Equipment reorganisation: quit solar imaging and simplying deep sky imaging

I sold my Solarmax 60 / BF10, so my Tele Vue Ranger goes back to its original shape.  The JMI focuser is removed and it's going back to its original 1.25" helical.  The tube ring is removed too.  The ASI 462mm could be sold too, since it's now only for guiding, a bit overkill.

I am selling my Canon FD 300mm f2.8 with the JMI focuser, together with the ZWO EAF Pro.  I hope to find someone who could use it more than I do.  

Serious deep sky imaging is not my cup of tea.  I will go back to DSLR imaging or with ZWO Seestar.

Simplicity is the best.

The best telescope is the one that I can use most.  

I began solar imaging when my kids were too small so that I dare not to leave them at home.  Moving to Scotland makes solar imaging harder, I simply couldn't do it in winter since it's too low in the sky.  I can go back to the night sky eventually.

I love solar imaging, but I prefer night sky.   Setting up the equipments for a single target (the sun) is not really cost effective, I will need to go back and forth to bring all the stuff ready for a few shots.  The bottomline is that, I still got white light solar filters.

Bad weather and late darkness

Bad weather combined with late darkness as summer is coming, all these rendered no observation.

I have ordered a little cheese board to mount my camera lenses together with my little guidescope side-by-side.  

It looks very elegant.

I will be selling my camera lens adapter for my ASI camera, it will be simpler to go for a guiding setup like this.  This is more stable and cheaper to run.  The only downside is no light pollution filter could be used, but I don't think it's needed for relatively short focal length.

20260429 Sun

 ASIAir plus with Solarmax60.

The higher frame rate is good enough for solar imaging I would say.

Two frames mosaic sttitched.

Focus by JMI-CM modified with ZWO EAF Pro via ASIAIR Plus.

20260428 Testing of FD 300mm f2.8, S30 at Leo Triplet

The setup got a lunar video early before sunset:

Started rather late at around 22:40.

The Canon FD 300mm f2.8 is pointing at M109 unguided at 60s exposure.  

This is a test on the latest adapter, hopefully solving most of the previous issues.  

Stars look quite nice.  Effective focal length was calculated to be 293mm (it was around 270mm formerly).  Another good indicator.  The adapter could be further enhance to ensure better squaring, and slightly shorter to provide full focus travel to the NGF-CM.

For some reason I switched to M51 later, again with 60s exposure.

Unprocessed stacked raw.

The S30 is pointing at the Leo triplet (M65, M66 and NGC 3628).

Will keep these for the rest of this session.

Final version of Canon FD 300mm f2.8L with NGF-CM

I reprinted the adapter with a longer nosepiece to avoid misalignment due to the setting screw hitting the grove.  This new one is printed using PETG with carbon fibre.  To do this, I have to use stainless steel nozzle but it's still difficult.  

The first one failed in the middle, since the supporting structure collapsed during the print:

It's so bad that I have to cancel the print, wasting quite a lot of filaments.

I did a atomic pull to clear up everything, slow down the print as advised by Gemini.  It did help but some of the supporting collapsed too:

Since I kept a close eye on the printing process (3.5 hr!), I am aware of the issue before it's too late.  Pausing the print and ask Gemini again, I trimmed the hairy part so that it won't hinder the nozzle movement.  But the lost of some supporting part will be a trap for closing the ceiling.  Gemini suggested to use masking tape to replace the lost support:

Gemini said it's valley of death!  I slowed down the printing of the ceiling to 40%, and it closes sucessfully.  The new adapter was printed nicely.

No more misalignemt issue with the longer nosepiece before the grove, another issue was found about squaring the focuser.  It could be adjusted by the fixing screws on the NGF-CM.

This is another hobby altogether.  I mean DIY of equipments.

Frustrating sometimes but lovely at the end.  I will test it out shortly.  Dark night is getting shorter and shorter.  

20260425 S30 + 300mm guided

Setup everthing before 10:00pm, I got around 30 minutes before sleeping.

I am still using the old PLA adapter, with minor adjustment.  The new PETG-CF was a failure during printing, some of the supports collapsed...

Aimming the Canon 300mm to M101, taking 180s exposures.  

Seems some major issue with that adapter.

Aimming the S30 to NGC 4631, taking 30s exposures, for 40 minutes.

Nice target.

20260424 Adapting the NGF-CM to 2", visual observation on the moon, messier marathon M92

This is the second adapter made for the NGF-CM, this is a 2" nosepiece to connect with my Meade 8" SCT as well as my 85mm refractor.  It can be used with any telescope with a 2" focuser if it could provide enough focus travel.  Since the NGF-CM is pretty low profile, so at least the above two will work without problem.

Pulling out my Meade SCT to test:

It's not yet dark, but observing the moon is no problem.

The collimation is dead-on this time, pushing to 250x with the SVBony 8-16mm at 8mm is great.  I missed the view of the moon at such high power for long.  Good thing is that, the SVBony is nearly parfocal with my Explore Scientific 30mm.

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Setup my S30 at around 10:05, pointing at M92, a globular cluster:

Around 30 minutes of exposure, dedicated this short session to this target.

JMI NGF-CM Renovation

It's always nice to give a new life to a long time trusted partner.  

My Tele Vue Ranger is a great example, and this is still my solar imaging workhorse.

Another project is my JMI NGF-CM.  I have owned a few JMI focusers, JMI NGF-S and JMI-CM with or without the digital readout.

I have replaced the focusing controller with a DIY USB rechargable controller box a few years ago.

This time, I even use a ZWO EAF with it.  It can be used with my Ranger, my Meade 8" SCT, my 85mm refractor and also even a Canon FD 300mm f2.8!  The switch could be done within seconds!

20260423 Solar Imaging

Didn't do solar imaging for quite long.

Just upgraded to a ASIAir Plus in order to do planet/solar imaging, so given the great sky today, why not?

I always love my nearly 30 years old Tele Vue Ranger, it has been given a new life with a JMI NGF-CM focuser, and better yet now with a ZWO EAF!  It keeps on evolving.  

I also got a solar finder for it, very effective indeed.

Centering the solar disc cannot be easier.

Despite seeing is no good, fine focusing with the EAF is lovely and accurate.

I took two videos with 1080 ROI, both hit the limit of 4G maximum file size in less than one minute.  Frame rate is good with this little box, I couldn't get too much more with my aging Windows laptop.

I am now stacking the videos by using the ASIAir Plus, seeing is less than optimal so why not do a simple processing from out of the box?  Stacking one video of 4G took more than nine minutes, not exactly fast but it might be faster than pulling out my Windows laptop.

Below is processed with a laptop, the ASIAIR version will be uploaded later.  I don't really have patience in this kind of seeing, so the exposure and mosaic was actually unusable.

Somehow I lost that image processed from out of the box with the ASIAIR Plus, anyway, my impression is that it's pretty nice.

20260418 Another Clear Night, marathon and also Gemini assisted collimation!

Come back from a gathering and it's not yet dark.  Good thing and bad thing, good is that I miss nothing, bad is that dark skies are getting shorter and shorter.

Let me do M103 first, this is an open cluster, should be easier with not-yet-dark-sky.  

It's kind of blocked by nearby stuff, so I relocated my tripod a bit to see if that could be done.  A bit marginal right now, see if I can capture it tonight or else it would mean next season!

Part of the field of view is blocked, got it badly.

And then M59 and M60 within the same frame:

Relocated the tripod to capture M49, not bad:

and then M61, the last target of the night:

I should be collimating my Meade 8" SCT but it's Sunday tomorrow so I better sleep earlier.  Let me set a deadline of 10:30pm.

Finally I did it with my manual SVBony mount, very nice.  I did AI assisted collimation by using Gemini to analyse the out of focus image and diffraction pattern.  The view is confirmed to be great on Jupiter.

There was some pinched optics formerly and it should now be fixed.

20250413 Testing the reincarnated Canon FD 300mm f2.8

It can reach focus!  Autofocus works perfectly.

The testing target is M81 and M82, 180s exposure unguided, very fine subexposure.  No processing, seems like a big off centre from the vignetting pattern.  Will use PTEG with carbon fibre to print again for a stronger version.

And then switch to M13 for another test shot, 30s subexposure unguided.

M101 for 180s subexposure.

Setup the S30 along at 22:00, starting from M49, but then that part of the sky was not clear enough.  Gven up.

Turned to M84 and M86, will probably spend quite some time tonight on these.

And then M87.

And then M89, M90, M58 within the same frame:

An unexpected night, the forecast was partially covered but it is actually pretty clear.  Well worth to pull out a bigger setup.

Transforming the Canon FD 300mm f2.8L into a telegraph with autofocus via JMI NGF-CM plus a ZWO EAF

The first attempt does not work out well, since it's difficult to print the 77mm thread.  

I have tuned the printing parameters for several times but it didn't help much.

Therefore, I design another adapter from ground zero again.  I found the original 77mm ring for the FD mounting mechanism could be reused and here's the prototype:

Some fitting issues, and I did the fitting with a cutter.

It looks great, with the NGF-CM fitted.

The whole model was refined and printed again.  I will use black PETG in the final version and add felt lined black sticked inside.

Three generation of equipments combined: Canon FD lens, JMI focuser and ZWO EAF.

I am so excited, and I hope I can try it out soon.

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Prototypes

Those thinner rings were the attempts of printing 77mm threads.

The bigger blue adapter was the first prototype of the redesigned adapter without the need of 77mm threads.

Summary: 3D printing could not be too precise, they are plastic afterall.  Expansion and contraction, annealing is apparently an issue.  They are pretty strong but to maintain accurate precision and collimation, you will need to redesign the whole thing.  Don't even try to push its precision or strength, try to avoid these.

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20260409 Additional Notes

Set the limit of focuser travel of the NGF-CM with ZWO EAF in my ASIAir last night.

Set the focuser position to the middle of the travel.

Confirmed that it could reach infinity focus with ample of rooms for adjustment, even without touching the NGF-CM.  So autofocus should work, but to be verified with the stars.

Canon FD 300mm f2.8L second generation

With my new 3D printer, and the help of my daughter who is keen on making 3D models, this project is realised so quickly and it's a BIG success.

It was pessimistic about the thread (77mm 0.75 tpi) but it turns out to be nearly perfect.

It can reach infinity focus with some rooms.  So now this little lens could do autofocusing with asiair!

Aside from using an eyepiece, I also use 533mc pro to test.  It works without problem.

Other than the above adapter, I will be making two more:

a. 2" nosepiece in order to be used with my 85mm refractor for fine focusing

b. SCT female thread in order to be used with my SCT

I can then sell that CYCK focuser.

--

I have removed the ebay ad of my Canon 300mm, will be keeping it and making good use of it.

I have ordered black PETG carbon fibre filaments to print a strong adapter.  My daughter has modified the adapter to have more threads on more secure connection to the lens.

--

Later I found that the thread is less than perfect so that it's not screwed all the way in and thus leaving the gap.  It is probably not strong enough.  But the good news is that, if the quality of the thread improves, I will get even more room for focusing.

Time to do some fine tuning.

--

I have printed a new version with PETG, stronger apparantly.  But yet, the thread is less than perfect.  I will need to do some more experiments.  

I have printed another ring only to save filament and time.  But then it still less than perfection.  

JMI NGF-CM with ZWO EAF

Since the JMII NGF-CM is lower profile, I want to see if it could be used with the Canon FD 300mm f2.8L.

It might be able to replace the CYCK focuser entirely, to use with my Ranger like now, to use with my 8" SCT, and to use with my 85mm refractor for deep sky imaging.

The first feasibility test was to attach the ZWO EAF to the JMI focuser, to replace the existing JMI mini DC motor.

Original JMI mini DC motor removed.

Replace the coupler on the focuser shaft.  It was for the DRO controller which I had sold.  Now it's attached to a coupler bundled with the ZWO EAF.

Next step is to attach the focusing motor, and I have proper screws on hand fortunately.

The next test would be to try it out on the Canon FD 300mm f2.8L to see if it could reach infinity focus.  If that could be done, I am going to keep the lens.  I now had it posted on ebay but so far no one really placed a bid yet.

I did a handheld test and it works with a 20mm eyepiece.  Since the 533mc could take a 2" nosepiece, and thus saving 1cm from the 2" to 1.25" adapter!  This makes even more room for reaching infinity focus.

Specification of the adapter: everything like my existing Ranger adapter, except it's with 77mm female thread instead of 76mm.

The project looks quite promising.

I will certainly keep my Canon FD 300mm f2.8L if that could be done.  I will then be able to have autofocusing with this lens!  My 533mc has a relatively small sensor which works pretty well with this ancient lens.

Next step is to make a SCT adapter for the JMI-CM, and then a 2" nosepiece.  The CYCK focuser could then be sold!

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I believe one with a 2" nosepiece would be good enough.  

I have a 2" adapter on my SCT so it's good enough.

I can put the whole thing into the focuser of my 85mm refractor too.

Seestar S30 Messier Marathon Observation Log ******************* The Master List *******************

Pending targets:

M4-5, M8-M9, M16-26

M28, M30, M41, M46-48, M50

M62, M72-73

M75, M77-80, M83, M93, M104, M107

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August to September: M8, M16, M17, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M75

October: M30

January to February: M46-47, M93

May to June: M4 

July to August: M9, M19, M28

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Objects You Can Never Capture from 56° N

1. The Geometrically Impossible (Below the Horizon)

• M7 (Ptolemy’s Cluster in Scorpius): Declination -34.8°. This target rests nearly a full degree below your true horizon at its highest point.

2. The Practically Impossible (Skimming Below ~5° Altitude)

These targets technically poke above the mathematical horizon at culmination, but they remain buried in intense atmospheric extinction (airmass):

• M69 (Globular Cluster in Sagittarius): Dec -32.4° → Peak altitude: ~1.6°

• M70 (Globular Cluster in Sagittarius): Dec -32.3° → Peak altitude: ~1.7°

• M6 (Butterfly Cluster in Scorpius): Dec -32.2° → Peak altitude: ~1.8°

• M55 (Globular Cluster in Sagittarius): Dec -30.9° → Peak altitude: ~3.1°

• M54 (Globular Cluster in Sagittarius): Dec -30.5° → Peak altitude: ~3.5°

At these microscopic altitudes, light passes through 10 to 20 times the amount of Earth's atmosphere compared to zenith, scattering faint light and distorting stars into blurred streaks.

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Those marked with a (-) is less than optimal.

M1 2025/12/16

M2 2026/8/24

M3 2026/03/29 (*)

M10 2026/9/9 (-)

M11 2026/8/24

M12 2026/9/9 (-)

M13 2026/4/12 (*)

M14 2026/9/9 (-) 2026/09/15

M15 2025/12/8

M27 2025/12/4 2026/8/24

M29 2026/8/24

M31 2025/11/21

M32 2025/11/21

M33 2025/12/20

M34 2026/3/25

M35 2025/12/8

M36 (-) 2026/3/25

M37 (-) 2026/3/25

M38 (-) 2026/3/25

M39 2026/5/25

M40 2026/4/17

M42 2025/12/13

M43 2025/12/13

M44 (-) 2026/03/29

M45 (-) 2026/3/27

M49 2026/4/18

M51 2026/3/25 (*)

M52 2026/9/9

M53 2026/4/17 2026/09/15

M56 2026/8/13

M57 2026/8/13

M58 2026/4/13 (-)

M59 2026/4/18

M60 2026/4/18

M61 2026/4/18

M63 (-) 2026/03/29

M64 2026/4/12

M65 2026/3/27 (*)

M66 2026/3/27 (*)

M67 (-) 2026/3/27

M71 2026/8/24

M72 2026/09/15

M73 2026/09/15

M74 (-) 2026/1/3 (*)

M76 2026/1/4

M81 2026/3/20 2026/3/6 2026/12/16 (*)

M82 2026/3/20 2026/3/6 2026/12/16 (*)

M84 2026/4/13 (-)

M85 2026/4/17

M86 2026/4/13 (-)

M87 2026/4/13 (-)

M88 2026/4/17

M89 2026/4/13 (-)

M90 2026/4/13 (-)

M91 2026/4/17

M92 2026/4/24

M94 (-) 2026/03/29 2026/04/30

M95 2026/4/6 2026/4/22

M96 2026/4/6 2026/4/22

M97 2026/3/21 

M98 (-) 2026/3/27

M99 (-) 2026/3/27

M100 (-) 2026/3/27

M101 2026/3/28 (*)

M102 2026/4/6

M103 2026/4/18 (-)

M105 2026/4/6 2026/4/22

M106 2026/3/28

M108 2026/3/21 

M109 2026/4/5

(-) is suboptimal

(*) means worth trying again 

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20260329

It's good to push myself to capture something even in the worst situation.

It's nice to get some ideas about the size, the location and the magnitude of more targets.

New equipment - the joy of visual observation

It's a reclining chair.  

Observation with my Canon IS is just fantastic!  Now, I just want darker sky.

My neighbour keeps his light on all the night, and there is also a nearby street lamp.  

Nevertheless, scanning with binoculars are simply irreplacable experience.

 

20260321 Not so good sky - M108 Seestar S30

The sky is not very clear.  I will be using the SeeStar only tonight.

The target will be M108.  

M97 The Owl Nebula was captured accidentally on the bottom right corner.

I suddenly got a thought about running a Messier Marathon myself with the S30?

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Equipment thoughts:

I will not upgrade my mount, since I won't use the 8" SCT for deep sky imaging.  

For planet imaging, my HEM15 will work with the 8" SCT.  

For deep sky observation, even my SVBony SV225 will work.  So, it's a keeper.

Maybe just sell that f/6.3 reducer and then done.

20260320 Jupiter and M81/M82/NGC3077/NGC2076

Setup the S30 for mosaic around M81, M82, NGC3077 and NGC2076.

1:37 hr of signal acquired.

One with latest AI denoise another is raw stacked.

Trying out Jupiter with my 8" SCT, collimation was off after quite some time.  

Some videos were taken at prime focus, I didn't take any after inserting the barlows.  Collimation was pretty off.

First time trying out LuckyStackWorder, not bad at all.

Focusing with the short pier is no fun at all, centering the Jupiter was not too difficult with the bigger sensor of the 533mc but I don't think it's much fun.  I am one more step closer to sell it, for visual observation a dobsonian might be better.  I don't quite like planet imaging any more.  Long focal length deep sky would require a better mount which I won't probably want.  Time to downsize?

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20260321 Followup

The collimation screws were too long, it should be 8mm but mine were 12mm, maybe that's why they couldn't hold the collimation well enough.  Order has been placed to get 10mm collimation screws since I could get exactly 8mm.  The new one has thinner thumb holder was shorter, the lens cap might be placed on after changing?

On checking my blog, I was considering adapting the NGF-CM to the ZWO EAF.  It's well worth further exploration.