Triffid using autoguiding

[Irish stargazer]

Hi

This is my first attempt at autoguiding. I used a DFK colour camera on the back of a C11 using phd guiding. The image was taken with a Megrez 72 and Canon 450d with a CLS filter attached. I only managed 6 x 7 minutes frames befoe the weather moved in :(. Taken from the MPAS site at the Briars,Mornington, last night.
I think I may need a more sensitive guider as the colour camera struggled to find guide stars. Anyone using the Orion Solitaire?

[TrevorW]

Quite good tracking just adjust your colour saturation a bit

[Alchemy]

Color camera will be less sensitive than a mono, backing onto a f11 scope is a big ask for a guide camera, usually one tries to guide with a small fast scope..... Ie I use a 88 mm megrez at f5.6 with 1-2 sec updates. Away from the galactic plane also makes it harder to find nice guidestars.

As for the image, nicely centered, and it seems to be tracked well enough, bit more saturation would be aesthetically more pleasing.

[Irish stargazer]

Hi

I had planned to use the WO72 to guide the C11 at F6.3 but the weather became bad before I could try it. Would this be too bit a gap in focal length to get good results?

[Alchemy]

No, the phd program will determine the centroid which is sub pixel, so will be fine. Your problem really is finding guidestars, if you are in melbourne amongst the light pollution it becomes more difficult.

With all guiding at focal lengths of 1500 mm or greater, attention to detail becomes more important, your alignment, focus everything is more critical, but the reward is stunning detail.

[Irish stargazer]

I have increased the saturation a bit below. Hopefully this looks better. Its hard to tell when processing on an older laptop.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5070385349_91852c87e6_b.jpg

[DavidU]

That's a nicer rendition John. There seems to be camera sag as the eggie stars to the left of the field. Great effort for a small scope !