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Auto-guided EQ1 mount

Gonzo

By Gonzo
in DIY Astronomer

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Gonzo

Gonzo

Posted
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This is a joined project with Themos about the auto-guided EQ1.

In no particular order some threads to help you understand the behind of this project,

eq-polar-alignment - Rosedale Photo Polar Alignment - Google Project Hosting

http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/eq_mod.pdf

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-discussion/175110-eq1-8-arcsecs-per-pixel-how-long-exposure-orion-will-i-manage.html

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/105214-arduinoastrocontrol-homebrew-autoguider-mkii.html

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/148315-spc900-lxmod-yesyes-style.html

BIG thank you to everyone involved in the above links.

my auto-guided EQ1:

image_service.php?photo_id=1519&type=mid

image_service.php?photo_id=1526&type=mid

EQ1 motor control box

image_service.php?photo_id=1524&type=mid

opto-isolator ILQ74

image_service.php?photo_id=1527&type=mid

fits nicely in the box

image_service.php?photo_id=1531&type=mid

taking shape...

image_service.php?photo_id=1533&type=mid

Arduino mini light (not easy to program)

image_service.php?photo_id=1532&type=mid

everything fits in the box

image_service.php?photo_id=1535&type=mid

the finished project

Does it work? .... yes it does work quite well (I just need to understand more how PHD really works....).

With a not too accurate polar alignment, I took a 60" shot and it came out nice. I still have to buy the remote for my GF1 so I can remotely use the bulb function, hence I'm only limited to 60" at the moment.

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Gonzo

Gonzo

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Out of curiosity, what webcam is that you are using to guide with? I got a cheap £8 one from Maplin but it doesn't appear to be sensitive enough to see any stars, even when used in conjunction with something like SharpCap.

I use a SPC900 webcam with a YesYes style mod and the finder is an Orion 9x50.

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tonyh66

tonyh66

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I'd love to do this project on my EQ2, but the instructions you and Themos have provided are so unclear??

do you need a GPUSB product to interface the handset to a computer?

from the photo it looks like you have wired the ILQ74 to the RA+ and DEC+ (or RA- and DEC-)? surely it should be RA+ and RA-.

How do you program the arduino? do you use the same code as supplied with the full dual axis autoguiding project?

I can sort of see where the wires are soldered to the handset buttons, but haven't a clue where they connect to the arduino.

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Gonzo

Gonzo

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I think this is fantastic. The entire idea of auto-guiding an EQ1 is so bonkers it's wonderful. I want to do it to mine now :)

James

thank you, yes it is bonker :D. It's mainly for wide field astro photography :p.

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themos

themos

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A 3 minute crop of Orion nebula, shot 2 nights ago in the Atlas mountains of Morocco with the autoguided EQ1. Polar alignment was about 5 arcminutes originally but was disturbed subsequently, prior to this shot. One needs to be very careful with this setup, it does not forgive errors.

I also found out that I need to check that the North-South switch is set correctly on that handset!

EOS 450D, CLS Astronomik filter (didn't need it, really), 135mm Zeiss Jenna lens set to f/4.5, about 8 arcseconds per pixel, ISO 800.

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themos

themos

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We should document everything nicely soon. There's nothing really new here, it's the same modification that is made to an EQ3-2 handset except we only care about RA guiding corrections, the mount appears as an ASCOM Telescope (with radically reduced capabilities). The only new thing, I guess, is the polar alignment script that zeros you in to the NCP. And the chutzpah.

Any Southern hemisphere users out there to try out a Southern version?

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themos

themos

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Beautiful :D

The whole thing fits into a rucksack: laptop, mains (and 12V) adaptor, EQ1, mini-tripod legs, counterweight and bar, finder/guider, webcam, handcontroller, motor and battery unit. assorted cables, gloves, hat, red head torch, thermos flask!

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tonyh66

tonyh66

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We should document everything nicely soon. There's nothing really new here, it's the same modification that is made to an EQ3-2 handset except we only care about RA guiding corrections, the mount appears as an ASCOM Telescope (with radically reduced capabilities). The only new thing, I guess, is the polar alignment script that zeros you in to the NCP. And the chutzpah.

Any Southern hemisphere users out there to try out a Southern version?

Looking forward to the write up, I'm going to shoehorn an arduino nano into the handset of my eq2

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themos

themos

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I'm going to put up one of these Polar Alignment plots we produce to show you how we visualise the polar alignment error. The red X shows where your equatorial axis is pointing and the blue circles are centered around the NCP now (the green one is centered around the NCP in 2000).

post-13420-133877736369_thumb.jpg

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themos

themos

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Another quick 100% crop of a 4 minute exposure from last night (with clouds!), this time with a 55mm lens, about 19 arcsecond per pixel declination is about 10 degrees.

But first, what Pecprep thinks of my long guiding run from another night, RMS error about 1 arcsecond!!!

post-13420-133877739571_thumb.jpg

post-13420-133877739574_thumb.png

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