Must be doing something right

[LewisM]

I think I have finally got it all nutted out, from the polar alignment, to guiding.

Today I set up my ED100 with my ED80 guiding with a Starshoot, all on an NEQ6 mount, aligned via a solar noon reading and an accurate compass (not once have I used the polar scope).

I have been getting GOOD steady 5 minute subs, with the Starshoot set to refresh every 0.5s - that's in calm weather, or like tonight, moderate wind with some smoke about. I decided to try 10 minutes sub...

NO TRAILS whatsoever! PERFECT stars. Great, so I get adventurous - 20 minutes....

SAME RESULT! (I had the ISO at 600). So, I did 1 x 10 minute on the Horsehead, and 1 x 20 minute on the horsehead... whilst a good lot of orange pollution crosses the photo, I can clean that up.

Right now - 0331 - I am doing a 10 minute / ISO 400 / refresh 0.5s on guiding on NGC 3372.

I'll post pictures after uploading and editing later in this fine day.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Hoo Boy !! Well done, wish I could get anywhere near that good !!
Is this a portable setup ? If so sounds like you need to mark the tripod put down points as accurately as possible and don't adjust ANYTHING on the rest of the setup.

[LewisM]

OK, here we go. 100% NON-processed, except to crop to the subject area. This is 100% pixels, zero clean up of Eta Carinae nebula.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2531/closeupcore.png

That's a 10 minute ISO 600 sub, from a non-mod, non-cooled Canon 5DMKII with internal noise reduction on, full image sharpening in the custom presets, all taken through a Skywatcher ED100 with Orion 0.8X focal reducer. All on a stock standard Skywatcher NEQ6 mount. Skywatcher ED80 riding as guidescope, using an Orion Starshoot through the tube, refreshing at 0.5s (did not beep ONCE all night, except when I forgot to stop guiding when I slewed to the next target ) Seeing was 8 at best with moderate wind and some smoke from burn off near Wayne

Now to process it all. From now on, I think I'll do a run of 10X10' rather than 20X5'.

[ourkind (Carlos)]

Looking forward to seeing your results Lewis!

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Well done. I never get PA that good due to me moving the mount to different places all the time.

[LewisM]

Here's my single 20 minute sub on the Alnitak region. Too much flare and light fill around the brighter stars, but maybe can come down a bit with processing, and subtracting darks etc.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2558/horse1e.png

[loki78 (Jon)]

That's fantastic!

Was there a particular guide you followed to get your alignment?

If so, link it for us

[LewisM]

Unfortunately, no - I self-taught and learned some valuable lessons along the way - I have written some of it here before, but I may do so again one day. Getting 20 minute subs with a cheap guider would seem to indicate something is spot on each time.

Every trget last night was dead centre in the field of view - well, what was visible anyway (I always take 1 x test shot at ISO 2000/30 secs to check any deep targets)

1 pointer though is I ALWAYS use both an illuminated reticle eyepiece and finderscope, and every target dead-centred. I use the highest power illuminated eyepiece possible - narrows that zero down even finer.