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Steve Paxton / Photos

First Run- nothing fancy

I wanted to give the unit a go to see what It could do but I knew i was fighting clouds. Set up polar alignment with the polemaster was easier but took a bit to understand the adjustment of the two screws is one moves forward the other moves back In unison. all night long I had the polemaster screen on and watch south track it hardly moved. the biggest movement was when the clouds came over.

this shot, the moon is out, the star sit 100% above the city lights, the bright star is Rigil Kent bottom star of the pointers this time of year. ISO 100 tracked for 3 min 35 sec but even the 4 min track looked ok but for the clouds. clouds won but I feel a whole lot happier. this is 8 shots clouds and all stacked there was no movement across the frame what so ever.
Southern Alignment points Octans

This was shot as set up in the photo before...or in the PIP.
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6 comments

David G Johnson said:

Gotcha'..... Steve.... brilliant clarity.. and the tackle is working good...... I didn't fully understand your quote ''Rigil Kent'' bottom star''....... Is the bright star 'Rigel' ? the bottom right hand star of the constellation 'Orion' ?
Cheers from.... Dj.. UK.
4 years ago

Steve Paxton replied to David G Johnson:

DJ I have no close up of the two star that make the pointers but if you look in the PIP you will see it the bottom bright star. they are called the Pointers as they point to the Southern Cross just next to them. in the Perth city area they are both very viable but as the PIP shows none of that colour of the milky way shows. I have yet to understand how the unit moves as it is control by a hand piece and two parts of the unit move to get to the target. this is totally electronic.

shame about the clouds but I have then for a few weeks so you can kind of see just why I had to at least try. this I can say for the first time I much more like what I wanted to take from the start. I believe the smaller unit only good for smaller lens which is not what I wanted but I cant complain I learnt so much with it that it holds real value when setting up this unit.
4 years ago

Herb Riddle said:

Impressive Steve. Another night star to your name and bag. Well done.

Keep safe. Herb
4 years ago

Steve Paxton replied to Herb Riddle:

This really is a nothing shot but shows some real potential as well the 4m 35 sec looked just as good but was under clouds and the end of my night. the whole time it was running tracking the star even under clouds the few shots I did get in the holes many minuets apart show no movement at all frame to frame. may be the benefit of 10kg payload but I am only using at this point some 3 kg.

The Polemaster was better to set up but I had to get use to the movement of adjusting two at the same time one forward one back. all night long I had the southern point on the computer screen in real time from the Polomaster camera there was no movement at all for the 2 hours I was outside trying, willing and waiting for holes to get some shots.

All in all this is what I have been wanting from the start. look forward to a cloudless black night.
4 years ago

tiabunna said:

I'm impressed, Steve. A pity the clouds disrupted your project, but this is a great result. As I mentioned to Herb after seeing his moon image, I really must try stacking.
4 years ago

Steve Paxton replied to tiabunna:

It was the worst start you could wish for but the biggest thing I have got to get use to is trying to find stars in two axis not just the move of a ball head. I think this will be the making of deep space and I know I can go even further "IF I WISH".

Sequator is a great stacking program I have used for a few years one I can recommend as well, free.
4 years ago
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