MarkS

Congrats Ron - fine image as usual! Regards, Mark

Thanks Luke. Are you guiding? Do you know if Sequence dithering works unguided? Mark

Hi All, Are you using dithering when imaging? And what amount? I believe it is important to do this if undersampling, but what about in general? I am assuming that Sequence works OK in this mode, but I'm interested to know peoples' experience with it. Mark

Thanks, Ron. But most of all I need clear skies - we're having a rotten winter! Regards, Mark

Nigel, I absolutely agree! Mark

I think it would be better to share our experiences on this forum than to start a new one. There used to be a Yahoo Group, but it was discontinued for the current forum. Let's keep to one place if we can. Mark

John, My starting point was the old AS manual which is on the website. I learned about balance the hard way: irrecoverable Position Errors. I trialled balancing accuracy a lot indoors - no stars needed. I now get final DE balance by taping Aus 50c pieces to the OTA in appropriate positions! Yes, it's that critical - with my DDM60/ASA10N set-up anyway. I later discovered a short paper on balance called simply Balance.pdf - but by then I had it all working OK. A massive assist with all this was to put an ammeter in the power supply lead to the mount. I still use it. It gives early warning if there is a Position Error brewing. (It's also fascinating to watch whilst imaging if there is a lot of wind about!) On Tuning, I started by following the guidelines in the Manual, but I found that the Autotune function gave me very different outcomes depending, it seemed, on the starting conditions. I gradually evolved a set of tuning numbers manually, which involved backing away somewhat from the stiffest tuning given by Autotune. These work well for me, though I would not claim them to be optimal. There was much trial and error involved. Regards, Mark

Hi Lukas, I agree with you, it isn't just about working or not working. Maybe it would have been much easier to get up the learning curve if the documentation was better. For example, if it had done no more than stress the critical importance of correct balance and tuning, and how to achieve them, life would have been easier for me. Aside from these core operational issues, judging by the comments and suggestions in this forum, the automation side clearly has a lot of room for improvement. Let's hope that these matters get the necessary attention soon. Regards, Mark

Hi John, I have no issue at all with the need for up-to-date documentation. It is clearly lagging way behind. My point was simply that I'm not having problems. There is no burying heads in sand here. I was interested to find out if there were any people out there who share my experience. This in no way invalidates the problems that people are clearly experiencing. I heartily agree with Ian's sentiments - they were written after my post, not before, as you seem to imply. Incidentally, I am not an old hand at Astrophotography, and I took the plunge with the DDM60 on virtually no experience at all. The software I started with was AS 5.1.1.2, I think, and Sequence 0.0.0.9. The manuals were already out of date, but there was enough in them, plus some other good documentation on PA, Balance, and MLPT to allow me to get started. The learning curve wasn't easy, and it certainly would have benefited from better documentation. I sought help from ASA when I needed it - and usually got it in a timely fashion. Most certainly, I'd like to see an up-to-date set of documentation. Perhaps when 5205 and 203 are resonably settled???? Let's all hope so. And the next problem will be keeping it current if developments proceed apace! Regards, Mark

Hi all, I've not really been following this thread closely for a while, and now scanning through it I must confess to being a little perplexed. Am I the only user who runs DDM60, Autoslew, Sequence, The SkyX, and MaximDL without any problems? Admittedly I dont have any complications with domes and remote control, as my set-up is mobile and 'hands on', but using the AF routine in Autoslew, and Sequence Run to define the imaging with Meridian flip if necessary I have no operational issues. But judging by this thread, I'm alone - am I missing something???? Regards, Mark

Great image, Ron! Mark

Congrats, Ron. Mark

This small irregular galaxy in Sagittarius is 1.6mly distant is one of the local group. Shot with ASA10N at f/3.6, STT8300M camera, RGB total exposure 3hr 15 min.

Hi Ron, Great image! Mark

Hi Antonio, Again, a very clean image - your trademark Keep posting these objects I can't reach from here in the south! Regards, Mark

Hi Luke, Go straight to Pixinsight! Those background colours are removable by judicious use of the DBE tool provided you dont generate too many background samples. Play around with it and examine the background model before you commit. I have got one or two images that really surprised me as they were shot in RGB in Melbourne's appalling light pollution (SQ-L reading of ~18.3) plus some clouds. Regards, Mark

Beautiful clean image. Very nice! Regards, Mark

Hi Hermann, Very nice set of images! The Tarantula has come up very well for such a short exposure. Regards, Mark

Hi Thomas, Nice image! Out of reach from my part of the world, so it's good to see. Thanks for posting. Mark

Nice imge! It's good to see this pair of galaxies, which are really out of range for me - maximum altitude 35degrees. Thanks for showing Regards, Mark

This one shot same night as NGC 5128. Same set-up. Total Exposure 4 hours. Best SQ-L reading 21.2. Processed in Pixinsight; final tweak and printing preparation in PS. I found the processing on this one difficult - a tricky compromise between the overwhelming star field and the fainter areas of nebulosity. One of those images you could play with for ever! Mark

Hi All, At last a decent night - first for several weeks!!! I got two images over about 7 hours of imaging. This is the second - only 2 hours of data. ASA10N in f/3.6 config. 8X5min each of R,G,B using the beta AS and Sequence, DDM60. (SQ-L reading 20.9; atmosphere very stable). STT8300 Camera. Processed in Pixinsight; finished in PS.

Hi Lukas, I can't help on that one - my wife bought me my first telescope!!!!! Apparently I needed more to do Mark

Hi Gerald, Maybe you should post it for all us DDM60 users! Regards, Mark

Hi Haim, You need to download and read the document 'Autoslew5100.pdf' as a starting point. You should also be using Sequence software, which facilitates the process, as well as other critical processes MLPT and Autofocus. If you need more help email me. Regards, Mark