Merlin66

I have reported these sellers on numerous occasions....with no positive result. Can we sue Amazon for negligence when someone suffers eye damage???

Thanks guys, appreciated! The Genesis has joined the solar imaging brigade, on White Light duty with the Baader Cool Herschel wedge. The previous incumbent, an ED80 has been transferred, on temporary duties, as part of a smaller, more portable Spectroheliograph.

I got my Genesis (4" Flourite f5) back in 1990. Serial 1007. I love this scope! It's great, but the manual focus has always be a bit of a bug bear, it works well but it's still manual. Over the years I've checked with Televue to see if one of their "latest" focus motors would fit the Genesis, and the reply is always the same - Sorry none of our focus motors will fit the original Genesis...bumma. Finally after thirty years and 30 min in the shed I now have a fully functional focus motor on the Genesis!!!! I should have done this years ago, and it looks OK on the ol' girl.... A very simple solution a 1.5mm thick aluminium angle (35mm x 16mm, 35mm wide) drilled to match the focuser central block ( 4 x 3.2mm holes) and two M4 tapped holes for the SW motor. A XML 80 tooth timing belt, and a 30 tooth pulley provide the drive to the exterior edge of one of the manual focus knob. (The belt can be easily dropped to get manual control.) Works very well. Now all my scopes have the SW focus motor fitted to allow semi-remote operation.

Yes. I used Registax 5/6 for many years but nowadays only use AS!3 for stacking the AVI to a Tiff image. You can then open the Tiff in Registax to apply wavelets etc (or use ImPPG)

I originally used the Vegemite lids to allow adjustment of the front etalon tilt from the eyepiece. The knurled edge of the lid "matched" the knurled adjuster on the SM60. The hand lid now replaced by a SW motor. Majic! I also use a Vegemite lid on the PST, as you say, to give finer control - works well (also on SCT focusers)

Look at ImageJ It allows you study an AVI and extract the frames you want to work with.

In solar imaging we can get annoying ghosting from the optical surfaces. occasionally the use of a polarizing filter between the elements can suppress the ghosting. Has this been tried with the ASI 1600 to subdue these reflections???

OK, Just to wrap up this thread. Iver has given me the solution! The parameters used for the plate solve in the AA7 script needed to be better defined..(to include the search area and the FOV) Once this was done - Success!!! I now have a robust way of "GOTO/Solve/ Sync/ GOTO" using my eFinder/ DMK51 Thanks to everyone for the help, support and guidance. All's well that ends well.

Richard, I've fitted SW belt/ geared focuser motors to all my scopes. The belt runs on the 10:1 knob to give fine focus control. The etalon tuner replace an ol' Vegemite lid manual control, just used a standard SW motor fitted to the end of the M6 threaded rod.

Here's my set-up for solar imaging. I have a SW motor on the focuser and another on the etalon tuning - everything is "semi-remote"

Iver, Hmmmm I'm having problems solving an image from within the script. It solves with the "Find coordinates" tab but fails in a script. I'll send you a PM with the details.

Iver, Thanks for the script. I'm trying to set up AA7 on the office PC (not able to use the observatory set-up at the moment) I have the simulator set up - Video camera (recognises my DMK51!) and the ASCOM/ EQMod HEQ5 simulator to allow me to see the impact on CdC/ EQmod. I have many (!!) eFinder images - all of them can be solved by AA7. Question: How can I use one of these images to practise with your script - need to extract the RA/ Dec I assume it's a matter of defining the image to use this command??? Your help is appreciated. Ken Edit: Just re-read your message above... I think you've answered the question! Telescope.SyncTo(Image.RA, Image.DEC) <-- Run this to sync the scope to an open solved image

Wim, I think the limited change in the primary position required will have minimal impact.

Leeps, Using an OAG on a Newtonian is not easy... What about moving the primary mirror up the tube (towards the secondary) to get more room for your OAG/ DSLR? The other alternative (the one I had to use years ago), is to replace the focuser with a "low profile" version.

Mike, I have the NEQ6pro CdC/ EQMod set up in the observatory with a custom home position - scope horizontal facing East. I've carefully marked the RA and Dec home positions on the mount with Texta. When I manually re-set to home, no matter how careful I try to be the initial GOTO can be out. The telescope (C11 + spectroscope) is mount on a very tall pier and it's a PITA to climb ladders to verify scope pointing with the finder! I now use an eFinder, a DMK51 on a 60/ 227 finder. I take a quick image, plate solve and use that to re-sync the GOTO. 99% of the time this then allows me to slew the scope to the intended target and life goes on. Very occasionally I get what you see - the "track the mount" in CdC doesn't match the centre object. I usually just either ignore it , the object being actually in the camera....or re-park and start again. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

John, With the same aperture the angular size of the Airy disk will be the same, but the linear size at focus will depend on the focal length. You get larger star "images" with longer focal lengths, (In spectroscopy we have to consider the linear size of the seeing disk for the various focal lengths we use to set the optimum slit gap. With seeing of 1 sec arc... on the C11 @f10 (2800mm fl) the star size is 13.6 micron (FWHM), whereas the same scope working at f5 (1400mm fl) the star is only 6.8 micron)

A CAT 5/6 cable will work well. I use a 5mtr CAT 5 cable to connect my Synscan to the HEQ5pro for solar observing. The mount is out on the patio and I sit in the home office to do my imaging.

Mike, don’t have the EQ8 but have an NEQ6PRO and use CdC and EQMod. when I see your type of issue it usually comes down to the park position. Do you use the polar home or a custom park position?

Grierson, A couple of things...the HD design I believe has mirror lock to minimise any slop/ flop. I've been using a OAG (well, an on axis guider - a reflective slit plate) of my spectroscope/ C11 combo for over ten years and never had any issues finding or guiding. I use a Lodestar guider @ f10.

OAG = Off axis guider

Neil, aounds like you may have a EQDir cable, which is used by EQMod to communicate directly to the mount. The cable you need is different.......

The consensus is that we’re about to see a significant AR coming into view. clouded out down here....

Iver. Yes the plate solve in AA7 works well. I haven't used it as I don't understand how to set up a script to re-sync the mount to the found WCS central coordinates. Further investigation needed.

Mark, Hmmm I don't have a 2" PM at the moment to check..... where did you see that the thread in the body was M48????

Mark, Should work well for you. Just buy the T thread adaptor which goes with the x2 PM. Sounds like you may also need a T thread to M48 adaptor to fit the filter wheel.