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| digital technology, cameras and software like Pixinsight |
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Number one would be going from DSLR (Modified T7i) to a dedicated astro camera (ASI533MC Pro). After that, I would say getting an EAF -- with the EAF, I can channel my inner Ron Popeil (did I just age myself?) and "set it and forget it". The extra time on target makes a huge difference. |
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| Asiair |
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Besides improving processing and the darkest skies possible, there are a handful things that definitely improved pictures: - going to a cooled Color CMOS coming from an unmodded 600D - Getting not only a flattener but flattener & reducer, imaging at f/7 sucks tbh - Going OAG (findershoe guidescope before, just nope) & remeshing the gears on my mount - going from average RMS in RA over 1.2“ and practically unguidable in DEC due to Backlash to getting total RMS values between 0.4“ and 0.8“ depending on seeing (so 5 min exposures are possible now, probably even longer) - Getting a ZWO EAF - this is just huge and probably had the biggest impact on image quality as I never refocused over the night so yeah money sadly, and smarter buying decisions (that 1.0x flattener was a waste tbh - OAG would have been the same cost as my guidescope solution but performed A LOT better even before remeshing the gears) |
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Jan Porter: Amen to that one! |
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Scott Badger: I moved from LX200 with SBIG ST-8XME to LX200 OTA + Software Bisque MyT + ZWO ASI1600 Pro Cool with off axis guiding ZWO ASI174MM guiding camera and it has been the best $7000 I have ever spent in my life from an astrophotography point of view. Actually, I wish I had done it sooner but the equipment and money weren't there yet. |
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Dave B:Peter Robertson:David Moore: Chrome Remote Desktop works very well also. |
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I think I had a few - in the order they have occurred: 1. Getting a narrow band filter (ZWO Duo) and astronomy camera (ASI533MC Pro, was a Canon 450D before that) 2. AsiAirPlus - I could not get guiding or plate solving to work without this, and PA went from a struggle to dead easy. This thing really is just the Easy Button. 3. Off-Axis Guider and automatic focuser (EAF) - notably sharper images on my C8 XLT. Of course I'm still pretty much a newbie, but those upgrades in the last six months -- especially the ASI Air Plus -- have been huge. If I could go back and do it over again, I'd probably have not gone with the CGEM-II/C8 setup initially, because I started on the hard road. But it's finally starting to come together for me. (Looking at getting an AT 72EDII because I am hungering for some wider FOVs than my C8 can give.) |
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| The many excellent software tools for processing my images. |
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Erlend Langsrud: Sadly that was my worst step. First DSLR and reputable shop pawned it off to newbie staff that left sensor horribly tilted. I was too new and dumb to notice for months and they’ve never been able to fix. Shot neowise and other unrepeatable images like that. Sucked too as I could never trust if a given lens was bad or just my sensor. Moved on to mirrorless and cooled cam. But agree getting an Astrocam was huge step. |
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For me it was the following: 1- a dedicated astro camera 2- Nina for polar alignment & plate solving 3- Pixinsight |
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Something else I forgot to mention - understanding the physics and mathematics of what happens from when the light is emitted to when it appears on screen. Pretty much every single subject I did in my engineering degree has been useful  |
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| A good mount. Nothing else will have such a large impact than a good mount. You can have the best optics, cameras, filters and software you can get. It will never really work well unless you have a good mount. |
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| ASI AIR PLUS |
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Well, I dont have any, but for me, dark sky is the number 1 priority. All other things, if you have a nice load of money, you will do with your push-a-button-and-goto-sleep mount/telescope... and it will diminish a lot your worries about postprocessing...some of my thoughts below...: * Coma corrector sorted out star shape: Yes amazing! You made the right choice! - nice coma correctors are used to be expensive...but if you have some RCs or ACFs scopes instead, it will be great as well, dont worry about ccs anymore! * Guiding camera both helped with star shape and let me take much longer exposures with OAG improve a lot ... well ... you already bought one! Nice! * ASCOM and APT/Stellarium made it a doddle to select targets and control all my equipment from one location controls everything ... amazing! Thats it! * SharpCap for polar alignment - nice polar aligment its very important also... its really important... PHD2 will do the job as well! * PixInsight ... need I say more - its amazing, but if you have a nice load of money and a really dark sky, only with the basics of PI/PS you will get a Top Pick or even a IOTD! * Moving to a mono camera with filter wheel and getting into narrowband meant a lot more interesting targets If you have a dark sky site with these new amazing color cameras ... it will be a very nice option to think about as well...I just dont know...but if you have a push-a-button-and-goto-sleep mount and a dark sky, this wont be make no difference at all... * Doing the belt drive upgrade on the mount tightened it all up... Yes, another nice improvement...and nowadays thats the rule...MORE MONEY ... BEST MOUNTS....ITS MANDATORY...DARK SKIES WITH A PUSH-A-BUTTON-MOUNT... * Adding an autofocuser so I think its some least thing to worry about...but if you have money, you will integrate the autofocuser with your software...with a good mount...push-a-button-and-goto-sleep... * Using an OAG with helical focuser rather than a separate guide scope halved my guiding errors its amazing! OAG improved my tracking a lot! Cheers my friend! |
