tteedd

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

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

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

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!

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?

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!

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

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.

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

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.

On ‎14‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 15:11, prusling said:

Just want to acknowledge great support from SkyWatcher.

My one criticism of the Android app was that the slewing keypad was too close to the bottom of the screen and I would often hit the adjacent 'home' button instead of 'down'...

I contacted the app developer about this and they've quickly put out an update with adjustable footer padding.

Excellent customer service!

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.

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.

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).

On ‎02‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 21:19, m.tweedy said:

For my static Observatory set up I was pleased to find that this adapter also works on my laptop with ASCOM. 

Will this work for Alt Az setups?

12 hours ago, festoon said:

I guess the only way the software on the synscan app could have improved performance over the handset would be if the app had a more accurate method of mapping the sky and accounting for errors in polar alignment or mechanical errors of the mount.

If this was indeed the case I'd have no hesitation buying the wifi adaptor  

Clear sky soon after getting home tonight. My chance to try the new synscan wifi out. I can't tell if what you say is the case or not but what I can tell you is that my 10" dob has always become less and less accurate the more targets I looked at, but using the wifi dongle and and an 8" pad and 90 minutes looking at many targets all over the sky my targets were still near to centre even though I had started with a two star set-up in the same part of the sky. I am most impressed with this.

I need much more time with the app and a description of all the functions available would be useful before I can give a proper review, but fist thoughts:

Cons

(some of these these may just be my pad)

The pad is not so reactive too my fingers in the cold night air which makes me wonder how it will perform when the temperature goes back below zero.

I am long sighted but have very little astigmatism so leave my glasses on a keeper when observing, the handset is tactile and I can find the buttons without looking, I have to put my glasses back on to use the pad.

When the pad switches off to save battery, it comes back on, on the bright initial screen. You could read Sky at Night by the moon tonight so I had no 'night sight', but it will be a problem on dark nights.

The ap/pad sometimes takes a moment to react so you hit it again and the new sceen comes up as you do and the rig hurtles off to a new target.

The star list is in order of magnitude which does not help when you are looking for a named star. I have problems with the deepsky list as well but need more time with it.

I used 25% of the power on my pad after 90 mins, will it last for a long session?

My fingers are too big. I hit the wrong pointers etc and it would be worse with a phone rather than the 8" pad. I started using the little rubber tipped thing but this sufferred from the (cold) effect already noted (I needed a damp finger).

For

The accuracy. Just for this alone I will continue to use it.

Ease of setting up. Time and location spot on even though I have no GPS.

I would have stayed out there but have to get up in the am.

More when I have used it again.

Goodnight.

Mmm

Maybe 'stuck with' sounds a bit strong. But stuck with seems to be the case. I seem to have to move from Stellarium to SkySafari and up a fair bit of cash as well.

CDC means 'Control Data Corporation' or 'Computer Digital Control' to me and I do not know a lot about Ascom except that it seems to be an interface between programs and equipment for control of astro devices. I have not had to think about this too much so far. But it seems to be cropping up as I start looking at control and my new toy.

Where can I get a primer? (Any real software expertise I posses is 40 years old, so plain English would be useful).

Thanks Dave.

When I want to control via a computer I currently run Stellarium on a HP laptop (USB/serial converter).

I generally slowly loose synscan accuracy as I change targets with this and with the handset, so am looking forward to both getting rid of the wiring and having to repeat the setup.

When I am observing visually, it will be good to have the HP laptop off as it creates too much (dark adaptation) light, even in red mode. I will still need it when I want to record video. I normally have an LED display on my scope carriage (to avoid trailing cables), if I could get a remote link between the HP and the video camera I might do away with that.

It would be good if other software pakages worked with the adapter. Anyone tried? or are we stuck with Sky Safari.  (BTW I took a guess at the name and ended up downloading a seach engine called Star Safari!).

Lets hope some clear skies arrive with the WiFi adaptor.

Can you use any android pad? (rather than a phone)

Can you use any version of sky safari?

Is there a way of using PayPal rather than giving a credit card directly to purchase sky safari (thought someone said it was free)?

Ordered my Wifi unit from 365 Astro as soon as I saw the Astrogear column in Astronomy Now. Can't wait.

Same 10" Synscan Dob as Dave.

Hi

Interesting topic.

I just got a 10" (used) from Astronomia. The discussion shows that my stiff AZ is not an easy problem to solve but that I can do it myself if forced to. But for now I'm leaving it to Astronomia.

Did the original machine get sorted Stuart?

Ted

Hi

Going back to the original subject of the synscan goto.

As reported previously I found all my problems were due to the instability of the original mount. To cure this I attached heavy beech legs to the orignal tripod legs using U bolts.

This gave me a much better viewing height as well as absoulute stability. Synscan spot on every time.

As I spend some of the winter in Spain I ordered a scope for delivery to and use there. I bought a 130p on a supertrack mount. The tripod on the supertrack mount is much more sturdy than the one on the synscan mount. I took the synscan handset/computer to Spain with me in my luggage.

Using the handset on the supertrak is a dream. Even if you are slapdash with the time, cordinates and leveling of the mount, after 2 star set up objects are in the EP every time.

Conclusive proof to my mind that the accuracy problems are cause bu the instability of the mount.

Happy Stargazing!

Hi I'm getting there.I recently decided to get the equipment out in daylight and see if it was really stable enough.

I set it up using an external spirit level (as advised elsewhere) but when I attached the scope the internal sprit level changed significantly. So I went back to using the internal (on the mount) level.

Next I rotated the scope to all altitudes and points of the compass. The bubble on the spirit level moved all over the place especially when the scope is near vertical and the weight of the Mak is therefore all on one side.

The legs of the tripod move and bend!

I dropped the legs to half height and put a large bag of sand (about 20LB) on the instrument tray. Hey presto the bubble stayed level as I slewed the scope around. The battery I had been using both for power and stability was clearly not heavy enough.

I initialised the scope, set up as above, and looked forward to an evenings stargazing. A massive improvement!! After set up, most targets were now on the left edge of my 40 mm EP each time. At least I was able to find them, even if I do have to crawl on the floor to see through the view finder.

I could now attack the offsets on the targets. I assumed some of this might be due to backlash when setting up. So I very carefully aligned using 'up' and 'right' for final adjustment as suggested on this thread.

Most targets now appear on a 15 mm EP if not a 10 but still a little off to the L in the EP. If I ask the handset to identified the object when I put it in the centre of the EP it now identifies it correctly and tells me I am 0.03 off on virtually every target. Next I shall investigate the backlash settings!

Crawling on the ground, with my 66 year old aching joints to get below the viewfinder, will be no fun when winter comes, so suspect that I will be building a heavy wooden tripod or at least putting heavy wooden legs and tray on the lower part of the present tripod.

I bought a Skywatcher Mak 127 with synscan goto at the IAF last month. I have since bought a 130p on an eq mount form Ebay and fitted it with dovetail/clamp so that all are interchangeable. I have gone through the same process as others in this thread over the last month. (BTW - why can't I do carriage returns?) Comments : Using a large rechargeable battery (like the golf trolley one mentioned solves several problems. You can use it for many nights with no problems. If you put it on the tray you do not need the 'bag of sand' for stability. The output voltage barely changes over several evenings. Especially for the MAk but also for the 130p a 40mm EP is a boon when looking for fairly bright object as once the synscan is setup the object chosen is more likely to be in the eyepiece. You really do need to know where the brightest stars are. Definitely take an evening to learn them before trying with the instrument. When the clouds are around using a star chart does not work for a novice and in any case does not do wonders for your night sight. Question: I've done all the basic things suggested on this board (level, time, co-ords etc and I'm getting very handy at getting set up but I still find that the synscan has nowhere near the accuracy suggested on these notice boards. This does not matter with relatively bright objects but is extremely difficult with dim ones. Very rarely is any object near the centre of my EP an often not in view at all. Is my machine inaccurate? or are they all like that?