Tag Archives: EQ3-2

Another couple of 127 Mak Messier objects

Hot on the heels of my “success” with M13, I decided to have a try at M3 and M5. I suffered the same problems with unusable subs for exactly the same reasons: it’s really pushing the mount too hard to … Continue reading

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DSO Imaging with a 127 Mak

It’s often said that slow focal ratio telescopes are unsuitable for DSO imaging and in the general case I’d probably agree. However, having seen a few other imaging attempts with a 127 Mak I thought it might be interesting to … Continue reading

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First Saturn of the Season

After a late start, Saturn being past opposition already, I finally managed to capture my first images of the season two nights ago. Mostly I’m still using the same kit that I’ve always used for planetary imaging — a 127 … Continue reading

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Mounting a DSLR on a Telescope Mount

Someone was asking how they could mount their DSLR on a telescope mount such as an EQ3-2 or EQ5. I do this for my wide field images. Here’s how. I have a short dovetail (about 15cm) to which I have … Continue reading

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EQ3-2 motor gearbox reduction ratio

I’ve decided there’s nothing more I can do with my EQ3-2 mechanics to improve the backlash that’s painfully obvious in the DEC axis. What backlash there is left (about twelve seconds at the 8x speed when changing direction) appears to … Continue reading

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Another wide field Andromeda Galaxy Attempt

Fresh from my previous attempt at this I repeated the process, but this time in the capture application (APT) I pushed the live view zoom up to 10x and set the emulated ISO setting to 1600 with an exposure as … Continue reading

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Widefield Andromeda Galaxy

This is the first time I’ve ever attempted this sort of image. I left the telescopes in the house for this one, just taking out the Canon 450D and 200mm f/2.8L lens on my unguided EQ3-2 mount. I shot ten … Continue reading

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Solar Imaging with the 127 Mak

Someone was asking about the set-up of a solar imaging system, so I took these photos of mine “in action”. There’s really nothing special here other than the motor focuser that I cobbled onto the back of the Mak. The … Continue reading

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Another Attempt at a Cygnus Widefield Image

The evening after my previous attempt the sky looked better so I set up again mostly with the same kit (EQ3-2, 450D, 18-55mm lens at 18mm & f/4.5, but this time I used APT to control the camera from the … Continue reading

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My First Widefield Shot

Quite a few “firsts” this week. Makes such a change to have so many nights of clear sky. This night the sky clarity wasn’t great, but I wanted to try a widefield shot and wasn’t too worried about the outcome … Continue reading

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