11 replies to this topic

[Rayje1997]

Hello everyone! 

 

I am thinking about doing some EAA when it gets a little warmer and I feel like being outside instead of remote controlling from inside. I have seen some pretty extreme minimal setups with one being just a 30mm guide scope and planetary camera on a photo tripod, but I think that is just a little to minimal for me, but it does gives me an idea. I am thinking that I might use my guide setup for the EAA, and use my main scope with an eyepiece to view objects visually while I collect light with the camera. I will either do this with my goto mount or one of my manual mounts with a clock drive depending if I feel like finding objects manually or not. If I enjoy this, I might buy a second guide camera and scope so that I can use them on an EAA rig while my main scope is working on astrophotography projects. That being said, I would love to see some of your setups and possibly the stacks for inspiration!

 

Also, I would like to know what software you use. I don't currently pay for Sharpcap and would love some options. I have used astrotoaster while doing AP to stack the images coming in just to see how things are going, but that feels very primitive and doesn't work super well for me. If I have to pay for Sharpcap, I will, but I like to hear alternatives. 

[Mark Lovik]

You will need to make choices ... but a CG5 mount gives you good opportunities. I started with an AT72EDii refractor with similar ideas combining visual and EAA. I paired it with a mono then color 178 cameras ...and used it to view galaxies. Just know the pixel scale will really determine your speed and targets you can view in the sky.  My initial mount was a belt modified CG5.

Silly level ... FMA180 (40mm aperture) ... my guider and wide angle scope looking at the rosette nebula and Cone nebula regions. Pixel scale over 4". 2600mc pro: 20 second subs, gain 350, darks and flats. 20 minute EAA view

 

 

 

I used it to get wide angle views of galaxy fields around Leo and Virgo.  It works, but these views will not impress many people.  Here you need a better pixel scale to get galaxy details.

 

If I restarted today - it would be with the AT72EDii or 80.  An interesting alternative would be the Quattro 150p.  Would likely start with an ASI585 or equivalent camera.  To dual mount with an optical scope -- the 72 would be the better choice.  I dropped the visual EAA route (could act like a Starsync mount for positioning and EAA) ... it just felt like too much work to bother.  I also found visual DSO observing in suburban light polluted skies to be .... boring.

 

AT72EDii example with reducer - Comet Leonard and M3

10 minute EAA

178mc camera, 16 second subs, 350 gain

Pixel scale: 1.44"

 

 

Edited by Mark Lovik, 17 March 2023 - 05:16 PM.

[Mark Lovik]

There are different solid options for EAA (AsiAir, SharpCap, Jocular, ...).  Don't dismiss SharpCap or the other major EAA approaches without giving them a try.

 

For observing the newer SharpCap Image Annotation feature is great.  Find objects in your image, and objects nearby -- all at the scope.  In AP you use and cobble together all sorts of tools.  This is really not a great way to easily see your deep sky objects at the telescope.  Best EAA solutions attempt to focus on viewing the sky at night .. less on fiddling with tools.

 

As the weather gets better, I want to spend more time at the scope under the sky.  This winter I have spent more time indoors with a remote Nuc computer (and optional travel router).  I can use my laptop, indoors desktop, or tablet computer to live stack my EAA views.  I can just move my laptop outside for these same views as the weather improves.

 

I am looking forward to remote viewing this summer - get a screened tent to view near the scope in a bug free zone .... yeah

Edited by Mark Lovik, 17 March 2023 - 04:56 PM.

[kg7]

Since I mostly do EAA outreach under urban skies, my approach is pretty different from the usual AP setup.  For starters, the light pollution means that exposures beyond 5-10 seconds don't give you anything extra because the sky glow buries the faintest details.  Or so says the brain function, anyway.

 

As a consequence, you don't need fantastically accurate tracking, a cooled camera, or an equatorial mount, you need easy setup and fast imaging.  So I've built a setup using an f/5 6 inch reflector on a goto alt-az mount with an uncooled 4/3 sensor. 

 

Total cost is under $1000 for camera, mount, scope, and power.  I already had a laptop and I paid for sharpcap pro.  The whole thing sets up in about ten minutes, and then I can select a new object in Stellarium and have it centered on screen in ten seconds.  There is exactly one cable to connect.  I rarely stay on any one object for more than five or ten minutes, because I can't talk about one object for more than that and the kids always want to see something new.

 

My next purchase will be a portable tv stand tripod, so that I can put the images up on a bigger screen, for a larger audience.  I wouldn't bother if it was just me viewing, but the little laptop screen isn't ideal if you have more than two or three people who want to watch.

 

As an example, this is what my inexpensive setup generated last night with 600s of 3.2s exposures of M42, saved as seen from sharpcap.  This is enough to impress the city kids, where I live.

Edited by kg7, 17 March 2023 - 06:35 PM.

[paradise]

I hope to get an EAA setup this year, after I gave up astronomy practice (16' Dobson).

 

The solution, for me, is a light setup to observe far from home, and not too much expensive (although already expensive... ).

 

So I am nearly sure of my future setup :

 

- Newton SW 150/600 (f/4) : short, light, sold with a 0.86 reducer, pretty good quality according to many reports,

- SW HEQ5 Pro (not too heavy to carry, and strong enough for a small scope)

- ASIAIR system : I want something simple and fast to use on the field, Sharcap for fast EAA doesn't seem essential for my use,

- ZWO ASI533MC or ASI585MC : to get good views, the camera is also very important.

 

I

Edited by paradise, 17 March 2023 - 06:20 PM.

[Rayje1997]

 

You will need to make choices ... but a CG5 mount gives you good opportunities. I started with an AT72EDii refractor with similar ideas combining visual and EAA. I paired it with a mono then color 178 cameras ...and used it to view galaxies. Just know the pixel scale will really determine your speed and targets you can view in the sky.  My initial mount was a belt modified CG5.

Silly level ... FMA180 (40mm aperture) ... my guider and wide angle scope looking at the rosette nebula and Cone nebula regions. Pixel scale over 4". 2600mc pro: 20 second subs, gain 350, darks and flats. 20 minute EAA view

 

 

 

 

I used it to get wide angle views of galaxy fields around Leo and Virgo.  It works, but these views will not impress many people.  Here you need a better pixel scale to get galaxy details.

 

If I restarted today - it would be with the AT72EDii or 80.  An interesting alternative would be the Quattro 150p.  Would likely start with an ASI585 or equivalent camera.  To dual mount with an optical scope -- the 72 would be the better choice.  I dropped the visual EAA route (could act like a Starsync mount for positioning and EAA) ... it just felt like too much work to bother.  I also found visual DSO observing in suburban light polluted skies to be .... boring.

 

AT72EDii example with reducer - Comet Leonard and M3

10 minute EAA

178mc camera, 16 second subs, 350 gain

Pixel scale: 1.44"

 

 

 

 

I have a few scopes I could fiddle around with for this purpose. Not really interested in impressing other with the views that come from it, more just for my own enjoyment. If I decide like you that I'm not interested in the visual/eaa route then I'll put my DSLR back where it usually goes on my 130p-ds and use that. Though, at some point I really need to get a cooled camera, especially for EAA so that the stacks come out with less noise.

[Rayje1997]

Since I mostly do EAA outreach under urban skies, my approach is pretty different from the usual AP setup.  For starters, the light pollution means that exposures beyond 5-10 seconds don't give you anything extra because the sky glow buries the faintest details.  Or so says the brain function, anyway.

 

As a consequence, you don't need fantastically accurate tracking, a cooled camera, or an equatorial mount, you need easy setup and fast imaging.  So I've built a setup using an f/5 6 inch reflector on a goto alt-az mount with an uncooled 4/3 sensor. 

 

Total cost is under $1000 for camera, mount, scope, and power.  I already had a laptop and I paid for sharpcap pro.  The whole thing sets up in about ten minutes, and then I can select a new object in Stellarium and have it centered on screen in ten seconds.  There is exactly one cable to connect.  I rarely stay on any one object for more than five or ten minutes, because I can't talk about one object for more than that and the kids always want to see something new.

 

My next purchase will be a portable tv stand tripod, so that I can put the images up on a bigger screen, for a larger audience.  I wouldn't bother if it was just me viewing, but the little laptop screen isn't ideal if you have more than two or three people who want to watch.

 

As an example, this is what my inexpensive setup generated last night with 600s of 3.2s exposures of M42, saved as seen from sharpcap.  This is enough to impress the city kids, where I live.

Nice image! I live in a pretty dark area (bortle 4) and often do astrophotography unfiltered with 60s or more subs, but for EAA I don't think that's really needed. You make a good point about the alt/az mount and ease of setup and slewing though. I will take that into consideration.

[amitshesh]

Since I mostly do EAA outreach under urban skies, my approach is pretty different from the usual AP setup. For starters, the light pollution means that exposures beyond 5-10 seconds don't give you anything extra because the sky glow buries the faintest details. Or so says the brain function, anyway.

As a consequence, you don't need fantastically accurate tracking, a cooled camera, or an equatorial mount, you need easy setup and fast imaging. So I've built a setup using an f/5 6 inch reflector on a goto alt-az mount with an uncooled 4/3 sensor.

Total cost is under $1000 for camera, mount, scope, and power. I already had a laptop and I paid for sharpcap pro. The whole thing sets up in about ten minutes, and then I can select a new object in Stellarium and have it centered on screen in ten seconds. There is exactly one cable to connect. I rarely stay on any one object for more than five or ten minutes, because I can't talk about one object for more than that and the kids always want to see something new.

My next purchase will be a portable tv stand tripod, so that I can put the images up on a bigger screen, for a larger audience. I wouldn't bother if it was just me viewing, but the little laptop screen isn't ideal if you have more than two or three people who want to watch.

As an example, this is what my inexpensive setup generated last night with 600s of 3.2s exposures of M42, saved as seen from sharpcap. This is enough to impress the city kids, where I live.

May I ask which mount you are using?

[kg7]

May I ask which mount you are using?

The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi is a goto mount that comes with the newt, and is easy to set up with ASCOM for wifi control with both sharpcap and stellarium.

 

It's basically a tabletop version of their wifi enabled AZ-GTi mount.  There are some threads about it if you search, such as:

https://www.cloudyni...i-150p-for-eaa/

[Rayje1997]

The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi is a goto mount that comes with the newt, and is easy to set up with ASCOM for wifi control with both sharpcap and stellarium.

 

It's basically a tabletop version of their wifi enabled AZ-GTi mount.  There are some threads about it if you search, such as:

https://www.cloudyni...i-150p-for-eaa/

That's honestly a great use of that scope and mount that I hadn't thought of before. You could probably even use it in that way without even having to find a table to set it on! Kind of like using one of the new little smart telescopes that the internet raves about.

[RyzenAMD]

The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi is a goto mount that comes with the newt, and is easy to set up with ASCOM for wifi control with both sharpcap and stellarium.

 

It's basically a tabletop version of their wifi enabled AZ-GTi mount.  There are some threads about it if you search, such as:

https://www.cloudyni...i-150p-for-eaa/

What camera are you using?

[kg7]

That's honestly a great use of that scope and mount that I hadn't thought of before. You could probably even use it in that way without even having to find a table to set it on! Kind of like using one of the new little smart telescopes that the internet raves about.

I built a little folding table for it out of some scrap in my garage.  The tracking is better if you can get it more level, and leveling a table is easier than leveling the ground.  

 

What camera are you using?

I was previously using an ASI178mc, which worked great for galaxies but was pretty limiting for many planetary nebula.  So I recently acquired an uncooled ASI1600mc from another forum member, which is what the M42 image above was taken with.  Under Bortle7 skies, the extra $250 for cooling doesn't seem worth it.  It's approximately the same FOV as the ASI294, with slightly smaller pixels, and it's lightweight enough that it doesn't tax the bendy focuser mount on this scope.