Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Markinaboat

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    173

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Markinaboat

    Help! My Meade LS8 has been unable to get a GPS signal

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted

    On 20/09/2020 at 08:19, Brian Stevens said:

    Thanks for your reply!  I will try the link below and see if I can update it onto my mini SD card. Failing that I will probably order the latest version from Harrison telescopes as suggested. Clear skies everyone! 

    HI Brian,

     

    Contempalting buying a used LS8 Lightswitch ACF so have been researching and amongst others, came across your post. Did you get the issue resolved and if so, has it been reliable since? Many thanks

    Can't set scope to desired RA/DEC

    in Observing - Discussion

    Posted

    43 minutes ago, Phil Fargaze said:

    I guess your hand set is the same layout . I’ve attached a picture of mine.  When I press ‘user’ which is no 9 key, I get the screen as shown, for example. The bottom line is the RA and DEC which can be changed and is inputted by the number pads. The plus or minus of the dec value is changed by the up or down arrows. 

    573DCFE4-20E5-424A-B0B4-069946DFCD50.jpeg

    Thanks Phil, will give it a go at the next clear sky.

    Can't set scope to desired RA/DEC

    in Observing - Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Phil Fargaze said:

    I have an Orion XT10 with the push to system and I remember finding an object before by displaying the RA and DEC. It was a bit fiddley but wasn't too bad. As mentioned before I would think it will be difficult to do at high elevations. Normally if I wanted to find a comet I would input it`s RA and DEC as a `User-Defined Object` then it is a simple matter of just re calling the object and pushing the scope to it. 

    I've never needed to set RA/DEC before and wasn't aware that they could be input? Assumed (incorrectly) that the user defined object would have been set from where it was pointing. Will have a play with this although not sure how much 'comet' time is left other than C/2020 F8 (Swan).

    Can't set scope to desired RA/DEC

    in Observing - Discussion

    Posted

    On 27/04/2020 at 18:45, Oldfort said:

    I'm not familiar with the Orion push to system, so this is guesswork.

    C/2017 T2 is relatively close to the North Celestial pole, so  unless you approach an object along a line of right ascension (ie heading directly towards or away from Polaris), both RA and dec will move all over the place.  One way around this would be if there is an alt/az mode,  on the mount and use that.

     

    Conversely, when using an alt-az scope, pointing near the zenith is a challenge.

    Also, the nominal magnitudes shown for comets are a bit misleading, because the light is spread over a large area (a bit like the larger galaxies) and unless you have a really dark site, they can be difficult if not impossible to find.

    Hi and thanks for your reply. Makes sense re RA/DEC. I did lookup the ALT/AZ  coordinates but when I set the scope to them, it was in a completely different part of the sky. The scope was well aligned so nothing to do with that.

    XT8I controller issues

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted

    On 27/04/2020 at 19:18, Dr Strange said:

    The dim lighting sounds like a possible battery problem. Start by swapping it out. A very low cost option that could cure the problem. Also sometimes "bit rot" occurs in the Synta hand controllers (Synta is the parent company of Skywatcher and Celestron and makes all of Orion's mounts/controllers) so a factory reset is needed. I would try those two things before writing the controller off.

    Thanks for your response. I did replace the battery. If I do a factory reset, would that wipe out the object database?

    XT8I controller issues

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted · Edited by Markinaboat
    more info

    Hi,

    My XT8I controller is driving me nuts as I need to use a torch/phone to illuminate the panel when using. The screen is so dim that I can;t see it other than the buttons on the extreme right. This is not just when it's cold though (I stick a hand warmer on it which helps keep it working). Additionally, after aligning, if I go to select 'Planets', it cones up with the date screen and of course easy to inadvertently change the date. The only way around it is to hit enter a few times to confirm ddmmyy and then search for a database object. This does not happen if I select 'Messier', 'NGC' etc for lookups.

     

    So, is my controller knackered? Can't justify the $200 price tag on Orions USA's website!

    Can't set scope to desired RA/DEC

    in Observing - Discussion

    Posted

    Hi,

     

    Firstly, I hope this isn't the wrong place to ask.

    Was out with my Orion XT8i on Weds night and was determined to find C/2017 T2 Panstaars. (and then C/2019 Atlas thereafter). My scope has Orion's push-to system which I've used successfully on several occasions. This time however, I got the RA & DEC from Stellarium for the comet and set the hand controller to RA/DEC mode. If you're not familiar with this, once the setup is aligned, it displays the RA & DEC (supposedly) to wherever it is pointed. But, I found it impossible to get both coordinates (RA & DEC) displayed simultaneously as any adjustment to one through the other out. I must have been playing with this for a good hour but to no avail.

     

    Can anyone shed any light on this? Maybe there's something up with the controller. I should add that the encoders work correctly without spinning and the push-to cordinates work well when searching the database.

     

    And after several hours, I still did not find any of the three comets in CAM. I scanned the skies meticulously with my ES 30mm and Nagler 22mm ep's to no avail.

     

    Thanks in advance for taking an interest in this post and hope everyone is safe and well if not entirely sane! 🙂

    Battery for powering the SLT127

    in Getting Started General Help and Advice

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

    That link didn't work. There are 57 different ways of powering these mounts.🙂  Three that I have actually tried are:

    a 12v 7Ah sealed lead-acid battery (cheap and runs mount for ages, far more than 2/3 hours).

    10x 1.2v rechargeables in a battery holder - this worked but you'd need to find or make a suitable 12v charger.

    Celestron LiFePo 86WH powertank - expensive but lightweight for the capacity and totally safe, supposed to last longer than lead-acid.  Again, this will run your mount for ages. Any bad news you may have read refers to poor quality stuff from China, or misuse.

    Thanks Geoff,

     

    The url wouldn't work if inserted as a url (security issue?) so I just pasted. If you copy the url and paste into your browser, it'll work.

    I was also considering a simple SLA (sealed lead acid), maybe a motorcycle battery but jus wondered if this one would suffice?

     

    First Light - Nexstar 6se

    in Member Equipment Reviews

    Posted

    Thanks for all of that useful info Baggy!

    I'm wondering if by keeping it in the shed all year round would increase the dew issue?

    My first choice is still the 100ED DS PRO but the tripod/mount is proving to be more difficult to choose. Am put off an EQ due to the setup time and maybe not being able to point and shoot (without alignment???). Seems the Porta Mount II may not be quite upto the job so considerign a Skytee2 or Giro3. In saying that, there's a company that sell the portamount II on a HAL130SXG tripod that looks to be more solid. Not sure if it's available in the UK though. 

    Regards

    Mark

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.