NEQ6 Pro Sky-Watcher & EQM 35 GOTO Sky-Watcher

This is a very new start a whole new astro Camera . After months of clouds and rain my first night with the new camera did not go as planed. It was a screw on screw off , or supose to be, but I have always known good Focus was HFR 1.9-2.1 that was a value I never got I was getting readings of HFR 7.07 so I thought so far out of focus not worth going any Further. I had a talk to Carlos it was normal for the camera to change the HFR. It has taken a whole month + to get a night I could try again to see if I could make sense of focus and the New Camera. I started by going through the focus range to see I was in the right area. In the end I went back to Old School put the Mask on to check it was right. It proved 100% I was in the right area. This shot I believe is the top limit of Focus as you can see by looking at the stars. Quite a Halo around them, at 4 am I was awake and knew the mount would have stopped as it would have run into the tree. I spent 1 1/2 hours testing focus position and step size to end up with a whole new position and the test shot showed me crisp stars. This 1" camera has AMP Glow and it was a nightmare to procees to get it right so it did not show up but was taken away in the darks. you cant miss the AMP glow on the left hand side what looks like a very bright star is infact electrical interference. this I was not able to stack like I would normaly it was a case of stacking in Pixinsight a very long process but good result. A whole new nebula tonight and tomorrow ( set off from Fremantle while I have a meal inside the Portuguese club mount at home ) this will be the true test out of all I have been trying to work towards. So here is 59 shots @ 5 min subs till the tree got in the way. ZWO ASI183MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

The second look at this Nebula you can see the Pillar of Life better in this shot.. First look. So here is 69 shots @ 5 min subs till the tree got in the way. ZWO ASI183MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

My first chance to shoot in a very long time so two targets over the two night all auto start. I can not find a number for this nebula I had to use to small one above and place frame to get the shot. So here is 31 shots @ 10 min subs. ZWO ASI183MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

My first chance to shoot in a very long time so two targets over the two night all auto start. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula Here is 71 shots @ 10 min subs. ZWO ASI183MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

I had four night clear so I thought would try a 4 shot panorama of this cloud SGP showed me a nice square mosaic but in reality the end result was more like + sign than a square. 4 night 82 shot each night to make a panel out of each night, 4 panels added to PTGui to get the final panorama of the area. this is the end result the main center part only. I would have been better taking the area with my Nikon 300mm lens as a single shot than try and make a mosaic again. I will try to do that as the SMC is sitting in the right place. 82 shot 7 1/2min each in as much clear night as I could get. ZWO ASI071MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black Diamond ED80 OTA Skywatcher EQM35Goto Guided PHD2, SGP DSS, Pixinsight, Ps.

This is a second look at this Nebula with a whole new Camera QHY183C . I could focus automatically with this camera hence the detail in the eye is much better than the first one with the ZWO. This camera took a bit to get use to as I had to change wires and ports on the computer to get this to run and download photos. 35 shot 10 min each till the tree got in the way. QHY 183C @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP

This was my Focus and Plate solve trial. the other CCD camera has a higher Gain 111( ISO ) than this camera that is 11 so every thing had to be made higher in times to work. from 8 sec to 27 sec for focus and plate solve from 10 to 60 sec. see if you can pick the Moon side of the photo.... As we are not able to replace photos I was able to mostly remover the moon light( In PixInsight) and get a better colour so have added this just below. Plate solving:- Plate solving is a technique that measures precisely where the telescope is pointing by taking a CCD image and then using various pattern matching techniques, matches the stars in the image to a given star catalog. ... Successful plate solving is essential for automated imaging. In other words is the target that I chose is that what the camera is taking. The higher times worked for this camera. 18 shot 10 min each till the tree got in the way. QHY 183C @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP

The very first shots(3) I took with Carlos guidance then I had to take the rest on my own the very next night., October 2020. a lot better editing with more knowledge in 2021 Its bucketing down outside... 47 shots x 10 min each @-10c ZWO ASI071MC Pro @ -10c Manual focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher EQM35Goto Sequence Genorator Pro Guided PHD2, Stacked DSS. Processed PixinSight , PS and Lr.

I had for gotten I took this on the last free night before it rained. This is an area of the sky there are just so many stars and as you can see a huge number of Nebula's in such a small space. This is the New CMOS camera giving me a view of around about 1560mm. Looking at the few trial photos I have taken looking forward to a moonless night and to get a good target. Testing has gone well. 29 shots 10min each @-10c. QHY 183C @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps & Lr.

When the moon is out and you have finished all your trials. You go back and try and learn just a bit more from old data. I know I want to do this again properly not just a trial shot but quite impressed how it worked out none the less. This is right next to the LMC The white Dot top right In the PIP. Here is 35 shots @ 5 min subs. ZWO ASI183MC Pro @ -10c Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

Almost a year ago Almost to the day My first ever photo with a dedicated astro camera was taken. it was not without the huge effort of Carlos Taylor to tame the Computer and all the programs. NGC253 a year apart and a different camera(1520mm POV) but same scope and target. to look back is to see just how far you have come is a good thing you see just how more rewarding this type of photos are. I am happy that I have been able to do the target and effort of Carlos Taylor and more than a few others out there giving support, some justice. never in my wildest dream thought I would be able to produce an image like this. this was the level I always wanted to shot astro photos from the start. For those wondering like myself just why the different orientation between the two shot this I started early the first was started very late after fixing the computer. QHY183C -10c 136 shot 10 min over three nights( one of those set on auto when i was out shooting the milky way well away from home) night 4 is burn off smoke and clouds so I post some 22 hours of shot time. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

For those interested this was shot that was never thought of. I had to put together my old tracking mount so I can show two others how to set up and take photos of the Milky Way tracked. I had this in the kids room waiting for next Friday but we where asked could we mind the kids for the night. I had to move it out of the way so put in in my study with the rest. I could not pass the shot by for the amusement it caused me to see the two together. 3 1/2 years has come a very long way. the humble beginnings.

This was a target I first did in 2019 even just this target on its own with the 300mm prime lens and converter. As the moon came up later I wanted to use the dark moomless time to get some detail especially the coloured stars that are associated with this target. what is staggering is the halo look is a multitude of very very small stars that ring the globular target on my computer i can enlarge the shot to see them, uncountable.......... QHY183C -10c 286 shot 2 min over two nights( second night was only up to moon rise). Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

I thought I would try out a real mixed bag About 14 or so Galaxies in the shot and a small green nebula, NGC1381 is the long skinny Galaxy. shot over 4 night 3 of them I was not even home I left the mount on Auto , glad to see that it works perfectly.I means I am able to go out shoot wide field photos as well. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1381 QHY183C -10c 137 shot 10 min over four nights. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

This photo came up in a discussion I said I wanted to take a photo of the Nebula I called the Man Riding a Vespa I can not find a name for it at all to show them both. I had to input NGC2001 and then I could see it and then take the photos. you cant mistake the sitting position when you see some one riding a Vespa the real bonus was the head next to the rider. This is a real comparision to the ZWO 183 that was faulty. 24 hours worth of shots rather than this just be a fill in to catch the Witch later in the night. I am impressed with the details that have come out of the small camera. next stop Astro Fest. QHY183C -10c 94 shot 15 min over five nights. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

We had our astro fest cut short by Covid 19 in March this year to invite only for the presentation for the photos award. we all that where going to be part of the live display had to book in and resister and was given a hat so they knew who was part of the festival and who was public. 3 pm -4 pm was cars on the oval as they set up there scopes for the night. The hands on display was canceled due to crowds but we where invited back on the 13 th of November to the hands on part of the didplay. At the Far right is Carlos Scope and mine covered over from the 33c Hot sunny day. We where only a few than did not have look and see telescopes but took photos. It was a long day waiting for the Sun to go down to start by that time most knew that we had to wait for the dark. I had a huge audience as did Carlos as we tried to line up south and then start the Camera to start the sequence. I had a huge audience watching me line up on the computer screen and told me as the numbers got lower and lower. I had told quite a few what I had to do and how it went down. the question came all night long from so many people that both of us almost lost our voices and was glad to see the light on the field turn on at 10pm. since just after 6 we where both swamped. I was lucky last min I packed my Ipad with photos of deep space on it so I was able to show the end photo i was going to get. I took my DSLR to do a night photo of the whole scene but could not get even 30 sec free to try and take a photo a lot of advice given out. I was set the target for the night the Tarantula nebula which I took 21 photos very low down in the city lights, atmospherics and also quite a bright moon. I crashed in bed at 11:30 pm

this is the result of the photo's I took 5 min subs. Most could not believe that this came from the sky that they could see in front of them on the night. I though it was worth putting the photos together so you could see the result. QHY183C -10c 21 shot 5 min after dark till 10pm and they turned on the light's on the field. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps.

A project I had started just before my father passed away I got down to finishing it so I could try it, after all that had to be done for the funeral from afar.. I wanted to control the focus of the nikon lens from the computer Even try to be able to set it up to do automaticaly. I had a spare ZWOEAF so made the rest myself to suit. Belt drive on the focus ring Of the Nikon lens.The only snag I hit was there is no more room for movement once a Nikon lens reaches Infinity focus. To get auto focus Automatically the computer need to create a V shape made up of getting into focus and also leaving the focus point to make the V. I can only use getting to the focus point there is no leaving. it still gave me a more control able way to reach focus as the the Focuser has small steps of movement in its range much finer than trying to focus by hand. . focus was at Step 15580 manually working it out with SGP 's HFR indicator stored and written down on the computer for reference Last night I thought every thing wrong about taking the photo but thats what Full moon night are for. I did not even put the guide scope on the other side next part. I had no darks, No flats, No guiding at all all I used was the mounts ability to track, full moon and I did not add ELenhance filter in the draw . So this is 90 shot 4 min each stacked( I took the chance in Pixinsight not knowing if it would work no dark or Flats) and edited in Pixinsight by all rights the shot should look like S*%t but it does not. But It only goes to prove MacGyver is a live and well.. and you can make things yourself its not pretty but it works. ZWOASI071MC Pro -10c ZWOEAF , Nikon 300mm F4 D lens @F4 Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SGP Pixinsight, Ps.