4 ай бұрын
Пікірлер
@Astro_Shed 2 күн бұрын
Great video Doug, Maybe these multi night sessions are not so easy..😂, it’s something I never do, but my guess is there is an auto stretch setting that needs turning on in Sharpcap, to stretch the incoming image a bit to enable plate solve to work. Merry Christmas pal…👍🏻
@AstroAF 2 күн бұрын
@@Astro_Shed Thanks Stewart! 🤣 I was being a bit sarcastic on the title. Thanks for the tip! I’ll see if I can find that setting and give it a go. Cheers! Doug
@Astro_Shed Күн бұрын
@@AstroAF yes I realised that after I posted, it semt over my head at first…😂😂
@larrychristianson2244 3 күн бұрын
Merry Christmas Doug!
@AstroAF 2 күн бұрын
Merry Christmas to you too, Larry!! Thanks for watching! Cheers! Doug
@donstronomy7606 3 күн бұрын
I would love to do a similar thing Doug. I just don't have any spare space. I have a spot I have earmarked in the rear of my shed, but I'm a long way from setting this up. I too have spent most of my life in the entertainment Industry, behind the scenes for this face. Lol. Lives sound mainly, Theatre and festivals. I cringe at my videos especially since I used to have access to lovely theatre controlled lighting. Take care CS and Merry Xmas Don
@AstroAF 3 күн бұрын
@@donstronomy7606 Hi Don! But I love your garden, and your workshop, and your garage, and your living room, and your observatory, and your back 40!! Oh wow! Right on, I got started in live sound back in the late 80s, toured a couple times on some larger beer sponsor tours, and then got into studio engineering. That’s really cool we’ve got that in common! Love your vids, Don! Cheers! Doug
@siegfriednoet 10 күн бұрын
Looks and sounds very good Doug, great upgrade !
@AstroAF 9 күн бұрын
@@siegfriednoet Hi! Thanks for watching and I’m glad you like the upgrade! Cheers! Doug
@Naztronomy 12 күн бұрын
Looking good, Doug! Love the colors and the multi-camera system. You're gonna need to upgrade your hard drives.
@AstroAF 9 күн бұрын
@@Naztronomy Thanks Naz!! Yeah that’s an understatement lol, constant storage battle! Cheers! Doug
@nikaxstrophotography 12 күн бұрын
Well done for taking on the advice from your viewers/subscribers, best of luck with your new studio space.
@AstroAF 12 күн бұрын
@@nikaxstrophotography Thanks Nik
@Planetreefastro 13 күн бұрын
Doug! Wow! Love that space. I too struggle with recording video. I don’t have space for a studio living in an apartment but you gave me some ideas. I’m a musician too and I sing with a Doowop group called The Fabulaires. I’m the bass baritone and musical director. Working to improve my sound for my videos too. Would love your thoughts on good microphone for video. Best regards Luis from NY
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@Planetreefastro Hi Luis! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Hey I’m happy you got some ideas from this! Certainly let me know how things go! Oh fantastic, always nice to meet fellow musicians! Me, I just play and provide Mastering to recording studios and independent artists all over the place. Assuming USB would be your preference, I really like the Rode Podmic and the Sennheiser Profile. I’d probably go for the Profile myself because it sounds amazing and is priced a bit less. If looking at XLR mic then the sky’s the limit plus an audio interface. I’ve got some links in description of my gear. Cheers! Doug
@Astro_Shed 13 күн бұрын
Great Video Doug, well done on the new studio space, looks great..👍🏻
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@Astro_Shed Thanks Stewart!! How’s things going with your new lighting and mic? Cheers! Doug
@Astro_Shed 13 күн бұрын
@ I think I just about have it all sorted, one or two small details to iron out and all good 👍
@deepskydetail 13 күн бұрын
It looks so professional! I am jealous! Great video and great setup! :)
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@deepskydetail Thanks so much Mark!! But, does Dr. Detail approve? Cheers! Doug
@christopherthomas3403 13 күн бұрын
15:03 - 😱
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@christopherthomas3403 Indeed! Jaw dropping
@thecampingastronomer8554 13 күн бұрын
Very exciting Doug, hope you enjoy your studio.
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@thecampingastronomer8554 Thank you John!!
@adventuresofshadowdog 13 күн бұрын
Awesome studio Doug!
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@adventuresofshadowdog Thank you Lance!!
@DeepSpaceAstro 13 күн бұрын
Love it! Looks real good Doug!
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@DeepSpaceAstro Thanks Rich!!
@christopherthomas3403 13 күн бұрын
Nice studio. I hope there is good distance between that Marshall stack and your neighbours! 😂
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@christopherthomas3403 indeed!! 😂 My studio is underground so that helps. What is really cool though is that my neighbor’s grand kids are musicians and come over and hang out in the studio from time to time! What they really need to watch out for is that 800w Hartke bass amp!! 😂 Cheers! Doug
@christopherthomas3403 9 күн бұрын
@@AstroAF That's lucky then.🙂 My house adjoins another with walls as thin as tissue, so I've never been able to play anything at any volume, instruments or records/CD's. Had to use headphones most of the time. But now selling all my instruments etc. Sad, but want to move from the city back to North Wales.
@AstroAF 9 күн бұрын
@ Yes, the pain is real and I’ve lived it as well! I’m sorry to hear that you’re selling your gear! Maybe hold one back just in case?
@colmbrazel 13 күн бұрын
I think on my SCT 11 I've had a similar problem.I'm guessing the corrector plate was incorrectly aligned back onto the OTA when the dewheater was added to the corrector plate. The XLT SCT 11 is different to your Edge telescope which allows you to unscrew the secondary mirror. Whatever I did to collimate my scope it would not succeed. I figured the number 40 on side of secondary mirror meant that when I installed the secondary I needed to rotate the whole secondary mirror so that the secondary mirror lettering was 40deg offset to the X axis. In your case I see the number 144 so I'm guessing the corrector plate with the secondary mirror attached to it, both need rotating together to that sweet spot of 144 deg offset to the horizontal. You can test this daytime using an Ocal collimator where you can verify if that corrector plate and secondary attached to it, where corrector plate is offset from the 144 sweet spot marked on your secondary mirror, that whatever you do, you will not achieve perfect collimation. Move it so both corrector plate and secondary are close to 144 then concentric circles line up. Only then should you begin collimation....my theory anyway. You centered the corrector plate and improved some tilt but you didn't move the whole corrector plate(you'll have to loosen the corrector dew sleeve to move the plate. Put some marks on the ota and plate so you can move the plate back to where it was originally, as you move corrector plate the secondary mirror attached to it moves also....only when corrector plate and secondary are aligned in sweet spot, can correct collimation begin....
@AstroAF 13 күн бұрын
@@colmbrazel hi Colm, thanks for watching and commenting! I hadn’t run across what that number written on side of secondary actually represents. Thanks for that info! While I did not remove the corrector I did loosen the retaining ring and adjusted the corrector collimation using the concentric ring method. This has worked out really well! I have had no collimation problems since making this and have only needed slight occasional adjustments. Normally following transporting the scope. Great info here though and thanks so much for sharing! Cheers! Doug
@adventuresofshadowdog 15 күн бұрын
Congratulations Doug!🎉
@robertarmstrong9406 18 күн бұрын
Well done, Thank you. You said you leave you scope out most of the year. Do you take the camera inside or leave it on the scope?
@AstroAF 18 күн бұрын
@@robertarmstrong9406 Hi Robert! Thanks for watching and commenting! I leave my entire rig setup and ready nearly 365 days a year. Cover it with a Telegizoms365 and hang two 500g desiccant bags inside the cover to absorb moisture from the air. In the winter I have a retractable dome tent I call the “AFO” that I use for additional cover to keep snow accumulation off and around the scope. I think I have a video on it. I can go out and pull back the dome and uncover the scope in about 30 seconds. It takes about 1 minute to cover. Works great and makes it easy to get sessions going each night. Also minimizes time out with mosquitoes or cold. Cheers! Doug
@robertarmstrong9406 18 күн бұрын
@@AstroAF Thank you. I live in Tucson. Those 100 plus days I'll bring it in. But most of the rest of the year, be nice to leave it out. I have the Askar140. It is heavy, so the less I move it the better for me.
@AstroAF 18 күн бұрын
@ oh nice, yeah with heat consistently over 100° for those times it is probably best. The TG365 cover has in-build heat deflection, it stays markedly cooler under the cover. Still, it can get quite warm. It has been one of the most important pieces of gear I’ve invested in.
@Diocrew 21 күн бұрын
Hi Doug, great video and thank you for the tips. One thing I noticed and have never seen before is the ring on your guide camera? Where can I find one of those? Clear skies!
@AstroAF 21 күн бұрын
@@Diocrew Hey! Thanks for watching and your comment! Those parfocal rings are really nice to have. I’ve put an affiliate link in the video description (hope you don’t mind). You can just search “Astromania 1.25" Telescope Eyepiece Parfocal Rings” on Amazon if you’d prefer not to use my link. Cheers! Doug
@donkelly5970 23 күн бұрын
Hi Doug, just wanted to say thanks a million for making your software available to the public for free. It's a great resource and will help with my astrophotography. All the best, Don 🙏🏻
@AstroAF 23 күн бұрын
@@donkelly5970 Hi Don, thanks so much! This program is far from being where I want it as far as star detection. I’m learning about neural networks from the ground up and hope to have a better algorithm for this in the future. I’ve had some success using the latest version though and it works pretty well depending upon the target and star sizes. Cheers! Doug
@donkelly5970 23 күн бұрын
@AstroAF Fair play to you for sharing it with the wider community👏🏻 I think it's great in it's current format! 🙂
@thecampingastronomer8554 24 күн бұрын
Great tips here Doug. I have managed to accidentally touch one of my filters, which I still need to sort 😢
@AstroAF 24 күн бұрын
@@thecampingastronomer8554 thanks for watching and commenting!! No worries on the finger print! It’ll clean up real easy with solution and a pec pad. Cheers! Doug
@Rick_B52 25 күн бұрын
Just ordered a new HEQ5, will be giving it a once over off the rip. Great video!
@AstroAF 25 күн бұрын
@@Rick_B52 Hi Rick! Congratulations on your new mount! I love my HEQ5 Pro, it has surpassed my expectations. I hope you will enjoy yours for many years to come. Please feel free to hit me up with any questions. Cheers! Doug
@deepskydetail 25 күн бұрын
Great video, Doug! I just cleaned my filters a couple weeks ago. No more dust motes for a while, I hope. But, I wish I'd seen this video before I started. There are some great tips here!
@AstroAF 25 күн бұрын
@@deepskydetail Thanks Mark! Appreciate you taking time to watch and leave a comment!! Cheers! Doug
@adventuresofshadowdog 25 күн бұрын
Super helpful info! Thanks Doug!
@AstroAF 25 күн бұрын
Thanks Lance! Glad you found this helpful!! Appreciate you stopping by and commenting! Cheers! Doug
@Naztronomy 26 күн бұрын
Very nice tips, Doug! I like the makeup brush idea.
@AstroAF 25 күн бұрын
@@Naztronomy Thanks Naz!! Yeah that makeup brush does a really nice job of pre-cleaning. Many times there’s nothing else needed to do after bulb blowing and brushing. Cheers! Doug
@whatmattersmost6725 26 күн бұрын
Hi Doug, for you and your viewers never touch the brush or anything that will touch the mirrors or glass as everyone's has oil on their skin, that gets transferred from the brush to the glass or mirrors. Also don't try to blow with your mouth to remove dust as it will be spit...LOL ask me how I know?
@AstroAF 26 күн бұрын
Hi WMM!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting with a great tip!! lol I may or may not have first-hand experience with blowing spit on a lens!! Pleasing the 5th 😂 Cheers! Doug
@KingTubbyDub 26 күн бұрын
Hi Doug, if I may offer some advice which has helped my cleaning sessions. Before I touch anything like the brush tips and cloths for cleaning I find it useful to put some surgical gloves on as to avoid transferring oil and grease from my fingers onto said items. All the best mate!
@AstroAF 26 күн бұрын
Hi KTD!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting with a great tip!! Yeah, i was lazy, I have a pack of surgical gloves in my kit.. What's one of the first things I do? Touch a filter LOL! Cheers! Doug
@KingTubbyDub 26 күн бұрын
@ I thought I may of been teaching an intelligent man how to suck eggs there but you never know lol
@AstroAF 26 күн бұрын
@@KingTubbyDub Nah, it’s a great callout! I agree 💯 recommend using surgical gloves too!
@KJRitch 26 күн бұрын
Good tips. I see one donut mote in my flats for my C8. I need to clean my image train. Are motes in flats due to dust in the image train or can it be dust on the corrector plate or the primary mirror. Did you ever do a cleaning video for your C8? Thanks.
@AstroAF 26 күн бұрын
@@KJRitch Hi KJ! Motes can generally be anywhere but you probably won’t see them in your images if on corrector or mirror unless they are really bad. You can kind of tell where the motes are by size. If they are very small dots then those will usually be on your sensor or sensor window. If they are small donuts then probably on one side or other of your filter. If larger donut then probably on your reducer. On my HD I’ve got the built in baffle lens and if it gets dust it will be a huge donut. So basically the further from the sensor the larger the mote donut. Cheers! Doug
@adventuresofshadowdog 28 күн бұрын
That was a fun trip! Looking forward to going there again. Thanks for all your help in making it happen! 😎🐶
@AstroAF 28 күн бұрын
@@adventuresofshadowdog wouldn’t and maybe couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks Lance!
@thecampingastronomer8554 Ай бұрын
What a great trip Doug, you certainly made the most of the dark skies. You are right, I would have loved it. I think I'll have to do a little trip to a dark sky reserve about 4 hours away from me (Bortle 3 skies). I agree with you about the KZbin community. I think our little corner of KZbin is full of very friendly & helpful people. Oh, and I also watch my own videos to remind myself how to do something 😂
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@thecampingastronomer8554 Thanks John! That was a great time and I’m so happy Lance and I were able to make it happen! Yeah, we were thinking about you and how it’d be something we thought you’d really enjoy! We have a great community, grateful for you and my other YT friends! Lol, the real reason we make videos!! 😂 Cheers! Doug
@deepskydetail Ай бұрын
Just what I needed today! A nice relaxing video about two great guys hanging out + astrophotos! Thanks, Doug :)
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@deepskydetail thanks so much, Mark! Mission accomplished! Cheers! Doug
@DeepSpaceAstro Ай бұрын
That dew shield will work 10x better now!
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@DeepSpaceAstro I swear, it started automatically pre-processing my images on the fly in Siril after having added them! I had no idea a dew shield could do that!
@donstronomy7606 Ай бұрын
Hey Doug, That's a cracker of a set up with that dome tent you have. Very cool. I haven't seen one before. Nice vid, love the music. CS and take care Don
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
Hi Don! Glad you stopped by!! Yeah, I went through winter with it last year and it works great! Pretty sure I have a vid for it somewhere. I got it from a guy out of the UK off Etsy. Designed as a garden “shed” tent. Thank again and Clear Skies! Cheers! Doug
@deepskydetail Ай бұрын
Thanks, Doug :)
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
You’re welcome!
@larrychristianson2244 Ай бұрын
Beautiful crystal sky. You can tell when the seeing will be good. Great trip Doug.
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@larrychristianson2244 Just gorgeous skies! Thanks Larry! Cheers! Doug
@KJRitch Ай бұрын
I have the 1st version of this focuser and use it on a C8. (Non HD) I did have some slight binding issues with the mounting plate and was able to get it working by removing the original Celestron plate. Despite the extra cost compared to other focusers I like the ability to disengage the focuser to manually focus when switching from F/10 to my Starizona focal reducer, F/7. I just use a Bahtinov mask to achieve focus then engage the autofocus gear and test it and it works great. I’m just using 800 steps for my backlash. Sometimes when setting up I notice the focus may have been nudged so I always check the clutch is firmly engaged. Astro Oasis has reached out to me to send me the new backing plate. I don’t think the reduced length will help me for OAG clearance when using the focal reducer. When are you going to show the HyperAF. I assume a DYI “Hyperstar”
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@KJRitch Yeah, the new mounting plate seems to be working very well for me. The focus knob spins much more freely now. That clutch is a great feature! My Gen 1 steps seem to change depending on my setup, I’m curious if that’ll be the same with Gen 2. My initial video on HyperAF was made exclusively for members. I don’t currently have it on schedule but maybe sometime next spring I’ll do a public video on it. Cheers! Doug
@Planetreefastro Ай бұрын
Great review Doug! I have the version 1 of the focuser and their filter wheel and I love them. I wanted to out my video review of them up on my channel but had a health setback this summer that delayed everything for me. But I’m back and working to put up the review on the version 1 regardless. Astroasis is a very good company with quality products. Thank you Doug for the extensive review. Best regards Luis from NY
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@Planetreefastro Luis, thanks so very much! I’m so happy that you’re back and doing better! Yes, definitely put that video up! Indeed, Astroasis is an amazing company and I too have their 7x2” electronic filter wheel. My rig is outside nearly 365 in 4 season Midwest weather. I put this gear through extremes and it continues to work flawlessly! You’re welcome and let me know how things are going! Cheers! Doug
@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын
Great video Doug, just putting the finishing touches on my review of this superb focuser…👍🏻
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
Thanks Stewart! Looking forward to your review video! I’m going to do one more brief (hopefully) in-session follow-up once I get some clear skies! 🌧️ Cheers! Doug
@deepskydetail Ай бұрын
Looks very fun! Could the light be the false dawn/zodiacal lights?
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@deepskydetail Great call-out Mark. It could be but it was probably 4-5 hours till astronomical dawn when we observed it. So not sure but seems like a plausible explanation since we were at 7500’ in total darkness. Cheers! Doug
@thecampingastronomer8554 Ай бұрын
Very interesting place Doug. I kept hoping to catch you feeding sausages to Shadow as Lance reckoned Shadow had a new friend 😂. Looking forward to seeing how your images turned out with those amazing skies.
@AstroAF Ай бұрын
@@thecampingastronomer8554 😂 Shadow took a liking to me and no sausages were required!! Thanks John, I’ve got a short stills slideshow and astrophotography images in the Part 3 of 3 video. I’ll have that public next weekend! Cheers! Doug