First test ASI2600MM and ZWO filter wheel

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SkyHiker United States of America
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First test ASI2600MM and ZWO filter wheel

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It's about time to start using my ASI2600MM and the ZWO 7 position 36 mm filter wheel that I bought a half year ago. I had been distracted with tuning the tracking of my 12" Newt on the G11 with OnStep, that's why.

I had assembled the filter wheel a while ago. It required tightening the filters with a plastic gasket and 3 screws each. Not too bad but I believe they now sell the filters with thread, which is easier. With that, why not pick full moon to try this (this was a few days ago).

I had to switch the MC with the MM. This required unscrewing the OAG and tightening it on the filter wheel such that the prism is right above the long side of the sensor. This is not trivial. With the MC I had to use shims. I first added some shims for the MM but when I mounted the rig the filter wheel turned so something got loose. Eventually I could get by without shims, fortunately.

So the optical train is MM->FW->OAG->CC. I used the tightest connectors possible and it was a bit more than the 55 mm that is ideal for the CC but I won't fret about it. Also, I skipped the polar alignment and simply plunked the G11 on the marked spots. And I decided to just focus uwing the luminosity filter and not for the subsequent filter changes (a mistake, I know now).

Expecting a ton of computer setup problems, surprisingly there were none. I was suspicious of the filter wheel because I heard nothing. Only after I moved my ear real close I heard some clicks that convinced me that something happened.

Target for the night was the Wizard. I had tried that before with the MC with no filters and the stars completely overwhelmed the nebulosity. A good narrowband object. I noticed how much smaller the stars were with the MM than with the MC.

I took 8x5 min subs for Ha, OIII and SII. I was happily surprised about the result. Just a single image showed a nebulosity that was worth while looking at. Not so much for the OIII and SII, apparently those need a lot more exposures.

I stacked in DSS. Ha and OIII were no problem but SII did not work - just one sub stacked. Looking closer, all stars looked like donuts. Refocusing is necessary!

Below is a DSS stacked/edited image of the Ha set. Off to the right something bad happened and I was wondering why. I just took the whole train apart again and inspected the parts. To my suprise a shim fell out of the filter wheel! I suspect that's what caused it, the rest looked fine.

Tonight I will attempt a first light now that I know how to use it.
wiz_halpha_gimp_small.jpg
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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