Had the new EQ6 Pro mount with our Skywatcher ED80 guided with Petzval 66. Mount and PHD Guiding worked a treat. Six hours without PHD not going DONG once.
This was our best night so far and our first attempt at M17 and M16 so thought I would post our efforts for advice. All shots were 5 Minutes duration on ISO 800 through unmodified Canon 400D.
M83 4 Lights/4 Darks, M20 10 Lights/5 Darks, M17 10 Lights/3 Darks and M16 5 Lights/3 Darks. No flats as I am still trying to work that out.
for flats, just shoot in your normal imaging mode but put a quality white t shirt over the end of the scope once the sun has left the sky while it is still light, so your image is a nice grey .....just plug it into your stacking program shoot at least 1/2 doz.
Congrats on the new mount looks like the guiding was working a treat, very nice images......just wondering do you have to match the number of darks to your lights
Beren, I honestly do not know? I do a minimum of three so Deep Sky Stacker can stack them as Median. I also have only really had long term guiding success compared to the HEQ5 where we would get a couple of shots then guiding problems.
Thanks everyone for the comments. I'm off to Toowoomba for a three day asronomy workshop at the uni so I can't wait. Hopefully dark clear sky.
I'm also excited as I have just paid for my first new scope as the photos are using our schools scope that happens to live between two teachers place. I get my new WO 110 Flt in 3 weeks Yahoo.
Alex, I got mine from Astronomyalive for $2700. It was on par with Andrews but I got a couple of hundres of the Mengrez 70mm guide scope I also bought. very understanding wife just.
Great pics. I love the one of M83, although I didn't think it was in the skie at the moment (I can't seem to find).
M17 looks nice also, is it called the "star cloud" aswell?
Perhaps consider a very very slight push of saturation on M20?
just a thought
looks great as is of course, captured the nebulosity beautifully
cheers
frank