Help with Starlight Xpress MX5C and a Celestron 11GPS ?!!!

Hi

At the start of the summer I upgraded to an 11GPS and recent acquired an MX5C, both through members here.

In the past I have worked with a few telescopes but mostly a 12" Dob with a webcam.

I am now trying to get the MX5C capturing and need to ask some stupid questions to put me in the right direction - I hope someone can help!

Ok I set up the 11GPS and enjoy viewing many objects with my naked eye. The process I am following is to star with a bright star, once I have it in my sight, I swap out the eyepiece for the MX5C. I am using the default s/w (star 2000) on the laptop and I am VERY new to this interface and relatively new to astrophotography. My first real difficulty is trying to get the focus right , I am doing short quick auto exposures and pressing the jmi motofocus to try and get what looks like a sharp image. Then doing individual exposures , but they aren't very good. Whats the trick with focusing?

Currently I am doing this without the Moon to practice on and really what to get to the stage where I am catching some galaxies.

Anyone got any links or basic advice?
Am I using the right software - it doesn't have much instruction wise- any particular website thats good - there is so much that I could tweak but don't know where to start?

Thanks in advance

Algol

Algol,

The software that comes with starlight xpress ccds is, to be polite very poor with little instruction on how do do anthing. If you are taking images at full resolution you would need to de interlace the frame to check on focus. I gave up on the software that came with both my starlight cameras and went for astroart 4 which allows you to bin the colour ccd at 2x2 and has a very user friendly focus routine. Astroart retails at about £140? but others on here may have links to some freeware/shareware that support the MX5C.

Kieran

Thanks Phoenix, where did you source your astroart ?

Here is the dealer page from the MSB Astroart site:

www.msb-astroart.com/or_en.htm

Thanks a lot Kieran , I'll check out that site ....

If anyone else has any comments or advice I would greatly appreciate it!

Algol,
I'd certainly agree with Kierans suggestion regarding Astroart 4, I've been using an SXVH9C for a couple of years with Astroart 3, and the camera control and basic processing works very well. However, your main problem is the fact that your MX-5 has a very small chip, and your scope has a very long focal length and f/ ratio, this combination will make imaging very difficult. That camera is better suited to short focus refractors or similar, with a faster focal ratio, it will give you a much wider field of view and shorter exp' with less dependence on accurate guiding.
If your C11 isn't fastar compatable, another solution might be an f3.3 reducer, which would tame the focal length, and get you imaging. Is your C11GPS on an equatorial wedge? It'll need to be to avoid field rotation. The best suggestion I could make, is to read, read and read all you can. There are plenty of good books on the subject out there, and you'll have plenty of time to read them with all the cloudy weather we get!

Good luck

David.