Cloudless Hobart part 1

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Suddenly the clouds cleaved asunder and the sooty detritus from volcanic ejectamenta got swished towards that way by the friendly winds. Yes this week I have had three clear nights and although I have learnt now that my focusing routine is sadly lacking (when the scope moves, hold the camera with your belly and adjust pronto!) I have seen wonders, and even my sceptical wife oohed and aahed. My daughter is yet too young but when she can stand I have a pink iOptron in mind!
Re. the above, moonlite focuser on order, (sooner or later doesn't every body get there?) , second essential item for refractor folk, $15 knee pads from mitre 10. Certainly made alignment easy on the old knee caps.
Anyway, enough persiflage... what follows I hope is a series of newbie pics from my 80mm refractor, Canon 1000D (unmodded) (Stephen b, yours is still pristine apart from some tape), CGEM mount, as I have noodle issues with DSS the pics are stacked in Nebulosity and adjusted there also, maybe a tad in iPhoto.
Excrementum vincit cerebellum
Graham
oh yeah, first newbie photo--- is lagoon !

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

second part is Swan neb

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

the third is old NGC 5128 my old radio buddy

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

when the going gets tough, lift some weights, the Dumbbell Nebula, M27. Shadow on the right is my tree.

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

I hope this works, spiral tastic!

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Part six would have been a sweet newbie wide shot of Lagoon and trifid with lovely background stars but the thing keeps telling me it's a too big file. And I am running out of time before i have to do other stuff, anyone know how to reduce a nice big iPhoto but keep resolution?
Anyhoo,
Apologise if I have monopolised your last coffee break. When you are in Hobart me and John (other newbie in Hobie) will stand you a flagon.
Adios amoebas
Graham........

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

forgot to mention, these are all Jpeg stacked. I have the C-RAW and darks data as well but as yet my DSS is dissin' me and have not used other software that would really grab the info from the files.
Any advice will be rewarded with the usual Radio Grazza beanie and greatest hits album!

Graham

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Nice pix. I noticed some repeating artefacts in 3 and 5. Not sure what causes these. I have had them myself on the few early attempts I have made recently. I think they are a symptom of not enough exposures in the stack to eliminate all extraneous detritus. Some one with heaps more knowledge might be able to give better advice to us both.

Otherwise nice pix, hope I can get similar when I get my rig together.

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Interesting the artifacts- I noticed that too. I thought it was a hot pixel but I am not sure. I have the raw files and darks taken at the same time but I am having issues with getting DSS to register and stack my files.
Anybody suggest another way to stack and dark frame subtract?
Someone on here mentioned IRIS. Any good?
Graz