Lonestar70

Hi Peter, That's not quite so simple to answer I am afraid as it is determined by the motherboard setup you have in your computer... I.E. what processor type you have and which graphics chip set is fitted. What you need to do is find the latest graphics driver for your chipset. If you go to the link I gave you and scroll down a short way you will see a heading 'Downloading OpenGL' Just below this you will see references for 'AMD/ATI', 'Intel' and 'NVidia'... these relate to the processor types and graphics sets on various computers. If you click on the type for your processor/graphics set then just follow the paths for each type to get to the required driver. E.G. If your computer is an 'Intel' based system then click on that in the list. A new window will open and you will see at the top a link to allow the software to locate the required driver/s for your computer. Alternatively, if you know what graphics devices your computer has, on the same window you can select the 'Graphics Drivers' tab and a second new window will open... scroll down the list and look for the one that matches your chipset... or click the link at the top of this new window and let it find it for you. There is a similar setup under the 'AMD/ATI' selection. The NVidia tab also opens a new window, however, for this you need to know the details of the Graphics Card you have running and enter it's type etc on the selection list. It is not really dependent on your operating system and it will run correctly under 'Windows 7' once you locate and install the required drivers. I run 'Windows 7 x 64 bit' on an 'Intel' based computer with an 'NVidia Geforce 9600GT graphics card and 'Stellarium 0.19' works perfectly. The majority of the latest Graphics Drivers, regardless of manufacturer, also incorporate the OpenGL functions. I hope you can locate and install the correct driver for your system and get 'Stellarium 0.19' working for you. Best regards EDIT... I would suggest that you back up your whole computer drive before doing any updates and also you may find it is necessary to uninstall 'Stellarium' and then reinstall it after updating your graphics drivers.

Hi Peter, It looks like your computer has a faulty, or old, version of the OpenGL graphics driver and Stellarium 0.19 needs the latest version to run properly. You can download the latest version for your operating system from here: - https://www.khronos.org/opengl/wiki/Getting_Started#Windows I hope this helps.

Hi Perry, There is a world of difference between the 2 types... the duel axis motors are just 6v DC motors geared to suit the mount and they are controlled by a simple on/off type handset which turns the motors in the desired direction... there is no accurate means of stopping the motors in the right place other than your finger control and visual positioning... they are also quite greedy motors as far as battery use is concerned. The Synscan motors are 12v Stepper motors and are controlled by an additional driver board (supplied with the upgrade kit) via the provided handset... if you opt for the full goto upgrade then positioning is very accurate and is defined by the goto system once you have performed the necessary alignment sequence. Of the 2, the Synscan will provide more controlled torque when slewing/tracking, however the loading capability will still be defined largely my the mount itself. Good luck with whichever you choose to go with.

A lot depends on how much run time you require in the event of a power cut. There is a good article on how to choose one here: - https://www.howtogeek.com/161479/how-to-select-a-battery-backup-for-your-computer/ The best types are the on-line type, since they totally isolate your equipment from the mains at all times. Hope this helps.

Nah... he can't do that... it's the launch tube cover for the Polaris he uses for polar aligning

Sorry Billy, You need to lay of the Highland Park... the turning gear for an obsy goes in the middle... not near the Transom. Just kidding, looks good and I sympathise with the backache... 2.8 tonnes is a lot of the grey stuff. Keep Happy. Sandy.

I have both of these software packages and BYNikon eats controlmyNikon for breakfast... it is, by far, the superior package for astrophotography needs. ControlmyNikon was originally developed as a camera tethering package, more for daytime photography and, originally, lacked the facility to control long exposures necessary for astrophotography use. The latest version does have this facility using a Dsub cable release or directly via USB where the camera model allows... it is a great piece of software for tethered use but lacks a lot of the features more suitable for astrophotography. BYNikon (just like BYEOS) was specifically developed for astrophotograhy and as such it does a lot more in that it can use several different external electronic shutter release devices (including the Dsub). It can also control an electronic focuser via ASCOM to give FWHM focussing in a separate window, it has much more sophisticated camera control, which can be programmed for a whole sequence of timed exposures including sequences of mixed lengths, each of which can have specific names, ideal for targets like the Orion Nebula, or the Andromeda galaxy where shorter subs are required for the brighter core areas and longer ones for the outer regions. It can also directly link and synchronise with PHD for guiding...+ a good many other astro related features, including dithering, which are unfortunately lacking in ControlmyNikon. The old problem of Star Eating in earlier Nikon Cameras is no longer an issue and all in-camera noise reduction can now be dissabled via the camera menu's. The Canon edge for astro use/control is now not such an issue. Keep happy. Sandy.

My God, It's full of BB's we're Doomed!!

Hi Itmo, This is a long standing issue with the 200p. The problem is that the inside dia of the standard black SW draw tube adaptor fitted to this scope is slightly less than 2"... the silver draw tube it'self is over 2" inside dia. The adaptor I linked to above will cure this problem as it has a proper 2" inside bore... meaning you can use your 40mm adaptor with it. Just unscrew the existing adaptor and screw on the new one. Hope this helps. Best regards. Sandy.

Hi Itmo, Changing this adaptor to the low profile one should give a little more inward travel, often needed to allow focus with a DSLR. What is it that you are focusing that requires a 40mm extension? Best regards. Sandy.

Hi Emad, This will do you just fine... it replaces the existing adaptor at the top of the draw tube. http://www.modernastronomy.com/accessories.html 4th picture down. 2" low profile adaptor... also gives a bit more focuser travel Hope this helps. Best regards. Sandy.

Hi All, Steve Ward posted: Nikon SDK files are readily available for most Nikon cameras from D70 onwards... that is not the real problem. The biggest problem for (Astro) tethering is the fact that only the later models (D600 onwards) can actually use live view when in BULB MODE. The other problem is that only the very latest models can control the shutter via the USB interface... earlier models required either an additional DSUSB shutter control (used with DSLR Shutter software (free download)) or an infra red shutter control. These problems are a limitation imposed by the Nikon software structure and Tethering software developers can't do much about this. The latest V4.3 of Control my Nikon supports most Nikon cameras from D3 onwards (including te D5000, D5100, D5200), however, like most other tethering software it can only control Live View in bulb mode if the camera model supports it. Control My Nikon supports DSUSB Shutter release and Many other shutter release methods including sound, movement, Speech, Programmable etc. TIP... With the camera in Manual mode, for cameras that don't support live view in Bulb, if you set the shutter speed (via USB) to something less than 30 seconds... this will give live view... zoom in on the computer live view screen and focus the telescope. Switch back to BULB (via USB) and set the exposure time and number of exposures required on the DSUSB interval timer... press expose (capture) and the DSUSB interface will capture your frames and store them on the PC... you will also get a review of the last shot taken on the PC screen if this function is selected. Hard drive Directory and File names can be preset with meaningfull names for subject matter, making locating the latest frames much easier when it comes to stacking etc. A free 14 day trial (full featured) can be downloaded and the purchase price is only $29.95 USD. for use on up to 3 computers. http://www.controlmynikon.com All in ALL not a bad piece of software for Nikon users. Hope this is of some help. Best regards. Sandy.