gaz81

Check out used ex corporate laptops if you want a laptop. They normal come with licensed Win 10 pro and spare parts a plenty as they are ment to be repaired etc. Ones like HP 820/840 etc can be got for couple of hundred easily enough. I’ve just ordered an ex business Dell WYSE thin client quad core AMD for £40 off eBay (with full Win 10 pro) that I’m going to run my little set up off (bolted to the rig like a big Pi). Then remote into it with my laptop... iPad... even your phone if you want. Tried that last night with my iPad and laptop and was very cool (and warm) Windows Pro is key if you want to do Remote Desktop.

Well, I certainly like my AZ GTI. Not that I’ve had any other mounts to compare it to.

My personal experience now... when it does go wrong you learn from it. Thanka to my bad night I’ve learned a whole lot more and it’s fantastic! Even doing more fettling this afternoon... more cable tidying and now toying with Remote Desktop. IMG_7860.MOV

Superstar 🙂 thanks! I don’t remember telling it to bin, but maybe I did set it. Will give it a go next time along with another calibration, as I assume I’d need to if I change that

Ohhh... Just nipped the garage and plugged in to check. Yes, it’s 2x2 binning.

Next time its clear.... will give it a try 🙂

I think so. Its a SkyWatcher 9x5 with the 1st gen QHY5 mono camera. I have the focal length set to 200mm and pixel size 5.2 It's an old camera I do plan to upgrade at some point.

Yup, this (had some amazon vouchers to spend at the time): Ѕkу-Wаtсhеr 2 Іnсh Ultrа Ніgh Соntrаѕt (UНС) Fіltеr: Тhе nаrrоwbаnd UНС fіltеr, lіkе thе О-ІІІ fіltеr, іѕоlаtеѕ thе twо dоublу іоnіzеd охуgеn lіnеѕ (496 аnd 501nm) іn аddіtіоn tо thе hуdrоgеn-bеtа lіnе (486nm) еmіttеd bу рlаnеtаrу аnd mоѕt еmіѕѕіоn nеbulае.

Yeah, I asked a question in that in a separate thread. Seems to happen in the brightest stars.

Hmmmm Interesting. At least it’s not just me then 🙂 guess will need to learn out to deal with it in PhotoShop.

Not to bad for the limited time I had, I'm happy anyway.

Can anyone advise what is causing this? Camera is a Canon 100D with Baader mod, attached to a StellaMira filed flattener with a 2inch SkyWatcher UHC filter screwed on the end of the flatener.... then attached to a Skywatcher 72ED. Seems to happen on the brighter stars, can only assume its the filter. Shows more with 20 x 200s exposures stacked. This is the filter: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Watcher-UHC-Ultra-Contrast-Filter/dp/B00AWD3YC6 Autosave.tif

All packed up now... well, it’s running darks in the garage. Clouds rolled in during M42. Yeah, stars seems fine... will have a proper look later. Did a full calibration before I started. Did polar alignment in SharpCap first and set at excellent but yeah, limited time on NGC7000 as a tree got in the way 🙂 Hopefully we get another clear night at some point. Will try and find the logs as well, thanks!

Oh man... Almost first light and still at it. 32 x 200s of NGC 7000 20 x 200s of NGC 281 and now running 20 x 200s of M42... as it was just looking at me... and I couldn’t help myself! Will have to leave it running darks in the garage and get some kip after M42 🙂

Not really sure if these numbers are good or not considering it’s an AZ GTI?

I’m a very happy bunny right now!!!

So far so good.... first 200 second Goto++ PHD guided image in process of NGC7000 in process....

Come on sky....

Yeah, I use PHD2 🙂 The polar align tool is excellent.

In the screen shot? just with you mouse wheel, or two finger scroll

Used this https://nova.astrometry.net/upload Then after it solved there was a link that took me to that site (bottom right of the page after you click results)

Just spent some time in the garage doing cable tidy work been meaning to for ages and exactly above. Linked everything up... pretended I was pointing north... then skewed to NGC7000. Loaded a failed image from the night Totally missed 7000 and did a blind solve. The sync’d the cordinates back to the scope. After that did another Goto to 7000... scope did a meridian flip and repointed itself. So the inside the garage rest seemed to work 🙂 Only thing was the sensor size issue, it didn’t change when the camera was connected and powered up. So guess will see what happens when I try for real. And couple of pics of my cable management attempt. So again, thank you everyone!!

one quick question... I also played with the Object Calculator... so seems pretty useful, has your camera, scope folcal length then you pick and object and it gives you an idea of the size However the CCD pixel and CCD Width x Height seem wrong The sensor in the 100D is bigger than the 6.7mm x 5.3mm the Object Calculator says... or does this mean something else? .... camera wasn't connected at the time...

I just finished doing the set up in APT... such a good tutorial. Thank you! Also did the extra bit that been added to APT since (ASTAP) Tested some older images, solved in a few seconds... just need a clear night to try it while APT is actually hooked up to my AZ GTI (EQ). APT can already talk to it, so should be good there. So in effect now.... 1. Polar align 2. GoTo a target via the APT object list 3. Take an image 4. Plate solve 5. Sync those coordinates back to the mount? 6. GoTo again and repeat the sync 7. Then... image away Does that about cover the process?

WOW One of the best threads I have ever read, I would never have worked this out on my own Thanks for pointing me to this thread David! I got it all set up, and tested with some images.... just.... wow Now I just need a clear night!