first light - eq6pro + 70-200F/4L

[AlexN]

well... heres a single frame from my first night... havent stacked images yet or anything like that.. but I have flattened my battery so Im just waiting on charge...

Heres the shot... M8+M20 area..

100mm, ISO 400, 1minute exposure..

the polar alignment isnt quite right, a 5 minute exposure shows stars stretching quite a ways across the field. but hey... its my first go.

[Tandum]

That's looking good mate, your under way, it will only get better, but it'll cost ya :lol:

I really like these wide field shots .. should get myself a lens I suppose :whistle:

[AlexN]

heres 5mins 20sec worth of exposures at ISO800..

More data is obviously necessary, but typical of my style I've rushed in a bit and really wanted a rough end result considering the alignment and all...

Being color blind makes DSS perhaps the most difficult program I've ever used...


Any info, tips on what to do from here would be greatly appreciated. the color is way off, but i dont know what to do about it...

pic 1 = full image, resized to 800px wide
pic 2 = 100% crop of the target area.

[AlexN]

seems that DSS is converting them to some weird looking greyscale, theres more color/more correct color in the CR2 files when opened in photoshop, but once they are in DSS its all that goldish sort of funny weird color....

My explanation skills are not the best at the moment, I'll get some sleep and check back in the morning..

[AlexN]

hah.. Never mind that.. I had the idiot switch fliped to 'on'

Redoing them in the morning +++With added COLOR!

[AlexN]

quick throw together with idiot mode turned off.. :D

also added another couple of frames... now totals 6mins 5sec worth of data..

[Tandum]

What's this bed business batman :)

[AlexN]

i know... its devistating, but im wrecked :D too many hours at work and not enough time to play :(

Theres always tomorrow, then a full weekend...

Hopefully over the weekend I can get it aligned better and have a crack at longer exposures...

Would like to see 5min subs within a few weeks... thats the goal im setting for myself...

[Tandum]

Get guiding organised ... then go for 10min subs :)

[AlexN]

M6 + M7 3mins @ ISO400 - 100% crop and resized original.

[dugnsuz]

I love the M6/M7 pics.
Thanks for giving me my next target!!:P

the M8/20 lacked a little colour, but that'll be sorted out by going deeper with more subs.

Nice start, are you autoguiding yet?
I see you've got a webcam on your signature list...

Let us know the f settings and FL you're imaging at too Alex.

Cheers
Look forward to more
Doug:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[iceman]

Nice images, Alex! Well done!

[vash]

Nice results. I might have to get a wide field lens at some stage.

Also, do you have the strong wind up there?

[AlexN]

no guiding. I dont have a gpusb yet. Would auto guiding help compensate for an average alignment? All the shots posted were 100mm f/4. The mount is still set up in the same spot so i'll try to fine tune the alignment a bit more and go for 120 sec subs.. Either ways i'll get more m8 data. Might just fire off as many shots as i can before bed.. At 100 mm i can safely go to about 1 minute before it becomes an issue.

[AlexN]

oh, and yes. The wind was crazy. Damn hard and real cold.

[leinad]

Nice work! :thumbsup:

[vash]

If you have drift aligned then I would have thought you could go longer than that, I can get over a minute a 1200mm but PE then steps in, although the wind would kill my attempts at the moment,

[AlexN]

hehe. But i didnt drift align. I set the alt with a digital inclineometer and the az with a hand held compass:) she's rough as guts

[dugnsuz]

Yes. I did a decent drift alignment months ago and haven't tweaked or touched it since. The autoguiding does a fantastic job compensating for my laziness!!
:lol:

[Tilt]

Nice one Alex, I was thinking you would haul the EQ6 out last night as it seemed to be clear for you in Brisbane (according to the sat image). I also had a go at the same target (M8/M20) last night at a slightly longer focal length of 135mm, I only managed only 15 x 2min before some light cloud ruined the party.

[AlexN]

I wish i could accomplish a 2min exposure at the moment.... tonight it doesnt like 60sec @ 70mm :/ Its gone sour as. however as stated, the alignment is crap, and even after reading about drift alignment 10 or 11 times I still dont quite get it... Im going to get some hands on experience on sunday, DaveO from the forums here is coming down to the AAQ Lunar/planetary observing night to show me the EQ6 ropes..

[RB]

Well you're off to a great start Alex and with a bit of practice polar alignment gets easier.

:thumbsup:

[Robert_T]

Alex - I know how you feel, I've struggled trying to understand drift aligning for years, but it's like trying to hold smoke. I've finally got enough of a hang of it to improve my alignment... I'm now too scared to bring the LXD75 back inside so it sit's out in the weather under a garbage bag;)

I reckon the pics from that lens show heaps of promise.

Good Luck,

Rob

[AlexN]

HAH!

Just realised that its Thursday... (READ: Payday!!)

GPUSB ordered, 5x powermate ordered, timed shutter release cable for 350D ordered....


I love toys... Did I ever mention that?

[dugnsuz]

Alex - autoguiding is the panacea of the modern imager!
Soon you'll move on to triplet refractors and your belly will go hungry and grumble!
"And lo, beast looked upon beauty and was lost" or some s@#t:P

Good luck mate, I can tell you've got the bug!!!

:thumbsup:

[AlexN]

Yeah, it bit me hard as soon as I saw the first widefield image show up on the camera LCD... I had a quick look and the smile across my face was epic... :)

Yeah I have been looking at a few refractors... I like the Orion EON80/EON100... that will probably be then next big $ spending for me... However I've got my eye on a 300mm f/2.8 also... I think I NEED one of those too. :D

[dugnsuz]

I totally concur - that's where it gets me too, out there in the dark cold night...I push that preview button and I'm like "WOW" then I remember to turn off quick as excessive LCD use causes noise!!!!!!
small pleasures!!!!!!

:):)
:thumbsup:

[vash]

Just wait till you get a 5 minute exposure of a nebulae and it fills the whole image, then there's a "wow" factor.

[jase]

Good first light Alex. Rather strange, but my favourite image you've presented here is the full size crop of M20/M8. Pretty cool to see them in such a miniature form/image scale, yet they still show glimpses of detail. Well done.

[AlexN]

Thanks jase, I was amazed to see a bit of structure in the trifid considering its tiny scale too... longer subs can only make it better I say..

[skeltz]

Nice widefield alex helps put things into perspective .
Keep it up.
cheers

[Tilt]

I'm in the same boat as you are Alex, no guiding... yet.

Here is 30 x 2mins, 350D, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 (set at f/4), 160mm, ISO1600, ICNR, tracked on a EQ6.

Michael

[AlexN]

nice... your stars are alot tighter than mine! :) focus is great!