Cosmic Geoff

How I find planets to image them: 1) 2-star Celestron Nexstar auto align. 2) GoTo planet. 3) Check with an eyepiece that it is perfectly centred. Align the main scope and finder. 4) Fit camera and set it to full pixels 5) The planet should be on the sensor. If it isn't, put an eyepiece back in (a higher powered one) and try again. If the planet drifts off the cropped ROI for any reason, switching back to full pixels and/or using the finder should re-locate it. The only serious trouble I had recently was in trying to locate Neptune for imaging. In the end I had to use a high-power eyepiece to check each faint thing in the low-power eyepiece field.

I had a 'clone' EQ2 sold by Lidl as part of a refractor package. It is actually shown in my signature picture. I don't think it looked exactly like the original poster's photo above. I vaguely remember having to make some sort of bracket to hold the battery-powered drive in position. Without more detail of the OP's mount and drive I cannot assist further.

I have found some dispersion correction needed at higher altitudes than I expected. It is also possible to correct for dispersion in processing software, e.g. Registax, but this is best reserved for fine tweaking if you see residual dispersion, not a substitute for a glass ADC. Also note that if you shoot in IR you should not need an ADC (except maybe in extreme cases).

I used to have an EQ-2 and fitted the cheap battery-powered RA drive to it. If the OP posts some more photos of the mount and drive I might be able to advise further.

Yes, the Starsense can be tricky... If you have the original Nexstar handset, try using that instead to verify the problems are with the Starsense and not your choice of settings (location, date format, time zone (the time zone should be Greenwich/UK/zero) daylight saving currently Yes.) With the Starsense you need to pick a home (start) position (I use: telescope pointing due South and horizontal) and use that each night. The date format is mmddyy.. You need to enter a geographical location at some point (read the manual). Other details are as per the manual. I should point out that there is an error in some of the user manuals in the paragraphs describing how to do the initial alignment with a star. (Calibrate Center). After paragraph 2, an instruction to press Align is missing. In poor conditions, the Starsense can appear to work, but get a completely wrong-headed result which becomes obvious when you try to use it. You can also skip the plate-solving altogether by using the option to align on a visible planet, like a regular Nexstar GoTo. Most useful when looking at the planet is all you wanted to do.

Very nice image. I have had the 'ring' on my Mars images, bud do not know the cause.

In the evening of the 6th I compared the star image quality of the CPC800 against my C8 SE, using the same diagonals and eyepieces. C8 SE clearly gave a less untidy image. Had a go at tweaking the collimation of the CPC800, which seemed to improve the star image. Imaged Saturn and a small object - results below.

Tried out my newly arrived ASI462MC + IR-cut filter, in my CPC800 + ADC for some planetary imaging. (no Barlow used) First off, I will say that if you bought one of these without buying a IR-cut filter to go with it, you need to get one as, without the IR-cut, the colours (e.g. through the fisheye lens) look crazy as the IR response is so strong. Images captured with Sharpcap 4, mostly as 5000-frame video, and processed in Registax. Some images were taken with an IR-pass filter. The difference in exposure time between IR-pass and IR-cut filters is notably less than with a ASI224MC. The planetary images look bigger than with an ASI224MC because the ASI462MC pixels are smaller (!). The seeing did not seem good and the sky was hazy. I could barely see Neptune in the 50mm finder and earlier in the evening struggled to get good focus when deep sky imaging with a wider field instrument. Overall the results are a little disappointing except that the Mars IR image has come out well and Uranus looks like, well, Uranus. The Neptune shot, processed from a short stream of video with 50ms exposures, has not worked at all and I am wondering why.

Maybe. I had the irritating experience of buying a mid-priced Omni barlow and finding its performance was totally identical to my stock Sky-watcher one.

A Barlow lens to increase the effective focal length - planets are small. The barlow may also help to get the camera in focus - something which is by no means guaranteed with an unmodified visual Newtonian. Also consider buying an atmosphere dispersion corrector (ADC). You will also need at minimum a RA motor drive, and software to capture and process 'lucky image' videos to get a sharpened image. e.g. Sharpcap 4 + Registax 6. Any eyepiece should be an improvement on the Super 10.

Looks like my cheap Starguider zoom, haha. The OP should get one or two Plossl eyepieces, starting with a 25mm. Not expensive, and good enough for a long focal length beginner refractor.

You might get more responses if you describe the results, rather than posting videos, which people have to load and watch. I can tell you that the red light on my EQ-5 Synscan does not flash. The motors do make a noise when running at speed. We can see the display on your handset, so it looks like the handset is not faulty. The displayed voltage of 11.5 volts looks rather low. Not low enough to stop the mount working IMHO, but not good. +12.0v to +13.5v would be better. If both motors behave the same, that leaves the control box, as you already suspect. I cannot see any burnt components in the photos. Are there any burnt components? Depending on what facilities you have locally, you could try having the board diagnosed and repaired by an electronics technician. Just remember that if we can read this, so can the Russian authorities. Take care!

I wasn't aware that you can just use a region of interest rather than the whole chip with the ZWO camera, I will have to look into that, the instructions that came with it (actually only available online) were pretty rubbish. If you are using Sharpcap 4, the ROI settings are in a menu to the right of the screen. I use 320x240 on Jupiter, but with smaller pixels you may go for 480x480 or whatever your camera offers. You may find that your C9.25 CPC is the best scope for planetary imaging. (You do not need an equatorial mount). Your 14" may not offer any practical advantage in British seeing conditions even if you get a cable to reach. Best focal ratio is said to be around f20 (including Barlow or Powermate) but in typical seeing f10 is enough. Did you use an IR-cut filter with the ASI462MC, to get a correct colour balance? It has a massive IR response, and I encourage you to get an IR-pass filter in addition and try that as well, shooting an IR image. (With an ASI224MC this works well on Saturn and Mars).

Yes, the image is small, but what exactly did you do? Which of the telescopes in your signature did you use? Did you take a one-shot, or a video for 'lucky image' processing? Did you use the whole chip, or confine the region of interest? There is no point in using bandwidth to record a lot of black sky.

The Edge version is sold as being more suitable for imaging (read the sales blurbs). According to some, the Edge also gives a sharper image when used visually, and there are unverified suggestions that this is because the Edge models are individually re-worked and the basic SCT is not. Also bear in mind that the focal reducer for the EDGE is eye-wateringly expensive (look it up!) I have used my CPC800 with the Celestron f6.3 focal reducer for imaging planetary nebulae and it worked pretty well. f10 was just too much for most deep-space images. For solar system planets, the field is small and you are limited by the seeing, so the EDGE will offer no advantage IMHO.

Rotate the allsky lens to screw it in or out. I found its main use was for testing the colour balance indoors without a scope. Some of these cameras require a UV/IR cut filter.

If you do not already own a CPC800, it might make more sense to buy a C8 OTA (cheaper) and do everything with it mounted on the HEQ5

It is ASI's own rather basic capture program. It should be downloadable from their website. As StevieDVD says, it should help you tell if you have a genuine ASI camera or some sort of clone. If these cameras cost loadsamoney, I would not be amazed if fakes exist.

What's the main problem? It might need collimating, like the C8 I bought used - and fixed.

Did you get the camera new or used? I understand this is an older model of camera. Looks like a driver problem to me. I suggest you download the latest driver from the ZWO website. I got this sort of message with a Celestron camera (which however worked) but not with my ZWO cameras, only one of which seems to have come with a disc.

Guiding is not appropriate for a CPC800,( no point in trying to guide an alt-azimuth mount) but the C8 OTA has an assortment of fixing points where an accessory bar or sundry finder mounts can be attached. The CPC800 is an ideal outfit for planetary imaging as-is.

You could de-fork the OTA and attach it to the HEQ5 via a suitable dovetail bar, but it would probably make more economic sense to sell the CPC800 (worth about £1000) and buy a used C8 OTA. OR you could see what the CPC800 can do as is. I have one and use it for imaging planetary nebulae. No need for an equatorial mount there.

Don't under-estimate the effect of high winds, even close to the house. If the observatory is not securely held down to a foundation, high winds will tip it over. Just resting it on patio slabs won't do. I have had to weigh down a plastic greenhouse and secure it to the house by a wire, to avoud a repeat of an unfortunate incident, and that greenhouse was shielded by nearby walls on three sides. I assume that if your wife won't allow a pier she is unlikely to agree to taking up the patio slabs. Maybe you could lay concrete slabs for flooring & hold-down on top of the sandstone so that the whole thing is completely reversible? BTW I drilled a 3' x 2' commercial concrete paving slab to mount a satellite dish and found the material was extremely difficult to drill.

You should slide the OTA as far forward in the clamp as it will go anyway. I am a sceptic as regards using the f6.3 focal reducer and 2" eyepieces with the C8 SE in a visual role. You will note that I have one... The focal reducer is really intended for imaging, in which role it excels. If you want to buy a 2" visual back, 2" diagonal and use your 2" eyepieces to get a wider field of view that's up to you. But you already own wider field instruments, so why bother? I very rarely use my telescopes in a visual wide field role.

I suggest looking at what has been used elsewhere. Tripods work. Steel tube piers work. Tri-piers (free standing tube with support feet) also work.