First Light with my Mono Camera!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The people who dislike this video are the same people who look forward to updates that break things.

[@michael.a.covington]

10:58 Good point about the value of doing an observing session just for practice (especially getting used to new equipment) without expecting top results every time. I call those "equipment familiarization" sessions. Our hobby doesn't have to be done under pressure. And the familiarization sessions pay off in better results later.

[@galacticinsomniac8069]

You are doing great things ! Keep doing them !! Thank you for your help and contributions !!

[@Entropy241]

It's always a good feeling when you manage to get through the issues with your setup and still get some imaging done.

[@AstroStace]

Absolutely! When pointcraft wasn’t playing nicely I did think...meh I should just pack away . But I’m glad I didn’t!

[@RaysAstrophotography]

This is definitely one your best videos Stace! Awesome quality!

[@SkeeterPondRC]

Great little mini-review on the block pier too! It is always good to see others struggling to get equipment to work. It is never just 'plug it in and go". It can work 1000 times on partly cloudy days and that one spotless, clear, calm, mild night nothing wants to work. It is the nature of the beast. Keep up the amazing work!!!

[@gregorymckenna6609]

Looks awesome Stacey, even with the moon. Please send some clear skies and warm weather to Canada! Cheers, Greg

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Greg! I will try! 😀

[@welshskies]

I think Trevor Jones' "Astro Backyard" channel from Canada is a brilliant watch too, Trevor and Stacey are great advocates for home astronomy.

[@niklasonne2509]

Putting the focuser upside down is an absolutely genious solution! I have that exact problem and I've just put on a lot of dead weight that is not entirely secured. Thank you so much for the tip, I will most definitely do that!

[@marceegee9277]

Thanks for another great video Stace. I can confirm the PHD update is working & playing nicely with my HEQ5pro. I have never used the goto++ feature in APT to re-frame upon another night but thank you for demonstrating this. Love the timelapse at the end of the video. Take care & clear skies Stace

[@nomesc3074]

I love this vid! Not loving the dislike. What's there to dislike 👎??? Love it, its chill! Well done Stace!

[@UFOvni2012]

hi, very well, thank you

[@tim_peaky]

You are so good at it! Keep it up Stace!!

[@tamrich7762]

Thank you for sharing your video Stacey! Looking forward to your final image,Stay safe and clear skies from York.

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Tam! May take a while due to summer, but patience is a virtue haha. Take care!

[@oswaldbastable4139]

Thanks for that, as a n00b I find it very useful to see you going through the imaging process :)

[@AstroStace]

Glad it helps! :)

[@michaelsaltsman7550]

another great and informative video Clear skies x Mike

[@TheMje1963]

The new phd update has some nice new features. and yes it WORKS :)

[@AstroStace]

Phew! I can update haha

[@markstanford2315]

That was fun Stace, In the Carolinas we have cloudy nights most of the summer but I keep looking for an opportunity. Keep lookin' up.

[@ChrisHoward]

Awesome! I love that pier design--and good to see it can handle the EQ6-R Pro. I just ordered one to replace my Orion Atlas.

[@brianreynolds1098]

Stace, I was DYING to ask you about that mount setup you've got. Never seen anything like it! Thanks for taking a moment for that. Most of what you did was waaaaaay over my head but the end result was great. Thanks for a new vid! We all look forward to these!

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Brian ! Yeah the pier has transformed my astronomy and set up times !

[@welshskies]

Brian, Stacey's mount inspired me to build one too, it has been a great improvement over a tripod. See my post to this thread for a photo.

[@brianbishop83]

OMG! I want one! I've seen many piers installed in a home observatory, but hadn't considered just setting one in the lawn. Do you leave the mount there too?

[@spookydonkey2195]

I really enjoyed this, thank you for sharing!

[@AstroStace]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tomwall8403]

Nice video. I like this presentation style. It matches well with the way I seem to learn best. I feel like I'm watching over your shoulder and your running dialogue addresses the questions I would have, if I was there. Topic Suggestion: I'm very happy with SharpCap's polar alignment routine. However, I often shoot where I don't have a view of Polaris. I've heard APT's polar alignment routine (DARV?) is very good and doesn't require a polar view. That would be a helpful topic. Keep Well.

[@stoicbloke]

Just found your channel, Stace. Love it. 👍🏻

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Nick! 😃

[@greenmjg7]

well Stacey, another great video, I may have to build a block pier like yours, and will try the scope upside down to see if can balance better. stay safe and well :)

[@AstroStace]

Thank you ! Yeah it’s really transformed my set up time ! Take care :)

[@douweodh4146]

I can tell from your shown sub that your end result will be fantastic! Your mount guides very well with only 0.5 RMS.

[@AstroStace]

Thank you! Yes it’s not bad at all really! I can get it lower sometimes, but I think the seeing wasn’t the best that night :)

[@douweodh4146]

AstroStace Did you do a lot of tweaking on the mount or was it working like that right out of the box?

[@AstroStace]

Honestly? Out the box...I haven’t done anything at all apart from mount it on the pier

[@douweodh4146]

AstroStace thats great! Cheers from Holland, currently imaging M13 with a full moon rising 😉

[@Astrolavista]

Ah the going wrong bits are the bits we can all relate to so glad you didn't gloss over them ;) Fab video, enjoyed that, and that camera looks really promising considering the Moon was blazing last night. The Moon basically owned me last night because I looked around and concluded that I could only take pics of the Moon :d

[@AstroStace]

Yeah i think honesty is the best policy :) the 183 is a fab camera...tried and tested sensor as well . I’m glad I’ve started off mono with this sensor. I did think half way through the video, maybe I should be doing a video on imaging the moon? 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

[@TheWonkyAstronomer]

Makes me want to build a pair like that.

[@hymanmj]

Spot on Stacey! :)

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Matthew!

[@karllewis735]

I've been imaging the same target, lately, (and M51, as well). I'm thinking looooong and hard about your pier set up. That seems like a really cool idea.

[@AstroStace]

Yeah as long as you do it right , it’s a really good way of getting a pier! :)

[@welshskies]

I've built the same block mount after seeing Stacey's and can confirm they are very good. I cadged the blocks and cement off a friend and bought the plate from Altair Asro, I used stainless bolts to hold it all together which were sourced via ebay.

[@cliveroberts415]

Great result on such a moonlit night and your guiding is far better than I ever get. I love your pier, I would like to build one myself but I fear my border collie Walter would use it for another purpose.

[@GaryMCurran]

Nice thing about a garden hose, ya know. You can keep it clean. LOL Offer Walter something else to mark.

[@AstroStace]

I’m lucky Luna is a lady 😂

[@ExoPhotography1]

Brilliant video as always! Just a reflection... The cooling time of the camera seems to take a very long time, I usually cools my Atik down 20 degrees within a couple of minutes... Are you getting enough power to it? Keep the videos coming :)

[@AstroStace]

Yeah I chose to cool it slowly :) to look after the sensor. I’ve heard conflicting information on whether faster or slower is best :)

[@ExoPhotography1]

AstroStace ok, didn’t that was possible even 😂 Cool down fast isn’t an issue, but heating up afterwards is :)

[@TheZ3roCool]

Loving the videos 👍 Your live run through videos are really good. My NEQ6 has bent bolts and the mount part where the bolt hits it is chewed up. Going to by the rail kit upgrade to get round it. Hovering over a WO GT-81 also 🤗

[@adrianvalella6854]

here from astrobiscuit awesome vids! Subscribed!

[@twigle3015]

Tested phd2 update yesterday, as my polar aligning tool broke down. Looked if my polar allignment wasn’t too bad and it was surprisingly good. Phd2 worked a treat

[@AstroStace]

Ah great to hear!

[@kajouman]

smart pier.

[@GaryMCurran]

Very nice, Stace. By the way, the first time I saw the pier, I knew it was rock solid and very nicely done. I didn't expect that you would have any issues with it, and it IS relatively inexpensive but very functional. IJ do have one question for you. Why do you mount the mini computer to the mount? Why not put it underneath the mount on the top 'shelf' of the pier? I don't know if that affects your mount's balance or not, but I would think it would, at least to some degree or another. As to your Luminance shots, I don't think the moon did all that much to hinder it. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the RGB shots with them all combined. Do you plan on adding a little H Alpha as well? By the way, you have Luna, Trevor has Rudy, not sure how many other astrophotographers have dogs that accompany them. Do you know of others? :p

[@AstroStace]

Thanks Gary! You wouldn’t believe the amount of doubt I get about that pier 🤦🏻‍♀️ I even took advice from my dad who is a retired builder . As for the pc, it just works really well there ...the WiFi from the house tends to reach it better and I get less cable spaghetti . It doesn’t affect balancing at all really :) the pc is very very light . Yeah I was surprised how well the subs came out ! I wasn’t expecting such a good result. I’m looking forward to collecting RGB and when I can afford the SHO filters I’ll probably add Ha too. I’m not sure on any other Astro pets :) but I think Luna is becoming quite famous now ! 😂

[@welshskies]

I built the same design pier after watching a Stacey's vid last year, it works perfectly. If I give up astronomy I'm going to turn mine into a birdbath, it should take the weight of a couple of ostriches. 😁😁

[@astrojourneyuk]

Did you 3D print that mask yourself? What printer do you have?

[@robsbackyardastrophotograp8885]

Hell yeah! good lum rum!

[@AstroStace]

Indeed ! Phew! 😎

[@steveg4iwr]

I updated PHD2 last night by accident and it's working ok instead of closing the reminder I hit the update button. Nice video and interesting to see your new kit. 😁 it was cold last night I did some images on M13 but moon glow was horrendous.

[@AstroStace]

Yeah the moon was huuuuuge! I may hit the update button :)

[@justinnorthall7481]

Hi Stace was thinking about getting the pegasus power box. Just wondering if youve had any issues with it. Great work by the way

[@AstroStace]

Hi Justin, thanks for the great feedback :) nope never had an issue with it, it’s helped my cable management :)

[@adamturner7040]

Nice one Stace, didn't look like the moon gave you to many issues.

[@fsefso7587]

Your accent makes me want to drink cup of tea :)

[@nelsonrivera6575]

As always Stace great video, i like the mini computer, any chance of reviewing it on a later time?

[@AstroStace]

Yes I’ll try and do a little video on it :)

[@wayne.pictures8689]

@@AstroStace I've boon looking for one, so thanks you you amazon has my order :-)

[@AstroWorldTV]

Hey Stacey...can you not use a usb printer cable for connection to the mini pc? just curious...i just purchased an eq6r and its coming tomorrow!

[@AstroStace]

Not that I know of :) vnc usually works really well. I was just having issues last night haha

[@twigle3015]

i think you can, chuck’s astrophotography has this kzbin.info/www/bejne/maS1hIt4q7acrsk

[@spookydonkey2195]

I run my eq6r directly through the USB port, never had an issue. I think the USB port is a recent upgrade to the eq6r. Enjoy!

[@AstroStace]

I think there’s some confusion here about what connections are going where :) My eq6 has the USB port...but I connect my mini pc to the mount via eqmod and an eqdirect cable . I just do it that way as it works . “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it “ :) as for connecting the mini pc to my laptop, I do that via WiFi and VNC :) and it was that connection that was misbehaving in the video :)

[@AstroWorldTV]

@@AstroStace gotcha! Love the videos! I'll let you know how the USB cable works... I used the eqdir for years with my atlas and no issues so we will see lol!

[@mrlouthsoarvalley658]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with mono, very informative. What software do you use to control the mini pc over WiFi?

[@mrlouthsoarvalley658]

Ok, you already replied to another viewer with VNC.

[@AstroStace]

Glad you found the answer :) apologies for the late response

[@oleksiisokoliuk7924]

Very good video!

[@AstroStace]

Thank you!

[@RobB_VK6ES]

I found ASTAP to be fast but Platesove2 to be more robust. Now have both loaded and use PS2 when ASTAP has a hissy fit

[@AstroStace]

Yeah I was using ASTAP and it just decided nope! Just a glitch I think :)

[@martinbracken290]

Good Vid just shows the trouble we all have - Every time I have used APT I always use GOTO first then platesolve, sync and then use GOTO++ seems to work for me I didn't think you could use GOTO++ without syncing first :-) Clear Skies

[@AstroStace]

Absolutely! I normally do it your way (goto first) but I have done it this other way previously . Something went wrong though, I’m not sure what. A glitch i think 🤔

[@gazza9839]

@@AstroStace If you know roughly where the mount is pointing, use near solving, blind is better if the mount hasn't aligned well yet. IMHO

[@gazza9839]

Thanks Stacey ... something to watch while my HEQ5 makes it's way from China :-) PHD2 - If it ain't broke, don't fix it !

[@dman9405]

Very nice Stace! What gain do you shoot at? I usually do near real time viewing with my ZWOs at gain 300 or 350 using SharpCap Pro with out post processing - instant gratification. For capturing subs for post processing I would assume gain would be lower or even zero. Here is my Flicker page. All these shots are 2 or 5 seconds with no post processing. www.flickr.com/photos/127004077@N05/with/49598598811/

[@ColinDane]

nice, just in time for 2 months without astronomical darkness! (well, at least it's for me and I'm assuming you live at higher lattitudes as well :P) Enjoy the mono camera nonetheless!

[@AstroStace]

Yep just in time 😂 however I can use this time to iron out all the kinks and save for a filter wheel :)

[@ColinDane]

@@AstroStace true, and it's still possible to image so it's not as bad as it sounds ^^

[@AstroStace]

Indeedy :) going to save up for a narrowband set too :)

[@ColinDane]

@@AstroStace nice, opens up a whole lot of extra imaging time! I was kind of forced into narrowbanding because I live in (I think) the most light polluted area of Europe...

[@GaryMCurran]

@@AstroStace I realize, especially now, that money is always tight, but I think this is a good purchase for you. www.tringastro.co.uk/zwo-efw-8-position-filter-wheel-for-125-mounted-and-31mm-unmounted-filters-14385-p.asp Altair Astro doesn't seem to carry the ZWO line, so I had to find it elsewhere. TringAstro also doesn't seem to carry ZWO NB filters, so I had to go to Telescope House to find those. www.telescopehouse.com/astro-imaging/ccd-accessories/zwo-1-25-ha-sii-oiii-7nm-set.html These are 7nm filters, so they should give you a very good rejection curve. Rother Valley Optical seems to be the only shoppe in the UK that seems to carry a more diversified line of filters, but even so, still nothing like some of the outlets here in the U.S. In addition to the ZWO line, Baader also offers a set for a little less money, and in fact, also has the H Beta filter as well. The ZWO is slightly narrower at 7nm versus 7 for the Ha, 8 for the SII, and 8.5nm for the OIII. I doubt it will make that much difference. www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-narrowband-filterset-125.html You can also get a three-piece Baader set for a fifteen pounds less, £285 vs £270 www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-ccd-narrowband-filterset-125.html Anyway, for an astrophotographer on a budget, I think the ZWO is a pretty sweet deal, and the Baader's have a very good reputation. Clear and dark skies to you. EDITED to be a direct response to Stace