btieman
super member
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 114
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Not as grand as some of you guys, but then again, I've only been at this 2 months 
CPC 1100 (alt/az)
Meade 3.3 FR
Meade DSI Pro I
11x90sec subs
Tracking was noticeably poorer on this target than on other nights...
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CPC 1100
Meade DSI Pro
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Al Miller
super member
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 100
Loc: South-Central Texas
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Not too bad at all for an 11-inch on alt-az. I like the detail and image scale. Here's one I took last night also, from my very light-polluted backyard. I used an Orion ST120 achromatic refractor and the DSI Pro II. It's 20x120 seconds guided with the Orion SSAG. I haven't been at this CCD imaging thing for very long either.
How did you guide your scope?
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Meade 10" LX200 Classic
Celestron C8 XLT OTA
Orion XT8 Classic Dob.
Meade AR-5, f/9.3 refractor (LXD55 version)
Antares 4.1", f/12.4 refractor w/EQ5 (solar scope)
Orion ST120, f/5 refractor
Orion ST80, f/5 refractor (my guidescope)
Meade DSIc, DSI IIc and DSI II Pro
Celestron NexImage (x2)
Orion StarShoot autoguider
Atlas EQ-G mount
Edited by Al Miller (09/27/08 12:05 PM)
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nofxrx
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/05
Posts: 1460
Loc: palm bay,florida
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Very nice Btieman!!!
The detail is really nice! The guiding looks pretty good to me..
Nice processing too!!!
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Brent Oliver
3 Wonderful dogs: Sadie, Kara and Ozzie
Celestron C10-N///C9.25///Orion 80ED///WO ZS66SD White
Celestron CI-700 & ASGT Eq. Mounts
Nikon D40Xa///SBIG ST-402ME/Class 1/CFW///DSI-PRO...
My Gallery
Ohh yeah,and a VERY undersanding wife!!
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btieman
super member
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 114
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Al, the scope was tracking itself. I don't have a setup I can guide with. I wasn't even very well aligned. I had the scope plugged into The Sky and my son and I were using the sky to poke around visually. Most things were 0.5 degree off--close enough for us to find easily after a "goto" from The Sky.
To line up this shot, we centered the field we wanted in the eyepiece and marked where the The sky thought we were--which wasn't M33! Then we put on the DSI and moved until we had a bright enough star to focus reasonably--I like to have 2sec or less exposures for focusing. Then we used The Sky to send the scope to where The Sky thought it was when we were looking at M33 in the eyepiece. Cranked the exposures up and there it was 
I wanted to do 2min subs--I've been able to do it on other nights. Even with 1:30 subs last night, I had a lot of wasted subs. I took 30 overall and struggled to pick 11--should have only had 5-6 as some of the ones I used were questionable but I am happy with the result...well, except I would like a larger field of view. I promised myself I would not get a larger camera until I had a firm understanding of this one first...sigh...
Brian
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CPC 1100
Meade DSI Pro
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btieman
super member
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 114
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Al,
I like your shot as well. What do you use for acquisition and processing?
How do you like the DSI II? Have you thought about filters? Why do you suppose there are almost always DSI Is on ebay but rarely and IIs? Mine was an ebay purchase--I'd consider upgrading to a II (basically same camera so my promise not to upgrade until I understand my current CCD doesn't apply, does it???) for the field of view but I never see them cheap.
Brian
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CPC 1100
Meade DSI Pro
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ChazK
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/23/05
Posts: 1453
Loc: Melbourne, Florida
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Quote:
Not as grand as some of you guys, but then again, I've only been at this 2 months
Man...don't knock yourself. This stuff aint easy and that's a fine shot esp for starting out!
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Tak TOA 130mm/NJP Temma2
Tak FS 60CB
Canon 40D (unmodded)
Astronomik CLS
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6
www.digitalunatic.com
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NyxAither
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/11/07
Posts: 835
Loc: Arlington VA
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Excellent shot! Lots of detail there!
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Thomas
✸Orion XT8i✸Orion 80-T✸CG5 GT Mount ✸Meade DSI II Color✸Meade DSI (THANKS TODD N!!!)✸Orion 4.5" Reflector OTA✸Trusty Mac Powerbook G4✸1960's Gilbert 3" telescope✸10x50 binoculars✸SPC900NC✸
..::*~*Clear Skies*~*::..
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btieman
super member
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 114
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ChazK,
Not what I meant at all--I'm very happy with the shot! I'm still hoping to eeek out a little more from this setup but my long focal length, small area CCD and alt-az mount are preventing me from getting some of the grand vistas I've seen around here
Tonight looks like it'll be almost as good as last night was...might try my hand at a mosaic 
Brian
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CPC 1100
Meade DSI Pro
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Mobius1
sage
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 472
Loc: Madison, WI / Gurnee, IL
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That's a very good shot! I consider M33 a rather difficult object, and have yet to obtain anything close to that- well done!
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Martin
Orion 100ED
Orion 120-ST EQ
PST-Ha
Celestron CGE 1100
Canon Rebel XSI
DSI-IIC
Yerkes Observatory Volunteer
(24" Cass on weekends)
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Al Miller
super member
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 100
Loc: South-Central Texas
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Quote:
I like your shot as well. What do you use for acquisition and processing?
How do you like the DSI II? Have you thought about filters? Why do you suppose there are almost always DSI Is on ebay but rarely and IIs?
Brian,
For aquisition I simply use the Envisage software that came with the DSI. For processing I use the Envisage and PaintShop Pro. I also have Photoshop 7.0 that I use to make some adjustments. Its levels and curves functions can really bring out details. I've been using Envisage to stack and save the FITS images as TIF's then I play with them in the other software. I just purchased the book "The Handbook of Astronomical Image Processing" which has AIP4WIN with it on CD. I've been checking out Matt Taylor's DVD tutorials for the DSI's and will be experimenting with AIP4WIN more often. I use dark frame subtraction but, haven't yet figured out how I'm going to take flats. I always save my images, darks, and flats (if I take any) on a CD so I can always go back to try a new technique or something.
I really like the DSI II Pro. It's very sensitive. I have the color filter set but have not used them yet... having too much fun with monochrome! I'm not yet patient enough where I'll spend several hours on one object, accumulating exposures through three filters plus the luminence. I'd rather take a one-shot color image when I want color. Matt Taylor often uses the technique of taking color with the DSI II color, and luminence withe the DSI II Pro mono then combining them. I have the older DSIc but the chip is smaller so this won't work. I may get a color DSI II later however. I use the Orion StarShoot autoguider to guide and it works great! I run that through an Orion ST80 refractor. Of course having the Atlas mount makes all this stuff compatable with each other and is so easy to use.
Filters... I always have an IR on the camera. Other filters I have besides the tri-color set are: minus violet, UHC, Deep-Sky, Orion SkyGlow, semi-Apo, contrast booster, and various standard color filters. I do use the minus violet but haven't yet made good use of the others. I need to however because of my light-pollution.
I think many of the older DSI's become autoguiders as the newer cameras come out. The DSI II's aren't that old are they? Then I suppose many people keep them as a backup or something rather than part with them. I kept my orginal DSIc because it's a decent color CCD and I like to use it for planetary nebulae through the LX200.
Anyway, I've rambled a bit here. Hope I answered your questions somewhere in there!
Clear skys! I'm goin' out again tonight!
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Meade 10" LX200 Classic
Celestron C8 XLT OTA
Orion XT8 Classic Dob.
Meade AR-5, f/9.3 refractor (LXD55 version)
Antares 4.1", f/12.4 refractor w/EQ5 (solar scope)
Orion ST120, f/5 refractor
Orion ST80, f/5 refractor (my guidescope)
Meade DSIc, DSI IIc and DSI II Pro
Celestron NexImage (x2)
Orion StarShoot autoguider
Atlas EQ-G mount
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btieman
super member
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 114
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Al,
Excellent answers all! Thanks for the input! I've been thinking I need a short focal length refractor to compliment the long focal length SCT. I've got a 4.5" reflector that's served me well visually for years. It's mount is too rickety for photography and it's too long to piggy on the SCT  I may have to get a better EQ mount someday...sigh...too many decisions of what to do next!
lol...I keep telling myself "stick to the original plan!" which has me getting a set of lrgb filters for Christmas and maybe a bigger CCD after that...maybe I can slip the refractor in...No! Stick to the plan!
I ordered "The Handbook" yesterday. part of the plan is to understand "The Math" enough that I get the right equipment for what I want to do next. I've got Paintshop Pro 8 through work and I use ImageJ and the Meade stuff, but I see a lot of good reviews of AIP4Win so I guess I'll give that a try too I'll have to look for Matt's DVDs...do you have a link?
Thanks!
Brian
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CPC 1100
Meade DSI Pro
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Al Miller
super member
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 100
Loc: South-Central Texas
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Brian,
The book is great and if you want the "math" there is no shortage of it! Loads of information in that book and AIP4WIN to boot.
You can find Matt's DVD's here:
http://www.mallentaylor.com/id1.html
There are also some free downloads of the basics on Meade's website.
Edited by Al Miller (09/27/08 10:47 PM)
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