Help -- synguider fighting with mount?

[szymon]

So, I'm at my wits end.  I've been trying for two days to get my new SynGuider (with Celestron NexGuider v1.1 firmware, not sure why) to work with my mount.  I have a HEQ5 with 200P and the Synguider is attached to the finder).

The mount is polar aligned to 19"/24", using the polar align routine on the Synscan handset.  Here is a two minute unguided exposure:

The image is of Alioth.  Here is the version with the Synguider, a 50 second exposure:

It's guiding directly on the star, but I can see it "running away" in declination.

Please can someone suggest what I might be doing wrong?

Many thanks,

-simon

[barkis]

Is there perhaps a conflict caused by the Finder scope, What make is it, and are the stars in the finder moving east to west, or west to east. the same as your main telescope.

You could be tracking in the wrong direction.

And I could be totally up the creek with my suggestion.

Which Synguider is it Sg2 or 1? 

Ron.

[szymon]

I didn't realise there are two versions! It is about a year old. I will go move the mount and watch which way the stars move, good idea.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[knobby]

Is it a good idea to guide on the star that you're imaging ?

[Steve Ward]

Provided the Synguider has Auto-calibrated itself to start with the type of 'scope it's used in makes no odds as it will have worked out which way things are moving for itself.

I've used mine with a 70/500mm frac and an ETX105 with no issues like this.

I'm not sure that a finderscope is 'man enough' , it's recommended that a 'scope of around 80mm aperture with FL between 400 - 1200mm is used.

And a finderscope is not really well enough secured to prevent movement or flexing , we all know how often they require re-aligning , even so-called 'guidescope rings' are less than ideal to be honest , I swapped mine for the SW Guidescope mount which gives a much more secure connection.

[szymon]

Woo woo!  That was it!  I used the mount controls and followed the star on the synguider, and it was moving diagonally.  So I twisted the finder until the star was moving along the axes perfectly, did the auto calibrate again, and now it's absolutely perfect.

The attached is a 10 minute guided sub :-).  I had to drop the exposure by two stops in aperture just to see the stars, my light pollution probably won't allow for 10 minute subs to be useful, but it worked!

I owe you a beer or coffee if you ever stop by London, let me know

-simon

[lensman57]

Woo woo!  That was it!  I used the mount controls and followed the star on the synguider, and it was moving diagonally.  So I twisted the finder until the star was moving along the axes perfectly, did the auto calibrate again, and now it's absolutely perfect.

The attached is a 10 minute guided sub :-).  I had to drop the exposure by two stops in aperture just to see the stars, my light pollution probably won't allow for 10 minute subs to be useful, but it worked!

I owe you a beer or coffee if you ever stop by London, let me know

IMG_9124.png

-simon

Hi Simon,

I just read this and was going to say that you needed to align the sensor to the RA and DEC axis but it seems that you have already sorted this out.

A.G

[knobby]

Glad its sorted ! Well done