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What's your weakest element in your setup?

Acquisition Processing Intermediate Deep Sky
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Andy Wray avatar
Andy Wray avatar
I asked myself this question recently and came up with the following:

* Setup of tripod, mount and OTA:  all fine
* Collimation:  Almost there, but still learning
* Polar alignment: pretty OK using SharpCap
* Guiding: good enough most nights and much better since I switched to OAG
* Backfocus:  I'm pretty sure I have it nailed
* Focussing:  Great using ZWO EAF and APT
* Post-processing: much better since I switched to PixInsight, but way behind a lot of people on here

In the round, I would say my pictures are most impacted by my lack of post-processing skills rather than any of the other aspects.

It's rarely the equipment that is the limiting factor.

Your thoughts?
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Patrick Graham avatar
Patrick Graham avatar
Me!!  I'm the limiting factor (LOL)

Pat
Brian Maynard avatar
Brian Maynard avatar
light pollution
CCDMike avatar
CCDMike avatar
Interesting question.
I think that the processing skills are my nemesis.
I'm so jealous of many other people here.

Best
Mike

P.S. I'm watching Nadal-Djokovic right now. Great match!
Tim Hawkes avatar
Tim Hawkes avatar
In terms  of  image depth it is light pollution at Bortle 6.  Mitigation is to occasionally visit dark sky sites.

In terms of resolution it is partly 'the seeing' but also - I have recently discovered - high frequency  -  2-10Hz -  jitter in the RA drive of the mount which causes persistent star shape elongation along the RA axis.  Maybe up to a couple of arcsec peak to peak so it is a nuisance in short frame high resolution work at 0.5 arcsec/ pixel  - but not so noticeable at lower resolution, when seeing is poor and on saturated stars. 

Tim
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