Hello from Bavaria, Germany! - Forums

Topic starter

Dec 22, 2020

I haven't introduced my self here.

My name is Philip, i'm 35 years old and i started with Astrophotography in Janaury 2020 with an Orion N150/750 on an Azimuth mount. My 4 years old Son wanted to view the Planets but after a short while i figured out, that i have fun in deep sky imaging. But this required a better focuser and an equatorial mount. So i have upgrade my gears to an SkyWatcher HEQ5-Pro with the 150/750 PDS Newton.

Within the last 12 Month i have modified the HEQ5 with the belt mod, improved my optics with Velours covering, self designed and printed mirror holder:

In May i have decided to build a steel pillar for the scope:

Finally i have added a self designed and printed dew cap and a Mirror cooler:

https://www.astrobin.com/mblnoy/

Since January i have shot over 100 Pictures which i have combined in a collage of 101 Pictures:

https://www.astrobin.com/dlj6cq/

CS
Philip

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Ruediger

Dec 22, 2020 · Edited: Dec 22, 2020

Hallo Philip,

herzlich willkommen und viele Grüße aus Ansbach!
Bin schon öfters an Euch vorbeigefahren auf dem Weg von Ansbach nach Augsburg

So klein ist die Welt.

Vielleicht auch für dich interessant: Die deutsche Gruppe hier im Forum:
https://www.astrobin.com/forum/c/group-forums/astrophotography-germany/

Viele Grüße
Rüdiger

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pmneo

Topic starter

Dec 22, 2020

Hallo Rüdiger!

Danke dir!

An dem Westendorf bei Augsburg bin ich auch schon öfters vorbei gefahren, ist aber leider nicht mein Örtchen

Meines liegt nochmal ca. 80km Südlicher bei Kaufbeuren

Ich hab mal ein Gruppenbeitritt beantragt

Gruß
Philip

astropical

Perfect post

Dec 23, 2020

Hi Philip,
Welcome aboard!
Since I own the same 150PDS, do you get rid of unwanted star spikes by using your home-made mirror holder?
I believe the spikes in excess of the four "natural" spikes are coming from the three original mirror holders.
Reflections may as well originate from the silver focuser tube.
Cheers
Robert

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pmneo

Topic starter

Dec 23, 2020

Hi Robert,

yes the self made mirror holder helped extremly to improve the star shape:

The right one was with the optimasations, but with foggy and cloudy conditions:

astropical

Perfect post

Dec 23, 2020

Hi Philip
That ties it up. Thanks so much. Did you 3D-print the holder?

Stefan Böckler

Dec 23, 2020

I am also using the Sky-Watcher 150/750 (non-PDS version) and had the same problem with surplus diffraction spikes. I got rid of them by using an aperture ring printed and sold by @Daniel Nimmervoll:

https://www.liquidart-shop.at/de/Astro--Fotografie--Blendenringe--3D-Druck--Teleskop.html

The ring covers the clamp holders and massively improved the star shapes. The remaining artefacts (apart from the spikes themselves of course) probably derive from focuser tube protruding into the light path.

Regards
Stefan

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pmneo

Topic starter

Dec 23, 2020

Hi Stefan, i printed such a ring too.
But then i have reworked it to a complete holder, because the ring has a much smaller diameter.
My "Holder Ring" has a free diameter of 149mm instead of 139mm to cover the common holders.
There is also no glossy metal necessary.

I have created a comparsion here:

So a ring may reduce your f5 Newton to a f5.35 ..

CS
Philip

Stefan Böckler

Dec 23, 2020

Hi Philip!

Great that you can avoid the problem of the reduced aperture with your design! Unfortunately I don't have a 3d printer so I will continue with the ring. But the lost aperture is a small price for the improved star shape IMO.

CS
Stefan

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astropical

Perfect post

Dec 24, 2020

Stefan Böckler:
I am also using the Sky-Watcher 150/750 (non-PDS version) and had the same problem with surplus diffraction spikes. I got rid of them by using an aperture ring printed and sold by @Daniel Nimmervoll:

https://www.liquidart-shop.at/de/Astro--Fotografie--Blendenringe--3D-Druck--Teleskop.html

The ring covers the clamp holders and massively improved the star shapes. The remaining artefacts (apart from the spikes themselves of course) probably derive from focuser tube protruding into the light path.

Regards
Stefan

Thanks so much Stefan, for the valuable link!
Cheers, Robert

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Joel85

Dec 24, 2020

Welcome !

I also work with HEQ5 and had a 150/750 before , it's a good setup . Now 200/800 still on HEQ5 (+ rowan upgrade)

I have installed a "chamfar mask" yesterday (ring around primary miror ) and hope to get a better result on stars shape. Your m42 test is very good and your steel pilar is fine , congratulations !