Thanks.? I'll check into it. ?
To: C14_EdgeHD@... From: paizisn@... Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 13:33:44 -0800 Subject: RE: [C14_EdgeHD] C14 Edge HD
?
Lou I bought my C14_HD, crayford? and microtouch from Starizona in Tucson. Dean, the owner, claims the microtouch works fine without the crayford but I chose to use one anyway. Dean also swears by FocusMax but I use the @Focus2 routine in TheSkyX Pro and I've very happy with it. Nick
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Some friends are getting very good
results with th ASI120. I don't know the QH5L-ii.
Best regards
Christian
Le 03/01/2014 22:03, wes@... a écrit?:
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Thanks for the great info... I really want to delve into Lunar
photography with my Edge 11. I am thinking about
getting either the ASI120 or QHY5L-ii cameras. I have a Televue
2x Powermate that I could use as well.
Lots
of inspiration here! :)
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I have the HOTECH advanced collimator for my HD1400 and it really works for my case.
I always bring the scope to the observing location around hundred miles from my home with my car to avoid light pollution. The round trip and the set up had given a fair amount of vibration to the scope and so far required a star collimation a few times a year.
Star collimation worked when I had some one supporting the work since I wasn't able to reach the alignment screws of the secondary mirror while looking at a target start with my eye because of the size of the scope.?
Star collimation was not that difficult, but not that easy either. I saw the diffraction ring and my friend rotated the screws with my instruction. Communication was critical and only a fraction of turn of the screw dramatically changed the shape of airy pattern so it was very very frustrating for both of us. The alignment work took 20-30 minutes until we got satisfied with the pattern and I always felt guilty getting their precious time.
So I bought the kit four months ago and used twice. Here is what I experienced; Pros: - First and foremost, it gives an accurate collimation. Right after the collimation I made a trip and
? observed a star whose diffraction ring around the airy disk was perfectly complete and uniform. - The collimation can be done daytime, so you can save time for observation - There is no risk to touch the corrector plate with your fingers by accident, compared with?
? start collimation at night - You could collimate the scope even the it is in sky positioning, if your tripod allows you to do so.
Cons: The collimation kit requires we set and perfectly co-align the collimator plate and the scope, so you may need an elevator tripod with a head that enables precise gear movement in three directions(such as Manfrotto 410).
The head is contained in the kit (called Fine Adjustment Stage) but is cheap and lack of stability.
As advised in the previous reply, I now like the idea of Live view function of DSLR (especially one with flip LCD such as Nikon D5200).
Yasushi Fukunaga
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Re: Ideal eyepiece(s) for HD scopes?
OP here again....thanks to all of you for your well-considered opinions on my quest for the ideal low power wide field EP for a C11HD.?? After also reading various websites til my eyes are exhausted, the choice is down to the 41Panoptic; the 40mmExpSci68 degree; and possibly the 31 Nagler.?? I will sell the 23mm Luminos that came with the scope, or just use it for public outreach events, where its subtle shortcomings will go unnoticed.?? And just as an aside, I do have a 9mm ES 100degree EP and have had only disappointing results, which may be due to the crummy seeing conditions here on the southern Cal coast, with light pollution, and turbulent, moist air masses, etc.? Furthermore, my 60+ age bracket probably limits my access to that 100 degree porthole thing that younger eyes claim to adore.? So I'll likely sell that EP.? The nights around here when mags greater than about 200-240X are useful are very rare, and I find I am drawn anyway to comfortable, pinpoint, expansive, high contrast views moreso than to super high magnification or exotic FOV that require rotating my head.?
Three premium eyepieces seems to be the ideal number for me and my budget.? I guess the next issue will be a premium mid range focal length EP, like 20mm-24mm.? The Luminos at 23mm feels just right, but the outer field glow and the internal reflections are so annoying, unfortunately.? I wonder what that's all about.? Anyway, thanks to all of you for your input. It's an intriguing subject, I think, for owners of the HD scopes.
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Thanks for the great info... I really want to delve into Lunar photography with my Edge 11. I am thinking about getting either the ASI120 or QHY5L-ii cameras. I have a Televue 2x Powermate that I could use as well.
Lots of inspiration here! :)
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Lou I bought my C14_HD, crayford? and microtouch from Starizona in Tucson. Dean, the owner, claims the microtouch works fine without the crayford but I chose to use one anyway. Dean also swears by FocusMax but I use the @Focus2 routine in TheSkyX Pro and I've very happy with it. Nick
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When imaging, lock the mirror once focus is achieved.? The mirror lock needs to be loose when focusing with the stock focuser.? If you use an add-on crayford focuser, you can permanently lock down the mirror.??Which crayford focuser are you using?? I would like to use a motorized focuser if available.? Lou ?
To: C14_EdgeHD@... From: paizisn@... Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 11:59:24 -0800 Subject: RE: [C14_EdgeHD] C14 Edge HD
?
"Be sure to keep the mirror locks loose?except when imaging"
Why is this important? I have a crayford focuser and my mirror locks have been tight for months.
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Re: Ideal eyepiece(s) for HD scopes?
Agree about the 23mm Luminos.? My most used eyepiece is my ancient 20mm type 2 Nagler 82 degree.? An even older Meade 32mm wide-angle is also excellent? with the C14HD.? Lou ?
To: C14_EdgeHD@... From: wes@... Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 12:26:25 -0800 Subject: [C14_EdgeHD] RE: Ideal eyepiece(s) for HD scopes?
?
Oh and FWIW, the 23mm Luminos is a piece of garbage! I was fortunate enough to have sold mine and replaced it with a 20mm ES 100 which is FAR superior. In fact, its my most used eyepiece. I would rather have the 21mm Ethos but its 3x the price of the ES100, but it is truly amazing.
For the money the ES 100 eyepieces are excellent values. The 14mm and 9mm models are also very good in the Edge series.
I also have the 31mm Nagler and the 11mm Nagler. All of which are fantastic in my C11 Edge and get a lot of use.
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Re: Ideal eyepiece(s) for HD scopes?
Oh and FWIW, the 23mm Luminos is a piece of garbage! I was fortunate enough to have sold mine and replaced it with a 20mm ES 100 which is FAR superior. In fact, its my most used eyepiece. I would rather have the 21mm Ethos but its 3x the price of the ES100, but it is truly amazing.
For the money the ES 100 eyepieces are excellent values. The 14mm and 9mm models are also very good in the Edge series.
I also have the 31mm Nagler and the 11mm Nagler. All of which are fantastic in my C11 Edge and get a lot of use.
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Thanks
:-)
Yes, I use an Astrophysics X2 Barlow lens. More information on
technical details are given here :
Christian
Le 03/01/2014 20:12, wes@... a écrit?:
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Those are fantastic images! Are you using a barlow?
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Those are fantastic images! Are you using a barlow?
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I agree, the HoTech, while clever, its too complicated and requires VERY precise alignment with the scope to give good results. Even he admits that a final star collimation should be done for accurate collimation... meaning you should just do that anyway as that is all that really matters and gross centering of the secondary is dead easy. And free.
Star collimation is not that difficult and doesn't need to be done very often, maybe once a year, to justify spending $500 on one of these gadgets.
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Re: Ideal eyepiece(s) for HD scopes?
The closest you're going to get to getting the entire Double Cluster at 2800mm is a 1-degree FoV and 68x with the 41mm Televue Panoptic. Anything less is going to show aberrations at the edge of the field.
In my opinion the BEST QUALITY full view is with the 31mm Nagler T5, its only .91-degrees but its well corrected right to the field stop. Plus its 82-degrees instead of 68. You get almost the same FoV, but with more magnification (90x) and a darker sky.
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"Be sure to keep the mirror locks loose?except when imaging"
Why is this important? I have a crayford focuser and my mirror locks have been tight for months.
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thanks !!!
I'll remove them asap.
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I removed them, because otherwise the dedicated Celestron reducer would not fit and I couldn't tighten my visual back either (I have the Astrophysics 3.25" adapter -- works fine.)? I assume they are for transport only. ? Be sure to keep the mirror locks loose?except when imaging.? Lou ?
To: c14_edgehd@... From: schwa@... Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 16:09:12 +0100 Subject: [C14_EdgeHD] C14 Edge HD
?
Hi group,
?
I just bought a second hand C14 edge after using a
C11 edge for three years with great satisfaction.
Just a beginner question: what is the use of the
two protruding bolts?on??one side? of the 3"25 thread ?? On
the C11edge there was none of them.
Can they be removed? The vendor told me they were
useful only for transport.
?
Regards.
?
André Schwachheim
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Hi group,
?
I just bought a second hand C14 edge after using a
C11 edge for three years with great satisfaction.
Just a beginner question: what is the use of the
two protruding bolts?on??one side? of the 3"25 thread ?? On
the C11edge there was none of them.
Can they be removed? The vendor told me they were
useful only for transport.
?
Regards.
?
André Schwachheim
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Super images Christian, and great processing too. I tried stitching them all together for fun - and they blend superbly.
Mark
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--- In C14_EdgeHD@..., viladrich christian <christian.viladrich@...> wrote:
Dear All,
Please find some old images of the moon taken last September 25 ... I
have completely forgotten them.
All are taken with the Celestron 14, a red filter and an IDS 3370 camera.
Philolaus crater ... that one is really strange ... it looks embedded in
a larger basin ?
Mare Imbrium ... indeed it is currently kind of rainy weather in France ..
Platon and the Alpine Valley :
Another Alpine Valley taken a little bit latter with more resolution,
and longer shadows over Aristoteles and Eudoxus :
Cassini area :
Hadley area :
Clear sky to all and best wishes for 2014 !
Christian
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Re: Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Amazing images Christian!
?
Clear
skies,
Kevin Dixon
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Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2014 1:05 PM
To: destinataires inconnus:
Subject: [C14_EdgeHD] Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the
C14
?
?
Dear All,
Please find some old images of the moon taken last September
25 ... I have completely forgotten them.
All are taken with the Celestron
14, a red filter and an IDS 3370 camera.
Philolaus crater ... that one is
really strange ... it looks embedded in a larger basin ?
Mare
Imbrium ... indeed it is currently kind of rainy weather in France ..
Platon
and the Alpine Valley :
Another
Alpine Valley taken a little bit latter with more resolution, and longer shadows
over Aristoteles and Eudoxus :
Cassini
area :
Hadley
area :
Clear
sky to all and best wishes for 2014 !
Christian
|
Lunar images taken on Sept 25 with the C14
Dear All,
Please find some old images of the moon taken last September 25 ...
I have completely forgotten them.
All are taken with the Celestron 14, a red filter and an IDS 3370
camera.
Philolaus crater ... that one is really strange ... it looks
embedded in a larger basin ?
Mare Imbrium ... indeed it is currently kind of rainy weather in
France ..
Platon and the Alpine Valley :
Another Alpine Valley taken a little bit latter with more
resolution, and longer shadows over Aristoteles and Eudoxus :
Cassini area :
Hadley area :
Clear sky to all and best wishes for 2014 !
Christian
|
Lou Halikman