NGC 253, my 1st autoguide

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #1 10-10-2009, 10:11 AM

My 1st autoguide photo, NGC253 5 x 4 minute exposures, ED80 no focal reducer so this is a crop. I used in camera INCR no darks.

Guided with WO Zenith Star 70ED & QHY5 on EQ5 Ioptron gotostar mount.

It's a bit noisy...I'm not good at processing and I need a better method of focusing. I'll get Nebulosity.

And...it was a very very windy night last night..so I'm lucky I got anything at all.

Geoff45 (Geoff) · #2 10-10-2009, 10:36 AM

Guiding and framing are good. Focus looks OK. Nice detail in the galaxy. It just needs more data. You should try for about an hour or more of total exposure. Pretty good for a first AG try.

mill (Martin) · #3 10-10-2009, 10:40 AM

Guiding looks good Brendan, you need to make longer exposures, no icnr, and more pics to stack, for the rest it is looking good for an first guided pic.
As you know you can come by anytime and plant your gear in my garden

gregbradley · #4 10-10-2009, 10:44 AM

Hey you got nice round stars - got to be happy with that!

Greg.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #5 10-10-2009, 11:29 AM

Hi gents....thanks for the comments. martin...I'd love too but you would put me to shame...after all this time I'm still a Hack! But you have given me lots of good info and starting pointers. It's just a pity I keep forgetting them....

As you know I'm still using the GTS...but finally I have a autoguide interface...that works.

Yes I need more data. the target was nearly at zenith so any more pics necessitated a meridian flip.

I'm not good at processing pics let alone trying to align meridian flip pictures!

On another note ...I'm really looking for a bigger capacity mount. The GTS is OK but at its limits now & won't handle my C8 & guide scope.

I'm hoping to take advantage of the high $Aust & maybe buy a CGE or G11.

Still last night was not too bad.....considering the wind!

strongmanmike (Michael) · #6 10-10-2009, 02:38 PM

Having a mount and guide system that tracks well is the big first and perhaps most important thing in astroimaging and you appear to have that. If you stay within your mounts weight limit you seem to be well served here already?

Nice first shot and as has been said, more exposure and playing around will pay off eventually, just you watch

Mike

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #7 10-10-2009, 06:06 PM

Thanks for all the kind words gents.

It must be difficult for the seasoned users to see pic like mine yet still give positive comments.

It's a hugh learning curve.

Time now to explore better focusing options. I spent a lot of wasted time with focus thru liveview.

And....that damn GSO 50mm extension to T thread adaptor doesn't sit square in the ED 80's focuser tube. The tube grubscrews tend to let it flop about. Same things happens with my star diagional. It's the ED80 grub screw collar...just won't lock onto 2 inch accessories.

mill (Martin) · #8 10-10-2009, 06:18 PM

For focussing get a bahtinov mask and get a better focusser

What a money pits accessories can be

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #9 10-10-2009, 09:52 PM

I have just found using the canon USB utility is not too bad to achieve focus & act as an intervalometer.

Better than the live view rear screen.

As for ED80 focuser. The WO SZ70ED standard focuser sure makes a mockery of the Skywatcher one.

mill (Martin) · #10 10-10-2009, 09:58 PM

Brendan here is a pic i took with the bahtinov mask on the ed80.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #11 10-10-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mill

Brendan here is a pic i took with the bahtinov mask on the ed80.

Outstanding...I want one...or at least 2.

The Canon utility helps but is still a bit iffy!

I'll be getting one of those new fangled diffraction pattern makers.

David Fitz-Henr · #12 12-10-2009, 12:17 PM

Great test image, stars are nice and round - considering you say it was very, very windy, you've got to be happy with that !

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #13 12-10-2009, 12:29 PM

Thanks David. Yep It was Friday the 9th Oct a very blustery night. It started to settle around 2am but by then my camera battery was flat.

But I was determined to try autoguiding that night "I laugh at the wind"..well not really.

I tossed about 3 pics (out of 8) because of slightly elongated stars. But this was the wind not the tracking.

Autoguiding on the night of the 10th was just great...except I had problems with DSS.

I need more Subs and to learn better processing techniques.