I am using the TS Optical 3" flattener. Their original specifications called for a back focus distance of 106mm I tried that and other suggestions they had up to 109mm. The longer distances made for worsening star shapes in the corners of the 11002 sensor. Eventually I contacted them and sent images showing the problem. They now say that the distance should be 103mm. I have had yet another adapter made up and now awaiting for the sky to clear to get an idea if their calculated measurements have proven correct this time. Time will tell.
Another great image Paul, you are cranking them out The colours are really nice and well suited to the object. Great work.
It's been a pretty good season and now that I have the replacement STXL I am getting some of the finer details sorted on the RC12.
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Originally Posted by niharika
Ouuch!! The adapters don't come cheap as I know.
Having now tested the new adapter last night, I still need it to be a touch smaller. The curvature is not really all that great now but at full res it is visible. I have sent the image off to TS Optical. They were adamant that the spacing would be correct this time and alas it is not entirely correct. Don't get me wrong it is better but not totally corrected.
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Originally Posted by Exfso
Lovely image, it looks a lot like a right profile of a human face, maybe my imagination getting hold of me hey
Yes you are right. The attached image is of Gabriela Mistral and I think you would see that the profile of the nebula really fits the shape of the nebula quite well and hence why the nebula has been named after her.
Great image Paul, colour is great and detail is top notch.
Good luck on the curvature issue, sounds like a real pain to get right. I'm surprised that GSO don't have something specific for it? I have no doubt they would sell..... probably anyone who purchases one of their RC's would also want a flattener / reducer.
Great image Paul. The saturation and colours to me are just right.
I passed on playing with flatteners opting to work with what came out natively of the RC8 as I wouldn't have the patience you have getting the detail right. Bad experience with the smaller TS flattener and hot spots. Next upgrade may well be the RC12 so watching carefully. What's it like being the pathfinder?
Great image Paul, colour is great and detail is top notch.
Good luck on the curvature issue, sounds like a real pain to get right. I'm surprised that GSO don't have something specific for it? I have no doubt they would sell..... probably anyone who purchases one of their RC's would also want a flattener / reducer.
Chris, GSO has not made a flattener for these large scopes. It would need to be 3" in diameter at least. Jim I am told is not keen to make refracting elements for these scopes. I agree though, the flatteners would sell like hot cakes.
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Originally Posted by DJT
Great image Paul. The saturation and colours to me are just right.
I passed on playing with flatteners opting to work with what came out natively of the RC8 as I wouldn't have the patience you have getting the detail right. Bad experience with the smaller TS flattener and hot spots. Next upgrade may well be the RC12 so watching carefully. What's it like being the pathfinder?
David, I have a long habit of being an early adopter, Imaging Source cameras, QSI, RC8 and R12. It is a challenge to remain calm at times, but in the end with persistence the battle can be won.
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Originally Posted by kkara4
thanks for your reply Paul. I was looking into a cooled CCD for filtered work and had a look at the price of the STXL.
i assume though it is worth every dollar and cent. did you go for the self guiding filter wheel option with it?
I had dramas with the first STXL. It failed in the end, but it was replaced only a month or so ago. The integrated guide camera and filter wheel was the reason I went with the STXL series. It allows quite short back focus and this is what I wanted so I could have a flattener, Atlas focusor and rotator in my imaging train. There is still a slight amount of room left for an AOX.
The deep cooling of these cameras and guide solution are worth the money expended.
Thanks Paul - did you deal with SBIG directly and were they good to deal with throughout the warranty process?
also do you find enough guidestars @ f/8 ( i assume the SBIG sensor for the guiding is more optimised for higher sensitivity than other guiding cameras)?
Thanks Paul - did you deal with SBIG directly and were they good to deal with throughout the warranty process?
also do you find enough guidestars @ f/8 ( i assume the SBIG sensor for the guiding is more optimised for higher sensitivity than other guiding cameras)?
I dealt with both the Australian representative and the management of SBIG both before and after the takeover. Communication was generally good throughout the process. The whole process was rather lengthy though with it being about 12 months from the time the fault was first reported and three trips back to the States and then the replacement camera. That was the most frustrating thing. The process was also complicated by the takeover of SBIG by Cyanogen. I have no doubt that SBIG went to great lengths to alleviate the issue and did lots of testing to ensure the new camera would not repeat a failure.
The guiding prism is in front of filters so it is like any other ST-i or lodestar guide camera. So it is not any more sensitive it is just a better solution than having a separate OAG and guide camera. It relieves an element of back focus that would be eaten up by using an separate OAG.
I dealt with both the Australian representative and the management of SBIG both before and after the takeover. Communication was generally good throughout the process. The whole process was rather lengthy though with it being about 12 months from the time the fault was first reported and three trips back to the States and then the replacement camera. That was the most frustrating thing. The process was also complicated by the takeover of SBIG by Cyanogen. I have no doubt that SBIG went to great lengths to alleviate the issue and did lots of testing to ensure the new camera would not repeat a failure.
The guiding prism is in front of filters so it is like any other ST-i or lodestar guide camera. So it is not any more sensitive it is just a better solution than having a separate OAG and guide camera. It relieves an element of back focus that would be eaten up by using an separate OAG.
Ah yes my mistake, i thought the prism was actually their own guiding camera sensor, i just got confused . Either way a fantastic image, and you are certainly making me lean towards going into this cooled ccd game
This image has excellent detail in the nebula wave front, very nicely presented. It would be nice to revisit this image one day and brighten the surrounding space, it does seem very black, but again, the nebulous regions are very detailed with lots of resolution.
The colours are really nice and well suited to the object. Great work.
. Either way a fantastic image, and you are certainly making me lean towards going into this cooled ccd game 
