hefyjefy

I have to run Stellarium in ANGLE mode, due to a rather poor graphics card. ANGLE seems to be the least demanding of the PC's hardware. Geoff

OK right, I will take a look - thanks!

New to this program, I see the "Night Mode" button and it reddens the chart but the surrounding window frame is white and v bright. Have seen screen shots with nice dim frames but I can't see where to make that setting change? Geoff

Upgraded to ASCOM 6.5, and re-installed Windows 🤪 - no change. There was a Windows update...

I like the new Oculars setup, much easier to understand. I don't use the satellites option very much. I recently ran into a problem connecting to my ASCOM scope, this has worked before but it stopped about a week ago, Stellarium just reports "Connecting" but never does. Tried re-installing older version, even tried resetting windows but no luck. PHD works and connects and so does Cartes du Ciel. ASCOM version is 6.5 Windows 10. Stellarium running in Angle Mode (crappy graphics card!) Geoff

Just checked I have version 6.4.1.2695 - bit nervous about upgrading since everything else (PHD2, Cartes du Ciel) works just fine I have a feeling this is a Stellarium issue...

Been using Stellarium for years. About 6 months ago I started using ASCOM/EQMOD and connected Stellarium to my Sirius mount with no problem. Yesterday Stellarium would not connect and launch the EQMOD control panel. PHD2 still working just fine. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Stellarium, found and deleted any .ini files but no luck - very strange. Have switched to Cartes du Ciel for the moment which also works. Any ideas are gratefully accepted! Geoff

Yes, thinking about it that makes sense, thanks!

So just splashed out on an LP filter, placing this for deep sky extended targets nebulae etc. is obvious, there's only one place it can go! But the scope is 480mm f6 so for things like M57 and other planetary nebulae I have been using a Barlow lens, in that case should the filter go between the camera and the the Barlow or between the Barlow and the object lens? Does it matter? In either case it will shift the Barlow either back or forward by about 1/4" which will affect the image scale. Thoughts? Geoff

I had some similar problems, if your finder scope is not directly above the main scope when the scope is on the meridian with weights vertical. The DEC balance will change when you swap sides. The finder acts like a pendulum on one side but on the other it makes it overbalance (difficult to explain!) Geoff

Hmm, yes this is fairly basic mount, I can adjust the worm gear clearance but that's about it, looks like I may have to live with it. Geoff

So this is starting to make some sense. I recently discovered that the apparent backlash on the mount is different depending on which side of the Meridian I am on. Clearly something related to the mount - I am investigating... Thanks again! Geoff

Pointing near the celestial equator, if the scope is on the West side the dec backlash is much better then if its on the East. I am trying to come up with the reason this might occur? Clearly it has something to do with the mount... Looking for ideas. Geoff

I can rotate the OAG to different positions and also tilt the prism slightly, but it doesn't seem to help. It looks like the Starshoot Guider has some kind of AGC built in that in the absence of a detectable star cranks the gain up, which results in a bunch of grey noise. When I first got it I thought there was something wrong with it! Anyway I kind of answered my own question, I stuck the Starshoot straight on the end of the ED80 and things were far better, even under poor (bright moon) conditions. I was able for the first time to get consistent calibration runs out of PHD. I am now chasing very bad DEC backlash 🤔

Setup is Orion ED80T CF, with Orion Starshoot and Orion OAG I have always found it quite difficult to get PHD to track stars consistently, sometimes it works just fine and other times the Starshoot camera is just a bunch of noise. I wonder if this is due to the small size of the OAG prism? My location is not ideal, quit a lot of light pollution and the tracking is noticeably worse when there's a moon. Would I be better using a finder scope? The Orion 60mm Guide Scope for example? https://www.telescope.com/Orion/Orion-60mm-Multi-Use-Guide-Scope-with-Helical-Focuser/rc/2160/p/114898.uts?keyword=60mm Guide Scope Thanks for any ideas! Geoff

I am working to upgrade my setup from using a Synscan hand controller to EQMOD and Stellarium. I have the latest version of Stellarium that includes the ASCOM interface. Everything seems to work just fine (at least on the bench). The only problem is that the telescope graticule disappears after parking the scope and doesn't come back, the mount is tracking, I see the correct RA/DEC numbers when selecting a star. Anybody else seen this? When using the Synscan Controller I connected via a COM port to the Controller and that worked just fine, the graticule was always visible. My connection now is still via the Synscan controller but its set to "PC Direct" so EQMOD does the control. Orion ED80T CF, Orion Skview EQ GoTo, Starshoot OAG and a rather old Dell Laptop running Windows 10

OK folks, thank you! The clouds moved away, I tried a two star alignment and got an immediate improvement. I spent some time on the polar alignment first. The pointing and tracking are both much improved. I guess I don't really understand how the alignment algorithm works, you would assume that 3 stars would give a better result than 2 but that seems not to be the case?

I am using a reticle eyepiece 12.5mm, scope is (ED80T CF 480mm) The subsequent GOTO is poor (sometimes outside the view of the low power eyepiece) and that's the problem. Since the object I am looking for is not visible (by me) either in binoculars or the scope I need to be sure I am pointing in the right direction before taking images. OK thanks, I will try the 2 star on the same side of the meridian. Geoff

I am trying to get a really good alignment, the mount is the Orion Skview Pro Equatorial. Scope is ED80. I have pretty much tied down the polar alignment, also checked the cone error and everything seems good. After doing several 3 star alignments however the reported azimuth error is always more than 1 degree. (Elevation error looks OK at about 18secs) I am not ideally situated here due to buildings etc so stars low on the eastern and western horizons are difficult. Could this be the problem? Or could it be a problem with the mount? Thanks for your thoughts, Geoff