iisac Milky way, 40D and guided EQ3

[Bassnut]

The Milky Way (http://fredsastro.googlepages.com/Milkywayiisac0940DWFsite.jpg/Milkywayiisac0940DWFsite-full;init:.jpg) I took at the IISAC with a modded 40D with stock 55mm lens and a modded EQ3 guided with an ED80 and QHY5.

15 off 5 min exposures.

I didnt expect much, it was just for fun to see if it was possible and it came out OK (just dont zoom in :P). There was no framing as such, just point and go.

What supprised me was guiding the EQ3. I fitted a standard option motor drive kit to it, and simply wired a guide lead to the 4 handbox nudge buttons, nothing else. Plugged it into the QHY5 and bingo, guiding :D.

Theres something wrong with the EQ3, the both axis are as stiff as hell with the gears disengaged, and the clutches make no difference, on or off, but I kind of think this helped guide smoothness. The motors are geared right down (there is essentially no slew function) so they are almost impossible to stall, even running on the 4 D batteries :) (which lasted 3 days and are still fine). This allowed me to put the balance way out so that the motors always drove, to avoid huge backlash, and infact I set single direction guide correction, to make sure, and it was fine.

After some tuning, I managed to get guide error down to 10 arc secs P/P or so, which is amazing for such a cheap mount, and fine for very wide field (ugg, I did that :screwy:).

I considered healing out the stars for a starless image, but figured that would probably take about 3 weeks, so I didnt.

[jase]

Whaa?!?! Thought I'd never see the day Fred. Deep down I knew you loved wide fields. I just can't understand why you resisted for so long.:P:lol:

Rich colours. Sounds like you had your hands full with the mount.

[strongmanmike]

Hmmm? :confuse3:

Rather boring an featureless really huh :question: not bad considering you were drinking and annoying people the whole time that image was being taken too :lol:

Nice job you crazy Photoshopper :thumbsup: and now you have done wide field you will never look back......

Mike

[Bassnut]

Nor did I Jase, but bringing the PME/RCOS seemed a bit.........hard :P, and a few beverages makes NF set up difficulty directly proportional to number of bottles per 200mm of FL :D, a simple formula that allowed a large number of bottles for the 50mm FL used :thumbsup:.

Therefore, the EQ3 was not such a handfull, despite its flaws, its a strong little bugger :)

[multiweb]

Ha...alcoohol was involved. At first I thought the camera was not square? :lol: No, seriously cool shot Fred. Glad to hear you had fun. :thumbsup:

[Bassnut]

uuum theres a contradiction there Mike, you accurately describe widefeild there "Rather boring an featureless really", well done, but to then think that would make me never look back is puzzling :lol: :thumbsup:.

Annoy people?, nah, only if they truly deserved it ;)

[Bassnut]

Thanks Marc, lucky you wernt there, you wouldve qualified for the annoyance proceedure no fear, anyway ill get you next time :D.

It not really a cool shot, but considering the crap mount it was fun to try :thumbsup:.

[multiweb]

:lol::lol::lol: I'll bring the wine. ;)

[strongmanmike]

Ah huh!! so you did a crappy one on purpose then, very cleaver :clap:



Yeh that was all of us...we loved it though, you are so cute :love:

[Bassnut]

Que?, and what else can wide field be, he, punk :D :hi:.

Oh, and heres a cool pic taken and performed by Mike Samerski and Greg Priestley. Print this on a tee shirt Mike (Salway)

[tlgerdes]

That's very creative of the boys, how many bottles? Suprised they could still spell.:rofl::rofl::rofl:

On your photo though, I am glad you are starting to see the BIG picture.:P

[RB]

I told you it was a good mount Fred !

Now, any plans to clone out the stars on this one?

:P

EDIT: LOL just read the last part of your post. :lol:

[Deeno]

Nice going Freddles

Point the scope up, turn everything on and walk away.....

Looked like it was shooting the mountain all by itself last time I saw it.

So, does this mean I should go back to a smaller mount????

[Bassnut]

Well, it did end up shooting the mountain, quite a lot :P, no stars though, bonus. I could stack them if you like :D.

Yes Deeno, go back to say.... a EQ1, that should do the trick, stick it in your pocket and hitch hike to iisac 10 :). Ill tune it for you, easy as :thumbsup:.

The boys couldnt spell, the letters were photoshoped in the right order :P.

[h0ughy]

LOL classic - at least you had some Fun Fred!!!

[iceman]

Very nice Fred! Looks great.

Hey, you could substitute in the data from your starless lagoon for your the red lagoon in this shot on the RHS. It would improve it a bit ;)

The IISAC light painting is very cool. Chris did a good one last year too.

Was funny seeing Samerski and Greg running around with sparklers :)

[Octane]

lol, the Narrowminded Narrowbander does Widefield Wuss.

Just kidding. ;)

Glad to see you got something out of your 40D and the EQ3.

Where are Mike and Greg? They should be here sharing their photos! They sounded like they were having a truckload of fun whilst I was battling with my gear. :P

The conversations that took place on Friday and Saturday nights were sidesplittingly rivetting!

Regards,
Humayun

[Bassnut]

Ah Mike, so thats M8 on the RHS, wondered what that was :P. Does look fairly shocking :ashamed:.

Humayun, ummm, poetry he.....yeah Ill go with that :thumbsup:.

Yes you did seem to be battling, I admire your perserverance during sustained, deliberate, diversion tactics (such as slurred inane critisim, patently dodgy advice, dumb jokes and fireworks) :D. Look forward to viewing your results :).

[Octane]

Fred,

I already posted my only image. Look down in the forum. :D

Regards,
Humayun