How Long Can You Track

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jrkirkham United States of America
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How Long Can You Track

#1

Post by jrkirkham »


I've spent a lot of time trying to tease every second I can out of an exposure, but I'm not sure I've ever asked others how long their exposures. I am not looking for amazing answers to the following questions. I'm just looking for average nights.

1) I have an Orion Sirius mount that is unguided and an 80mm refractor with a 480mm focal length. It is portable so I have to set it up and take it down every time I image. If you were using a simple rig like that how long of an exposure would you consider average? Poor? a good night?

2) Now let's say that I am using the same mount with my 8" SCT, The mount can handle the weight just fine, but the focal length is now up around 2000mm. How long of an exposure would you now consider average? poor? a good night?

3) Now let's say you have a beefy mount, though you don't need one to handle your light equipment. Let's say you have a mount rated at say 50lbs, but still unguided and set up and taken down each night. Would the difference in mounts extend the length of your exposure? How long?
Rob
Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
Cameras: Canon 6D, Canon 80D, ZWO-ASI120MC
Binoculars: 10x50, 12x60, 15x70, 25-125x80
Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution
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KathyNS Canada
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Re: How Long Can You Track

#2

Post by KathyNS »


When I was using my HEQ5 (same as the Sirius) as my main AP rig, my "normal" unguided sub was 60 seconds, using a polar scope alignment. I tried 120s and it was okay, but 60s was more reliable. That was at 926mm focal length. At 480mm, I would expect you'd be able to get 120s with good results. At 2000mm, you'd be pushing your luck beyond 30s.

I use a CEM60 now (capacity 60 lbs), but I've never tried it unguided! :)
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DSO AP: Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian Astrograph; ATIK 383L+; EFW2 filter wheel; Astrodon Ha,Oiii,LRGB filters; KWIQ/QHY5 guide scope; Planetary AP: Celestron C-11; ZWO ASI120MC; Portable: Celestron C-8 on HEQ5 pro; C-90 on wedge; 20x80 binos; Etc: Canon 350D; Various EPs, etc. Obs: 8' Exploradome; iOptron CEM60 (pier); Helena Observatory (H2O) Astrobin
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jrkirkham United States of America
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Re: How Long Can You Track

#3

Post by jrkirkham »


Thank you Kathy, there is a lot more that I can get out of my mount than I am getting. I have gone over 60 seconds with 80mm several times on good nights, but not usually. I think it may be fear. I don't see well, so I just sort of guess if my stars are elongated or not. I feel safer at 45 seconds. I feel like I'm having a bad night at 30 seconds. I've always got this fear that I could try for 60 seconds or more, shoot all night, and not realize that my stars are stretched until I start processing the next day. I probably need a little more practice. There is a lot of difference between a 45 sec capture and 60 sec capture.

Someone once told me that beefier mounts track better even unguided than lighter weight mounts. It seems like beefier mounts are also more difficult to set up. I wonder what length of exposures others get?
Rob
Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
Cameras: Canon 6D, Canon 80D, ZWO-ASI120MC
Binoculars: 10x50, 12x60, 15x70, 25-125x80
Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution
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KathyNS Canada
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Re: How Long Can You Track

#4

Post by KathyNS »


jrkirkham wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:13 pm Someone once told me that beefier mounts track better even unguided than lighter weight mounts. It seems like beefier mounts are also more difficult to set up. I wonder what length of exposures others get?
I don't know why a mount with larger capacity should be harder to set up. I can understand if it's just the weight of the mount. But my CEM60 weighs less than my HEQ5, even though it has double the capacity. My setup is permanent, but it would be simple to set it up on a tripod.
Image
DSO AP: Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian Astrograph; ATIK 383L+; EFW2 filter wheel; Astrodon Ha,Oiii,LRGB filters; KWIQ/QHY5 guide scope; Planetary AP: Celestron C-11; ZWO ASI120MC; Portable: Celestron C-8 on HEQ5 pro; C-90 on wedge; 20x80 binos; Etc: Canon 350D; Various EPs, etc. Obs: 8' Exploradome; iOptron CEM60 (pier); Helena Observatory (H2O) Astrobin
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Jennifer Christine
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Re: How Long Can You Track

#5

Post by Jennifer Christine »


Any thing with a 5 or over Heq5 onwards or equivalent, provided it is in good order and not overloaded should give you at least 5 minutes on a good night.
My limiting factor is light pollution.
Scopes, 100x900, 102x500, 150x 1000, 200x2000, 200x 1260. 80x400.
Canon lenses 100 to 400 L series, 18 to 135 usm.
Mount's, 2x alt az, 2 x eq (adventurer an neq6pro.)
70dw cam. Ssag guider. Observatory and pier setup.
Binoculars Saxon 20x80.
FRIED wallet.
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