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Hi Martin I've just bought the same camera. I've not taken it to the observatory yet but I've had it running with each of the three programs in the ASI Studio suite on my desk. When I first turned it on I had just a dark screen. Both online and the info slip said things about USB data rate. However I found that if you unplugged it and plugged it in again it worked OK. AWO say they are working on a comprehensive manual and will be continuously improving the software. If it works well I intend to stick with this. It seems OK, but like you I could do with some explanations. I'm sure if I was familiar with the other software available it would be no problem. I had a video camera some time ago which only showed bright objects well. Recently I went online and found Video Astronomy was now called EAA or EEA so I started looking at cameras. I wanted an ASI 533 but was persuaded by my pocket and some experienced people to start with this model. So I've dived in and am praying that it shows a lot more than my video camera did. If it is clear tonight I will be trying it out. I'll post my comments. Good luck Ted
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Hi Martin You have me looking at the 533 now. Of course my rig, from a traditional astro photograpy viewpoint, does not have adequate tracking. But I am coming at this from a video-viewpoint as I believe that current software allows this. If I did want v good pics I would need the software to allow me to correlate and stack lots of short sequences. It is the software aspects as well as the physical attributes that I was hoping for some guidance on. Cost wise the 533 appears well over £100 cheaper and is said to not have the amp glow which is apparent from the 294. This may be a significant advantage for my application. Although the local astro club is not live at the moment I have just been put in touch with an astro photography member who uses the 294. I hope he can give me the benefit of his experience. But I still hope someone reading this is using the 294 (or 533) in a quasi video mode than I envisage and can give me the low down on software. At least all this is reviving my interest in getting out and observing! Ted
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Thanks Martin I have a Skywatcher 10" Goto Flextube Dobsonian. f 4.7 (I also have a 5" Dob f 5 on an equatorial mount that I bought cheap to experiment with equatorial mounts). The 10" is mounted permanently in my observatory. I bought it second hand originally for the aperture, not the portability. But once I have the camera, if there is a rush of enthusiasm caused by the new kit I might change the scope. Something to bear in mind as I make my choice. The Dyas video camera was great for bright objects but little else and ended up with a telephoto lens on it that I picked up cheap. It was a good super-finder! Proving to me that I was indeed pointing the Dob in the right direction. I still think that I don't have the patience for astro photography and playing around with lots of processing and colour filters. The ZWO AS1294 MC seems to fit the bill but is a lot of dough (about £1000) and I was hoping to attract comment from people with this or with similar and perhaps cheaper colour cameras and the necessary software and experience to help me not to make an expensive mistake or give me a feeling I'm going in the right direction. I think I need the sensitivity and cooling but am ready to be persuaded especially if there is a lower cost option. I have just taken my observatory HP laptop in to have the overheating sorted (a three year old problem) so something must be stirring in my desire to make better use of my observatory! Ted
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Hi Toadeh I too have been dormant for some time (I do wander out to my observatory when the moon is not around). I went the normal route for someone that does not want to be an astro-photographer but wants to see more (increase in aperture - cheap video camera - loss of interest). However I have recently been looking at cameras Like the ZWO AS1294 MC and feel that something like this may be my route to more enjoyable quasi real-time astronomy in our light polluted environment. But this would cost me more dough than my rig and about the same as my second hand observatory. I need more information or interaction with others, that I do not get now the astro clubs are virtual. So I am hoping you get some great replies!
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Old style Pulsar 2.2m Dome rotation automation
tteedd replied to tony210's topic in DIY Observatories
Thanks Steve I have (as you see) a v old second hand 2.7m dome. It has a skirt from the dome inside the structure and there is a large amount of play between dome and wall. I have some 12V dc golf trolley motors and gearboxes which should provide plenty of motive force. I did try a lash up (a couple of years ago) with rubber wheels directly on to the fibreglass. This just ripped up the rubber and I concluded that I needed some form of rack. I have been Thinking of sliding gate gear but something similar to your system may do the job. Due to the afore mentioned play, I think I may need to provide some guidance and was thinking of two motors equally spaced (120 deg) with a dolly that I can later use for measuring movement in the third position. Perhaps there is someone out there who has already done something similar on a dome like mine? -
Old style Pulsar 2.2m Dome rotation automation
tteedd replied to tony210's topic in DIY Observatories
Hi Steve Where did you get the rack and pinion? Ted -
I now have a tablet running Android 6.0. It seems to run synscan perfectly! If you are thinking of buying a wifi device, check that your andoid version is not 4.4.2 All I need now is clear skies!
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Never rains but it pours! Ordered a new cheap tablet from Amazon. Super looking thing, only problem is that it refuses to run sysnscan! 'App not compatible' Wasted another few hours with this and now it is going back. If anyone can advise me on getting the original tablet to work properly I would be grateful. Other-wise please let me know cheap models that work and their android version No. Thanks
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Seem to have it working now. Settings/connections Upped retry times to 5, no change. Turned find devices off and on again. Now connecting and working OK. See how it goes for real? ……………………………………….. It did not go! Firstly although working the numbers keyboard did not come up when clicking to input Messier/ngc/etc numbers. Then when re-started the old problem came back.
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Hi I have had the Wifi adapter for some time and used it for several months with a cheap android pad. Then, first occasionally and then permanently, the pad/ap started giving the message 'Synscan not working' and switching off when the message is acknowledged. Tried all sorts of things with the pad including removing all apps not wanted and reloading synscan app with no solution. So I have loaded the synscan app on my phone and it works OK. Anyone else had, or better still overcome, this sort of problem with a pad? Ted
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Padding Thanks P - New version has Settings> User applications> Footer padding. Old version has only the settings page with no padding. Rotation Neither the pad nor my phone wants to rotate at the moment but my memory says the pad used to. Pad Both pad and phone are android. I'm off to Spain soon. I used to take my 'goto' handset out with me and use it on my supertrack mount out there. I'm going to take the Wifi module and use my phone this time. Although with the light pollution I'm not sure why I bother. But if I do use it to any extent I may leave the wifi unit there and buy a new one.
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MMM Is this the same updated download? I had the same problem with the pad I was using. But I have just downloaded the app (from google apps) to my smartphone and it appears exactly the same.
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Thanks very much both. I was going to bring the scope indoors and play in the warmth tomorrow. Somehow I don't get cold observing but got too cold staring at a screen and scratching my head last night. But now I think I should be able to progress with your advice and I'll bring the obs laptop and prepare indoors and have another go outside when I get the chance. I avoided Michael's basic error but think I have made another one. I'll let you know.
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Thanks for info. Spent a l ong time in the obs last night. Downloaded and unzipped the two files onto the Dell laptop (Win10) I have in the obs. Found I needed latest Ascom software. Lots of troubles with this as the dell did not seem to want it's old ascom software (inherited with laptop) deleted. Eventually overcame this and tried to take the route in the information file. (Many times). This comes to a halt with: "Connect your mount to your PC using a suitable RS232 cable, with a USB to serial adaptor if required, turn the mount on and align it. For testing a quick align will do. Choose your telescope in the ASCOM chooser" There was no sign of the "ASCOM chooser"! Anyone help from here? Notes: I have already had the rig working with wifi module and Android pad. I have used Stelleraium via a seril link and my handset. There are no symbols relating to the wifi anywhere. The laptop sees and connects to the wifi unit. I have tried entering my scope detail when running ascom diagnostics (and lots of other things I can think of).
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Will this work for Alt Az setups?