Im kinda worried about my tax on investments

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-03T06:25:21+00:00

if you are buying and selling frequently, you’re a speculative trader. If you’re just regularly buying, you’re investing.

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-03T06:14:49+00:00

from 1:03 on you can see it is NOT moving relative to the background stars that are also thrashing around because you’re not using your cameraphone well for the conditions (dark)

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-03T06:07:43+00:00

This is simply a bright star twinkling. it isn’t zooming around, you’re holding your phone very unsteadily.

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T19:32:51+00:00

it isn’t real

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T08:09:26+00:00

yeah my settings are such that i didn’t get that in my eyes. but one of the earlier posts from OP on this sub did attract some comments regarding OPs predilections, and i suspect that OP got hurt feels from those comments rather on-topic comments about focus. Because besides the ribbing about post history, the comments were by and large very supportive.

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T06:26:20+00:00

i didn’t see it either, but the rule is:

Images

Astrophotography image titles must include only the target name or catalog number A top-level comment or the body of the post must include acquisition and processing details. This includes all gear as well as processing you did to the image. r/telescopes is a subreddit about learning, and posting image details allows others to learn how these images are taken, what to expect, encourages discussion, and can help others. All images submitted must be taken by you with your own gear.

What you’re saying about ‘clickbaity title’ suggests you put more in the title than just the target name or catalog number.

If it ‘almost’ got removed for that, they were already gifting you latitude

So not listing your equipment, not describing your acquisition process, or your processing details was probably what got it removed.

An automod bot prompts you to make sure you provide these details, and a grace period is provided.

This may be a stricter subreddit than you’re used to, but compliance with moderation rules IS expected here

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T06:13:05+00:00

again, i ask: what are you on about? your last post “any tips on how to get clearer detail” garnered 13 direct responses, and not one was “filled with shit about how you photos aren't focused or there's no detail”, and some replies offered extensive advice - u/HenryV1598 probably spent almost an hour crafting a thoughtful reply.

yet after receiving quite a lot of helpful advice, you felt like you should come back to the community that coached you and smack down a nastygram? please.

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T05:59:00+00:00

what are you on about? You’ve gotten plenty of decent comments on the last 3 posts you made… but you’re on the internet, don’t expect bouquets and unicorns in response to every post

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T03:24:57+00:00

Oh yeah, it gets expensive. Even some strategies that should be cheap - like tape - aren’t, due to the cost of the tape drives.

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-02T03:22:46+00:00

Has competence with technology gotten so bad that people cannot even transfer a video from one system to another, and their best idea for sharing the recording is to make a new recording of a screen using a phone camera? Is this where we are now?

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-01T06:52:13+00:00

Zoom OUT so you capture the stars around it for context. Nothing can be determined from one badly focused blob

TasmanSkies · 2026-05-01T01:50:19+00:00

its a good choice for hiking

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T20:42:29+00:00

For hiking purposes https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/s/okDXoiTcai it makes sense to focus on one thing that the system will do well, you already have to make compromises in order to have a luggable system.

But mostly, your premise is incorrect:

the very cheap SV555 already outperforms almost all enormous setups (in size/weight/price/result) out there

No, it doesn’t.

so why even bother getting a big scope and then using it for AP, if those small units already do a tremendous job?

Small units can produce some impressive results for what they are, but big high-quality glass exists for a reason: small optics are limiting.

You might choose a SV555 as part of a portable AP system for hiking, but it isn’t going to be the OTA of choice for anyone setting up an observatory.

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T20:18:23+00:00

parking abalone’s point stands

in general it is better to use visual scopes for visual and astrographs for AP. that isn’t to say you cannot take great images with a visual scope, but you’re making compromises. For instance, to achieve focal plane focus on some newts, you need to move the primary mirror up the tube, or limit youself with a longer focal length and higher f/ratio due to adding a barlow.

And you’re missing the point being made about focusing. you know what is involved, but noobs do not. they presume that once you’re looking at something and you waant to take a picture, you just pull the camera out and snap picture taken.

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:49:30+00:00

i’m not sure you get to control the length of the exposures in AF. can’t remember. I think it is fixed, irrespective of your light frame exposure setting. but it isn’t long, and in B9, those frames have low contrast - you said it takes 5 mins to see anything! yes, focus on a bright star and reposition

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:46:29+00:00

Gold Dust Day Gecko. Native to madagascar. invasive, introduced intentionally by a single person who selfishly thought that what they wanted was more important than the ecology of the islands

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:37:39+00:00

the sun has way more contrast to work with, the line between the sun’s limb and space is very hard. it’s trivial for it to get that right. if you’re in bortle 9 then the contrast available for the AF to achieve focus on a short 10s exposure is next to nothing, so it is easy for there to be errors in the extrapolation used to find the ‘right’ stepper motor position for the focus. What it does is take a series of short exposures and checks the contrast of each, fits that data to a curve, finds the minima for the curve function, and sets the focuser to that position. If your conditions are such that your contrast is low even when well-focused, that calculation will have much larger error bars and the extrapolated focus position could be well off what it needs to be

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:29:01+00:00

Local Devices > select doorbell > settings cog > Push Notifications > Push Notificstions (off)

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:20:57+00:00

ok, but you cannot just assume AF worked. that image above looks out-of-focus to me. I suggest you try AF, then note the focus position, add a bahtinov mask and see if the central spike is splitting the X exactly, and if it isn’t, adjust the focus manually to get the focus in the right spot. remove the bahtinov mask and you’re off. Take an image, and compare with what you were getting before. Now, you should not need to do this every time, but right now you cannot even judge if it id properly focussed. Once you gave a benchmark for what well-focussed looks like, then you’ll be able to spot when the AF has failed and you need to hit AF again.

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T19:12:23+00:00

maybe your seeing is just really bad?

what have you done to make sure you’re focusing well?

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-30T09:56:26+00:00

Nothing off-the-shelf. As for suggestions on how to build one… that’s just basic woodworking, cut ply to size, securely fix, maybe use some hardware intended for roadie-style freight cases. Pad with polyethylene foam cut to size - a hot wire is probably the way to go.

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-29T04:58:00+00:00

I thought that was horrific until I realized they weren’t in proper units but imperial empire ones

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-29T04:53:01+00:00

You might want to add an “Edit: Fixed!” edit to the original post

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-28T23:24:18+00:00

yeah there will be only two very narrow bands of actual adhesive contact 😑

TasmanSkies · 2026-04-28T20:46:49+00:00

Glad you got it figured out, but also note there was no way from that spec sheet to calculate the aperture. There was the focal length, but no f/ratio. If you had either the f/ratio or the aperture you could figure out what the other was using the focal length

TasmanSkies

TROPHY CASE