michael8554

Thanks Dave/ Are you the Dave in the link? I use Grabber to focus a DSLR in LiveView mode, which gives a continuous output as focus is adjusted. However with a CCD, which takes a couple of secs to download even a short exposure, Grabber doesn't work too well. This mask-guide looks the business for measuring individual ccd frames. Michael

Good thought Louise, but I think there would be a hotspot on his Darks, which there doesn't appear to be. Nigel, have you been into the menus and turned off all the custom settings? Michael

Take some Images with a camera battery installed. Michael

RS232 cables can be tested with a "loopback" test. Any text typed into a Hyperterminal type prog should bounce back onto the screen when send and return lines are shorted. Google for full details. Michael

Hi Mark Retried today with your image, using the new workflow with the Multiply Group. I found that in PaintShop Pro X7, the lower ArcSinh Curve 1 layer (with ArcSinh 100 applied, even twice) did not make any difference to the image. I applied ArcSinh 100 twice to the ArcSinh Curve 2 and that did make substantial (good) changes. Also the Levels layer would only make black level adjustments when moved above the ArcSinh Curve 2 layer, see image below. This is probably a PaintShop peculiarity. I've attached a Word Doc of the PaintShop Pro workflow if anyone wants to try. The ArcSinh curves were plotted in the PaintShop Curves window, each one saved by clicking on the floppy-disc "Save Preset" icon. Colour_Stretch02.doc

Many thanks Mark, that's the badger ! Michael

Hi Mark I've located where PaintShop Pro stores the Curves. Could you possibly supply the XY coords (0 to 255) of the 100 and 300 arcsinh curves, so that I can set them up and store as presets? Thanks Michael

Hi Mark Successfully tried this in PaintShop Pro X7, pretty much the same as PhotoShop. In your original numbered flow: Step 3 becomes Adjust ->Color ->Channel Mixer Step 6, Image ->Negative Image Step 7, the 0.4/2.5 Gamma is achievable in Brightness & Contrast ->Histogram Adjust ->Gamma Slider to 2.5 Step 8, Brightness & Contrast ->Curves Am I right that you have altered your original step 3, you now DO click Monochrome in Channel Mixer ? Michael

If I remember correctly, the etx still has to initialise and have the time and date set with the handbox before you can connect via a PC - query with previous owner? Inspect the springy contacts inside the handbox and the base sockets for corrosion, try cleaning with a pencil eraser. Buy a replacement cable, it's the same plugs and wiring as a telephone handset cable. The slewing at switchon might indicate a power problem, despite the handset lighting up. Check for corrosion on the battery contacts, don't use rechargeables, their voltage is too low. Better still, get mains power brick. Michael

Yes NSS_Ian, the latest ETX's seem to have a tripod with a tilt head, to convert the Alt/Az Mount to EQ. Hi Lebstar, for years I did planetary and solar imaging with an EQ tripod-mounted ETX 125, onto a tiny webcam chip. Quite challenging to keep the object on the chip, should be easier with the slightly bigger 1/3" chips on modern budget planetary cameras, and $500 should get an even bigger one. The RA drive on the ETX's has too much slop for long exposures of DSO's in my experience of the 125. Michael

I think you've ticked all the boxes regarding setup/ so insufficient sensitivity is areasonable conclusion. (There's an LodeStarX2 for sale on UKABS right now) Michael

Hi John I would have hoped a Skyris owner would have replied by now, so instead here's my thoughts. What software did you use for the daytime test? What camera did you select in that software that worked? Did you select the same camera in PHD2 ? The Celestron description says it works with Stark Labs PHD - that is PHD1 if you like, not the same as PHD2. The display in PHD2 is not a true representation of the camera image, it often looks grainy. Have you tried longer exposures? As far as I can tell the camera is not a long exposure capable camera, it's a planetary camera for taking high speed videos, not long exposures. However PHD2 can integrate/stack short exposures from webcams. Finally, did you click on the circular icon at the bottom left of the PHD2 display to start the camera exposing? :-) Michael

Surely the mice will have got rid of the cat? Slartibartfast

Regarding the noise when slewing, it's recommended for Classic and GPS LX200's to set the max slew rate in the menus to a lower figure - less noisy, and reduces wear on the gearing. GoTo's to planets are inaccurate because their ephemeris is so much more complex than for "stationary" stars- never use a planet as an alignment object. To hit DSO's smack on every time, use the Synch function after centreing on a nearby known star, then GoTo the DSO. Michael

Hi Kevin, To simplify things, attach a length of angle iron to each corner of the frame and drop this into rubble filled holes in the ground. Level the frame, raise if necessary, and drop postcrete into the holes. The size of the pier cube below ground is a source of endless discussion. Your pier diameter is substantial but I'd guess your 500mm cube is, as you suspect, not optimal. Some googling is recommended. Michael

That's the badger ! Michael

Had another look at my cable, it has a couple of inches of straight (non-spiral) cable before the plug, whereas yours is curly into the plug. Which suggests to me that the original plug has been cut off and a new (wrong) plug put on the shortened cable. But Davey-T's image shows a non-curly lead, so who knows for sure what's going on. Michael

Hi Olly "Appendix G: 14" LX200GPS Features - Auxilliary Jacks" are described in my copy of the Meade 8", 10", 14", 16" Instruction Manual........... I'm surprised the jack is original. If yours was an old scope I could imagine Meade started selling them with the wrong jack, but even Meade will have sorted that by now. Michael

Okay, I give in, who did win? Michael

Hi Olly I don't think your plug is original. Mine is very low profile and doesn't stick out above the horizontal top face, so would miss your deep fork arms. Also I believe the sockets are soldered onto the pcb so can't be swapped - might be wrong though. I see the Meade knockers are out......... :-) Michael

Yes Joc, id be a bit wary of a scope with 3 pages of posts. But flicking through them it seems to break down to collimation, eyepieces, and diagonals, same as any other scope - just an unusual number of opinions? Michael

Hi Alex SCT's suffer from coma at the edges of the field - stars start to look like tadpoles pointing towards the centre of frame. The 0.63 Reducer/Flatener does what it says on the tin, but it is not a coma corrector, though it does to an extent. Michael

Hi ACM The rangefinder windows above the lens would be pointing at the OTA when mounted on the OTA, not the stars, so no go. In any case I think the stars would too small in the viewfinder to accurately judge focus, so over to davew's suggestions. Michael

Hi Steve If you want to look at images almost "live" on a monitor, I think you need a sensitive VIdeo Camera rather than a DSLR Have a browse through the vuideo imaging section here on SGL Michael

Hi Steve Hard to describe this, but the moon is a very bright object, so can cause reflections on the various optical surfaces, visible on the black background. This will also be happening during the day, but there's no black background to see them against. A neutral density moon filter might help. And Knighty's point about the diagonal is also as likely. Michael