Double First Light.

[Tandum (Robin)]

Tonight I got to attach my new QHY8 to my new Takahashi FS-102 for the first time. It's taken forever to organise adapters, rings/bars, dew straps/controllers, focusing masks etc etc, but it all came together today.

This is just M20 taken with the reducer in the Tak and taken between clouds, so around 655mm. I was hoping to take M20 without the reducer but all this new gear is sucking so much out of the batteries, I ran out of go juice and the mount stopped slewing

This is also the first run for my home brew dew controller come power distribution box (picture added). I now realise it needs more than a 3amp fuse in it. I blew that when the qhy8 turned on

Yes I need to work on colour balance with the qhy8 and focus isn't right either but the hardware is in place. I've crossed to the dark side ....

[AlexN]

Looks REAL good robin! you must be blown away by the field of view!

A little push to the saturation might help bring out the red in the core area, but overall very nice.. the extension in the blue reflection neb looks great!

New toys are always good fun hey!!

[multiweb (Marc)]

Yeah very nice! Cool toys too. Sound like you're gonna have fun.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Looks good Robin. I am glad it has all come together and your first light is a corcker. The image scale is great, it shows a bit of sky and even the edge of Lagoon Nebula. The field looks quite good and reasonably flat so your spacings must be pretty good.
Well done Mate.
3 amps aint enough. 3+ for the qhy8 and then 1/2 amp for full slew on the mount plus dew heaters. Better go bigger.

[Tandum (Robin)]

Cheers guys, I got the QHY8 -> Reducer adapter made up, and it looks to be right. It should fit the little starlight camera as well, in a pinch. Yes the 3amp fuse was for the pool filter, it's all I could find when I realised I needed one. I also need to replace the DC feed cable to the mount with a thicker one to cut the voltage drop I'm getting. Doesn't look promising for another go tonight but there's aways Ron's place on the week-end

[AlexN]

If I were you I'd be hanging out for M31 season again!! your field of view should fit it nicely, given the quality of the gear you're using you should be able to get yourself a stunner image!!

[Tandum (Robin)]

Not sure if I'll make Barambah in September, we are going to Port Douglas for a wedding in September and spendng the week there. Depends on dates I guess. Can't really see anything north from here without shooting through the flames from the refinery

Weather looks to be turning to crap for the next few days at least

[AlexN]

Yea M31 is better from Rons place than it is from Barambah... I did M31 from Rons last year with the QHY8 + 102mm F/7 APO.. Didn't quite fit it in.. if you're at 655mm, you might just get it all in, and from Rons place you dont have that forrest to contend with!