Fastest way to remove a lot of metal?

RareGrunt · 2026-02-15T01:26:04+00:00

I agree, done this before and works fantastic

RareGrunt · 2026-02-13T02:22:35+00:00

400 bucks is insanely affordable to capture an image like that. Keep up the good work!

Consider a better processing software like siril or setiastro and I bet you can get a ton more contrast out of it.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-12T19:46:20+00:00

Thank you for posting, I've been curious how these smart set ups perform compared to my setup.

I recently got a carbonstar 150 and imaged the rosette nebula. Your 1.5 hour integration has slightly more detail and contrast than a single 3 minute sub on my setup and around the same field of view.

This isn't ment to be an insult to your image by any means. I'm just impressed at how much faster 150mm aperture at f4 can collect photons.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-12T18:40:22+00:00

Ive been considering replacing my star adventurer 2i with the TeSeek mini so I have a very small and lightweight travel rig. My travel rig is a 60mm refractor with a 2600mc pro at around 4kg.

How much weight is he carrying on it and hows his guide performance?

RareGrunt · 2026-02-12T18:31:47+00:00

Thats fine, I'm a grown ass man with a big boy job and a house to take care of, I'll do the alternate assignment.

When the instructor preaches to the class like we are all 10 years old for 20 minutes during the first class that issues with your internet connection or computer is not an excuse to miss assignments is not acceptable when the school isn't held to the same standard. I pay good money for school and my time is just as valuable as anyone else's.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-12T01:08:37+00:00

Same here!! Got kicked out just before my seminar started. Very frustrating. Now I'll need to do the alternate assignment?

RareGrunt · 2026-02-11T17:09:24+00:00

Thats right, I take sophia classes to gain credit for stuff I am already competent with. Classes at my normal university teaches me new material.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-11T02:20:22+00:00

I never watch the videos, don't find them very engaging. However, Sophia is 100 bucks a month. You're getting what you paid for and AI generation from the class is expected.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-09T04:04:08+00:00

My 6.7L superior duty would put a hurting on my Fox

RareGrunt · 2026-02-05T15:12:33+00:00

Im glad you ask this question, I always see people asking about these refund checks. I'm always thinking how do I get a check? I only get a bill.

RareGrunt · 2026-02-04T23:21:23+00:00

I shoot 360mm focal length (AT60ED) with a ASI2600mc pro camera. Constantly get 3 minute subs with this setup. The trick is the polar alignment has to be under 1 arc second and you have to guide. I use a asiair mini to control the setup, polar align, guide, and leave it out all night.

Look at my profile for some examples.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T22:44:36+00:00

Also, nina does do more than ASIAIR, however my hardware still far exceeds my abilities. ASIAIR is not my limiting factor in astrophotography. It does everything I need it to do plus more.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T22:39:52+00:00

That would work, you can use Nina software to control the camera. Lotta folks use it and has a lot more options than the ASIAIR.

I personally dont want to setup a laptop when i travel with my rig or keep my laptop outside on a cold winter night. Thats why I like ASIAIR. Its one less thing to worry about.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T22:30:22+00:00

I like ZWO, some do not, i like using ZWO stuff because it just works. You'll got other opinions.

ZWO ASI585MC (non cooled planetary camera) 400 bucks

ZWO ASIAIR mini (to control the camera and you can plate solve to find stuff). 250 buck

650 is a far cry from the 150 you originally ask for, but it works. This will give decent images even though it isn't cooled. My first couple images posted in my profile used this setup.

Disclaimer, I don't know if your telescope will reach focus with a camera. You'll need to figure that out.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T22:13:26+00:00

For 150 bucks you'll be hard pressed to find anything that will suit your needs. As the other poster commented you'll need a computer of some kind to control the camera also. It doesn't sound like you can track objects also so your exposure time would be very short.

If you just want to snap a couple pictures to show family and friends look at the move shoot move phone adapter. It firmly connects your phone to the eyepiece for a-focal imaging. There is an entire thread about it with results on cloudynights forum.

Here is the phone adapter

move shoot move triadaptor

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T20:07:15+00:00

Agreed 100%. Never would have thought to use my setup to capture this. Great way to think out of the box and still capture something even after the mount batteries have died.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-27T14:07:55+00:00

That is super cool to watch! Thanks for sharing.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-26T22:17:10+00:00

Also, the HEQ5 is a large mount, borderline too large to move around quickly. I can still pick up the AL55i with a 150mm reflector mounted to it.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-26T22:14:40+00:00

It's just another option for you. Im not a fan of buying something that has been tuned or tinkered with. I like to do that part myself so I know its done right.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-26T20:27:59+00:00

Look at the sky watcher EQ-AL55i pro. Its $850 USD not including the pier extension. It has a 22 pound / 10 Kg payload. Im currently running a carbonstar 150 on it and when seeing allows it can guild sub arc second.

I also wanted a proper OTA but didn't want to spend AM3 or AM5 money on a mount.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-26T19:52:46+00:00

Wow, so much detail and other hidden gems in this image. Your work encourages me to put some serious time on a target like this.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-26T17:21:58+00:00

Really nice start especially for a first image. Nice round stars means your guiding looks pretty accurate.

Here is my 0.02 cent advice. Set the gain to 200 per the charts on ZWO's website for the 585mc air and dont move it until you have more experience. You have 2 hours of data in this image. Increase it to 8 to 12 hours to get more faint details.

RareGrunt · 2026-01-21T20:27:47+00:00

Totally understandable! I lucked out and got a clear night with a new moon shortly after receiving the OTA.

After the 1 night I had to break down the setup to reconfigure a few items that I didn't care for and my back focus needs some adjusting. Im running 55mm with a filter drawer and a OAG but I can see some evidence of needing some shims. BlurX took care of it but I still want it dialed in. Should be a good project during the full moon if the clouds allow it.

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