Several participants in the Beginners Deep Sky Imaging forum have been working on the processes and techniques involved in producing images by sharing our data. We have a variety of imaging rigs ranging from a WilliamsOptics GT81 refractor and Orion 6inch f/3.9 Newtonian astrograph through AstroPhysics 130mm f/6, WO GT153, Celestron 8"EdgeHD, Orion 10inch f/3.9 up to a RASA 11, with a mix of cameras as well,  from stock DSLRs to APS-c OSC and mono. Believe me, we have all been learning a lot and I think I can speak for all involved that we are quite enjoying the challenges. They run the whole gamut from acquisition through all stages of processing. We have quite the online conversation going covering all of this, plus a lot of off-topic stuff that adds a bit of spice to the mix. 

One of the big advantages of collaborative imaging is that any one individual doesn't have to gather a ton of data all on their own. We haven't been able to gather all that much on any target since we started, mostly due to weather, but technical issues also can raise their heads. This image isn't particularly deep; any one imager under good conditions could easily gather this much data in a few nights. But I think it makes the point that this approach can work well and isn't all that difficult to achieve. We are each still adding data to our respective collections and will add this to the communal bank. Our group is comprised of JonnyBravo0311, MikeinRancho, Beaverpond Astro and me. We are aware that we are small fish in a big pond--recently a group of experienced imagers presented a fantastic set of collaborative images of M106 here. We take our inspiration from them and others who have done and are doing this type of project. We are slowly feeling our way along this path and have collaborated on a few targets so far. One of the benefits of participating in the Goofi Imaging Challenge is that we have a new target every month that we are all shooting anyway. Of course, we have been trying other targets as well. 

Here is my version of the Whirlpool, created from some of the data from our collaborative effort. Like most astrophotos created by hobbyists like us, this image isn't a finished product, simply a work in progress. Once we have accumulated and shared enough new data, I'll get back to the drawing board on a new version.

Technical details are more easily described here:  

Luminance data:  71x60seconds (71 minutes) 8" EdgeHD, ASI294M, iOptron40  New Jersey
                                    60x180 seconds (180 minutes) GT153, ASI2600M, iOptron120  Perth, Ontario
                                     98x120 seconds (196 minutes) AP130, QHY294M, iOptron70, Sudbury, Ontario
OSC data: 73x120 seconds (146 minutes) AP130, QHY168c, iOptron70, Sudbury

All data processed in PixInsight