ETA +10"SCT with Moonlight focuser and FR

allan gould · #1 19-01-2012, 01:56 PM

I recently upgraded the focuser on my 10" SCT to a Moonlight focuser with the wider attachment to take a f6.3 FR/corrector inside the focuser. I hadnt trialled this until last night a was quite pleasantly surprised how well it worked. The FR just screws into the focuser tube internally so that the FR is always a predetermined space from the chip.
Also tragically I used 7timer to inform me that the clouds would dissipate over Brisbane

:rofl : in the late evening and as a true believer managed to get 5x15 min Ha images before the moon came up. Typically I managed to walk into the counterweight arm and mess up my polar alignment so after an hour messing about I re-aligned and got the best alignment yet in the dome with OSC and RMS of 0.12 and o.13 respectively using PhD. Guiding was done with a 72mm WO guidescope and DSI II Pro camera.
Levels and curves then slight sharpen in PS.
Also as a giggle I let Bahtinov grabber automatically focus the frame using ASCOM. Doh!!! It worked.
Comments welcomed.

RickS (Rick) · #2 19-01-2012, 02:24 PM

Looks pretty sharp, Allan!

Rigel003 (Graeme) · #3 19-01-2012, 03:07 PM

Lovely image with good detail in the keyhole area. Even with the focal reducer it's pretty hard to get a good sized chunk of this object in the frame. With Ha you don't have to worry too much about the moonrise either.

allan gould · #4 19-01-2012, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

Looks pretty sharp, Allan!

Thanks Rick

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rigel003

Lovely image with good detail in the keyhole area. Even with the focal reducer it's pretty hard to get a good sized chunk of this object in the frame. With Ha you don't have to worry too much about the moonrise either.

Graeme, by the time 2:00 am came around I was looking for an excuse to pack up. The dew was also coming in so I figured I had done enough to test the equipment

CoolhandJo (Paul) · #5 19-01-2012, 04:07 PM

very good detail

peter_4059 (Peter) · #6 19-01-2012, 06:02 PM

Nice going Allan. Looks like a very similar fov to my Newt.

ozstronomer (Geoff) · #7 19-01-2012, 06:23 PM

Very nice image Allan, love the contrast you have achieved in Ha. Which camera did you use?

allan gould · #8 19-01-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolhandJo

very good detail

Thanks Paul, the seeing wasn't great but I just had to get out

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Nice going Allan. Looks like a very similar fov to my Newt.

Peter, agreed that The FOV is fairly similar to yoUr Newtonian and that's why I kept at it to get this to succeed. Just need to get your mount up to speed so you can join in.

allan gould · #9 19-01-2012, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstronomer

Very nice image Allan, love the contrast you have achieved in Ha. Which camera did you use?

Sorry Geoff, missed you question. The camera is a QSI583wsg with a 7nm Astronomiks filter. I was quite surprised in just over an hours worth of data just how well the image held up without noise etc and how easy it was to process. It mainly was an exercise to test the focuser and FR in this configuration. Just getting to understand and and USE all my equipment.