New widefield rig at Les Granges. If a thing CAN go wrong...

[Guest ollypenrice]

In a moment of madness I decided to restructure the imaging gear. Out went two Atik 4000s and in came an Atik 11000.

Initially the new camera proved problematic but Atik were great and sorted it successfully (with great concern, courtesy and professionalism, let me add.)

Next problem; the scope I love above all others, the Takahashi FSQ85, did not quite cover the huge chip. There were distortions at the edge of field. It might have been possible to fine tune these to a bare minimum but I wasn't sure, so I snapped up a used Takahashi FSQ106N Fluorite on UKABS. 'What's this then?' said Parcel Force. 'I bet we can smash an iron bar right through this case. Yes, there, look, we can!''

 

 

We are 'discussing' the case but the tank-like FSQ appears not to have been disturbed by whatever tried to tunnel through it and is giving great stars across the chip. Up and running it looks something like this;

 

 

And the light goes here;

 

 

I know I'm going to like it and I hope others will do so too. You don't have to decide, now, whether to image the Eagle or the Swan. You can easily do them both at once. It will do the entire Veil in one go as well. So I hope it will bring smiles all round. 

 

Now for the hard part, parting with the FSQ85, which already has a new home to go to.

 

Cheers,

 

Olly

Edited March 9, 2013 by ollypenrice

[T A WOW]

Very tasty!

[Sheila]

glad the scope survived

 

Sheila

[Guest Tweedledum]

Hi Olly,

 

That looks a great setup, the box looks very reminiscent of the box a127L came in except mine you could see the bootprint through the hole!.

 

Cheers

[Guest Eddy]

Nice, this should produce some stunning results, look forward to its first light

[catman161]

Wow! Looks awesome Olly. I need to get to your place for a holiday!

[Guest ollypenrice]

Quick first light amidst cloud and wetness suggests that the scope has not taken too much harm. This is the Beehive with space around it, not something I'm used to seeing! It's just three reds and a green shown in greyscale but the stars look decent edge to edge. I didn't bother with flats so used Pixinsight's DBE rather carelessly, hence the haloes. Really I was just eyeing up the shape of the stars in the corners.

Olly

 

Edited March 9, 2013 by ollypenrice

[catman161]

Great example of the framing capability of the scope and camera-I can see some awesome images coming from this setup! Nice one Olly

[Tweedledee]

Looks good to me (wide-field) .

 

Pity about the damaged case.

[Brantuk]

Looking at the state of the case and that pic I'd say the scope was damaged and you need to sell it off to me for £50 Olly lol

[Craig]

Looking at the state of the case and that pic I'd say the scope was damaged and you need to sell it off to me for £50 Olly lol

 

Yeah, Kim is desperate for kit. He has hardly anything you know. 

[Doc]

Yeah, Kim is desperate for kit. He has hardly anything you know. 

 

Kim's most used piece of kit is his astro slippers and pipe 

[Brantuk]

Lol - I love watching astronomy - it's my favourite hobby hehehe

[BAZ]

Groby is a black hole for astro gear, it goes in, and comes out to be polished and admired at star parties twice a year.

 

Astro pipe and slippers. What an image, lol.

[Brantuk]

Yeah - should be cigar not pipe lol