2019 is gone ... Welcome 2020, so what's next?

[TareqPhoto]

Hey all,

2019 is already gone and we will welcome the new year if we are still alive, so i am sure everyone has a plan for next year, i am making plans always and always changing due to situations or results or whatever.

Finally i got my OIII 3nm filter last month, did give it a quick try, wasn't bad, still need more time to try it, but i can tell it is way way better than my 6.5nm OIII filter i use [Optolong].

Now i am trying to make a list with all targets i can do with only Ha and OIII until i can manage to bring SII also, but now i am not sure if this time i should bring LRGB first [Astrodon] or SII, because i know i will use SII more with Ha and OIII, but there are targets i want to do with LRGB combined with Ha as well, so not sure if LRGB or SII will see more use regardless of the targets and sky condition i am in.

I used my ZWO filter wheel which is mainly for planetary to mount my Astrodon Ha and OIII, but trying to connect it to my QHY camera caused me all problems i never expected, so now i don't know which filter wheel i can buy to accept my Astrodon/Chroma 1.25" 10mm thickness filters with my QHY163M camera, with QHY filter wheel i can use the short adapter to bring the camera closer, i do have that filter wheel, but i bought an internal disk for 1.25" and to my surprise it didn't accept 10mm Astrodon/Chroma filters, so either i go with their standard version which i don't know if it will accept it, or another filter wheel that can make QHY163M camera closer to the filters, if you know options please tell me so i can finish my problem.

I bought QHY mini guide scope, it fit perfectly for my QHY5 camera, but i still have problems with guiding, and i am trying with one guy locally to figure it out and solve it, and it is with all my guiding setup with any imaging setup, so it is definitely software settings than the equipment itself, but i am still in that position thinking about "To OAG or not", at least for my Newt, i bought this Mini Guide Scope to mount it on my Newt to minimize weight, just not sure if it is FL is sufficient for it, i have to ix and finish with this guiding issue since years, my DSO imaging is all crap due to not making guiding working properly, so this will be my first goal to fix soon.

Honestly speaking, using my Astrodon Ha again is a lot of joy, i did try for Horeshead and Orion and Flaming Star and Rosette targets unguided and they were amazing really, i tried with 5 minutes even unguided, sure the stars or results isn't good unguided, but the target is just right there screaming for better, so i have to quickly setup my gear perfectly as possible as i can and use this Ha/OIII to get nice data then i start new journey ...... "PixInsight Processing", i tried to play with others data, for short time not deep processing steps, got few tips, but i really want to play with my own data, i feel i want to spend 1-5 hours on my own data than others even if my data isn't that good yet, but i am learning now how to make my data as good once i mentioned about my gear setup being fixed, i spent long time now trying without reaching anywhere, and as someone told me, i will focus on one target and my plan is also to use one filter to have enough data of that then move to another filter for same target, sounds this year and last year were just experimenting, so i want to start new year with new plan, and serious one, almost got enough items to make it, always i have one kind of issue when i setup, but i hope this time once everything is right then i enjoy more imaging, it needs patience, i remember in 2017 i thought i will make it in few months, people told me it will take years, so now almost 3 years passed for me, now i have to start better.

I attached Rosette Nebula done with my ST80 again and Astrodon Ha [5min subs unguided] as my setup failed on me with my Canon lens, so i ordered adapters, one for Canon connecting and the other for coma corrector with Newt, let's see how it will go for me.

[helicon]

My plans at this point include getting a C11 (or a long focal length Mak) for planetary observing and photography. It's a bit of a shift but I sold my 18" light bucket because of the realization that I am not relocating to dark skies for at least another 5 years. The proceeds from the sale are enough to purchase a C11 and a suitable mount.

[Star Dad]

That Rosette Nebula is 5 min unguided subs? WOW! I'm pushing 1 minute unguided subs with about 10-15% throw aways because of oval stars. Guided, of course, I do much better, but my skies are not conducive to longer exposures (Bortle 5).

Next year goals? mmmm I guess retake some of my old images with my new ASI294MC and try to get more images on our few and far between cloudless nights. I do not forsee any new equipment... Maybe a Ha filter. But not until late in the year - after my AP budget catches up to my spending from this year.

[TareqPhoto]

My plans at this point include getting a C11 (or a long focal length Mak) for planetary observing and photography. It's a bit of a shift but I sold my 18" light bucket because of the realization that I am not relocating to dark skies for at least another 5 years. The proceeds from the sale are enough to purchase a C11 and a suitable mount.

Sorry to hear about you selling your 18" scope, in fact i requested 20" Dob but i stopped the plan as no budget coming at all to complete it, and that is only for getting the structure only, i already paid one payment, so i hope my plan for next year is to continue payment and resume my 20" plan with the person if possible, then let's see what will happen later.

And in the same time with my above plan for 20", i know that it will take years until i make it ready for anything, so i hope next year that i can buy a large scope in the middle such as 12" or 14" to be used for planetary, my 7" Mak and 8" Newt aren't powerful enough for details, they gave nice results but not mind blowing at all, so i think i must get minimum 10" scope, but 10" isn't what i want, and 11" is good but i know i can push it little bit more to 12", and not sure if 14" Dob is any good idea for planetary, 12" i may buy a Newt to use on my EQ6 with lots of risks, but i saw some people did it so why not, only planetary not DSO.

[TareqPhoto]

That Rosette Nebula is 5 min unguided subs? WOW! I'm pushing 1 minute unguided subs with about 10-15% throw aways because of oval stars. Guided, of course, I do much better, but my skies are not conducive to longer exposures (Bortle 5).

Next year goals? mmmm I guess retake some of my old images with my new ASI294MC and try to get more images on our few and far between cloudless nights. I do not forsee any new equipment... Maybe a Ha filter. But not until late in the year - after my AP budget catches up to my spending from this year.

I was surprised about it as well, so i think i have to work very hard to make that guiding working really, then i can go higher or longer than 5 minutes guided, but i think i should be happy with 3-6 minutes exposures only to minimize the issues i may see in frames such as losing guide star suddenly or airplanes/satellites lines or even asteroids passing some how, losing frames within 3-5 min is better than losing whole 10 minute frame for example and who knows how many more frames i may lose within 2 hours with 10min subs, and to add, that was taking with ST80, an achro refractor that is considered as a guide scope actually, so i can't wait to use my Canon lens again and my 8" Newt soon to see what i can get, i will manage guiding soon and then i start seriously soon or next year.

My plans are a lot, including big scopes, either resuming payment of 20" dobsonian or buying for easier use something like 12" Dob or Newt for my EQ6 or 14" Dobsonian, that will be completely or mainly for planetary imaging and visual, no intend for DSO imaging unless if i can really manage that 12" Newt on my EQ6 mount, and not sure if it should be 12" F4 or F5, F4 for DSO and F5 for planetary, and i more want planetary so F5 is almost the plan.

another plan is to get OSC cooled, then i can do dual imaging, also completing my high quality filters, i have Ha and OIII now, so only left is Astrodon LRGB and Chroma SII 3nm, not sure which one i should go first, both can do the job for me next year, mostly i feel like SII should be the choice if i will buy it at the end of March/April so the summer targets which are NB more is the plan, and addition to my plan is OAG and autofocuser motor and maybe a power portable battery so i can be more mobile with my setup, those will make me busy until end of next year with another new plans hopefully.

[Makuser]

Hello Tareq and Michael. That is a very nice Rosette Nebula from you Tareq. And Michael, it was with sadness that I read about your letting the 18" Obsession go. However, I understand that until you have a permanent dark sky observatory, it is difficult to transport. Actually, lately I need help in carrying my 12" Dob out of the garage. My hopes for 2020, is finally getting that Lunt 60mm Ha solar telescope I have wanted for years. Thanks this nice thread guys, and the best of wishes for a Happy New Year.

[TareqPhoto]

Hello Tareq and Michael. That is a very nice Rosette Nebula from you Tareq. And Michael, it was with sadness that I read about your letting the 18" Obsession go. However, I understand that until you have a permanent dark sky observatory, it is difficult to transport. Actually, lately I need help in carrying my 12" Dob out of the garage. My hopes for 2020, is finally getting that Lunt 60mm Ha solar telescope I have wanted for years. Thanks this nice thread guys, and the best of wishes for a Happy New Year.

Hello Marshal! Thank you very much

Just before yesterday i was talking with one relative, and he is like a realtor or deal with real state somehow, and i talked about my problems in life in general and we came across my another house, surprisingly he told me that this house can have an opportunity to be sold for around between $1.3million to $1.7million, so i am not sure if i keep that house under bad renting lifetime or selling it at that amount then i can always play with like around $250,000 to buy all astro stuff i am dreaming about, and play with $1million into business and keep the rest in the bank as saving with allowed interest, now the question is, sell to buy more and live better or keep it for rent and for long time suffer?

Selling the house means i don't need to ask about gear, i will buy them all that i need and dream of and i still have something remaining, i will have gear for solar, lunar, DSO, planetary, all yo can imagine, but all that is still as dreams as this year earlier i was dreamed about nice budget i should get from my company i left after years but they shocked me to tell me they will not give me much, and also someone who said he will pay me more to sponsor his company if i cleared with that company i left first, but all are gone, so i can't hope for something later, so i don't know what is my plan for next year should be, i feel i have to focus on how to get budget first more than what i should buy next and no budget coming on time with all life expenses coming as well.

For now i am waiting my 2 adapters i ordered, one has been arrived in the post office, so tomorrow [or today our time] i will go to collect it, and the other one will came later, the adapter that arrived will allow me to use my Newtonian corrector with filter wheel, so maybe i should be busy in that for now.

[pakarinen]

Still thinking about a baby Mak and turning lunatic for part of the month.

M2c would be nice. With encoders would be even nicer. Same for a pair of Obies.

For observing, I'd like to nail the Messier galaxies in Vir and Coma.