How-To: Astrophotography with a Dob!

iceman (Mike) · #1 06-05-2005, 01:51 PM

Hi guys.

I've finally written a how-to guide for dob-based astrophotography. It's been something i've been meaning to write for a while now, and over the last few weeks i've finally finished it off.

Here's a teaser:

Quote:

Dobsonians are usually purchased for their cheap aperture, quick setup and ease of use for beginners. People don't buy dobsonians with a plan to doing astrophotography. In fact, i've read many times that astrophotography with a dob just can't be done and that you shouldn't bother trying.

Well i'm here to tell you that it can be done, and show you the ways you can do it! You can produce some quite good results with a dob, it just requires practise, patience and perseverance.. and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

You can get to the article from the How-To page, or direct via this link:

Astrophotography with a Dob

Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome.

beren · #2 06-05-2005, 10:09 PM

Excellent article Mike really enjoyed reading it

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #3 07-05-2005, 07:29 AM

Thats a brilliant article Mike, will give us dob owners the upper hand now at planetary imaging.

Thats a brilliant picture there beren

iceman (Mike) · #4 07-05-2005, 07:33 AM

I'll say! Where's the full resolution shot?

Is she your girlfriend?

gaa_ian (Ian) · #5 07-05-2005, 01:29 PM

Great Article Mike ... Dobs rule

(Although a 16" LX200 would be nice

)
I will do some copies to hand out at our starparty tonight !
Hope you get clear skies for your iceinspace starparty too

iceman (Mike) · #6 09-05-2005, 07:35 AM

Many thanks, how did the starparty go for you?

Muddy Diver · #7 10-11-2005, 12:18 PM

Found your site today and became a member instantly. I've owned a telescope for some three whole weeks and am mad keen to get some photographs of the moon so your article was so interesting. I can see I'm going to get a lot out of the site and its members in future. Can't wait to get home to try a few of your ideas. Mind you, its getting cloudy!

janoskiss (Steve H) · #8 10-11-2005, 12:47 PM

Wecome Muddy!

cristian abarca · #9 11-11-2005, 07:13 PM

Good artikle mike. I get my mirror back next week so I'll read this over plenty of times so I can try it out with my new DOB.

Regards Cristian

ColHut (Colin) · #10 10-07-2007, 05:48 PM

Mike, I understand that you have both an equatorial mount and an equatorial platform for your (Dob) Newt. Which do you prefer?

cheers

WOl

iceman (Mike) · #11 10-07-2007, 06:03 PM

Hi Col

I started with the 10" dob on an EQ platform. They are both sold. Now I have a 12" newt on an EQ6.

For visual, I much preferred the dob+platform setup.
For photography, I much prefer the newt on EQ6 setup.

Does that help or confuse the situation more?

ColHut (Colin) · #12 10-07-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

Hi Col

I started with the 10" dob on an EQ platform. They are both sold. Now I have a 12" newt on an EQ6.

For visual, I much preferred the dob+platform setup.
For photography, I much prefer the newt on EQ6 setup.

Does that help or confuse the situation more?

Ohhh Any reasons why? you got rid of the platform, the 10", and prefer the dob and eq6 for astrophotgraphy but the platform and dob for visual? Do you no longer do visual?

cheers

iceman (Mike) · #13 10-07-2007, 06:29 PM

hi Col

At this stage, my main preference is planetary imaging, so that's why I upgraded to a bigger newt (12") and the EQ6 (more accurate tracking). The 10" dob on EQ platform was great at the time, a great mix of visual and ability to do solar system photography, but I'd reached the limit of what I could do with it. The 12" gave me extra aperture and focal length, just what I needed.

I still love visual, but I mainly do observing from our new moon meets at Kulnura with mates like Rod and his 20" SDM, so why would I use mine for visual when I can observe through an awesome 20" scope!?

I loved my 10" dob on EQ platform, and really regretted selling it and would have no hesitation in recommending that setup to anyone else. But for the imaging I want to do, the 12" on EQ6 is a great (but heavy) combination.

For visuall, newts on EQ mounts can be quite clumsy with the eyepiece getting in strange positions. Especially with such a long tube like the 12". I wouldn't recommend a 12" newt on an EQ6 for visual use.

nlmarsh · #14 05-10-2007, 06:40 PM

Hi, Iceman! In your post 10/07/2007 you say you have put a 12"Newt on an EQ6. Wow! I have a 12"GS dob-mounted instrument, as max glass for my dollar, but am impatient for guidance. HEQ5 max payload is 17kg, & my GS is 19.1kg, so it would have to be the EQ6, which as GOTO would be ~$2000, & very heavy, as you know. Added to which, good advice from others says that 12" newts are better off as dobs.
Now Wildcard/ArgoNavis Innovations is advertising specific kits for such as GS12" dobs, & the cost for mine would be ~$850 for the lot.
So - question: do you know of anyone with experience with this setup? If it's a good thing, it would be the way to go for me ... for to start again with a smaller scope for the sake of computer drive would be a shame. And the eventual photography would be a breeze?
Hope you can help, or pass me on to someone else!

Best ... Neil Marsh.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #15 06-10-2007, 01:06 AM

Neil, quite a few people in here have put the Argo-Navis on their Dobs and absolutely love it!

Also, the owner and designer of the Argo Navis, Gary Kopff, is a member in here. He might be able to 'push' you in the right direction.

netwolf · #16 06-10-2007, 04:03 AM

Neil note the Argo is an excellent system and even more excellent is the support and help provided by its maker and seller Gary. However this is a push to system, as in once setup it gives you a counter that counts down as you push the scope closer to the target. You can add the Servocat or Sidrealtech system to this that would then combine with Argo Navis to give you full goto. Gary can probably help you source these as well.

Regards
Fahim

[1ponders] (Paul) · #17 06-10-2007, 09:20 AM

......but you can't do astrophotography in the dob setup even with servo cat, unless you mount it on an equatorial platform (and then its not easy) or as you are thinking or as Mike has done and mount it on the EQ6.

nlmarsh · #18 06-10-2007, 03:09 PM

Thanks for the comments all, particularly Fahim for pointing out the "PushTo" nature of the beast ... more research needed! Will follow advices.
Cheers ... Neil.

iceman (Mike) · #19 07-10-2007, 06:56 PM

Hi Neil,

to IceInSpace!

The others have answered your questions, so I just wanted to say hi!

As Paul says, it depends whether you want to do photography or just want to find more objects to view!

nlmarsh · #20 09-10-2007, 12:48 PM

Having partially absorbed all the good advices below, my present approach is:
... to get the Argo-Navis & learn how to handle it on the simple GSDob, (any photography to be done pseudo-movie intermittent fashion with a Toucam or other camera) ...
... then make or get an equatorial wedge, from US if really necessary ...
... then drive the wedge with a long screw thread & nut pushed by a friendly mouse, as done by some folk in the SouthWest Astron group here.

We just might be going North for a year, so the change of latitude from Denmark's -35deg to maybe Kununurra's -15deg could be interesting for the wedge, but the reduction in cloud cover would be fantastic.

But before all this, I really do need to let it all digest a bit while I get back to my studies,

, trying to avoid letting the EQ6 become a sex object that I simply can't do without!!!

Best to all ... Neil.