matt_baker

Ended up coming back to this data and reprocessing it. Was such a monster of a mosaic to do

I'm buying a DSD DC Hub 2 and a Raspberry PI and wanting to mount them to the side of my telescope. Is sticking velcro on the telescope it being a round surface safe for not falling off okay? Also will peeling the sticky side off, damage the scopes cosmetics?

My other idea would be getting an aluminium plate, drilling a couple of holes and mounting it where my guide scope would go, allowing space for mounting both.

Anyone have any other mounting ideas?

1 minute ago, The Admiral said:

I presume that is there to prevent the draw tube sliding right through.

Ian

Ah yes, I suppose so. Well now it's just a bent piece of metal so can't do much about that 😕

Just had a go again and ended up snapping something on the end, although I don't think it was a critical part, just a ring threaded on the opposite end of the focuser. 

I'll just have to cope with the fact that I'll probably never get it undone, but oh well, living with a bit of tilt won't be the end of the world

Would it be also worth to put it in the freezer for a few hours and try then?

The most pressure I was able to apply was just after I made it very hot with the hairdryer was have my dad take one strap wrench and turn that clockwise at the bottom while I go from the top and turn anti-clockwise. I put all my arm grease into that, and it still didn't budge at all.

This might be me being stupid but surely if you heat it and make it expand, will it lock the threads together more?

Just tried heating it up with a hairdryer until hot and trying with the strap wrench but that still doesn't work

27 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Put it in a ziplock bag and put the whole thing in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Is it a Baader adapter I have found the thread can lock up solid. 

It's the actual focuser adapter that screws in

I'm unable to unscrew the compression ring adapter on my focuser to be able to have a threaded connection to mitigate tilt.

I've tried a strap wrench, soles of shoes, rubber gloves, table tennis bats but it's that tight that it just won't come undone.

Has anyone got anymore ideas how to get it undone?

1 minute ago, morimarty said:

Think there was a lot of moisture up there last night that probably counts for more noise than usual.10hrs should be just right on the veil. As said it is a good start and it is nicely framed.

Was rather humid and there was a lot of dew on a box I left out there last night

Just now, JeremyS said:

That’s lovely @matt_baker!

Thanks, Jeremy!

15 minutes ago, gorann said:

A very good start! A bit noisy still so keep on adding data if weather permits.

I want to be able to do around 10 hours (5 Ha, 5 OIII) if the weather let's me but that might take a while seeing as it's England

Clouds kept rolling in so could only use 6 of the 600s subs

Still got some tilt so I focused on a star on the edge to even it out

All in all, a good first attempt with the new scope

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TS Optics TS Photoline 90mm f6.6 Triplet FPL53 Apo CF

Imaging cameras: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro (belt mod.)

Guiding cameras: QHYCCD 5L ll M

Focal reducers: TS Optics Photoline 0,79x 2 inch

Software: PixInsight 1.8

Filters: ZWO Ha 31mm 7nm

Accessories: ZWO EFW 31mm 8 positions

6x600s

It's an actual thing going on with a current class action lawsuit filed in the US since Singbo Sunny and Synta make about 80% of the telescopes provided to the US so they can rip off consumers by having monopoly and forcing high prices. 

Well at least that's the accusation

This scope has served me very well but ever since I've acquired my 1600MM + filter wheel, it's been causing me a lot of trouble regarding tilt and bad stars. 

I tried to get around this by purchasing this item which claims to reduce the tilt, which it does, only very marginally compared to just three thumb screws. In the description of the item, it stated that it can be rotated with a counter ring. Although this does work, it doesn't hold it tightly enough and causes even more tilt than there already was, and again, probably something to do with the weight as I was very easily able to move the camera up and down.

I have three options to amend my situation.

1. I can try to think of something else to completely reduce the tilt enough for it to be acceptable. I was thinking of a baader clicklock but I've heard it doesn't work on the stock SW focuser

2. I buy a Moonlite CR2 focuser. Only issue I'm not sure about is the added weight of the focuser + the camera and filter wheel means that I won't be able to balance properly due to the focuser hitting the tube rings of the scope

3. I upgrade and buy something like an Esprit 80ED.

Saying this, I really do like the 130PDS. It's fast, has wide aperture and a decent focal length for a dirt cheap price. I also appreciate the challenges that comes with a newtonian and the rewards it reaps if everything goes right.

The item I tried: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5417_Lacerta-Thread-Adapter-for-using--Baader-MPCC-with-Skywatcher-Newtonians.html

I own a 130PDS and it's served me very well but ever since I've acquired my 1600MM + filter wheel, it's been causing me a lot of trouble regarding tilt and bad stars. 

I tried to get around this by purchasing this item which claims to reduce the tilt, which it does, only very marginally compared to just three thumb screws. In the description of the item, it stated that it can be rotated with a counter ring. Although this does work, it doesn't hold it tightly enough and causes even more tilt than there already was, and again, probably something to do with the weight as I was very easily able to move the camera up and down.

I have three options to amend my situation.

1. I can try to think of something else to completely reduce the tilt enough for it to be acceptable. I was thinking of a baader clicklock but I've heard it doesn't work on the stock SW focuser

2. I buy a Moonlite CR2 focuser. Only issue I'm not sure about is the added weight of the focuser + the camera and filter wheel means that I won't be able to balance properly due to the focuser hitting the tube rings of the scope

3. I upgrade and buy something like an Esprit 80ED.

Saying this, I really do like the 130PDS. It's fast, has wide aperture and a decent focal length for a dirt cheap price. I also appreciate the challenges that comes with a newtonian and the rewards it reaps if everything goes right.

The item I tried: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5417_Lacerta-Thread-Adapter-for-using--Baader-MPCC-with-Skywatcher-Newtonians.html

8 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

PA is 2arcmins or less according to the Logs -  too good maybe, a bit of drift would keep PHD2 Dec guiding in one direction, which will avoid Dec reversals which will take a long time due to the backlash.

Here's some of your Dec guiding:

Running happily at well below 1arcsec, then goes well past the Min Move limit (arrowed) and kicks off with those large pos and neg spikes.

My previous suggestions about balancing to keep Dec corrections in one direction apply.

Michael

 

Just checked my backlash settings on the mount and it's all set to 0.

I'll have to go out when I next can and try to properly get the guiding sorted out, probably do some PEC for the RA too.

14 hours ago, michael8554 said:

Guess you mean Tracking Rate.

I see the Log is for the 10th, is that your latest one?

I don't see any sign of a Guide Assistant run, PHD2 uses that to determine the Backlash Comp setting in PHD2, you don't try different settings..

Or are you referring to the Skywatcher Backlash Comp settings ?

Don't use them, they seriously interfere with PHD2.

No Guide Assistant run in the log ?

Guide Assistant would have recommended Minimum Move settings too.

Dec looks to be lurching across the axis on its own, which could be because you have the Skywatcher Dec Backlash enabled ?

If not, then establish a PHD2 Backlash Comp setting by running the Guide Assistant.

If that doesn't help, consider balancing Dec heavy in one direction to keep the Backlash at one end of its travel.

Michael

Sorry, here's the other file with the guiding assistant

PHD2_GuideLog_2020-07-11_225501.txt

Still not so sure what's up with the mount.

It's belt modded so I wouldn't expect this much dec backlash whatsoever. I can see quite clearly that there's PE with the RA but that's okay, it's just the spikes in DEC that bothers me.

I calibrated SW near dec 0 since south is obscured for me, nudged it north to clear it and changed sidereal rate to .5x. I did enable backlash comp and try various values but to no avail.

I know my RMS values are quite okay and under 1" but it's just annoying to see the spikes in the DEC axis appear.

PA does say 17.7' but I checked in guiding assistant and it was around 1'

Anyone able to help?

Matt

PHD2_GuideLog_2020-07-10_232926.txt

I think for England you have to put your longitude as -1 since they for some reason put it as "East Longitude" and most of England is West

Tried my hand at measuring exoplanet transits with very modest equipment.

Here's the curve I managed to get, not the prettiest I know but there were unexpected clouds all last night so probably skewed the measurements, plus the fact I'm using a pixel scale of 1.20" pp

I used Muniwin to process the lightcurve and uploaded it to the exoplanet transit database.

Took 106x60s exposures to get this.

12 minutes ago, Corncrake said:

Ah well,,, if it developed a longish tail pdq and if (insert many ifs of choice )

then a little before SUNrise tomorrow in southern UK this is how NEOrise might look (in about 6hrs time)

insert some flying pigs as well for good measure

Actually, this is Stellarium with horizon, atmosphere sunlighting all on, quite twilightish,,,, so if it wasnt for the clouds,,,

 

How are you getting the tail? I've downloaded the comet from the configuration but it says the comet is magnitude 8.5 at any time

Will we be able to see it from the UK?

Anyone got any idea what's up with my guiding? Calibration took about 5-10 minutes to complete too. Moved about 1.5 pixels per step, everything was on defaults but probably should have run guiding assistant looking back

PHD2_GuideLog_2020-06-25_225201.txt

Edit: Looking at it, it seems like there's some DEC backlash and possible RA PE? How should I combat the backlash since my balance was pretty good in DEC?

Just had a chat with some people from cloudy nights.

I knew about the min ADU equation by Jon Rista but I was using it wrong. For the gain input, I was putting 139 instead of 1 electrons per ADU. xD

For gain 139 offset 21, my min ADU should be at least 514 ADU, which for my Ha subs equates to about 600s. This is if my swamp factor is my read noise squared x 3, which equates to 7.2075