Astrophotgraphy - why we stack

Started Mar 11, 2022 | Photos thread
Ralph McKenzie Senior Member • Posts: 2,121
Re: Astrophotgraphy - why we stack

Messier Object wrote:

Ralph McKenzie wrote:

300 mm at 4 seconds, I assume you were using a tracker of some sort?

I still haven't decided on which tracker to use or to go for the iOptron CEM 26 mount.

Nice image, one of my favorite areas of the nightsky.

hi Ralph

I have an EQ mount my dad and I made in the 1980s - very heavy - of solid steel machined and welded with 1.25” shafts - designed to carry my 10” reflector.

It uses a simple clock drive consisting of a 240V AC Synchronous gear motor with an output speed of 0.2RPM that drives a worm gear at sidereal rate. There is no tracking or GOTO.

In the film days I used a guidescope and performed manual tracking - adjust the tangent arm on the Dec axis and adjust the frequency of the R.A. drive using a variable speed inverter, but that required me to keep my eye glued to the guidescope for minutes at a time. But now with digital processing I can simply stack lots of short exposures and I can dispense with the guidance.

Those low-mid level iOptrons do look good, but the AU$2200 is (for me) a lot to pay for something I might use a few times a year. Besides I get a lot of joy using my old mount and my dad (95 this year) is happy I’m still using the mount we built 40 years ago and occasionally we tinker with some metalwork for it

Peter

Damn man that is old skool.

I think I will most likely end up with the iOptron sky guider pro as a good mobile mount with some computer control. The price of the iOptron CEM is expensive  if it isn't getting a lot of use.

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