New year soon so new plans and more discussions please

Equipment Buying Advice
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Tareq Abdulla avatar
Tareq Abdulla avatar
Hi all,

I wish all of you best and great times and wishes and holidays these days, and i hope next year is better and wish all being safe.

Now i want to start new year with improvement if i can, last 3 years were fun for me, but i didn't make much to have better results or quality, i even couldn't get any of my images with top picks or IOTD, so i don't know if in future i can and i won't try hard to get it without me having fun, but i will try to have really that nice results to be same or similar to those chosen one here or anywhere.

So now i want to discuss my setup more as i feel like i wasted last years only to buy setup and finding out it wasn't the one or i have to buy more or something else, but so far all what i bought will have use one way or another, and i hope i will make better decisions and i can afford more gear if possible.

I have three mono cooled cameras, before i have QHY163M in 2017, this year i bought ASI1600MM-C Pro and i ordered QHY294C but they sent me the mono which is a big surprise and even better, but i don't know what kind of filters or filter system i should use for my QHY294M, i already have filters wheels and filters with my other two mono, so now this camera is left without anything yet, what do you recommend?

I ordered a scope which is 90mm F/6 APO triplet, and i am planning to buy a reducer for it different than the one i have so i can get two different FL reduced, but because i am doing or planning to have a dual imaging system i still don't know which second scope to buy, not expensive one, but good enough one, and i was thinking that the second one will have only one or two filters and the other scope that i ordered will have also different 1-2 filters, but from the last time i did imaging i liked the FOV that i got with ST80 + 0.8x, my 90mm f6 will not give me that FoV unless i buy either an APS-C camera or a full frame, and i can't be sure which one to buy as the full frame will cost me too much for everything, for that purpose i was thinking to buy a second scope to give very wide field in 250-300mm if ;possible, either without reducer or with reducer, i already have 0.8x anyway, so i am not sure which scope next to 90mm i should get, if i will use APS-C with that 90mm then i can use my 4/3" sensor cameras with that small wide field scope not sure which one.

I keep using and depending on one mount until now, it is holding strong and nice for now, but i don't know for how long it can handle whatever setup i can use, if i keep grouping, and it is very heavy, i don't drive or do portable and no permanent observatory spot in my property, so i keep carrying it always back and forth assembled always, i keep thinking about another mount cheap but lightweight and good tracking, my mount is AZ-EQ6, so i won't afford another any EQ6 models mount, so any recommendations? Or i just use this mount until say 2022 then i try to save and afford a stronger better mount that can handle more like minimum 50kgs if possible?

I am using QHY mini guide scope and QHY5L-II-M camera for guiding, it is doing great, but i see time to time suddenly in the middle of the imaging that it gets disconnected, i don't know where is the problem, the cable? it worked anyway, or the software? All using PHD2 so do it, or the USB port? I can't try 100 ports to make sure one is working, but is there a way to secure the connection? Or should i think about another guiding options? What is the best guiding option you dream to have? And what another option cheap enough you can suggest over than my QHY guiding system?

As i mentioned above, i want to have a color camera, and after three same sensor size mono cameras i will only buy larger size of color camera, but i just don't want to get into full frame and then i buy expensive stuff with it, but i still have 2" D2 LP filter i bought for a color camera anyway, and this color camera i will use it for RGB only, not planning to use it for everything as LRGB and SHO, i have mono for that, but i want to cut time of collecting data from filters with RGB at same time, most of the time i always end up with one or more bad data from LRGB, so that means i will never get color done, but with a color camera i can just collecting data for like 2-4 hours which i can't do with LRGB filters anyway, i will make L and Ha from mono but RGB from color, but do i really need more accessories if i go full frame? Or should i stay with APS-C size so i know that my scopes and reducers can be fine up to this size?

Almost the above are the main things i am planning for next coming year, i am also trying to decide for a big dob to buy for visual and planetary, but that is another topic i don't want to talk about again now, so i will just focus on DSO gear/stuff and make sure i am doing fine in DSO imaging next year at least, so if you have any ideas or any additions you want to add please do.

Thank you
Doug Summers avatar
Doug Summers avatar
Re:  "last 3 years were fun for me, but i didn't make much to have better results or quality, i even couldn't get any of my images with top picks or IOTD":

Well, on your first point only, I think you shouldn't be too hard on yourself.   From another new person's viewpoint, likes, top-pic candidates and IOTD seem pretty subjective here.   It helps to be aware that there are folks here who don't even take their own data, but secure regular top pic rewards!   There are amateur hosting facilities (Deep Sky West for example) that sell data for folks to process.   Not taking anything away from folks who chose this route, but it's tough for folks with limited budgets and/or lesser gear to compete on a level playing field with folks who are just buying data from professional hosting facilities.   There seems to be no real filter to separate those of us who fight with our gear to gather the data AND post-process from those who just buy the data and then process/submit.    It's not clear what/whether categories exist for the judges to use that differentiate for the benefit of everyone.

I'd say the most important thing is to forget about awards and just make images you and your friends like.   There's no way to know what biases are in the group selecting and similarly what biases are in the smaller group awarding.  I've found that if you look at those selections and compare to your own images, you can often see how to improve your images, but also to sometimes notice that your images might be even better already.   It's a bit of a "crap shoot" how images get selected!   In that light, it's probably best not to chase likes, top-pics, or IOTD selections.   Best wishes for a happy new year.   Cheers….
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Tareq Abdulla avatar
Tareq Abdulla avatar
Doug Summers:
Re:  "last 3 years were fun for me, but i didn't make much to have better results or quality, i even couldn't get any of my images with top picks or IOTD":

Well, on your first point only, I think you shouldn't be too hard on yourself.   From another new person's viewpoint, likes, top-pic candidates and IOTD seem pretty subjective here.   It helps to be aware that there are folks here who don't even take their own data, but secure regular top pic rewards!   There are amateur hosting facilities (Deep Sky West for example) that sell data for folks to process.   Not taking anything away from folks who chose this route, but it's tough for folks with limited budgets and/or lesser gear to compete on a level playing field with folks who are just buying data from professional hosting facilities.   There seems to be no real filter to separate those of us who fight with our gear to gather the data AND post-process from those who just buy the data and then process/submit.    It's not clear what/whether categories exist for the judges to use that differentiate for the benefit of everyone.

I'd say the most important thing is to forget about awards and just make images you and your friends like.   There's no way to know what biases are in the group selecting and similarly what biases are in the smaller group awarding.  I've found that if you look at those selections and compare to your own images, you can often see how to improve your images, but also to sometimes notice that your images might be even better already.   It's a bit of a "crap shoot" how images get selected!   In that light, it's probably best not to chase likes, top-pics, or IOTD selections.   Best wishes for a happy new year.   Cheers....

Well said, i almost forgot that not all awarded selected images here are done by original owners, but data gotten from pro resources.

At the end, if i can't get my images that good anyway then what i am really doing here? I mean i got popular in Facebook already with my so so images and i got so many likes, but here it is like nothing i can do will be enough, and i am happy with my results and i am getting improved also, and i am still learning and keep going, but there will be a point that i can't just keep doing this for very long time and then still not getting recognized here and there except Facebook, so then it is no point for me to keep showing my work if they aren't anything to be chosen or even enough comments, i don't want to lie on myself, the good stuff will always standing out and will be chosen one way or another, imagine i upload 100 images here in 5 years and nothing good yet while someone let's say he is doing all things by himself, uploading 20 images and got some chosen or awarded and he didn't spend even half years that i spent, then it will feel like i am just wasting time, so in this case i better just stop coming here as it won't make me any better then, and i just keep looking at awarded images and keep asking myself "What is so special on this? And why mine which i like and i see/believe is better didn't get to that?", this will put me in path that i feel like i have to stop one day and just go use pro data to get more attention after a while,

Also, i am still asking about equipment, those pro observatories aren't using cheap toy all-affording gear anyway no matter where they are, so they also know that gear helps, and i will never compete with them, but that doesn't mean i have only to use less good gear to prove anything, if i can afford something better then let it be, i just don't know what better i have to upgrade to, results will always come sooner or later, heck i already have like 5 drives each is TBs sizes of data already from 3 years, so it is not about i just keep going out to buy more drives to save thousands of my data if nothing much there, i better slow down but i accelerate my equipment quality which will help me at some point to level up my results, i don't expect my ST80 to give me NASA-pod like results nor my Canon lenses unless i do something very unique, but at this point i think i just keep depending on equipment more than my skills, and that is very clear, i remember i didn't do any planetary in my life, and when i bought my 180mm Mak i just in one year of 2018 people called me a Master for lunar imaging, and my planets results also got so many likes, that is just in one year, why, because i used a Mak planets killer and ZWO planetary cameras, i even didn't spend years to make it that good, it already gave me nice results from first weeks already and few months, same when i bought my Astrodon Ha filter and cooled mono cameras, i couldn't get anything without them, so very simply that the more i upgrading my gear to the task the more i also learn and growing my skills with it.

I try now to learn from my past and years and do things better, and i almost reaching to the middle road of it, only few more things and i am ready, in my case i try to make things better because i know my skills alone won't be enough and with my bad situations, i feel like i will spend too much long years more than those in same my situations about sky but with better equipment and more time, so i do increase my gear quality and even quantity to shorten my path, i am working on the dual setup, i don't know why many don't like the idea, but when i saw some did it and having that amazing or very nice results then i told myself about why should i waste my time using one thing of everything only to tell people that i spent 1 month out to image one target, when i cut that to 1 week or even 1-2 nights at least, so i hope someone can help me or guide me through equipment plans and then i will take my skills to serious levels.
Doug Summers avatar
Doug Summers avatar
Re:  "At the end, if i can't get my images that good anyway then what i am really doing here?"

Well, I think the answer to this is that whereas on Facebook, you are displaying your images and skills to the masses of potentially less educated people who just admire the beauty of the images and might enjoy some astrophysical details you describe,  here you are displaying supposedly to your astrophotographer peers.   In that regard, the site is fairly unique (or at least I haven't found another like it).   There are many photo's I've taken that I would show to family and friends, but which I would not put in the public here.    I might keep them in my private area until I am ready for other astrophotographers to look at them and possibly comment.     That's the draw IMO for this site.

All this said, I don't understand myself much about how the selection process works and who is doing the selecting (and if they have any conflicting interests).  Let's hope it's reasonably fair, and that there's some consideration for the differences we've already discussed (professional hosting vs true amateur capture & processing).
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Tareq Abdulla avatar
Tareq Abdulla avatar
Doug Summers:
Re:  "At the end, if i can't get my images that good anyway then what i am really doing here?"

Well, I think the answer to this is that whereas on Facebook, you are displaying your images and skills to the masses of potentially less educated people who just admire the beauty of the images and might enjoy some astrophysical details you describe,  here you are displaying supposedly to your astrophotographer peers.   In that regard, the site is fairly unique (or at least I haven't found another like it).   There are many photo's I've taken that I would show to family and friends, but which I would not put in the public here.    I might keep them in my private area until I am ready for other astrophotographers to look at them and possibly comment.     That's the draw IMO for this site.

All this said, I don't understand myself much about how the selection process works and who is doing the selecting (and if they have any conflicting interests).  Let's hope it's reasonably fair, and that there's some consideration for the differences we've already discussed (professional hosting vs true amateur capture & processing).

Ok, i agree about that this site is for astrophotographers and is unique, but members on Facebook are wider, i mean there are so many of them are already here on this site, and some having their own sites for astro, so it is not that all Facebook audience are less educated, i really saw amazing images there and even some got IOTD on here or NASA APOD, so it is not that members on Facebook are just less astro interest or skilled, but i come here to this site because it is a reference for me, it is like an encyclopedia for me, so i give credit to this site.

My point is, what i am looking for in this site with my own images, more highlight? exposure? IOTD? sharing only? so i have to know, if all what i mentioned is what i want and i still couldn't get to that in several or few years means i am doing things wrong or their standard isn't matching mine, and so i should go elsewhere, and i still can watch or use this site anyway, but maybe i should stop about dreaming for to be chosen, i just will work hard that i can do better results to deserve to be chosen, if i can't do that it means i shouldn't bother any longer or just forget about the idea to be chosen and keep going.

Also looking for improving doesn't mean i have to stop buying, and not ALL of my buying is only to improve myself, it is also human nature, we like to own or buy stuff whether it is necessary or not, but for that i try to buy something worthy that i don't give up later, and many said that one scope can't make it all, so that's it, and with my current scope i still not satisfied with some of them, that is another factor that i keep going to buy, isn't me who i should make satisfaction after all? I should be happy before i share for others to like it, if the scope or camera can't deliver that then it is either me or the equipment is the fault, i can't always blame my skills anyway if it isn't my skills the problem.
astropical avatar
astropical avatar
Hello Tareq,
After looking at your gallery, I have only one brief, honest comment: "You do not have any reason to question your abilities."
Besides, AP is also for relaxation, while, frankly, I do not care at all about the award system while mostly enjoying the exchange of comments and joking with fellow APers.
All the very best,
Robert
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Tareq Abdulla avatar
Tareq Abdulla avatar
Hello Tareq,
After looking at your gallery, I have only one brief, honest comment: "You do not have any reason to question your abilities."
Besides, AP is also for relaxation, while, frankly, I do not care at all about the award system while mostly enjoying the exchange of comments and joking with fellow APers.
All the very best,
Robert

Thank you very much
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