The whole optic train now only moves about one pixel of the PL16803 camera (9 micron) over a two hour mount movement even near the SCP where the lateral gravitational forces change at a far faster rate. The 187mm FL Tal finder mounted on the RH200 used as a guider tracks the PMX mount better than one second of arc RMS.
SMC exposures in 3nm NII, 16x16 minutes at -40C. Even with 3nm filters when the Moon is near full gradients get very noticeable with exposures longer than 15 minutes.
This is about as good as I can get the whole system to perform. If the Moon is not present I can do one hour exposures or more. Will do a very deep narrow band of the SMC.
I do have some one hour exposures of the Helix Neb. Still in the process of getting enough darks at -40C.
I also modified the ITS by drilling and tapping the top plate to take bolts to hold the camera hard against the bottom adjustable plate. They are the ones with the levers. This makes vertical adjustment easy in the dark.
Awesome to say the least there Bert, that's a serious bit of construction work you've got going there, not only turnbuckles but "G" clamps and the bathroom towel, but paying big dividends by those images
The finished article should be pretty good.
Awesome to say the least there Bert, that's a serious bit of construction work you've got going there, not only turnbuckles but "G" clamps and the bathroom towel, but paying big dividends by those images
The finished article should be pretty good.
You just cannot hitchhike around the Universe without a towel! Douglas Adams.
but paying big dividends by those images 
