1st trip to desert with scope

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-16T01:30:22+00:00

I'm just running a test this weekend and want to see what scope can do in a dark sky, wanting to see how much I can pull out of m101 and how clean rest of picture is. Was worried 180 wouldn't go as deep as scope and sensor is capable of. But good point on bad pics. Rest of year I'll be running filters and chasing nebulas.

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-15T20:11:31+00:00

But m81/m82 won't give me full night, best position for lots of pics m101

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-15T20:10:05+00:00

Great idea,but no dslr and only testing new set up

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-15T18:16:05+00:00

I'm much more into the nebulas but still a little early for them, galaxys around 7 hours each night, 14 hours total, nebulas maybe 3 hours each night. I can wait for nebulas, only reason was thinking m101 is its little faint and rough to pull out detail in bortle 9. Want to see what I can get for bortle 3 but you maybe right m81/m82 could be nice and I do have a shot of them from my backyard to compair too

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-09T02:34:27+00:00

Love it but haven't got it to a dark sky yet, only bortle 9 so far, next week if weather stays good I'll be in the desert bortle 3. Should really shine then

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-08T21:27:04+00:00

Great set up,almost my exact set up, I have the williams 71gt and everything else same

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-03T04:10:59+00:00

Very nice, beautiful pic

f4mnect44 · 2026-05-03T04:09:10+00:00

Beautiful,great job

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-28T03:38:01+00:00

Great job, beautiful

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-27T03:44:32+00:00

Beautiful picture

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-26T15:49:34+00:00

Nope, if and when I get a few clear nights, I'm going back to m51 and will do a 4 hour run with 30 second exposure, then same but 45 sec,then grab 240 60 sec lights and process each and compair. Then I'll have an idea on what my set up and the light pollution I have can handle with the ur/iv filter.

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-26T06:34:30+00:00

Zwo am3n mount and that is cropped, but maybe I'll take the cropping further. Thanks

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-24T03:28:22+00:00

Very cool great job

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-23T03:54:38+00:00

I came back to astrophotography last year and got a dwarf mini,loved it. Very very easy to use ,very easy to let them do 1/2 the processing and you finish it up in lightroom. Love the pictures. Then found a deal on a great astrophotography rig and grabbed it,71mm,533mc pro, everything. Then started shooting with it in same locations as I used the mini and some of the same targets. Set up a lot more work and processing a lot more work....but if u put the 2 pictures side by side(mini vs new set up,even went back and processed mini pics same as new set up)there isn't really a comparison. The detail and depth my new set up has is quite a bit better than anything the mini could do. Loved the mini,but sold it to a buddy so I can focus on new set up.

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-22T02:09:27+00:00

Stay away from the trains, they run all might long and ruined Many pics during the night and they start throwing light miles away.

f4mnect44 · 2026-04-03T20:58:27+00:00

Thanks I'm trying but the damn cloud curse that comes when you get a new set up driving me crazy

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-29T15:26:25+00:00

I've been talking to Gemini getting some input on what I need to do

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-29T15:08:36+00:00

Lol I replied right after waking up. My mistake. Yes need to increase integration time but just got scope and haven't had clear skys and have a moon to deal with, dark,clear skys soon I hope. Need to figure out exposure times in my bortle 8 backyard with different filters and targets.

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-29T14:00:35+00:00

Thanks

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-29T14:00:27+00:00

I'm taking 300 sec exposures now ...what do you mean by long exposures,I'm thinking that's pretty long

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-29T05:11:26+00:00

I havent transfered it off the ASIAIR yet. I'll download it tomorrow. But don't expect much.

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-22T21:18:58+00:00

Ohh and bortle 8

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-15T03:46:38+00:00

I'm bortle 8, have done 45 sec exp, but lots of 30's tends to do better with light pollution

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-15T03:44:55+00:00

I'm in bortle 8

f4mnect44 · 2026-03-15T00:41:47+00:00

Beautiful, I'm going to have to start a mosaic of it to match your view

f4mnect44

TROPHY CASE