DSC October - Actual astrophotography?

[Rocket Pooch]

Well done all, sounds like a great DSC, as usual I didn't do any astronomy because the house is still a mess, although I did play with the roof on the observatory rolling it on and off

Look forward to the images, anyone do anything difficult?

[Ivor]

Glad to hear Saturday turned out to be a good night,  I might not have managed to image Friday night but I did learn a few important things:

How to improve my setup in EQMOD (Thanks Duncan)
DSC'ers drink their Pastis drink neat (Thanks Mark)
I quite like Amaretto (Thanks again Duncan)
My father in law's old tent isn't waterproof

I was slightly concerned when Mark, Duncan and Jon took me into the woods to "show me something impressive" fortunately this turned out to be better seeing.

A frustrating maiden DSC, I look forward to the next hopefully with better weather and tent.

[Fay]

You did well, Ivor

[Fay]

Mark, do you just leave everything running & then go to bed?

I had set up but realised that it would not clear until around 1am.

i do wonder if I should let it run & perhaps put a timer to turn of at a certain time, but would probably not sleep in case the camera went into the pier & if the power switched off at a certain time, would the dew & damp play havoc with the connections etc, if they had gone cold due to no power.

[Mike]

Fay do you use EQ-MOD? If so you can set limits on the mount to ensure it never goes into your pier/tripod.

http://www.welshdragoncomputing.ca/eqmod/doku.php?id=setting_mount_limits

[Fay]

I have in the past Mike, but it is an extra palavar setting it up & putting something extra away all the time. often my handset would not play ball, perhaps I should revisit EQMOD

[Mike]

I personally find EQ-MOD a lot easier to use that the handset. You have so much greater control and flexibility.

[Fay]

yes, often the handset does not offer  decent alignment stars. i will get it out again, it is just that it is an extra thing to do when you have to set up & put away all the time

[Mike]

Once you get used to it it takes no longer to set up than using the handset. In fact i'd say it was quicker.

[JonH]

I have to agree about EQMOD.
I started off with the handset and got nothing but a headache from it.
EQMOD once set up I find is easy to use plus along with the mount limits have the auto park option which is handy!

[MarkS]

Mark, do you just leave everything running & then go to bed?

Either I go to bed or kip in a chair in the conservatory, where I can see the stars/clouds etc.  Last night I knew the scope would hit the tripod at 2am so I kipped in the conservatory and set the alarm to wake me up to perform a meridian flip.  Otherwise I would go to bed and leave it running until morning.

But last night I had a mental aberration - I shot 5 hours of Andromeda Galaxy as half size JPGs!!!!  What a waste!  Dunno how that happened.

Mark

[JonH]

I shot 5 hours of Andromeda Galaxy as half size JPGs!!!!  What a waste!

I had a similar issues, upon closing my laptop lid I managed to dislodge the cable from my external hard drive. When I came back to it a few hours later had captured nothing!
I still managed to get 4 5min subs and a load of shorter ones though, but when I went to stop it at 5am found half my 30sec ones and all the 10sec ones were no good due to something moving, the guiding was still going fine so I'm taking a guess that the camera had moved or something like that. 

[Carole]

I shot 5 hours of Andromeda Galaxy as half size JPGs!!!!  

Oh Gawd!

I go to bed and set the alarm as well Fay, but I must say it is a major effort to get out of "bed" once I have been asleep.
When I say bed, I normally kip on the settee in the lounge fully clothed just with a cover on, so all I have to do is put my shoes and coat on.  I get undressed properly once I've switched off.  I do this at DSC too.  

I once went to bed and got up 2 hours later to find I had set to do only 1 sub (from when I had been doing a "tester for FOV" and forgot to change the number of subs),what a waste of effort as well.

Carole

[JohnP]

Me also Fay - Normally kip on sofa in front room & set alarm for say 2hrs just to make sure nothing has gone wrong...

[Fay]

Mark, how do you go cope when having to work the next day
Have visions of you performing  a meridian flip after waking.........

Carole you are such a trouper, i need training. i think you, John & Mark are of a calmer disposition than me, and therein lies the problem................



Also waiting to see everyone,s images from oct DSC