Which Software

I have a Celestron Nexstar 11 and a SBIG 2000 with color wheel. I am
currently using CCDSoft and Sky 6 for controlling and tracking.
-My first problem is a lack of patience which I am working on.
- Second when I take multiple exposures over a short period of time, I
see fairly large amounts of movement and it is difficult to do the
overlays (basically I manually apply each picture and then fade them to
get the best picture I can get) Is this typical . I may take take 6
exposures of Aldebaron with each color and various exposures and after
I complete the overlays I have a red elliptical glob.

I have been thinking about getting "TPoint" and "Orchestra" to help
with taking pictures. Partially thinking that TPoint will help with
guiding the telescope and Orchestra would help with guiding me
Orchestra: I would program the picture and images I wanted to take and
not vary based on hunches or gut feelings stick with what I decided
earlier and maybe keep a better plan/diary of what I took and when.
TPoint : I think it might help, but I have concerns that this is mainly
for improving accuracy when moving from one star field to another.

I have been looking at MaximDL (hesitant because of the cost) Starry
Night plus this being 600 , but am considering it, if it would
improve my photographing experience.

Then again maybe I'm doing everything right, just haven't got the
experience yet and need to apply more elbow grease and I don't need
anymore software programs for now.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

wrote:
I have a Celestron Nexstar 11 and a SBIG 2000 with color wheel. I am
currently using CCDSoft and Sky 6 for controlling and tracking.
-My first problem is a lack of patience which I am working on.
- Second when I take multiple exposures over a short period of time, I
see fairly large amounts of movement and it is difficult to do the
overlays (basically I manually apply each picture and then fade them to
get the best picture I can get) Is this typical . I may take take 6
exposures of Aldebaron with each color and various exposures and after
I complete the overlays I have a red elliptical glob.



Hi:

What sort of movement? RA?

Did you align the scope precisely on the pole with a good drift
alignment?

Are you autoguiding? How did the calibration go? What sort of wedge are
you using?

I have little problem getting round stars with the ST2000 even when
it's autoguiding the humble CG5/ASGT mount..

T-point won't help tracking, only with pointing. Bottom line...the
software you mention is nice. But it won't help with the problem you
are describing, which has to do with basic aligment/guiding issues.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland/index.htm

Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sct-user

See: http://journals.aol.com/rmollise/UncleRodsAstroBlog/
For Uncle Rod's Astro Blog.

I'm not autoguiding. I was just trying to take a quick shot with some
low time exposures 1sec and overlay those manually. Adjusting for
offsets by aligning stars or objects in picture.

I haven't gotten a wedge for this scope yet. I was hoping that I might
be able to do fairly well without one. I'm using the original fork
mount.
( I have to admit that a wedge somewhat scares me. I had one with an 8
inch and it was fairly easy to mount it, but with the 11 inch, that
sucker is heavy.)
Would a wedge make a big difference?

I'm kind of leaning toward $400 on a wedge than $400 on software. I
already have CCDSoft and don't know that MaximDL will do that much more
for me.

wrote:
I'm not autoguiding. I was just trying to take a quick shot with some
low time exposures 1sec and overlay those manually. Adjusting for
offsets by aligning stars or objects in picture.

I haven't gotten a wedge for this scope yet. I was hoping that I might
be able to do fairly well without one. I'm using the original fork
mount.
( I have to admit that a wedge somewhat scares me. I had one with an 8
inch and it was fairly easy to mount it, but with the 11 inch, that
sucker is heavy.)
Would a wedge make a big difference?

I'm kind of leaning toward $400 on a wedge than $400 on software. I
already have CCDSoft and don't know that MaximDL will do that much more
for me.

Hi:

Operating in alt-az mode will limit how good your results can be. In
addition to normal periodic error on the RA axis, you'll have to deal
with the same thing on the declination axis. And even if that's under
control, field rotation will limit you to 30 seond or shorter exposures
over most of the sky. Again, software won't help you. Putting the scope
on a wedge and autoguiding it with the ST2000. will. You can get some
results with alt-az mode, especially if you use an f/3.3. reducer (you
aren't shooting at f/10, I hope ;-)), but they won't be perfect.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_

Like SCTs and MCTs?
Join the SCT User Mailing List.
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sct-user

See my home page at
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland/index.htm
for further info

For Uncle Rod's Astro Blog See:
http://journals.aol.com/rmollise/UncleRodsAstroBlog/

On 15 Dec 2005 18:08:50 -0800, wrote:

I'm not autoguiding. I was just trying to take a quick shot with some
low time exposures 1sec and overlay those manually. Adjusting for
offsets by aligning stars or objects in picture.

I haven't gotten a wedge for this scope yet. I was hoping that I might
be able to do fairly well without one. I'm using the original fork
mount.
( I have to admit that a wedge somewhat scares me. I had one with an 8
inch and it was fairly easy to mount it, but with the 11 inch, that
sucker is heavy.)
Would a wedge make a big difference?

I'm kind of leaning toward $400 on a wedge than $400 on software. I
already have CCDSoft and don't know that MaximDL will do that much more
for me.

You are getting field rotation. There is imaging software that will
nicely correct for rotation when you stack (Maxim, for example), but you
are doing a huge disservice to your equipment by working in altaz mode.
With your setup, you should be looking at exposure times on the order of
several minutes or longer, and that means an equatorial mount- a wedge
in your case.

TPoint is also a wonderful tool- I consider it my most valuable piece of
software. But it will only get your object on target. Unless you have a
Paramount, it won't improve your tracking.

The key elements of good imaging are really quite simple (in theory, if
not always in practice). Good optics, good tracking, good polar
alignment, and long exposures. Your equipment should support all of
those.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com