tooth_dr

[12/31/19 02:27:39.882][DEBUG] [Center Scope Thread] Unable to achieve results below allowable error (51 px) in 5 attempts! [12/31/19 02:27:39.883][DEBUG] [Center Scope Thread] RA Error: 17.3 [12/31/19 02:27:39.883][DEBUG] [Center Scope Thread] DEC Error: 50.7 [12/31/19 02:27:51.471][DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] Something has gone wrong when centering the target, but recovery mode is NOT active! [12/31/19 02:27:51.471][DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] Adding sequence level notification: Something has gone wrong when centering the target, but recovery mode is NOT active! [12/31/19 02:27:51.474][DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] Sending Notification: Error - Something has gone wrong when centering the target, but recovery mode is NOT active! [12/31/19 02:27:51.474][DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] Error on auto center, aborting sequence! @symmetal you are right about that setting, it didnt help. Looking some advice here. Thought I had it sorted last night where I found an empty field in the setting, went to bed and it failed after the first sequence, when it tried to move to panel 2 of the 8 panel mosaic. I have been using the same platesolving software with APT very successfully on the same PC. It solves in 2-3 moves to within 10 pixels (my setting). With SGPro it seems to not move between successive attempts at correcting position. So on platesolve 1 after initial slew - it will be say 51 pixels out. It will then 'move' and do platesolve 2 - but it doesnt move and reports the same info back. This continues on for 5 attempts and then fails and aborts the sequence. Last night it did solve to with 2 pixels, so it does work, but for some reason it chooses not to during the mosaic wizard. Other than that, the software seems to be working well. Autofocus didnt get me to the best position, but I suspect thats a backlash issue that I need to address. Any help appreciated, as the mosiac wizard is the probably the only reason I bought the software. CS Adam.

I copied in from google (. I dont use DSS but this is where you choose it

Lovely image, even in mono. The squiggles are hot pixels. Try using the Sigma clipping when stacking at they may disappear.

I've been trailing SGP this evening, and again not getting it to platesolve. Repeatedly it's coming back at over 50px, and I have my threshold set to 50px. Despite 5 attempts it just doesnt move. THEN.... spotted a missing value - I hadnt entered a length in the 'Scope focal length' box. I set it to 500mm, and instantly straight to 2px off target. All appears to be working well now.

This is what the autofocuser routine looks like, thin cloud tonight but sufficient for testing stuff out.

I’m afraid I can offer no theoretical reasoning, but I went from a canon 1000d to a KAF8300. FOV is similar, pixel size similar, but image quality is very much superior. I certainly won’t be going back to the Canon again. There was last nothing wrong with it, but set point cooling on a camera makes all the difference. You mention the 1600 uncooled above, that would not a popular choice for deep sky imaging. 5 years is a long time to be deciding. I wouldn’t get too hung up on figures. You’ve seen the images online from these various cameras, that should help you decide, much more than comparing figures. I have two 8300s and it is a noisy camera on paper, yet it calibrates well and produces excellent images. With your scopes it would give a “/px of 1.11 and 1.37 which would be quite nice.

I just wanted to update this now. Last night I bought SG Pro. Despite not getting on the best with the trail version, I decided to buy it. It now includes the mosaic wizard for free, this was previously a charged extra iirc, and this is what I really wanted. The fast Epsilon should be efficient at creating mosaics. Back to the focuser issues. I loaded up the MHP interface and then SGP. I racked the focuser right in to the minimum and set the MHP interface to zero. I noted that this immediately updated the SGP data. I worked out I have about 1250 steps to be close to max - it gives me leeway of 100 steps each side. I was able to enter these parameters in SGP under an options setting, so now I have the ability to go in and out without over doing it. I can see there is some backlash, but I wont bother calculating this until I've sent the MHP back for a firmware update. Currently 1450 steps covers the entire drawtube movement of almost 25mm. If I get the firmware update working correctly, I should be able to get this down to over 12000 steps for the complete drawtube range. This was probably doable in APT, but I couldn't immediately see where to change these settings. Thanks for all the help in the thread so far. I'll get the hub posted off after new year, and update this thread with the results. CS Adam.

Myself, personally, I dont think I would travel too far to see a partial eclipse. I guess it's different if you live on the mainland, but that would mean a flight for me.

Ditto - biggest mistake we made was not booking room for two nights and staying in Charleston. The 450 mile drive up the day before was excellent, we stopped at Daytona beach, and had a great drive. I booked a room 6 months in advance in Charleston, and availability wasnt an issue so I could easily have done two nights. Like you I discovered too late that 1000s of us would be leaving around 3:30pm. BIG BIG queues.

I've went through my images - although I have comparative images of the Iris neb, Eastern Veil and HH, it was before i collimated the scope, and the focus is a little off, so I'll not post them as the comparison isnt really that great.

Awesome work.

If I get a chance later I’ll fire up a few mire comparison images. It’s not scientific but i think it’s interesting (to me and others I hope). Thanks for all the comments.

I own two KAF8300 cameras and so I could do a side by side if I get a mount capable of carrying both scopes at the same time.

Thanks peter. I changed the advanced settings but it made no difference. The MHP needs the chip replaced so it’s not just a software update. HA have kindly offered this for just cost of postage. It should do half steps at 2um too. Hopefully this will help me get in focus. Cos as mad as it sounds I think I can tell by eye when zoomed in that the diffraction spikes don’t ever fully line up - it keeps missing exact focus point - they don’t converge.

I’ve since had an email from Hitec Astro, offing to do a firmware update. I’m going to send my MHP over to England for this, should bring the step size down to 4um

Hi Peter I’ve attached a screenshot of the settings. There aren’t many, and when you click advanced settings it’s gives a warning not to change them unless advised by Hitec Astro.

Thanks I used an Atik 383L+ (Kodak KAF8300).

That is very impressive, thanks for sharing. Adam

I’m going to head out now for 30 minutes and have a go. The MHP software download incorporates the ASCOM driver. I have the Moonlite ASCOM driver installed but when I try to use it it can’t find the moolite controller. I think buying the mini V2 controller would solve my issues but kinda makes the MHP I bought a bit redundant

I don’t seem to be able to access the Moonlite utility because I’m using the Hitec Astro MHP as the controller. Hopefully I’m wrong and I can get into it to do settings

Thanks Dave. It should be 4 microns or even 2 microns on the half step. The issue is with my Hitec Astro controller I believe.

I just measured it = 24.6mm. It also maxes out on inward travel too. APT crashed again today using it. The reading was 1970 steps at most inward position, I moved it out to 3000 steps and it crashed and it was still within travel range. I can see that the step numbers in the hitec astro MHP interface don’t tally up with APT. So I’m guessing something isn’t talking properly. Also the steps I focus at has changed. It was 3120 up to a few days ago now its 2598 - I thought a stepper motor was absolute. Doing my head in

There is 80 mins integration for the left one and 42 minutes for the right one firstly. I reckon processing is the main difference. Can you post the stacks before processing.

I prefer the stars in the ED80 images over the 180ed

I’m looking at all my old ED80 images and the stars are smaller and nicer.