Cosmic Geoff

3 minutes ago, FMA said:

thanks, but are you happy pollaris is in the telescope not in the polaroscope?

 

 

You can't get Polaris in the polariscope if you don't have one ... next best thing is to get it in the finder or main scope eyepiece, with the scope in the start position on top of the mount pointing North.  That gives you a rough alignment you can refine later.

7 minutes ago, FMA said:

I tell to go to vega and the scope goes in the direction but is not in the eyepiece and I have to loose the clutches and find it( manual says that should be done with the arrow keys for more accuracy) is that correct?

No no no.. Assuming you are describing the alignment procedure here - It will point in the general direction of Vega, then you have to centre it in the eyepiece using the direction keys, not the clutches, and press Enter to accept the alignment.  Then select the next alignment star and do the same again.

I have recently fitted an EQ-5 with Synscan GoTo.

If you were observing the Moon in the daytime you are unlikely to get accurate tracking, as you need at least a 2-star align for that.

You should start with an accurate mechanical polar align (assuming you are in EQ mode).  Place the scope in the 'home position' atop the mount.  Polaris should appear in the polariscope (if fitted) or in the telescope's finder. If you now switch on and start the alignment, the mount should swing to the general vicinity of the first alignment star you select.  (Selecting alignment stars from the list can be a severe pain, but let's not go there just yet.)

Assuming the multi-star alignment worked, in the latest software you have a facility to go back and fine-tune the mechanical polar alignment, using a readout from the handset.  (Scroll to get Alignment instead of 1,2, or 3).  If you don't bother, it seems the Goto should still work accurately for positioning, except that you get some field rotation.

During lockdown, the most practical method is to find out whether you want metric or UNC/UNF screws (my C8 has two sizes of UNF/UNC, not metric) and then order some on ebay.

I recollect that with the Nexstar handsets it can be tricky to get to the place where you enter the location, after it has already been set. I remember that there is a point in the setup sequence where hitting UNDO one or more times (or is it BACK) gets you to the right place. You can enter the lat/long - which often defeats newbies - or the nearest city. If you can select LONDON the settings will not be quite right for you, but close enough to get the thing working.  Or try getting to the lat/long setting via the MENU button.  Your handbook should have a menu chart at the back. (downloadable if it is missing).

Try going to: Menu/Scope Setup/Setup Time-site

Note that you may have the "Nexstar" handset rather than the "Nexstar+" and the button labels and menus may vary. Bear this in mind when reading any online instructions.

Once you have it sorted, the Nexstar system is easy to use with an alt-az mount and quite accurate, so don't give up.

1 hour ago, michael8554 said:

For visual you don't need anything fancy - plenty of online designs for fixed angle wooden wedges.

For visual use I do not see that a wedge serves any useful purpose.  And it will complicate the alignment process compared with an alt-az GoTo.

The C8 is f10, so any eyepiece that isn't rubbish should perform adequately.  Mine came with a 25mm Celestron Plossl  which I still use. I also use a 15mm Celestron Omni plossl with it.  For shorter focal lengths you would probably want a more complex eyepiece to give better eye relief.  For double stars I mostly use a Starguider 8-25mm zoom, for convenience.  I also have a set of Celestron X-cels, which are okay but don't show a life-changing improvement compared with the Plossls.

Yes, it does look from the photo that the tube is as far forward as it will go.

What are you planning to do with the wedge? The C8 SE is a visual scope outfit, and putting it on a wedge will not transform the mount into a precision deep-sky imaging instrument. Anything else, e.g. planetary imaging, can be attempted with the alt-az GoTo mount. If deep-sky imaging with long exposures is your aim, it would be less frustrating in the long run to put the cost of the wedge toward buying a proper equatorial mount.

The field of view of the CMOS camera will be very small. If you accurately centre the view in an eyepiece it should be easy to pick it up with the camera, but only if the camera is in focus. If the camera is not in focus (which is highly likely) even a bright object will be invisible.  Getting this right is something of an art...  To bring the camera into focus with a Newtonian you may have to move the camera/focuser inwards from the eyepiece focus by a quarter of an inch or more (There is no guarantee that this is even possible)...

I found two finding devices very helpful - a RACI 9x50 finder accurately aligned (for bright objects) and a "flip mirror" for faint objects. Unfortunately the latter won't work with a Newtonian.

As per the above comments, the nosepiece appears to be missing. The chances of obtaining this as a spare part are vanishingly small, so you need to buy two eyepieces to replace the missing or unusable ones.  You also need to buy a counterweight as it is not really safe to operate the mount & scope without it. Weigh the OTA and get a counterweight with approximately the same weight or less, and the hole size to fit over the counterweight bar.

Check astroboot.eu as a possible source of budget spare parts.

11 hours ago, NallyFace said:

Just to be clear, is the suggestion getting a 150 scope and the HEQ5 mount hhttps://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/sky-watcher-heq5-pro-with-rowan-belt-mod-upgrade.html  and then also getting one of the AZ-GTI packages and having both? or mixing the two in some way? I could get either of the AZ-GTI packages or the SW scope and mount, if I can get a mount 2nd hand, but not both. I will have around £800 in total around.

Ideally you need two different outfits to fulfil your requirements. How you square this with a 800 pound budget is up to you.

21 minutes ago, NallyFace said:

Also, the 6” SCT looks great, is that a best of both worlds? I’ve been trying to find out how it works with mounts. Would this have to be used with the HEQ5 or would it fit one of the Az-GTI mounts? Sorry for my lack of knowledge! 🙄

If you check the online catalogues you will see that the Celestron C6 is offered bundled with an unusual variety of mounts, from an AZ-Gti or SLT (potentially rather wobbly ) to a costly AVX or EVolution mount.  The SE bundle is probably the best compromise for visual use. You may find that some of the bundles cost no more than the OTA!

The two outfits you cite are radically different, so you need to decide whether you want a visual scope outfit (5SE or 6SE) or an imaging outfit (150PDS +EQ5).  The latter could also be used for visual, but it is a less portable outfit, and IMHO the Celestron Nexstar software and SE mount is a lot easier to use than the Skywatcher Synscan on a EQ5.

I imaged Jupiter, Saturn and Mars this morning around 3.30am in the interval between 'high enough' and dawn.  Equipment: CPC800, ASI224MC, ADC. Captured with Sharpcap, processed with Registax6. Used best 20% of 5000 frame videos.

It's so long since I did any planetary imaging that I had to re-learn what to do. The Jupiter and Saturn images seem under-exposed.

Just to clarify, there are now SLT and SE versions of the C5 and C6, and Astro-Fi versions.  The SLT versions are are probably under-mounted. The C6 SE has the same mount as the C8 SE.  IIRC, Bundles with the C6 go all the way up to AVX and Evolution mounts, with price tags to match.

If you have a Powerseeker 114 you might benefit from an upgrade. 🙂  A significant increase in aperture would help you see more of fainter deep sky objects and also offer a shade more resolution for planets.

I suggest giving some thought to your upgrade route. Most telescopes can be put on various alternative mounts.  Is the manual equatorial really doing anything useful for you, or could you manage with a manual alt-azimuth mount (including Dobsonian?) Do you want powered tracking in RA, or the option to add it later?  If you want the option to upgrade at some time to powered RA/Dec drives or a full GoTo by buying an upgrade kit, this limits you to choosing a German equatorial. 

I note that you are not thinking of a Goto system at present. £500 would only buy you a basic outfit with little gain in aperture over the 114. You could just buy a GoTo mount, but not one with much potential for scope upgrades.  I find GoTo really useful, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

If it is the C6 OTA that is contemplated, it looks that you can get it with a Astro-fi mount or SLT mount for the same price.  If that's correct, you are getting a free (but wobbly) GoTo mount worth around £250.

No load capacity for the EQ-2 is quoted, but the load capacity for the more substantial EQ3-2 is given as 5Kg.  So you figure it out...  It appears that a telescope weighting 4.54Kg will be at best on the limit for the Eq-2.  The practical result will depend to some degree on whether the telescope is long (traditional refractor) or compact (Maksutov). In any case, for a "good telescope" you might consider a mount upgrade worthwhile.

7 hours ago, AstroInvestigator said:

Why is it that they have a bad reputation? I have seen people online hate them but it just seems to be for the collimation. Are they not strong powered? The tube i have is 1000mm long and i don't believe there is a lens inside the focuser.  I really wonder if there is any way I can modify it to improve it (be able to see deep space objects). As for goto mount I am still searching online for used ones, hopefully come across a nice HEQ5. The book too I saw was selling on amazon for $700, crazy. I did see that you can get it from the author but sadly due to the virus he is waiting till its over to sell more. 

The Bird-Jones has a bad reputation because it is a poor implementation of the basic idea.  If you posted some photos of your scope it would help clear up the matter of what design it is.  There is no way you can modify it to see more deep space objects - it is what it is and to see more of faint fuzzies etc you need more aperture. The darkness or otherwise of your skies also makes a huge difference.

The book is available from forum sponsor FLO for 20 pounds and it seems to be in stock.

Another route you might consider is EEVA - using a small aperture telescope with electronic assistance for near real time views.  I put together an EEVA rig with items I already had - 120mm f5 refractor, SLT mount on wood tripod, ASI224MC camera, and laptop with stacking software, and found its reach on faint objects was greater than that of an 8" SCT used visually. 

Reconnect the original handset and see if this setup works or not.  This should take only a minute.  If you conclude the Starsense is faulty, contact the seller.

There are many possible solutions. For an AC source, make sure it is regulated, has sufficient amperage and (preferably) is rated for outside use and temperature extremes.  However I use a battery even in the backyard rather than have the faff and hazard of a trailing AC mains able.

For DC, the astronomy power tanks are popular, also auto engine starters, and sealed lead acid batteries with the appropriate cabling attached. If you are just running the mount, one charge will last for many nights.  I have a LiFePo power pack - expensive but long lasting, and it doubled as a worklight for working under my car.

Yes, codes 16 and 17 basically mean something is not working for whatever reason.  I had it from my SLT mount at least once. Refreshing corrupted firmware cured the problem in this case.

I have cautioned people on more than one occasion that one should not update firmware just because one can, or in hopes that it will cure some unrelated issue.  Updating the firmware is a lot of work, and it can go wrong, as here. 

Only update firmware if you need to address a problem detailed in the 'small print' that always accompanies a firmware issue, detailing what bugs and issues  it is meant to fix.  Or if the firmware appears to have become corrupted.

You also had issues with your older controller? May be worth checking that there is not a bad connection between the controller cable and the mount. I had that happen with my C8 SE.

I could be wrong, but I think that your telescope may be a Bird-Jones design, and these do not have a good reputation. Is the tube anything like 1000mm long? Is there a lens inside the focuser? (other than the eyepiece) If you have doubts about its performance, a telescope upgrade may be indicated.

If you intend to eventually do deep sky astrophotography you really need a mount like the HEQ5 for best results, and if you buy any other Goto mount in the meantime, you could end up buying twice.  The book "Making Every Photon Count" is the standard reference.

Nothing wrong with using a DSLR and laptop.

Does your ETX90 have GPS? A Google search may shed light on your problem.

Which firmware do you want to update? Despite its age, the mount firmware is unlikely to need updating for any reason. That leaves the Starsense firmware (since you have dispensed with the original Nexstar handset.)  If this is not up to date, it is probably a good idea to update it, as there have been issues with the Starsense.  People tend to assume that they 'have' to update firmware, or that updating it will cure some unrelated problem, but I always advise people not to fool with firmware unless the update is going to address some specific issue detailed in the version notes for the upgrade.  Updating can be a lot of work, and things can go wrong...

Instructions for the update should be available from Celestron or nexstarside.com.  I don't know if it works from a Mac as I have only used Windows 7 for firmware upgades.

You will need cabling with a serial to USB converter to connect the Mac to the Starsense handset, and software driver for the serial-to-USB device.

Do not try updating the Starsense camera firmware or plugging anything directly into the camera,  otherwise you may end up bricking it. I have not heard anything about the camera needing an update, and if it does, this may happen via the handset.

Is the 6SE/Starsense combination working properly? If it is, consider leaving well alone.

You might get more replies if you gave more information.  What do you intend to use the setup for? What kind of telescope is included in the 127 eq outfit?

Why are you interested in the Explore Scientific mount (which is probably quite good) rather than  one of the popular GoTo mounts offered by Skywatcher, etc?  If the mount is intended for astrophotography, you would get better results with a heavy duty mount like a HEQ5 and probably a different telescope. It depends how serious your ambitions are and how much you want to spend.