alcol620

Looking for some feedback please. The set up has been working perfectly for some months. With auto flip set and the mount responding. Then a couple of nights ago I checked the set up at around 2 am and the auto flip had not taken place. The mount had passed the Meridian by about 15 minutes, luckily had not quite reached crashing point. I have played around with the set up, re-installed the version of EQMOD I had running, but all to no avail. In the SGPro set up for auto flip I can hit "Run" (next to "Set") and can manually flip the scope, but alas the auto flip does not seem to work. Any suggestions as to what it could be. Thanks for looking.

thanks for speedy feedback Vlalv, hoping to get one a little less pricy. But I suppose you only get what you pay for.

Last post awhile ago, but here goes. Interested in your choice of lens to fit to the ASI1600. I have used the stock canon lens but these give me really bad stars away from the centre of the image, even when stopping down the lens. Presumably with the Sigma lens this works out fine? Any other views on the best Canon fitting lens to provide the best match for the ASI1600? thanks

Hi everyone, have played around with different stops etc with the stock Canon 50 mm lens. Round stars to the center but anything but for the corners of the images. Anyone like to say what lens they use, zoom or otherwise, that works well directly mounted on the ASI1600 camera/ thanks for feedback

Well done Louise, great stuff. You have encouraged me to have a go at the SA as well. Currently in pieces on the dining room table, while I read this and other posts before I start adjusting things Fingers crossed

H-t and Dp as a non expert on camera technology, what is the effect of stopping down. Does the final image size stay the same?

Thanks Guys, up until today I had no idea what Stopping down the camera was, now I have done it! Wonderful the help you can get on here. Thanks again. Stopped down to 2.8 and see what I get from that, hopefully less awful stars. Need clear skies now

Why do you use 2 different settings? Photography and cameras are not my top subject! Thanks

What do you stop it down to? DP do you have yours stopped down?

Should this all works or is the spacing wrong?

Thanks for getting back. Apologies, in my haste I posted duff info. I should have said the image was taken with the Canon EF 50mm 1:1.8 II lens. the very one you mention. I have this on the end of the ASI1600 MC camera, no filter wheel and is connected with the ZWO EOS T2 adapter without the additional 5mm T2 extender. My set up is shown attached.

Gina Here I am again. On another stream I have been posting about problems of star trailing etc still to be resolved with my Skywatcher ADventurer and ASI1600MC camera and TSAPO60 scope. So last night I lightened the rig and simply had a Canon 55mm lens on the end of the ASI1600. A quick stack and stretch (attached) showed a woeful image of stars. It has to be said that seeing was pretty bad with high misty clouds passing through. As and expert I would value your input to the issues on the image and what lens (not too expensive) would give me a reasonably flat image? Ultimately I want to take a wide field image of the Milky Way. Should the 55mm lens be better than this. Many thanks for your input Best wishes Alec

Hi Gina Long time after the last post, hope you are keeping well. I saw a post from you about lens to use with the ASI1600 and can't find it. I will get back to you shortly. Regards Alec

More fiddling re balancing etc, same problems with odd star shapes and trails as before. Next step, unless someone has the answer, is to take the covers off and see if adjustments are required.

fingers crossed

Louise are you re-greasing as well?

Hi Louise watching with great interest after all the problems I am having on the other blog where I found this link. Good luck Alec

Latest instalment from last night - doesn't look to good. Pointed the scope at the Zenith to try to take out any horizontal flexing of the optic train. PA as accurate as I am capable, balanced similarly. Results attached for 30s, 120s 300s and 600s following a quick stretch in Pixinsight. Included a screen grab of the stretched histogram with a double hump, is this strange? Any further suggestions would be welcome. Thanks Alec

Thanks Ray, in that case I am reasonably certain that PA is where it should be.

Had the scope pointing at the Zenith, but still getting odd shaped stars. Took great care with PA and made slight adjustments to the spacers to get the required 70mm spacing including the camera's 6.5mm back focus. Hope to load up some images late tomorrow to illustrate the star shapes. I assume I get reasonable polar alignment by the following: Get Polaris in the redicle and make sure I can run it vertically up and down the vertical axis. Then I move the alt and az screws to get Polaris in the position on the reticle circle that represents the Hour Angle of Polaris? There must be something I am doing wrong?

Thanks knobby, did what you suggested, time will tell if it helps

The stars on the right hand side of the image are rounder than those towards the left hand side, where the trailing or what ever it is, is greater. They are from the same batch of images. Ray what would you be looking for with the test shots at the Zenith? Spacing has always been critical with the ASI1600/ TSAPO60 combo and impossible (in my case to get it perfect) I have run the combination previously on an AZEQ 6 mount and still get some triangulation of stars in the corners. Does any one know if the 2 brass screws on the TSAPO60 between the focuser and the scope tube can be used to adjust tilt?

Attached are 30s and 60s PNG images stretched with Pixinsight. Equipment ASI1600 MC camera and the TSAPO60 scope with reducer flattener focal length 260mm

Thanks Guys Answers to a number of the questions raised. I will post a PNG of the whole image and capture equipment details Will do longer exposures tonight if possible. Will have a go at drift alignment, although I think PA is pretty close now. The SA does have wobble if I give it a good shake, but it seems pretty solid. Can't feel any backlash. Tripod at 0.8m and when bought 2nd hand it was said to be a Az3 Alt Az mount. The SA is bolted directly to the centre bolt of the AZ3 Will do a long exposure and post the result. Thanks again for all your inputs and help.

Morning folks More testing last night. Took care on polar alignment and balancing but still have some movement. I am coming to the conclusion that I may have to accept what I have got, although when I zoomed right in on the images so that I could see the actual pixels (I think), this suggests that the actual movement only amounts to a few pixels and perhaps can be ignored? Again all the trails are in the same general direction across the image. (Images taken around Deneb so high in the sky). I have attached a copy of images to illustrate the actual trailing for 30s and 60s images. Am I right in saying the trailing is only a few pixels? I suppose if I was a bit adventurous I could give the mount a bit of maintenance with new grease and adjustment of the gears? James to mentioned drift alignment, I don't have guiding. ?