AKA - Unchoking the Light

First night's test using the new PreciseParts adapter. (Order nbr B75D2596 recvd 4/30/2016)

I had replaced the SXV-AOLF in the imaging train and later the smaller Celestron OAG adapter which narrowed the opening down to the standard 2 inch SCT. The new adapter uses the full 3.25inch opening.

Installed the new PreciseParts adapter over the weekend of 4/30/2016 and after waiting for the weather to clear, got a chance to give it a good test on May 2nd and again on May 5th, 2016.

I couldn't be more pleased. The adapter enabled me to get closer to the recommended camera to scope distance and the uncropped images are sharp to the corners.

Although the vignetting did not appear to be that much reduced at first, I could tell during processing the images the signal strength was much better, i.e., less noise, more uniform across the field. The only time I cropped was to zoom in on the subject, such as M57.

The Dumbell Nebula on the other hand was at full dimensions - and no flat field was needed.