Jules Tohpipi

To perhaps overly simplify things (rather than getting wrapped up in some of the deeper details). For visual astronomy only (i.e. putting your own eye to the telescope rather than a camera) then an 8" dob is without doubt a fantastic choice. It gathers lots of light for seeing dimmer objects and has the resolution for great planetary views. In order to find objects quickly - particularly if under city light pollution - then the Celestron StarSense version becomes the self-recommending choice. Otherwise you could lose hours/days finding individual DSOs under light polluted skies - if inexperienced. So far so good then, job done. Except... it's not exactly a small telescope to store. Nor would it be a first-choice telescope for moving around in a car, especially if other luggage is coming along for the journey. I promised myself I would take my dob out and about but never did. Well once actually and it seemed like too much of an expedition all things considered. And perhaps the worst of it, the vast majority of DSOs will still look like tiny grey smudges even through an 8" dob. I hesitate to use the word disappointing on general DSOs, but only because I've got very very well adjusted expectations of what's possible. Let me make you aware of a possible alternative path for consideration. My daughter is also interested in astronomy and has just begun the GCSE course. Our main equipment is now focussed around the AZ-GTi mount bearing smaller and lighter telescopes. The first is the Sky-Watcher 127 Mak which offers similar focal length/FOV/magnification as the 8" dob but in a much more compact package - it's great for planetary views, but not so good on dimmer objects. We also have the Sky-Watcher Startravel 102T for the AZ-GTi. This gives good wide-field views at lower magnifications. But here's the rub, with the Startravel 102, I have recently added a camera to it for astrophotography. I use the word 'astrophotography' but what I specifically mean is EAA or EEVA as it's also know as. It's a simpler, cheaper, faster form of astrophotography that yields quick results by using less lengthy exposure times and doesn't require an equatorial mount. The results of which are closer to astronomy internet photos than grey smudges - and so much more than I've ever seen through my 10" dob, and could be much more inspiring as a hobby to a science-orientated young person. Of course, that full path is slightly more costly but it's a path that can be trodden in stages by adding equipment to the AZ-GTi (rather than replacing equipment). For example, you could just start with either the refractor or the Mak on an AZ-GTi for visual use only at around £500 and build onwards from there if the bug bites. Check out the EEVA sub-forums here to see members posting their own nightly images, made possible by just adding a camera to a tracking GOTO system. Plus it's all easier to store away and transport.

Just to be 100% clear, you can use the ‘Point and Track’ feature in the app to achieve this. It is not necessary to perform any alignment nor point the scope north and horizontal to begin with. The only requirement is that mount must be levelled. From page 15 of the SynScan manual (link at the bottom): To perform Point And Track, ensure that the mount tripod is level, as indicated by its bubble level. Next, choose the object to track from the catalog and select Point And Track. If you then manually (motor- driven and/or push-to) center the object in the telescope field of view, the mount will keep it there. https://inter-static.skywatcher.com/downloads/synscan_app_manual_en_20201008.pdf

Thank you Lee that's incredibly helpful - especially with the photos I've got some 3/8" adapters lying around already. So I'll double check the slot width on the WO dovetail bar and can now go from there.

Was admiring your setup and got the most minor and daftest of questions please! The bolt that holds your AZ-GTi onto the black dovetail, what size and style is that? And where did you get it from? Background being I've got an AZ-GTi currently running in AZ mode on the steel tripod with extension pillar - same as yourself. I've bought the bits to try EQ now. A WO wedge, WO dovetail (looks fairly similar to your black dovetail) and a counterweight and bar. However, of all the things to be stumped on, struggling on being certain about what very shallow fixing bolt to go through the dovetail to the 3/8" socket on the mount. 🙃

Excellent! Mine has been used everyday since buying during that mega cash back deal they ran. I also run it mostly as a simple file server/back up. Just wanted it to work with as little intervention as possible. Which it has admirably.

Is that an N40L micro server in there? Mine's still going strong after all these years, too. [Touch wood] 😂

I'm keen to get out there because trying some basic EAA (after years of visual only) has really sparked my interest. But my word, there's no let up with the clouds. However, with any outdoor pursuit, the most difficult step is the first one out of the door. Once outside it changes your mindset and things flow from there. So my simple tip for when in a lull is: stand up and step out the door. You'll be in a much better mood for grabbing the kit then.

The really significant factor in predicting this is the dew point figure rather than the relative humidity figure (albeit they are linked). But it's not an entirely intuitive concept to understand the mechanics of, so most weather forecast services don't bother quoting it to the public. Nor are most of the usual online references very good at explaining the dew point concept in a correct or understandable manner. The overall upshot being if the humidity levels are medium/high with the dew point relatively close to the actual temperature, then taking out a large metal tube will result in dew forming sooner and particularly later (where it will cool at a faster rate than the ambient temperature, plunging it down to the dew point). In these more extreme situations, the only real solution is to get the temperature of the equipment up beyond the dew point - or stop it cooling too much. Personally I don't bother if it's bad as I'm trying to de-clutter the set-up process these days. Of course, risk of dew is considerably higher when it's been a warm and wet day, then the air temp drops if the skies have cleared. The warm day allows the air to hold more moisture but the same air can't hold all that moisture if the temperature drops - generating lots of dew. As has been the case the last few days in some parts of the UK.

Good luck. I always get the jitters when updating its firmware and do it only when absolutely necessary. One time it hung when updating and no option other than to switch it off. Then I couldn’t connect back to it at all. Aargh!! Luckily I had the Sky-Watcher Wi-Fi adapter around (for my Dob) and read that connecting that to the AZ-GTi allowed you to start communicating with it again (via the adapter’s network). Thankfully that worked and was able to reload the firmware….

This is a long shot, but it might be worth trying to change the Wi-Fi channel that the AZ-GTi is operating on. I think you find that by connecting to it with your phone then going Settings>SynScan Wi-Fi. I think the channel is set to 6 or 12 by default. Whatever it is I changed them vice-versa. (I’m away from the mount at the moment) On the face of it shouldn’t make any difference given your phone is connecting. However, inside the house, when doing a firmware upgrade, my PC wasn’t seeing the mount at all - even though my phone would. After changing the channel my PC connects fine inside the house.

I’ve been loosely following the SeeStar story and it seems like they’ve nailed it. Early reports saying it’s a total doddle to use and the gear you get for the money is incredible. I mean, it’s not that much more expensive than just a camera. It’s not for me because I prefer some extra flexibility. But it’s a massive achievement being such an easy and user-friendly package. Or a quick grab and go for the more experienced.

Thanks Peter, I was interested to know your set-up/workflow in more detail. During the early days after getting the AZ-GTi, I had flirted with the idea of using SkySafari to control it (but never pursued it to its conclusion). There were several discussions on SGL I read through where members had success from tablets, albeit it wasn't that intuitive to initiate the connection and there was a process to follow. Could have sworn I bookmarked one particularly useful post detailing it step by step; however, I can't find it now after much searching this morning. Sorry that's not more specific information but it's definitely possible it seems. At the time I was searching on SkySafari and AZ-GTi - the process of which I believe will be the same for your mount with the [potential new] Wi-Fi adapter.

Yes it’s correct that the AZ-GTi has separate clutches for alt and az. The alt clutch is much wider diameter than the az but still easy to operate. The AZ-GTi is also very easy to interface with Stellarium wirelessly on a PC (the same would probably apply if Peter added the WI-Fi dongle to his mount). There’s two different ways of doing it. The simplest is to first connect wirelessly to the mount using a mobile device and align the mount with the SynScan Pro app (basically same procedure as if you were only going to control the mount with the app). Next it’s then easy to tell Stellarium on a PC to control the mount wirelessly and Stellarium will indicate where the scope is pointing also. Alternatively you can interface with Stellarium using ASCOM. I found this video very helpful to understanding all the options. Note it doesn’t seem possible to use the Stellarium sync mount feature when in AZ mode. What has remained a frustration though is using the app ‘buttons” to makes minor adjustments to the mount. Sure they work but are not as convenient as the physical buttons on a handset. Nor can you use the SynScan app and a SynScan handset simultaneously with an AZ-GTI unfortunately. It’s an either/or choice. Used simultaneously they clash with each other and the mount starts behaving erratically. I discovered this when trying it with the AZ SynScan handset of my GOTO Dob (the two fight against each other) and tried it with the smaller and simpler tracking-only handset (which the AZ-GTi won’t respond to at all). I use the Sky-Watcher Wi-Fi dongle on my Sky-Watcher GOTO Dob (it pre-dates Wi-Fi) and it works very well with the SynScan app. It essentially makes the old Dob behave exactly the same as the AZ-GTI when inside the app.

Excellent summary thank you. I'll start experimenting based on that.

I can't help but feel that the Maks are getting an overly harsh ride here. They're excellent value for money, extremely compact, and don't suffer the distortions of cheaper refractors. They complement a fast, high quality, small-aperture, refractor as a second scope very well. Plus kids generally like to see things big not small. Hence why I've got all three: a frac, Mak and Dob. Nothing is perfect and putting a bare Mak outside unmounted to cool is no big deal with 30 mins forethought. 100mm+ refractors with ED glass are lovely - but heck just look at the prices. I got the Mak 127 because of my back these days not managing the 10" Dob very well. Looking at Jupiter and Saturn I don't feel that short-changed looking through the Mak in comparison. Nor does it suffer from any visual nasties once cooled. There's a lot of positives to mention and at a very keen price - especially if bought used. I set both up together and we can switch between them when out observing together for some variety.

Thank you for the kind comments! While I've still got a lot to learn, I hope my sharing of beginner's attempts adds to all the existing encouragement for those thinking of giving EAA a go and what can be achieved even in the early days. While also running easily as a good visual set-up too. Thanks for the heads-up on usage of a UV/IR filter. I've got the ZWO UV/IR filter but didn't use it on this occasion and was wondering what had made M31 so white! Another thing I'm not fully clued up on about when best to use or not. Please keep the tips coming. All I can say is that seeking and observing faint fuzzies through a dob is a good sport and has its virtues. But running some simple EAA is proving great for bringing even more of the universe to the back garden when out under the night skies

So this is only my third EAA imaging run after getting the camera and SharpCap. It's been a very long wait to point the telescope at the sky again! Last night was the 5th Sept. Only downside was most objects of interest were in the wrong place... I'm using a cheap refractor ST102 on an AZ-GTi in Alt-az mode with a ZWO ASI585MC and SharpCap Pro. Below is M31 Andromeda galaxy - or at least part of it. Initial attempts at shorter exposure times weren't revealing much, so I pushed the boat out and upped the exposure time to 30 seconds to see how my setup would cope. Quite pleased with the result at this earliest of stages in the learning curve. 20 frames live stacked in SharpCap each exposure 30 seconds with camera at 270 gain. Directly underneath the image is a screenshot showing M31 orientation in SkySafari at the exact same time and blue borders are the camera frame. Only processing is black and mid points in the histogram. It was a nice surprise to see vague hints of dust lanes and other bits. Next was M57 the Ring nebula. This time dropped down to 10 seconds exposures, 30 of them at camera gain 500. I tweeked the dark end of the histogram in SharpCap - probably too much. I'm still trying to get to grips with things. But aside from the pleasure of actually getting some images, last night marked a first - I got SharpCap and ASTAP plate-solving to work and re-centre my scope. Well sometimes it worked. In another post I might have some follow-up questions about that!

I've recently purchased the 585MC and that 5m Lindy cable from FLO. Chris at FLO recommended the cable. It's working fine with zero issues going from the camera direct to my Lenovo T460S laptop and SharpCap. To give you an idea of how well the 5m Lindy cable is working.... one of my first tests of the 585MC was to take a short AVI video of the moon with SharpCap. But I forgot to limit the max frame rate in SC. As a result, given the fast shutter speed, the moon video was 32 secs long and totalled 7GB 🤣 The 5m cable didn't bat an eyelid

You’re welcome and welcome to SGL!

Perfect, thanks. That's great info. In which case.... 1. When putting the Parallizer directly into the focuser Rotate the brass ring in the focuser and use one screw to tighten directly onto the Parallizer (i.e. not via the ring). Leave the other screw loose. Orientate the Parallizer such that its angled gold screw is at 6 o'clock relative to the focuser screw that's doing the tightening. This is basically the exact recommendation of the Howie Glatter diagram. 2. When using the focus extension tube Put the extension tube into the focuser - it doesn't matter how the focuser clamps the tube. Use one or both focuser screws if you wish (because it won't affect how the Parallizer seats in the extension tube). Next insert the Parallizer into extension tube. Rotate the extension tube's brass ring and use one screw to tighten directly onto the Parallizer (i.e. not via the ring). Leave the other screw loose (the one that could tighten the ring). Orientate the Parallizer such that its angled gold screw is at 6 o'clock relative to the extension tube screw doing the tightening. It's excellent that you can rotate the brass compression rings out of the way. It means you clamp the Parallizer exactly the way it was intended.

Great, OK thanks. Apologies - have edited and removed my reply to ask one further question please. The two screws on the extension tube and focuser. Is one a clamp only and the other tightens the brass compression ring (similar principle to the Howie Glatter instruction diagrams above)? Or do both screws have an affect on tightening the brass compression ring? It's hard to tell from the FLO photos unfortunately.

I'm not too au fait with brass split rings on focusers but I suppose this part of the HGP instructions points the way. I've added extra words in brackets to clarify what components the instructions are referring to: "If the focuser has a brass split ring in the top, make certain that brass split ring is centered on the [Focuser's] thumb screw used to tighten down the [HGP], with equal lengths of brass ring on either side." By focus extender do you mean a Barlow type item (but the focal extender variant) or a focus tube extension? Are the items 2 inch or 1.25"?

The key fundamental point about the HGP is that it's deliberately not perfectly round (both on its outside and inside). The purpose of the machining is to create two contact lines/shoulders both on the inside and outside (shown as contact points in the 2D diagram). Basically he was designing a single item that acted as a V-block for when sitting inside a focuser and a V-block for the inserted eyepiece. Very clever. Therefore, the correct installation procedure is to ensure the clamping forces are applied ONLY down the centre lines of those two shouldered contact points (lines in the 3D world). Hence the instructions advising only to use one of the focuser's screw clamps. To help visualise this, I've added to the diagram solid circles to show what direction the clamping forces should come from, and empty circles to show how the intended contact points should be orientated. Or more simply, the gold Parallizer set screw should be at the 6 o'clock position compared the single screw you use to clamp it in the focuser. If that makes sense.

I've had a HGP for a good few years. I searched my hard drive for archive stuff on it and found the below. I think the text and diagram was saved direct from the HG website - but I'm not 100% sure. It reads like from the site, though. What to do for a brass split ring is mentioned in the text. How to Use: Insert the adapter in the focuser with the slight undercut section of the outside diameter of the adapter opposite to the focuser’s thumb screw to be tightened on it. Use one, and only one, thumb-screw to tighten the adapter in the focuser. If the focuser has a brass split ring in the top, make certain that brass split ring is centered on the thumb screw used to tighten down the adapter, with equal lengths of brass ring on either side. [Note: It is not recommended to use the Parallizer with a Click-lock binder, as these may not tighten down correctly on the outside of the adapter and may defeat the self-alignment feature of the Parallizer.] Then, insert the eyepiece and tighten the eyepiece down with the single thumb screw in the Parallizer. This will push the eyepiece against the two edges of the undercut section opposite the thumb screw, registering the eyepiece perfectly in the focuser and reversing the offset in the focuser created by tightening down the adapter. Just remember to always place the Parallizer thumb screw opposite to the thumb screw in the focuser for proper alignment (registration) within the focuser.

That really is an amazing write up on the product. Very clearly written. You’ve totally sold me on getting one. Have been considering it for a while - and indeed I will continue to wrestle with the laptop and ASCOM and ASTAP, etc for a while - just simply because it gives me a better understanding how everything works under the bonnet before going more automated. Just out of interest, for quick and short sessions with minimal set-up, is the ASIAir suitable for EAA (specifically live stacking on motorised alt-az mounts while still plate solving).