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Old 09-03-2021, 03:08 AM
TareqPhoto (Tareq)
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Need guiding or suggestions for my equipment

Hi all,

Last years i did what i did and i still like i am starting new, and all my decisions came late but i have no regret, the regret is only when there is something new coming out that we all don't know about at all so it make us like regret the past decisions, but hey, who is knowing the future here anyway.

I keep asking always about equipment all over, as i feel like my decision is based on the equipment details/description and not based on people impressions and experiences, so i try to take both into consideration, not all people experiences i must follow, as well not all what i read about the equipment in stores i must follow blindly, so in this case i will tell you my new latest plan i am looking for to do so you can guide me or help me how i should do it properly so i can be happy at the end of the decisions.

  • I have three mono cooled cameras so far, which are: QHY163M, ASI1600MM-C Pro and QHY294M-Pro
  • I have 3 main scopes now and one isn't arrived yet, those are: Meade 8" F/5 and GSO 6" F/4 both Newtonian, and TS Optics 90 F/6 triplet
  • I have two filter wheels for my two cameras [ZWO and QHY], and i have two filters sets [except i need one more LRGB set to complete it], and also i am planning to buy Antlia Ha 3nm filter.

I am planning to buy an APS-C color camera sooner or later this year i hope, and also one extra scope, mainly it will be FRA400 with its reducer.

Now with above equipment, i will end up using like dual imaging system, if i add another scope later above that FRA400 for example then it will three scopes, but that will be at wider FOV, and i am also trying with people to finder the cheaper option/choice to buy a scope for long FL to match my 8" F/5, so i will be using like 2-3 systems anyway.

My concern is about the sizes of filters here, if i will use APS-C, it will be mainly or only for RGB, i am not planning to use it with dual/trio bands filters, and that means my mono cameras will be left for L and narrowbanding filters, my ASI1600mm is already having Astrodon Ha 5nm and Chroma OIII/SII 3nm all 1.25" size, while QHY163M has Optolong NB and LUX LRGB series all 36mm size, i don't know if i should change one filter here as Ha only so i go with 36mm or if i will use that Ha 3nm with QHY294 then i am open to three sizes, 36mm, 2" and 50mm unmounted, for the three cameras they are all small size sensor, 2" and 50mm are too much, is it worthy?

I have no planning to go mono again with larger sensors, it all depends on that APS-C i will buy later in colors, if it will do great job then most likely even a full frame camera it will be a color, and that will cover my need for RGB filters anyway, so in that case, with color cameras i will only use something like IR/UV cut filter or LP filter, and those i can buy at 2" or 50mm no problem, but with smaller sensors, is it worthy to go with larger sizes filters? And in future if i plan to go with a mono larger sensor such as a full frame then i think i will not buy ALL full sets of filters anyway, i will not use one scope and one camera forever, so i have to decide which filters sizes i have to buy according to my current equipment and future plan, buying something only to be safe or future proof is a good idea but it will prevent me to buy other things currently that i might use more, so a filter of 50mm costing me like $500-800 will prevent me buying another stuff at $200-400 for example, and that is why i ask here.

Also with the size, there is the idea of what way i should go, a filter wheel or filter slider with inserts? the only camera left is QHY294M with nothing, what should i use with it, a filter wheel or a filter slider if i will use only 2-3 filters anyway? and if i will use let's say autofocuser with all my scopes, it means i am trying to automate my setup, but i am using autofocuser only for focus, not to make all my setup fully automated, but i can think about it as the best idea, so what will you choose in this case, a filter wheel [electronic of course] or a slider?

I will get a budget soon that i will put it into a scope FRA400+reducer and something left, i wanted to buy Ha 3nm and then either a filter wheel or a slider, so read carefully and imagine if you have same setup how you will choose next things.

Thank you very much
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Old 09-03-2021, 07:17 AM
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gregbradley
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Go for the largest filter size that you need and it will work with all of them.
If you get a smaller sized filter set then you are limited to only the small sensor cameras.

It seems your acquisition of gear is still occurring so allow for some future flexibility otherwise you will be getting those larger filters anyway and losing some money in the process of selling off the smaller ones.

Also I would not mix Astrodon and Chroma. Not unless they were parfocal.
Focusing an S11 filter is not the easiest task as the focus images are dim.

Are you imaging in a city or out of the city? Dubai for example, is very bright at night and narrowband imaging would be the most productive and easiest to do.

Dual imaging rigs can be a bit tough to align so it would be best to have the scope collecting the colour info as wider than the scope collecting the luminance or narrowband so you have some tolerance for the aligning of both sets of images.

Greg.
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Old 09-03-2021, 10:00 AM
TareqPhoto (Tareq)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
Go for the largest filter size that you need and it will work with all of them.
If you get a smaller sized filter set then you are limited to only the small sensor cameras.

It seems your acquisition of gear is still occurring so allow for some future flexibility otherwise you will be getting those larger filters anyway and losing some money in the process of selling off the smaller ones.

Also I would not mix Astrodon and Chroma. Not unless they were parfocal.
Focusing an S11 filter is not the easiest task as the focus images are dim.

Are you imaging in a city or out of the city? Dubai for example, is very bright at night and narrowband imaging would be the most productive and easiest to do.

Dual imaging rigs can be a bit tough to align so it would be best to have the scope collecting the colour info as wider than the scope collecting the luminance or narrowband so you have some tolerance for the aligning of both sets of images.

Greg.

Nice answers or comments to my questions, i appreciate it and thank you very much that you replied at least.


Here are my addition comments or posts according to your reply:


1. Going with larger filters is a good plan, but it is not cheaper, and if i will not buy some larger by now it will be like a waste to buy something for far future, who knows, i already mentioned that i am planning to go with OSC [color] larger sensors so i won't need something as LRGB or NB set of larger, i only need IR/UV cut filter which is one or light pollution filter which i have at 2" anyway or a dual narrowbanding filter such as L-sXtreme which is also one filter only and i can go with larger, no plan for larger sensor in mono, so is it worthy i buy that larger filters sets as LRGB or Ha 50mm but i buy a larger mono after 3-5 years from now? and that time i will have budget to afford larger if i can afford a larger sensor camera, but i won't ignore your idea of larger just as future proof anyway.


2. Waiting future anything can happen, in future there are no brands making 3nm filters other than Astrodon and something else i forgot the name, and then Chroma came out for very close prices before they increase also, and not there is a Chinese brand, and there is another manufacturer or brand they are also thinking about getting into filters production, so in 2-3 years who knows what will be available and at what price, but if i want to buy now and i don't know about future, who i should do it? Same applied to other things such as mounts, cameras, scopes,...etc.


3.Astrodon and Chroma are parfocal, but i really don't care about that because i don't believe the parfocality much, first i keep refocusing even from the same exact brand and series, only to be sure, and second i am planning to use an Autofocuser for all or most of my scopes, so this will do the job regardless about parfocality anyway.


4. When i use a filter i focus using stars, not focusing using the targets as nebulae or such, and there are always stars all around that i can find with all imaging filters, if dim i simply increase gain or offset to a value that won't ruin the stars quality, and i try to check out if i got the focus good, i use Bahtinov mask now, but i will see how the AF/motor can do the job instead no matter what filter i am using.


5. I am imaging in the city, but i won't give up on broadband things also, it could be very difficult and challenging, but i saw people were able to do it anyway in bad LP, took so long time, that is fine, if it is possible even little hope i will do, who knows, i did tested few targets from my yard, sounds i can do, but, if they will install the new LED street lights soon in my area maybe even next to my city and operate them then that could be a knock out move on me, but i have to wait and see how bad it will be later, they will take time, but i don't think it will be very long time anyway, my yard is now like almost Bortle 5-6, it was 8, not sure later if it will be back to Bortle 8 or worse towards Bortle 9, Narrowbanding isn't my worry really, it is only the broadbanding such as most galaxies and clusters.


6. Accodring to above, and because i waste so many years, i want to do this dual or multiple imaging system to collect data faster or more, i remember someone who used three imaging system, each with one different filter, he managed to image a target with those three filters all at once in one night, imaging how many targets he can do every month/year comparing to like 1-2 filters only per night and still not enough maybe for any reason, so i have to think in advance, i have three cameras so i better put them into use for sure, better if all in use at once, tell me, what do you mean by align here?




Happy you replied so i can discuss and think about it and decide better, i will say more if you read more from you or others too, at the end i will definitely reach to decisions, and then i will ask less or demand less items later.
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