Working on alignment for 4 nights
Nov 15, 2015 13:37:46 #
Alignment, alignment alignment and a lil' fun along the way 20 darks , #34 alignment 1st 5s sub and a trifecta in the second 40s sub with a #17 alignment , no flats no bias and unguided . 2 of the 14 satelite dwarf galaxies accompaning Andromeda.
Nov 15, 2015 17:22:50 #
stepping beyond wrote:
Alignment, alignment alignment and a lil' fun along the way 20 darks , #34 alignment 1st 5s sub and a trifecta in the second 40s sub with a #17 alignment , no flats no bias and unguided . 2 of the 14 satelite dwarf galaxies accompaning Andromeda.
Nice work Stepping. I love Galaxies.
Craig
Nov 15, 2015 22:55:24 #
Nov 17, 2015 11:49:30 #
It's better than my Plieades and still I'm trying to get it in single digit with lil' periodic error. It sure is wearing me down 2 hrs. spent on getting that tight alignment, I've even tried a 2 star drift with ok results but,it's not where I need to be quite yet. Thank you buddies. Autguider is in my future.
Nov 17, 2015 11:52:47 #
stepping beyond wrote:
It's better than my Plieades and still I'm trying to get it in single digit with lil' periodic error. It sure is wearing me down 2 hrs. spent on getting that tight alignment, I've even tried a 2 star drift with ok results but,it's not where I need to be quite yet. Thank you buddies. Autguider is in my future.
I resisted for a 1 1/2 and finally did it.
What the hell was I thinking not doing it a long time ago.
The guy that invented PHD uses an Orion Star Shoot guide camera and scope. Just saying.
Craig
Nov 17, 2015 12:18:37 #
CraigFair wrote:
I resisted for a 1 1/2 and finally did it.
What the hell was I thinking not doing it a long time ago.
The guy that invented PHD uses an Orion Star Shoot guide camera and scope. Just saying.
Craig
What the hell was I thinking not doing it a long time ago.
The guy that invented PHD uses an Orion Star Shoot guide camera and scope. Just saying.
Craig
Oh! I like hearing that.
I find it is best to try and emulate the equipment something is developed around. Puts the equipment and the program on the same page.
Personally, I always felt giving the mount an eyeball on space would help. Rather than depend on the mounts programming to keep it on target.
But it wasn't until very recently I actually got PHD working the way I wanted it to.
It seems like there is always more to learn, and more to refine.
Nov 17, 2015 18:29:27 #
It isn't that I don't want to autoguide , it's that it just wasn't a priority , weight is an issue too. I'm still asking Santa for an AT50mm with helical focuser and maybe next year Santa can bring me a QHY5ii mono . One piece at a time and still watching that weight and I'd like to keep it under 45#MAX CAP. I'm almost at 42# now with the finder, camera and filterwheel. If I lose the finder and filterwheel and replace them with a autoguider and cam. I should be right in there. OH yeh, I was out last night fishing for the lunar thru the clouds and going thru my item set up and found that I've been shooting planets , moon and dso's on lunar, JUST SHOOT ME! I forgot to change it to sidereal for dso's. OK ,how many have done that and will admit it? That's must be why I can't do more than 50s on #17 alignment.
Nov 17, 2015 20:17:56 #
stepping beyond wrote:
It isn't that I don't want to autoguide , it's th... (show quote)
That sounds like a great plan Jim.
I wish I could get my GAS in order like that.
Craig
Nov 17, 2015 21:14:23 #
Your making great progress.
These look really good so keep doing what you're doing.
Oh and for me it was setting white balance for shade and shooting a full night sequence. I was going nuts trying to figure out what I did before it clicked. A lot of clean up on that one.
(We all goof up somewhere it's part of learning.)
These look really good so keep doing what you're doing.
Oh and for me it was setting white balance for shade and shooting a full night sequence. I was going nuts trying to figure out what I did before it clicked. A lot of clean up on that one.
(We all goof up somewhere it's part of learning.)
Nov 18, 2015 00:21:03 #
stepping beyond wrote:
It isn't that I don't want to autoguide , it's th... (show quote)
Well, Ronnie, I started off with the moon yesterday because it was so visible during the late afternoon. I put my Moon filter (13%) into the stream to gain a little filtering.
Then later went on to try and locate DSO's and Nebula. I thought my alignment must be a mile off, I couldn't see anything....
I realized I had the Moon Filter of the filter wheel still in this morning.
Talk about your DUH moments. :roll: Nothing like spending an evening trying to find things in the dark with welding goggles on. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Welcome to the Human Race. :-D
Nov 18, 2015 20:25:22 #
I don't feel so bad SonnyE, mister comedian Ilove your comebacks they're original. I know that if it could track Jupiter and Saturn for 5m before starting to drift off center ,then surely I can do a galaxy with alignment in the teens. Thanks buddies I really have no idea what I'm doing just keep doin it and maybe something will click. I could sit in the cave and shoot 2,3,4and5m avi's all night before when I was imaging Planets. So, I'm CONFIDENT that I can collect some pretty awesome stuff once when I get some giddy up in my steppin beyond.
Nov 19, 2015 10:58:36 #
stepping beyond wrote:
I don't feel so bad SonnyE, mister comedian Ilove ... (show quote)
Original and true.... :oops:
If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? No sweat though.. :-D
When you do put an eyeball on your mount, and get it guiding, it makes a world of difference.
Then what throws it off is alignment. But when the alignment and guiding are spot on... :-o :shock:
Best of luck. Stay warm. :-D
Incidentally, I'm still hit and miss with my results. But it's fun.
Nov 19, 2015 16:19:44 #
Looking like I just may have a night of it tonight finally the rain has gone and I'm seeing big patches of" BLUE ". I got steroids shot in my neck this morning and I'm jumpy like a cricket to get out, get something done and have some fun. The good ole lunar graces us again and oh, what a joy!I won't be out too long aligning and tonight everything will come together and I have single digits my 1st try . As luck would have it , I'd have to wait till it sets far enough before I start shooting subs.At least I wouldn't have to do a" M" flip. Keep at it buddy , may take several times until the software gives your mount a wet kiss and they bond. clear skies buddies
Nov 19, 2015 18:19:25 #
Craig Stark wrote the phd software and Nebulosity {SMART MAN} , I read all his information and a few others on Astrophotography, SnR guiding. Since I'm thick as a brick in understanding any of this but, something has to sink in. Thanks for all your support, I'm just a COUNTRY BOY , trying to live my dream.
Nov 19, 2015 20:08:38 #
stepping beyond wrote:
Craig Stark wrote the phd software and Nebulosity {SMART MAN} , I read all his information and a few others on Astrophotography, SnR guiding. Since I'm thick as a brick in understanding any of this but, something has to sink in. Thanks for all your support, I'm just a COUNTRY BOY , trying to live my dream.
Yep, we all started from scratch and learned mostly from asking question here at the AF on UHH.
Oh and something I figured out is Craig Stark uses an Orion Star Shooter Guide Camera.
Craig
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