My biggest setup

[kochu]

I was not very hopeful that my upgraded Atlas can Handle 12 inch lx 90 ACF and get a good guiding that too using a 70mm toyscope costing 45 sing dollars. Well , the result was promising for 120 sec auto guiding.
Trial shot of M 42 in album.
http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1203
http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1206
Ten subs,120 sec each,iso400 raw, camera contol using IP, processed with IP 3.80,mount control using eqdir, guided with phd.
Scope FL about 3000mm, guder FL about 700 mm with 2x barlow
Camera original canon 450d. Guide cam DSI
Kochu/25-1-11

[perseid]

I was not very hopeful that my upgraded Atlas can Handle 12 inch lx 90 ACF and get a good guiding that too using a 70mm toyscope costing 45 sing dollars. Well , the result was promising for 120 sec auto guiding.
Trial shot of M 42 in album.
http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1203

Ten subs,120 sec each,iso400 raw, camera contol using IP, processed with IP 3.80,mount control using eqdir, guided with phd.
Scope FL about 3000mm, guder FL about 700 mm
Camera original canon 450d. Guide cam DSI
Kochi/25-1-11

Kochu,
Perfect tracking!!! Well done.

I haven't been successful at guiding even for scope less than 2000mm FL and you are doing great job at 3000!!!

I am looking forward to seeing more images from you using this setup.

[weixing]

Hi,
Nice shot!!

So you plan to shoot those small, small planetary nebula and galaxies??

Have a nice day.

[kochu]

Hi KC,

Couple of pics added.

http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1204
http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1205

Tracking is no problem. Probably the set up is so heavy that , EQ-6 is just not capable of making any silly moves. The star eccentricity is still about 30 % , which needs to be tackled. Great relief is that the quality of the stars at the edge of the field with ACF, do show a marked improvemet over those acquired with conventional SCT.
The native FL of guide scope is only about 300 or 350 mm, I am not sure. I used a 2x barlow and I am not sure whether I achieved anything more than 700 mm.
BTW do you have any light long FL refractor , 50 , 60 or 70 mm size. Pls pm if you have.

The weight distribution of the set up is like this.

12 in LX -90 with ADM saddle bar- 16.3 Kgs.
GSO focusser-700 gms.
Canon 450 d-600 gms
Guide scope with rings and base plate-1.1 kgs
Finder-400 gms,
Flipmirror, reticle &DSI-480 gms.(Flipmirror was used on main camera)
Counterweights- 21 Kgs.

Brgds

Kochu/26-1-11

[cataclysm]

Wah! Nice round stars, good tracking!

I was not very hopeful that my upgraded Atlas can Handle 12 inch lx 90 ACF and get a good guiding

Hi Kochu, apart from mounting your EQ-6 on pier, did you upgrade the innards ( gearing, bearings etc ) to improve the tracking?

[kochu]

Hi,

I did not make any changes to the original worm or gear. Only upgraded the motors and control board kit.

Kochu/26-1-11

[rcj]

wow! good tracking. if the Atlas did not have internal gear modifications, I must say it works very well out of the box. The G11 can seldom track well beyond 2000mm without modification.... good job!

[orly_andico]

i'm interested in the $45 toy scope! :-)

does it have a 1.25" focuser? and where did you buy it?

[kochu]

No chance Orly,

I bought it three or four yers ago when there was a shop called "BIG" in Harbour Front. They closed shop after making BIG Loss.
I think they were a part of Gain City.

Kochu

[Clifford60]

Nice shot