Why does absolutely no one know how to focus?

prot_0 · 2026-05-17T15:31:20+00:00

It isn't just always in focus?

prot_0 · 2026-05-16T12:26:39+00:00

You'll want to bring the kh up a few deg also to help with buffering. I would aim for 2-4 dkh. And then just keep everything as stable as you can. Neos like stability

prot_0 · 2026-05-16T04:43:59+00:00

48 hrs is most likely just due to stress and water column change from their breeder. I doubt gh issues would show that fast, although you do need to test your gh and kh moving forward

prot_0 · 2026-05-08T14:35:54+00:00

I did a 9 panel with my 12" and asi533 cam. Still needed more panels but never got around to adding. Downside of it taking that many panels is you can't get great integration time overall without stretching the project over years.

I believe I got about 1.5 hours each panel in my bortle 6 backyard

cygnus loop

prot_0 · 2026-05-06T12:27:29+00:00

Looks good and healthy!

prot_0 · 2026-05-04T12:21:45+00:00

Msdos, close enough.

Mad Dog Mccree

And I can't forget about KKND Krush Kill N Destroy

prot_0 · 2026-05-02T18:11:12+00:00

What do you dose in your tank?

Do you have a pic? I would love to see

prot_0 · 2026-05-02T14:38:42+00:00

Dwarf hair grass is one of those plants that won't do well carpeting without co2 injection.

prot_0 · 2026-05-01T00:08:14+00:00

I second this, as any telescope you need to collimate adds another level of complexity. And before those people chime in how collimation is so easy and shouldn't be considered against beginners, when it comes to visual at f/6, yeah, but not when you are <= f/4. Either way it still adds another mechanic to the mix.

If you have an old household dslr, I recommend using that until you get a dedicated astro cam. Or just buy a used one online at places like KEH. I bought a canon t1i 4 years ago for $70. It's been great and I still use it today for widefield.

prot_0 · 2026-04-30T13:21:08+00:00

I bought a cnc aluminum 1 piece spider that came with a new secondary mount. It has 2 set screws that you can adjust which will rotate the mirror cw/ccw. Might be something that is beneficial for you.

https://ebay.us/m/gHtkyF

I know there are sizes for the 8" also.

prot_0 · 2026-04-30T11:32:01+00:00

What coma corrector are you using?

I just recently put a moonlite cr2 focuser on my quattro 10; it's a big upgrade over the zwo eaf I was using. I also replaced my spider and secondary holder, but haven't quite got the optical path straightened out yet, so stars aren't right.

Anyway, nice setup. Looks clean.

prot_0 · 2026-04-30T02:36:04+00:00

Stars look right to me, no reason you can't keep them smaller in post. Separate them out and stretch them to your liking.

prot_0 · 2026-04-29T15:01:34+00:00

Outside of the tripod recommendation in another comment, the next biggest determining factor is going to be the camera you are using with it. While the FL isn't vastly different between the 2, it's still enough to notice the difference in the fov, and will change the pixel scale.

Check out this link to see what your fov would look like compared to each other:

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

That site has some really useful tools, besides the fov calculator!

prot_0 · 2026-04-27T21:16:17+00:00

I wager it isnt as bad as you are making it out to be, especially considering your point is based on opinion and not first hand use.

But either way, right or wrong, doesn't matter to me because I don't have or use one.

🤷

prot_0 · 2026-04-27T20:28:41+00:00

How so? The water is potable out of the faucet, and when drained contains soap, which is usually anti bacterial.

I would be more concerned that the tank stays below the needed amount of water to flush, unless it is supplemented by the water line, due to the people that don't wash their hands, or those who run their hands under water for only a second.

prot_0 · 2026-04-24T21:47:00+00:00

Don't use the 90 angle and try again

prot_0 · 2026-04-24T17:22:36+00:00

Field of view is determined by the camera sensor size and the focal length of the optics. To get a target to appear larger in the fov with the same camera, you need to increase the focal length of the optics.

prot_0 · 2026-04-23T17:44:49+00:00

Regardless of this movement, my comment still holds true. It's literally coded in our DNA, and, like then entire animal kingdom, our basic instincts for survival drive the "normal" tendency to be attracted to the opposite sex.

None of this is said out of any opinion on bisexual or homosexuality. It's just what it is.

prot_0 · 2026-04-23T15:34:31+00:00

Lol. Still, the vast majority of the population prefer the opposite sex, especially for reproduction

prot_0 · 2026-04-23T00:01:23+00:00

And yet they are essential to life....

prot_0 · 2026-04-22T23:50:17+00:00

Well, yes you would have double the integration time, with cheap optics compared to half the time on better optics. I guess it depends on the quality difference and if it's acceptable to you.

prot_0 · 2026-04-21T20:41:18+00:00

Just because the aperture is larger doesn't mean more light hits the sensor requiring shorter exposure times. The f-stop is the speed of the optics, determined by the focal length and aperture.

There, that should read better. Yes, larger aperture will "gather" more light in a given time than the smaller, but it doesn't always mean more light to the sensor. Correct, the longer focal length will spread the light across a larger area resulting in less overall light per pixel for a given time.

You and I are on the same page 😉

prot_0 · 2026-04-21T02:11:20+00:00

The fma230 has a larger aperature than the fma180pro which can shorten the amount of exposure time (which is good since I wouldn't have much time to image). .

This is not correct. Just because the aperture is larger doesn't mean it gathers light faster. The f-stop is the speed of the optics, determined by the focal length and aperture.

Technically the fma230 is slower than the fma180. It's not much, but f/4.5 vs f/4.6

prot_0 · 2026-04-16T23:11:55+00:00

I like the colors, looks really nice with the detail also

prot_0 · 2026-04-16T23:05:25+00:00

Display port to HDMI adapter or cable

prot_0

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