!!:lol:

Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[jase]

Nice work Doug. Multiple exposures would have turn this image into something special, allowing you to stretch the data much more to bring out the fainter wisps of nebulosity. Overall, a pleasing result with the supped up mount. Look forward to seeing more.

[h0ughy]

nice one Doug well guided and where did clear skies come from? pity about the satellite but that could give it character?

[dugnsuz]

I used the In Camera Noise Reduction on that pic jase - so it took 20mins all up. By that time my 9 year old son Brody had joined me and wanted to "look" through the telescope (how unusual!!!), so I left it at one shot and let him check out Mars.



Yeah Houghy I grabbed a quick window of opportunity before the Moon came up to bleach out the stars! It has been really clear down here in SA for a few nights now - woo hoo!!!;)

Doug

[EzyStyles]

great shot doug! the colours are just right and guiding is perfect for 10minutes. once you've stack more images, noise ratio will decrease.

[RB]

Wow a single 10 min exposure, well done on the new mount mods Doug.
A joy to use now, I'm sure.

Looking forward to more.

:thumbsup:

[Dr Nick]

Wow! that's a beauty! ;)

[leon]

Well, Well I didn't notice you sneek back in to IIS, :lol: wondered what happened to you, and to come back with an image like that, well done mate, looks pretty good to me. ;)

Leon :thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

I've been lurking around leon, keeping my eye on yous blokes!:P

What a difference the EQ5 mods make - I was shocked (but not really surprised) at how rough these mounts are inside. My RA worm gear actually had jagged edges:shrug:!!!
I smoothed them all down, got rid of that damned Synta Glue and replaced with Super Lube and I can put off the Losmandy purchase for another few years!!!!:lol:

All the best
Doug:thumbsup:

[leon]

Ah, good to hear Doug, glad it all came together for you, now we expect some stunning results from Ya, Ya know. ;)

Actually that last one of yours of Orion was really good for a one shot effort, now get a half dozen of them together and see the results then

Leon :thumbsup:

[Alchemy]

what a result ... i used to think an eq6 was about the minimum for quality images i stand corrected it seems ... well done