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1st light for 6" F8 with Mintron


philjay

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I won an F8 6" Helios Evostar off ebay the other week, this is going to be my main video imaging scope with the Mintron. The idea being 6" should pull plenty of the faint stuff in and tonight was the 1st test.

Heres a few of the objects I had a go at. All captures show more or less what was on the screen. Each capture was 2 minutes, about 600 frames, at 128x integration.

Im quite pleased really, the focuser was a pain but generally the scope is great. Its also a bosting DSO visual scope, on planetary its not very good too much colour. But hey this has cost me 125 notes so Im not complaining :)

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Philgallery_19_11_34939.jpg

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Forgot to mention, these were with the web cam 0.5 reducer so its shows you the image scale you get with F8/2. Next I shall try stacking reducers with the WO 0.8 reducer in front of the 0.5 and see what that does

Phil

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Guest Tweedledum

Nice work Phil, funny saw that scope & thought of you !!! It will get petesulli all nostalgic about his mintron, and the pier he took to the tip!

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If I go down the Mintron avenue, I really don't need to spend loads of money on a big scope. With a Mintron and the right software, tracking, guiding and accurate eq alignment is less of a problem, so I wouldn't even bother with a pier. I'd keep it all nice and portable, as grab n go as is possible. Of course Mintrons are also great fun visually in real time. In the past I had some great views using a Mintron with a standard camera lens, 80mm frac as well as the 10" LX! Marvellous for star parties since you don't have to queue up to look through the eyepiece, the live image is on the laptop :)

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Thanks chaps the scope is looking promising

Damian it was the big black Helios the other week on an EQ4 I got it for 255 I now have a buyer for the mount and tripod at 130 so that means Ive only spent 125 on a 6" F8 achro refractor. Even with the trip to Cradley Heath to pick it up 125 notes for a 6" F8 Achro is a pretty good deal :) I like ebay sometimes :)

Pete you dont need guiding with video astronomy you dont even need accurate polar alignment as its all in real time and your not exposing for hours on end (oooeeer missus) if the image wanders off the screen a little you just nudge it back in. Also because your not trying to take Hubble quality photos but you viewing in real time you dont need top end scopes, a simple scope will do.

I would however advocate getting a largish apeture as like all things in this hobby bigger means more light. A mintron in an 80mm wont be up to much but I have had excellent results with a simple ST120 on an RA driven EQ3 mount, thats how I started video.

Phil

Edited by philjay
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Guest Tweedledum

Hi Phil,

I saw it and almost got the cash out! From memory it was on a Meade mount. How is it for CA?, cracking images with the camera still.

Pete, you can pinch my st120 anytme!!

Cheers Chaps.

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Hi Phil,

The speed and simplicity of getting results is what I love about the Mintron, even if the image quality leaves a bit to be desired. Also its versatility, allowing real time visual or imaging, at the same time. I agree about the larger aperture being better in every way, but like you say, with a Mintron I could manage with lesser quality. I've had aperture fever for a long while ever since I came to the realisation that 600 magnification on a 60mm plastic scope was not the way to go at about 12 years old.

Although I would like to get into high quality proper imaging, I currently lack both the funds or the spare time to even start on that learning curve.

I'll leave that to Damian for now, he seems to have plenty of both available, I'm envious :)

Cheers Damian, I might come knocking on your door for the st120.

Thanks,

Pete.

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No Damian it was on an EQ4 mount with ali tripod no drives and one bust leg clamp. I think that and the fact it was collect from Cradley put folks off

The CA correction isnt too bad but its there.

I took a look at Jupiter in non too marvellous atmospheric conditions and there was CA evident, nowhere near as bad as my old Startravel as this is F8 but its still there. Before the cloud came over I tried Mars which was low and managed to see a blorry polar cap and Mare Acidalia, blurry because the planet was low and atmospherics were awful.

I have my F15 and my 5" apo for planetary so I am not bothered about CA in this scope as its gonna be DSO B&W only and at that its looking good. I just have to sort a few mods out on it and it'll be a good un I reckon

Phil

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Guest Tweedledum

Hi Phil,

That is my only very minor gripe about the star travel 120, it has a medium amount of ca on bright objects, but not enough for me to spend 50% of the ota value on a 2" Baader fringe killer. The scope gets used and abused on hol, sits in the roofbox, boot or back seat and eats up snow, sand and dog slobber. It is built like a brick privy!.

The Scope I saw was on a Meade Motorised mount http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/helios-6-150mm-refractor-telescope-meade-LXD55-goto-autostar-motorised-mount-/300660223558?pt=UK_Photography_Telescopes&hash=item4600beee46 but it went for £350.

I've got an old russian 110mm F10.5 Maksutov camera lens, that I have just put a Olympus DSLR t-ring on, Ill have a go with that just for fun!.

Cheers

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  • 2 weeks later...

They are very good well done.... The Orion Nebula is my favourite.

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