Still have some tuning and testing to do on my new rig but here’s my first light captured from the NexDome South Coast NSW. There’s always a bit of anxiety setting up a new rig but everything worked perfectly the first time which is amazing, I’m usually fixing gremlins or focus or some other issue
Wednesday night
No Moon
Bortle 3/4
Conditions average but improved after 1am ( should have collected more data but I was struggling at 2.00am, felt a bit crook so shut down )
10” f5 Klaus Helmerich Carbon Fibre Newt ( focal length 1250mm )
Skywatcher EQ8-R Pro mount
ZWOASI2600MC cooled to -10C , Gain 0 HDR
No filter
TS Optics GPU coma corrector
ZWO EAF focuser
42 x 5 minute dithered guided subs
40 x Flats
60 x Bias
EQMOD, Stellarium, APT
PHD2 Multistar guiding ( 0.65 to 0.75 ) worms pretty stable ,just need fine tuning , only discarded 3 subs with ever so slightly bloated stars
Stacked in DSS
Processed in Startools V1.7 OSC linear data set
Pretty happy with the first image ( more data would have been nice )
Martin I am so happy to see this post and hear of your progress...fantastic and wonderful first image, I gave it a go but it's still wet here..last night went for the Dragons and a terrible result and fog by midnight...I am going to drop down to the 80mm or just the Nikon and try and manage...it looks clear but so jumpy..
You getting such a good result has cheered me up today.
Your just keep hitting them out of the park and you deserve all your good results and forward progress...
Very nice Martin. Well done on setting up the new rig. You have some very, very nice gear. Can’t wait to see your future images. This one at just 3.5h is a great start.
Great work Martin! Fantastic first light and it’s good to see everything’s working as it should! With the 10” newt you will be pulling in lots of lovely detail so I’d love to see some full res links when you have it all worked out!
Martin I am so happy to see this post and hear of your progress...fantastic and wonderful first image, I gave it a go but it's still wet here..last night went for the Dragons and a terrible result and fog by midnight...I am going to drop down to the 80mm or just the Nikon and try and manage...it looks clear but so jumpy..
You getting such a good result has cheered me up today.
Your just keep hitting them out of the park and you deserve all your good results and forward progress...
Alex
Thanks Alex,
Very kind comments and glad it has cheered you up
I was expecting problems but all went like clockwork. The Astro gods have been kind to me
Just a bit of tuning on the EQ8-R worms plus some more balance testing
PHD2 just worked seamlessly, I thought guiding this big long OTA with a guide scope would cause problems. I made sure everything was solid as a rock and used big solid Losmandy bars and stainless hex bolts, spring washers and flat washers etc..,
Very nice Martin. Well done on setting up the new rig. You have some very, very nice gear. Can’t wait to see your future images. This one at just 3.5h is a great start.
Great work Martin! Fantastic first light and it’s good to see everything’s working as it should! With the 10” newt you will be pulling in lots of lovely detail so I’d love to see some full res links when you have it all worked out!
Thanks Dave
Yes there’s a big difference between an 8” and 10” in Astrophotography
This things a light bucket ( my big bazooka )
Now my Obs looks like an Obs
yes, thats pretty good for a test run, well done !. This trend to many short subs on CMOS is interesting and working well.
Thanks Fred
I would have captured more data but at 2am I was physically sick , so had shut down. It’s been cloudy since. I can always add data later
I reckon 8 hrs on this object with my OSC would be enough , any more it would be a diminishing return IMO
Thanks Fred
I would have captured more data but at 2am I was physically sick , so had shut down. It’s been cloudy since. I can always add data later
I reckon 8 hrs on this object with my OSC would be enough , any more it would be a diminishing return IMO
Cheers
Martin
Hang on, now that you have an obs, why does it matter how sick you are?. Why do you have to baby sit this all night (or maybe because your in test mode).
Get it going, go to bed and wake up to all night data .
Then, despite diminishing returns, you just keep going, night after night. Or is that the plan in the future?.
Hang on, now that you have an obs, why does it matter how sick you are?. Why do you have to baby sit this all night (or maybe because your in test mode).
Get it going, go to bed and wake up to all night data .
Then, despite diminishing returns, you just keep going, night after night. Or is that the plan in the future?.
Not every Obs is a fully automated remote imaging centre
Mines semi auto and that’s the way I like it !!
I made my own Dome rotation control system with electromechanical time delay relays , contractors and timers etc…. works well and a fun little project
Also Im an imager and an observer , so I have my 12” dob with Televue eye piece collection next to the Obs , so no going to bed when it’s clear ( unless I'm crook or have other private commitments )
Cheers
Martin