Last night I thought I would try imaging with the Mewlon 180 F12 Dall Kirkham Cassegrain at prime Focus (2160mm fl) with the ST7.
I grabbed 4 sub frames of M16 at 5 mins each, giving an overall exposure of 20 mins when combined. As you can see, I have some guiding problems to sort out and I think I would also benefit from using the Tak Reducer (F9.3) as it proved quite challenging at F12.
M16 from suburban Brisbane, 28/29th March 2007.
Tak Mewlon 180 F12 at prime focus
SBIG ST7E CCD camera
4 images at 5 mins each.
Auto guided (well, sort of!) using a WO 80mm F7, Orion Star Shoot and PHD Guiding.
The next teetering steps along this masochistic path, will be adding the CFW-8A colour filter wheel and exploring the whole new world of tri-colour imaging.
Thanks guys. I only wish I had the luxury of an observatory; setting up and tearing down each night is proving to be a painful process.
It takes me approx 1 ½ to 2 hours to carry the gear outside, set it up, balance the OTA’s, boot the PC, connect the cameras, tweak the polar alignment, cool the ST7, get the GoTo working, focus the ST7, etc and this is only B&W. Gulp – what is tri-colour imaging going to do to my head?
Maybe I'll stick with a simple ToUcam...ahh, life on easy street eh, or maybe get a dobsonian?
Thanks guys. I only wish I had the luxury of an observatory; setting up and tearing down each night is proving to be a painful process.
It takes me approx 1 ½ to 2 hours to carry the gear outside, set it up......
Dennis I can only imagine what you'd achieve if you had an observatory.
It's so true about setup times.
I long for the day where I can finally set up my gear in an observatory.
That's a beautiful image with lovely detail Dennis.
Thanks guys. I only wish I had the luxury of an observatory; setting up and tearing down each night is proving to be a painful process.
It takes me approx 1 ½ to 2 hours to carry the gear outside, set it up, balance the OTA’s, boot the PC, connect the cameras, tweak the polar alignment, cool the ST7, get the GoTo working, focus the ST7, etc and this is only B&W. Gulp – what is tri-colour imaging going to do to my head?
Maybe I'll stick with a simple ToUcam...ahh, life on easy street eh, or maybe get a dobsonian?
I used to setup my LX200GPS 12" imaging system in my front yard from scratch each night too! Like you probably feel, I felt almost posessed sometimes, never faultering and sometimes setting up 3 or 4 times each week on a regular basis in Canberra.
Now after having had an observatory and then losing it the set up and pulldown imaging affair is bloody daunting again for sure!
The last session I had was setting up my new system so it was slow and I thought..?..I NEED AN OBSERVATORY
Thanks for the sympathetic response – I feel much better now! However, I wish I had your impressive physique and strength to assist with my setting up, although I guess my system is not as heavy as your LX200 was!
Just had a peek at your fabulous set up – eek, do you use all that computer stuff out in the open? I shelter mine in my observing hutch, which I drag out each night (fully assembled) from underneath the house.
Thanks for the sympathetic response – I feel much better now! However, I wish I had your impressive physique and strength to assist with my setting up, although I guess my system is not as heavy as your LX200 was!
Just had a peek at your fabulous set up – eek, do you use all that computer stuff out in the open? I shelter mine in my observing hutch, which I drag out each night (fully assembled) from underneath the house.
Cheers
Dennis
Yeh being strong was indeed helpful prarticularly with a wedge mounted 12" on the full size giant field tripod. Had the 14" been available when I ordered my 12" I would probably have gone with it even though I knew I was portable In late 2002 I set what is probably a World Record..? When I lifted and pressed my 12" OTA + Forks from chest to arms length overhead 8 times At under 70lbs it was mostly hard only because I knew the value of the thing if I was to drop it
Unfortunately I am getting smaller, weeker (and fatter) by the day now so I doubt I would trust myself to do that sort of thing these days (perhaps I could try with your Mewlon..? ) and besides I think about these sort of ego related self tests much less often these days
I have imaged with an outdoor setup like that for over 18 months now and never seen a problem with the electronics..? Of course until recently I was imaging in Canberra which is much drier thay Newcastle...?
Hang in there and given you wheel most of it out of a shed and setup already..ahhh, you're a pussy!
??
Yeh being strong was indeed helpful prarticularly with a wedge mounted 12" on the full size giant field tripod. Had the 14" been available when I ordered my 12" I would probably have gone with it even though I knew I was portable 
At under 70lbs it was mostly hard only because I knew the value of the thing if I was to drop it 
