carlosgib

Hi, I am interested in buying the 127fli, my intention is to use the FLI Atlas only, and used another FW and CCD /CMOS camera to connect to the Atlas. I am not sure the BFD from the Atlas end to the chip, I believe it's around 42mm but not sure, I am using the FLI FW and FLI CCD focus length to reach 42mm. If any of the group members knows or has a similar setup would appreciate some info. Yes, I tried to email televue, but there is no contact to reach them , only by telephone, but again they are closed. Thanks

Hi guys, I purchased a Proline 16803 some three years ago (give or take) , but due to moving houses and building an observatory I kept the camera/filterwheel safe in-house. So some four months ago I have it mounted inside my Dome an everything functioning fine (software etc). I started initially using Narrowband (Astrodon 3nm -Ha, OIII, SII) without any real issues , images had no vignetting as such, but a couple of weeks back a started with RGB and to my surprise I had darker corners of which in a form of a wavely pattern!!. This appeared in both Red & Blue filters (as in blue not finish the imaging with the greens). I am providing images, one Ha (3nm) filter with no issues and two another showing the darker corners when compare to the whole image, also there is NO hot center to justify the light rolloff that any converging optic does. I have measure using 'IRIS' software and there is a 50% reduction in ADU reading from the center and around areas to the dark corners area. This very usual, If I am wrong and taking into consideration an article from EO Edmund when the sensor is too large for the lens design the image appear to fade away degrade towards the edge, thus vignetting, the DN at these corners is 50% lower then the center of the image, this goes against the article 5 to 10% (with a F5) reduction of relative illumination. Vignetting is difficult given that I am using a Tak CCA 250 reflector with the 16803, with a resolution of 1.49/pixel is a sweet spot and it's not over or under sampling, and using the correct size filters (square 50mm). BFD is spot on, the other issue could be collimation, but this would have happened to the narrowband images as well. Your expect recommendation will be helpful.

Thanks Dave I am already in comm with him...cheers

Hi Dave , thanks for replying. No it does not , I previously used MW for my GM1000 (not in the dome) with success, therefore the parameters are both equal in both mounts, thinking that it would work with MC, I did check the HC to see if it was loaded in the mount but only had the original 3 points star alignment. The only difference between both setup (GM1000 &2000) is the Dome inclusion everything else is the same. I am missing something in the steps prior loading the points to the mount. Thanks

I've owned my new GM2000 for about 3 months and have successfully built a first time new model of 31 points out of 36 targeted points in MC. This is the first time I use MC as a fellow group member suggest MC good functionality with Domes. To my surprise it worked quite well and the mount and dome slit were spot-on almost all the time. After the run the RMS was at 3.9 with Plate solve diff in DEC ranging from 1 sec to 9 sec and RA diff from 0.04 to 2 sec. Previously I loaded to the mount a three stars alignment after a polar alignment with Polemaster. However when I open the model after completing the run there were no points registered, I had the impression that there should have been a list of the 31 mapped points. I am missing something and not sure how to post these points to the mount to lower the current mount RMS. So, I have the following questions: 1. In the mount I have 'Sync-off', should it be on?? 2. After obtaining the mapped points does it post directly to the mount?? 3. Is there any particular setting in the mount that I should be aware?? I am using latest MC version, and SGP for platesolve and imaging, the Dome is not connect as I wanted MC to take possession. Thanks any suggestion will be appreciated. Carlos

Thanks Steve, Pulsar software unfortunately does not have a tolerance field, but SGP as one, and as well a synchronization fields (like a telescope sync) allows you to correct the angle that your dome is reporting. For instance if your dome is pointed due north (0 degrees like in my case) but is reporting 350 degrees, you can use “Sync” and input 0 to correct this. The dome will then be synced to 0 degrees at its current position. Thanks again Carlos

Hi Group, Having complete the installation of my Pulsar Dome observatory and have the drive automation unit installed and program as well, I managed to calibrate the drive after changing magnet so that the encode could read it better and after a single rotation it was calibrated. I am using both Park and the Home position at the same angle of zero degrees (basically pointing polarize). The dome shutter window center points to Polaris (already done a polar alignment), so my mount is at zero degree before I started the calibration. However when the calibration was completed the drive panel screen showed 358 degrees and is spot-on the center of the shutter window, if I instruct the dome to move at zero/360 degrees it will move away from the shutter center. When I originally installed the Drive and the encoder, I am pretty sure that I place the encode wheel to zero degree and the shutter window was centered to the mount/telescope position. So, the question is, does it matter being a few degree out when I eventually slew to a target, or I can compensate somehow when setting up the Slave parameters, say on the North offset. Any suggestion will be appreciated. Carlos

Thanks Ole, please keep me inform, I am interested with the result. And Dave thanks as well, moving the object center would work and it wouldn't be that big issue with SGP 'Framing & Mosaic Wizard' tool, thanks for the advice. Carlos

Hi Group, my telescope is a Tak CCA 250 Cassegrain reflector, FL 1250. My Dome shutter window space is limited and putting large guider scope on top of the main scope will be obscured when the scope change declination position, I have had always worked with guidescope and never had an issue with the Tak106 refractor. Currently my OAG has a lodestar 2 and is finding it difficult to find a star (to say the least) so I thought of changing back to the guiderscope but to a small version: mini guider scope with a small pixel camera. Now the rule of thumb say that the guider scope FL should at least 1/3 to the telescope thus I was looking at the QHY5-III 178 Mono and QHY MiniGuideScope Kit believe that the miniscope is 130mm. Any suggestion will be appreciated, either with the combination above or changing the current lodestar. Thanks Carlos

Hi, I am setting my Dome and finding that the parameters in SGP setting a bit difficult to understand, I have a AP1100gto mount , the Vertical Offset I think I have solved it as well as the GEM, however the 'Update Frequency' which is the number of second to wait between slew commands I cannot do at this moment given that the telescope is not polar aligned , so on this question if someone using a AP1100 might know the answer, and on the other question 'Allowable Error' which is the number of degrees from where the dome azimuth can be from the calculated ideal position. This will depend on the width of your slit as well as the position in the sky. Dome Slit is 0.6m width and the position of the telescope /mount is at 360 degree azimuth and its the ideal position right in the middle slit, the telescope is 250mm aperture., so not syure what to put?? Any help will be appreciated. Carlos

Hi guys, any further news on the Vixen VSD100, i mean on the availability to purchase, if the proper rings are available, if the focal reducer has finally been produced and available, and finally has anyone tested the scope and any comparison to the Takahashi FSQ 106ED in terms of image quality. Thanks