[deadsimple (Ash)]

Originally Posted by AlexN

Ash, the images and the animation are quite good, especially considering how new you are to the game!

Thanks for the kind words. I hope I haven't asked too many face-palming questions since I started a couple of months ago

I would try to get it as accurate as you can, or if someone close to you can do it, then it might be a good idea to ask for a hand/quick rundown on how to get it spot on..

Well I'm not that thrilled with the cheshire/sight-tube as it's not super accurate and still comes down to what I perceive as being "close enough". From the beginning I was planning to use the SPC900NC to assist in collimation but overlooked the fact that I wouldn't have a lens on it anymore!

I'm not too keen on playing with the adapter/lens too much, as I want to avoid getting dust on the CCD. I do have a spare crappy webcam handy though, now to get a door stop and some tape . Would a laser collimation approach be recommended instead?

You might want to try cooling it on a 45° angle

Yeah I usually start it off at about 20 degrees for the rising hot air, and if it's windy I later place it horizontal so it gets more cross-sectional area to let the wind work its way through. I'm not so worried about dust, etc anymore as I'll probably upgrade the scope by the time it gets dirty enough

We'll have to meet up some time when saturn is back in the sky and have us a planetary imaging night !

Yeah definitely. I've missed a couple of events due to house-sitting but now that that's over I'm keen on experiencing some dark skies and seeing other people's setups and imaging routines.