Tandum
02-07-2011, 03:26 AM
I finally got my Orion OAG and this is a quick test of the device between clouds. I still see flex issues between the subs, so you get what you pay for I guess. The OAG guide camera mount slops around all over the place and definately needs work, this is obviously where the flex I see is coming from. I have only just managed to get maxim to calibrate through this device tonight. Previously maxim was drawing an hourglass on the screen instead of an L. PHD however calibrated just fine, go figure.
This image is about an hour of Lum in 5 minute subs binned X1 and half that in RGB binned X2. I was more interested in star shape than anything else but thought I'd see more colour in the stars than is showing with these short exposures :( I think binning RGB x2 stuffs the colours on these 8300 cameras. I've read they use a standard pixel during sensor readout so binning would flood that easily.
The other image is S2 data on M16, a mixture of 20 and 30 minute subs, cloud dependent, again looking for star shape but with 30minute subs, rotation should start to sneek in. Stars on the bottom of both are deformed and that is probably focuser droop. There is now a very long chain of stuff hanging out the back of the scope. This OAG added another 50mm to the chain.
No flats on either of these.
Once I had both cameras in focus, finding a guide star is easier than I thought it would be, using a qhy5 guide camera with 2sec subs. Clamping off the OAG and retaining that star is the hard part that I'd like to fix.
I guess the good news is that weight on the mount has now dropped by about 8Kgs. One 5Kg weight, one 60mm guide scope, sbs bar and other mounting gear.
This image is about an hour of Lum in 5 minute subs binned X1 and half that in RGB binned X2. I was more interested in star shape than anything else but thought I'd see more colour in the stars than is showing with these short exposures :( I think binning RGB x2 stuffs the colours on these 8300 cameras. I've read they use a standard pixel during sensor readout so binning would flood that easily.
The other image is S2 data on M16, a mixture of 20 and 30 minute subs, cloud dependent, again looking for star shape but with 30minute subs, rotation should start to sneek in. Stars on the bottom of both are deformed and that is probably focuser droop. There is now a very long chain of stuff hanging out the back of the scope. This OAG added another 50mm to the chain.
No flats on either of these.
Once I had both cameras in focus, finding a guide star is easier than I thought it would be, using a qhy5 guide camera with 2sec subs. Clamping off the OAG and retaining that star is the hard part that I'd like to fix.
I guess the good news is that weight on the mount has now dropped by about 8Kgs. One 5Kg weight, one 60mm guide scope, sbs bar and other mounting gear.