StevieDvd

Did you get the model with the Celestron Starsense option, that will align/set the date & location of the mount automatically on each startup. It does need an initial setup alignment so it is facing the same sky portion as the scope.

The specs on the RVO say "The tube features superior FPL-53 specifically chosen by us to give the sharpest and most widefield images possible. "

Hi Tezz,

If I summarise your requirements first before even mentioning any equipment it may help us suggesting options.

You will be indoors so not expecting to view via an eyepiece outside yourself. Presumably, wanting to image live views with as much detail as possible. And an ease of setup out of consideration to your friends helping  you.

Have you seen images you could refer to as examples of what you want/expect to see?  Some of the best images on the forum are heavily processed (indoors which may be part of the fun for you) and can't be seen in such detail even with the best cameras.  There is a group who like to see almost instant images - Electronically Assisted Astronomy who get to see more than the naked eye but not always captured for post processing, an in the moment image.

Perhaps you have a local astro society which may have members doing something similar, albeit their setup is similar as they want it portable. A member may be more than happy to pop along and show you their setup as a contender for your needs. We like showing our stuff off, hence forums like this. One aspect to be considered is the view from your garden and any light pollution/nuisances.

So your options would seem to range from the single piece EAA scopes such as:

• https://www.firstlightoptics.com/unistellar-telescopes.html
• https://dwarflab.com/products/dwarf-2-smart-telescope

Or more likely a recent light-weight mount and a small remote computer (or network lead to inside) with a mid-range dso/planetary camera with the scope(s) of your choice. More on this later if that's the way you think you are looking.

Given the UK weather then depending on your PC skills and patience may be the image post-processing would be just as interesting for you.

Steve

@malc-c not the diagram I'd found but will do better as it's clearer.

Thanks Malcolm.

@FrenchyArnaud make sure you allow access for the central M10 bolt holding the mount in place. There are a few advocates of the block pier here on SGL so worth a search for tips and do's/don'ts.

@matija and @vlaiv

As per the thread you have on cloudy nights they have suggested this could be an over-sampling issue due to the focal length & pixel size.  That's way out of my comfort range so perhaps best to look into their suggestions before any possible back focus error.

Okay this is my logic, and I am prepared to be corrected by a proper astroimager.

I have a WO Z61 with a flattener and an ASI 585MC fitted. I had to add spacers to the end of the focuser so the image plane lined up with the sensor of the camera.

See the WO diagram here the diagrams are towards the end of the page. As you move the focuser in/out the image plane stays the same distance from the end of the focuser. Your ccd needs to be on that image plane, it's not the distance between the scope and camera that's causing the error but the fact the camera is always off the image plane.

I understand a little but had always thought the focuser made up distance unless you had a reducer in the chain before I used a flattener myself.

Of course the experts reading this will, hopefully, correct any mis-conception I have - but it seems to fit the facts.

No laptop needed until post processing.

You would PA and set the main camera focus, then go inside.  At the end of your session send the mount to home position and switch off.

All post- processing is done on your main computer. Images can be copied over a network (before turning the Asiair off) or via USB

I go outside to setup the mount, power up and PA then go inside. I go back at the end of the session (or weather changes) just to pack away. Do my processing on a fast Win 11 PC at my leisure.

With the eyepiece and the extension tube did you also have a diagonal?

If you added a diagonal & extender then effectively that increased the focus point back.  Without a diagonal/extender, to use a DSLR for example, it would need an adapter to fit onto the end of the focuser and that with the DSLR is usually 55mm.

But if, as you say, the focus can go either side of the example image (stars increase in size when focusing either side of that position) then that should be the focus point but  for some reason your camera ccd is not in the right spot.

How are you connecting the camera and are there any filters attached to it?

Okay some easy questions to answer:

The Asiair Mini is a small computer with an internal storage with it's own operating system. It has no memory card slot (like the previous models and the Asiair Plus have). You can save images to USB drives/sticks if a free USB is available once you connected  everything.

It runs the processes on the Asiair but allows control from a remote mobile/pad IOS or Android. There is no official PC support  - you'd have to use some form of Emulator that could run the app (possible but tricky for the non-technical).

There is a list of supported DSLR - most of which just use a USB cable to control, the shutter release port is for older types.

Wifi on the models with external external is a lot better than the old models. I control my Asiair Plus from inside the house or garage so brick wall between me and the mount.

It's designed for use on a mobile phone or tablet with touch control.  I find a decent sized tablet is best and I have the knowledge/option to use a PC for control. When you do the PA process you need the screen next to the mount anyway.

The system is locked down to the extent that, apart from a few DSLR brands, all the hardware needs to be ZWO.  The end user has no access to the OS so no other software can be loaded.

Have you anything fitted in between the camera and focuser, such as a flattener/reducer or coma corrector and/or any extensions fitted to the end of the focuser tube?

Have you focused with any other camera or just visual/eyepieces?

If you have nothing in the light path that affects the focus position then perhaps there is an extension tube to be added/removed.

The PDS versions of the scopes are shortened versions of the standard scope to allow DSLR usage, they typically have a 55mm back focus. So when using a different camera such as the 485MC which as a 17.5mm back focus you may need spacers to add another 37.5mm

But that really depends on whether you don't have enough back fockus or inward focus.

Inward means you probably need to remove an extenstion tube. Outer means you may need more spacers. Difficult to tell without more info or a picture of the focuser with camera added and where best focus is (furthest in or furthest out).

Sorry about the see this thread link, it was a page with dimensions which I can't find now.

However, that's not needed now. This is the sort of 2 plate setup on a home-made pier that I was referring to. It's from the self built observatory of an SGL member @malc-c

This is an often asked question so plenty of options available.

In this older thread there is a diagram of the pier adapter types used showing the measurements of the eq5 & eq6. It would seem the eq5 size is what you'd need.

The north pin/peg/bolt or Azimuth pin is a better term for the locating lug.

Have you yet to start or have you a pier column ready for an adapter?

If you need help making something for your setup FLO recommended this company to me http://jtechdesign.co.uk/ to see if they can help.

Pier adapter plates usually go on to an existing top plate that is already levelled. There will be a space to let you add the central bolt to hold the mount down once located in the adapter.

Below is mine. I had the plates made up as the pier was already made but the top needed replacing.  If designing from scratch you could possibly have the pier adapter as the top and another plate on the pier itself making it cheaper and easier.

A quick google shows the pier adapters are available see RVO adapters FLO also do one which is a multi-fit

You could contact them to make sure it will fit your mount. I could not find the dimensions for your exact mount so not sure if it's an EQ5 or EQ6 equivalent. If you go for a diy job or a local company to fabricate something you'll need the dimensions.

What's the diameter & depth of the hole the mount fits in, that'll be a great help to know when seeking the adapter.

I could only open the .fit file in Gimp, Siril, PixInsight & my Fits viewer had issues. I would question the gain used as a little too high, the 'sweet spot' for the camera is 252 (see here for details) so a slightly longer exposure say 10 secs may be better. M42 is tricky as the core is easy to over expose.

The ASI585MC is the camera I have been using with good results.  See this thread for my examples, and I'm not a imager with great experience.

This is a the display of an image being taken by my Asiair (I was indoors so there are reflections from the room lights and my own shadow) - this was a later run to get further data so I took 30 x 30secs to try to get more nebulosity. But the preview mode is more apt for EAA and looked similar.

So the camera shoud be good for EAA as far as I can say, though I have not personally tried it with Sharpcap.

It's a process rather than a script and is in the ImageRegistration section.

My update

And just in case it has been unchecked here's the update at startu check on/off in Edit Menu/Preferences

I've got the ZWO ASI585MC which I bought to do DSO.

Here's a couple of lightly processed DSO taken recently.

M1 Crab nebula

M31 Andromeda

M42 Orion

M81 taken on a cloudy night so not the best

NGC2175 Monkey Head

I took these on the ASI585MC with a Williams Optics Z61 with flattener and L-Pro filter - longest set of data was 50 minutes. Using an Asiair Plus if that helps.

The yellow images you see posted are normally a post capture choice.

If you take white light images using a solar film filter, they may be tinted already.  For better resolution we use mono cameras for solar and edit/colour to our own preferences.

Capture software can also colour the images for you.

The expense comes with the extra details - have a look at images posted on SGL to see which end of the spectrum you want to be in and how deep your pockets may need to be for the best detail.

How do you think we are able to answers these issues, we had them ourselves. 🙂

When setting up a new StarAdventurer GTi the power pack I use inside for setup tests etc has a tendency to power off, if it's not detecting enough power being drawn.  So I often got the connection error as the mount was effectively turned off without me spotting it.

That's why I put was the mount switched on in the above posts.

26 minutes ago, woldsweather said:

Theres just 1 COM port showing in Device manager - USB COM3

Presumably you mean under Ports it shows 'Communications Port (COM3)'

The cable has a chip in and when it is connected to a computer it 'should' get a COM Port assigned. There is no need for a device(mount etc) on the other end for it to register. 

If you plug the lead into your old laptop does it show up in devices? Check what port is gets set to and what driver it is using. Then check the same on the new PC.

I was a little surprised you needed to download the FTDI driver, would have thought it would work with built in Windows version. However, there is a driver bundle download on the FTDI website that will check and update to the correct one for your OS version.  Had almost the same issue with a member on cloudy nights who downloaded a driver first thinking he had to, we got him working in the end. If the above does not get you running I'll find my responses on cloudy nights for you.

Here's the CN issue resolution his later problem in the thread was not com port related.
 

Typical case for a flattener, or with so little an issue, sorted by cropping (cheaper).

Check the baud rate (normally 9600 for eqmod) and the mount switchced on.

Just now, wesdon1 said:

I assume that tracking is easier when you are using a much shorter FL telescope for imaging? Like if I was to put a 12" SCT 'scope on my mount, with roughly 3000mm of Fl, then I would guess that that would be much harder on the tracking than, say, my new 400mm FL 'scope? 

Yes, fair enough I thought you meant it would improve the tracking somehow being an APO.

There is a PA routine built into the handset which you may want to try as it would nudge your PA bit by bit using an eyepiece/star, see page 35 of the manual attached. THere are of course other options depending on you imaging capture method (using a PC etc).

SynScan_HandControl_web191112v3_2_.pdf

Not sure why it would be more forgiving of the tracking accuracy unless your PA uses the scope/main camera.

Per the ASI533 specs at ZWO  it needs a 55mm spacing (that's 17.5mm for the camera and the 2 spacers 16.5mm & 21mm)  for narmal usage. Just like a dslr.

If you look at the widescreen page for the dedicated Flat6A III for FLT91 the second diagram (right-click on it to view in new tab to see it larger) it shows the spacing needed with the extension tube removed.

HTH

Steve

Another couple of simply processed new captures:

M1 - Crab nebula (cropped wideview capture)

NGC2175 - Monkey Head nebula

I just need to practise post-processing to see what I can pull out of the data (I'm pleased with the above) but not sure how much it would improve if the data was properly processed.