Thanks to Chris who loaned me his SAC-8 - I captured my first DSO object with my Tal-2m last night. It was a challenge itself just finding it without goto & only being able to see updates every few secs on my laptop. Anyhow, attached is result - Single image SAC-8 5 secs exposure about 50% gain. I'm sure you could get a lot more with longer exposure or higher gain or stacking multiples (my polar alignment wasn't very good. Anyhow, I'm really pleased - it was great when M13 just popped up on the laptop for the first time.
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.punnett/graphics/dso/m13_001.jpg)
Thks again for the loan of the camera & laptop Chris.
Cheers, John
:smile: good eh! You're now hooked and you will become a vampire in a couple of years, just to ensure you can stay up all night.
Great details, and thumbs up for finding the hard way.
excellent work, especially for a single image. I look forward to seeing more.
Nice one John, rather than worry about longer single exposures try taking several at the longest you can without trailing then stack them.
Thks Ian & Paul - I appreciate the comments & advice - I might give it another try this evening & also M57 if I can find it...? The sensitivity of Chris's SAC-8 is amazing. I'm halfway through modifying my TouCam Pro for LE & so it'll be good to compare - Assuming I don't destroy the Toucam with my soldering iron.
Cheers, John
Best of luck with the Toucam, my LE Toucam is still imitating a spider on Ians work bench, where I left it a year and a half ago.
...and my attempt is in a bag waiting to be rescued. If anyone wants it to revive it then you can have it.
I did threaten to look at it. Bring it on Thursday and I'll put it in the Morgue next to Pauls.
I think I'll just go off and read Herbert West, Camera Reanimator.....