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First 10 steps


WireD64

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I would like to know what everyone does as their first 10 steps when setting up for a nights imaging, weather this be polar alignment routing, setting out your targets for the night, or making tea and coffee :)

I'm not asking what I should do as my first 10 steps, I just want to see what YOU do.

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Hi

1 setting up the tripod and leveling it

2. Rolling out power Cable

3. attaching mount, counterweights and scope

4. check collimation since I don't have a permanent setup

5. attach and align finder scope

6. balance the scope

7. Start the synscan

8. Polar align

9. 2- or 3-star alignment

10. adjusting polar aligment with the synscan

Oh, and I forgot, the most important:

0. plan targets depending on visibility, season, moonlight, etc

Wim

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Observatory based CCD so...

1 Model the image beforehand in software and note the framing and central co-ordinates of the proposed shoot.

2 Set up the directory into which the captures will go. (No point in wasting night time for small tasks.)

3 Point scopes at a first alignment star.

4 Power up mount and cameras.

5 Tell mount which alignment star I'm on.

6 Connect CCD camaras and centralize alignment star on the virtual crosshairs.

7 Re-synch the mount oon the well centralized star.

8 Use handset to Go To target.

9 Check framing and fine focus using FWHM measurement.10 Launch autoguider, watch it and tweak if necessary.

11 Set up sequencer and launch shoot.

12 Go over to the other observatory and repeat!!  :BangHead:

13 Note it's thirteen! Get call from robotic shed scope owner saying blackbird has nested in scope and can I shoo it out!!!  :grin:  :grin:  :grin: 

Olly

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Assume I have already put targets into the sequencer (SGPro) and figured out which will be visible first...

1. Set up the AllSky camera outside and start it running.

2. Carry tonight's choice of OTA outside and connect up all cables,

3. Power up mount and cameras, start all required computer programs.

4. With this 10-M mount, just slew to target and focus (to check what seeing looks like)

5. Start imaging sequence.

6. Note arrival of clouds within the hour.

7. Curse profoundly and shake fist at clouds.

8. Put everything away again.

9. Make cup of cocoa

10. Post on SGL complaining about UK weather.

ChrisH

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Obsy based dslr guiding on an HEQ5 but less than ten steps.

Roll back roof.

Fire up CDC and PHD......laptop is permanently on, no boot up time.

Power up mount, camera and dew gear..

Slew to a bright star to check focus.

Slew to target, have already decided which one before coming out.

Start imaging run with intervalometer, this is already pre programmed with subs etc.

Sit back and wait for clouds. :grin:

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1. Keep track of moon phase & forego any DSO imaging when it’s a week or so either side of full - all the while pondering my next target & noting the time it will cross meridian on the night of planned event.

2. Check local radar & clear sky chart throughout the day - attempting to “guess-timate” if conditions will be right for a full night of imaging.

3. If it looks like a go - drive to remote site (about a mile away on private property) an hour or two before dusk & carry stowed astronomy gear outside.

4. Set up & level the tripod, then install mount, counter weight bar, and counterweight. Install OTA on mount, then finderscope & GLP on OTA. Install f/6.3 focal reducer (when applicable) OAG, guide cam, FW & imaging camera at EP end of OTA.

5. Connect hand control & energized A/C adapter to mount and dew shield to OTA.

6. Balance the scope.

7. PA the mount using the polar alignment scope.

8. Connect the numerous remaining cables to mount, cameras & laptop - then power-up the mount and boot PC.

9. * Check operation of mount in RA/DEC & about 50% of the time – fail to have installed the DEC cable creating a fleeting moment of distress  :eek:​ until realizing I forgot to hook it up once again!!!  :BangHead:

10. Be thankful no one witnessed my dumbfounded expression  :ohmy:, Breathe a sigh of relief :biggrin:, utter a few profanities  :cussing: , power down the mount, shut down the laptop, install that annoying little DEC cable - then power-up the mount & reboot PC.  :angry7:

11. * Should # 9 happen to be unnecessary for a change -Temporarily remove focal reducer (when applicable), OAG, guide cam, FW & imaging camera (as an assembly with all cables still attached) & install a star diagonal with illuminated reticle EP in anticipation of fine tuning PA with Align Master & initiating a two-star alignment (with four calibration stars).

That’s about as far as 10 steps will get me right now but hope to eliminate the last part of 3 and all of 4 - 11 once my ROR observatory is complete and everything is permanently set-up and aligned - at which time I hope to amend my checklist to be more in line with the one Olly prescribes...  :icon_salut:

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Mine which is probably all wrong

1 Get excited that theres no clouds

2 Check clear outside

3 Set mount up and balance it

4 Look at stellerium and pick out 3 stars to align plus target

5  Find Polaris in polar reticule

6 Look at app on my phone and copy it through the mount reticule

7 slew scope to polaris 

8 check it through finderscope and main scope

9 Polaris is always slightly above my cross hairs on both finder scope and main scope

10 wonder then if i should put Polaris bang in the centre of finder scope (main scope would be the same)

11 Wonder then why my lat/long is 3.21 and  51.43 yet my phone app is always slightly different

12 3 star alignment

13 target

14 test shot

15 somethings wrong

16 run inside to computer to try and understand it

17 look blankly at screen

18 look at clock

19 fetch everything back in

20 bed

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1. Dark adapt for 3 minutes and if the skies are good move to step 2

2. Go back inside and remotely start observatory PC

3. Fire up Cartes du Ciel on house PC and choose object

4. Overlay FOV rectangle to determine best-fit angle of rotation for camera

5. De-arm observatory security

6. Enter observatory and turn on monitor

7. Turn on 12v PSU

8. Run master batch file to initialise every piece of required software

9. Respond to 'remove dome locks' warning

10. Run 'Open Dome Slit' action in CCD Commander

10.5 Thank the OP for not asking for the first 20 steps :grin:

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Here's what I do at the start of a session.

1. put down vibration dampeners

2. setup tripod, leveled with two way bubble level

3. affix wedge

4. use Polar mate, to get rough alignment to polaris

5. affix OTA onto wedge

6. add dew shield to OTA

7. Add power cables, handbox, and eyepiece

8. put scope into home position using bubble level

9. perform 2 star alignment

10. find first pre-prepared target.

Note: I've not included steps that I do before an observing night...

charging batteries, choosing target, praying to the deities for clear weather, cursing at the clouds, etc. 

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This is me.

Move mount into kichen

Attach scope or camera/lens

Dial in polaris hour angle off stellarium to mount RA (setting it 5 mins in advance) 

Carry mount scope camera outside

Plonk it down on marked out slabs

Focus scope on any faint star using liveview x10

Get polaris set in polarscope (having waited the 5 mins)

Switch on mount hit run on intervalometer.

Go inside have a cuppa

Alan

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  1. tripod set up - facing north and level

place mount on top - check level

Run power cable, plug in mount

polar align using setting circles, Synscan handset (for time) and Polar Finder App

Add scopes to mount

Balance scopes

Attach all cables

Boot up laptop

Alignment with Synscan

Find a target

Find a guide star

Take a few test shots to figure out histograms - using APT

Check Guiding

set imaging run on APT

Check guiding

Reset guiding

Curse streelights

Check guiding

Re-check guiding

Notice clouds

Sulk

beer

Bed

make note to learn to count to 10

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Thanks for everyones responses to this, It is interesting to see the variation in startup procedures, it was mainly my curiosity that made me ask the question.

Hopefully though it will be helpful to anyone just starting out for the first time to see if they've missed a critical step.

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WireD64, thanks for starting this interesting thread. I'm always looking for ways to streamline/parallelise things.

Since I often observe away from home I organise things with two things in mind: to maximise laptop battery life and so that everything overlaps with scope cool-down time (40 mins or so). I operate in alt-az. This is my current electronically-assisted observing schedule if all goes to plan...

1. Select 15-20 objects to observe, usually in a smallish area of the sky, noting nearest object for those obscurities not in synscan (I still like to star hop, even on the laptop)
2. Create all directories, close unnecessary apps and start needed ones (LodestarLive, Notes, SkySafari, Acroread for other pdf charts)
3. Put scope out to cool before setting up mount
4. Assemble mount, level, attach scope and rough balance
5. Check and tweak collimation with autocollimator (needs must for a well-travelled f/4 Newtonian)
6. Attach filterwheel and camera
7. Align roughly 'by eye' on chosen bright star
8. Start laptop and synscan and carry out 2-star alignment and rough focus
9. Fine focus (Bhatinov mask)
10. Take darks via filterwheel mask
11. Attach dew/light shield if not too windy
12. Take SQM reading
13. Start observing
If I have the luxury of sufficient juice and an isolated setting I might fire up some John Coltrane at this point too, but sometimes just enjoy the nocturnal soundscape...
Martin
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What a great thread!

1. Check 'Clear Outside' to see if its a possibility.

2. Record stuff on Sky to keep me entertained at 3.00am!

3. Look outside at about 7.30pm. If looks ok, go to step 4. 

4. Use stellarium to check whats on the menu and to select alignment stars.

5. Once selected a target, decide exposure and ISO, set up camera outside and take an hour or so's worth of Darks using intervalometer.

6. Whilst the camera is clicking away, I set up and balance the scope, using compass to point mount north and spirit level to find 'home' position.

7. When polaris becomes visible, I start synscan and enter stuff until it tells me the clock position for the polar scope.

8. Check the clock position on the polar finder phone app. Note the discrepancy between that and the synscan reading. Make a mental note to find out which one to trust. Remember I've made the same mental note countless times and done nothing.

9. Polar align.

10. do a two star alignment, usually Deneb and Vega.

11. Swap eyepiece for camera and use Vega to focus, using live view and Bhatinov mask.

12. Slew to target, take a couple of short, high iso images to check its there and frame the image using stars on live view as a guide.

13. Take one proper image, then check I've remembered to put the iso back and framing is OK.

14. Add dew shield, adjust counterweight, start guiding.

15. Start imaging run.

16. Go inside and watch TV.

17. Go out after 15 mins to check all is working OK.

18. Look up to sky, CLOUD!

19. Curse, 'clear outside' and BBC weather app.

20. Dismantle, pack away and remind myself never to do this again!

Hope that helps... Tim. 

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