alacant

StarTools

Hi We use Siril only for calibration and stacking. Cheers

Remove the camera to mount cable and connect the mount to the computer using this. It's a lot of extra software to have to manage, so if you're satisfied with your (very good as it is) guiding, stay with the old st4 simplicity and just get your automation app to reset the calibration after each mount slew. Make sure though to have several replacement camera to mount cables on hand;) Or... - Install ASCOM or (IMHO better) INDI. - Install EQASCOM or (IMHO better) indi_eqmod - Make a new PHD2 profile - Rather than specify 'on camera' for the mount, choose 'HEQ5/6' or 'eqmod mount'. PHD2 --> Help --> Contents:

Sorry. i forgot to post the image. This is the detail I found. Cheers

Hi I wish my test images came out as well! If applied, the flat frames don't appear to have worked so not so easy to process but loadsa detail, even for just an hour. Cheers and good luck at camp.

the log confirms this: So you must calibrate after each mount slew; new target and/or meridian flip. Recommendation +1 as @Starflyer: lose the on-camera cable and connect the mount to the computer with an eqdir cable. Much easier. cheers and HTH

Hi Duplicate the card which you know works and update the duplicate. Use the latter to test and report success/failure/logs back to the developers. Remember that it's a community project. The more we help and contribute, the... etc etc... Cheers

Hi. Start again perhaps? 1. Connect to the pi via VNC. 2. Delete the profile you currently have 3. Lose indi web manager. 4. Make a new profile and leave the 'Mode'as 'Local'. 5. Do not select Auto Connect. Instead, connect each device from the indi control panel. This step will help decide which if any of the devices or driver's are faulty. Use VNC until you have it working. All should then be fine. You can experiment with Auto Connect and client-server remote stuff later. Cheers and HTH

If that's all you want to do then the simplest way is one of these: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EuPqCxF Unscrew the eyepiece adapter from the focuser ring to reveal the male thread. Lenses: we use 55, 135, 200 and 300mm. All are ok on a sa. Be warned however that the 'best' ones cost a fortune. HTH

Hi everyone Third time lucky. We never had good enough seeing to get the cluster resolved to any acceptable extent until last night, which was of course coinciding with full moon. it reminds me of the two clusters accompanying both m35 and m38. Wikipedia has this at 1 billion years old, so maybe that's why the stars are orange. Or maybe because we're viewing through the dust of 16000 ly. More thought provoking than pretty; the moonshine was horrendous. Thanks for looking and do post if you've had a go at this. 700d @ ISO800 2 minute frames

You are now very close to witnessing one of the tiny subset (sic) of Quattros which hold collimation!

No. Apply a generous blob of neutral silicone to the cork, degrease the underside of the mirror and place it (don't push it) back in the cell. Leave it on a level surface, that a silicone sample of approximately the same mass, taken at the same time, reverts to its original shape when distorted: ~24h @ 20° ambient. HTH

It's the only way we've found of preventing the mirror sliding in its cell as the tube changes angle. If you're concerned about the mirror falling from the cell, just leave the clips in place.

Here's an idea which works well, seen here with one of our Tair 3s lenses. HTH

It's hard to tell from the photo. Our guess is that they've put the 203mm mirror in an older 208mm cell. Take it off and have a look/measure? It's very easy on the Bresser.. Cheers

Hi 10" Quattro, so 1.6 x 15 x 20mm from here. Specify the size in the comments section at the checkout. +1 for the three passive springs too; six in total. Besides the springs, perhaps the best upgrade on a Quattro is to seal the mirror to the cell using neutral silicone sealant; a generous blob coinciding with the existing contact points. This prevents lateral movement of the mirror whilst still allowing for thermal expansion and contraction. If you have the steel tube, this benefits from a longer Losmandy dovetail plate. Complete the tube stiffening by fitting a rigid box-section aluminium profile to tie the top of the rings If you're aiming for the best possible stars, use an OAG too. Conclusion: a Quattro which holds collimation at all angles. Not just the one at which you collimated. Cheers and HTH

OK, post a shot of the train with the 294. Guessing: the camera is screwed directly to the fw. As the spacing doesn't matter on the 51, you could try e.g. adding a tube on the camera side. Same using a different spacer on the telescope side. Trust the orthogonality of nothing! Cheers

Much better. The bloat introduced when the fw is attached is probably a combination of astigmatism and tilt. Without the fw, it is visible top right. But hey, almost nada and easily corrected in software. fw and attachments: Clean the threads with very fine emery cloth whilst in the proximity of a vacuum cleaner tube. Cheers and HTH

Hi Before suspecting the camera, perhaps better to dismantle, reassemble and have a look at the tilt again at various camera angles. Often, simply screwing stuff back together will cure (or change) the tilt. Cheers

+1 for all the above. Here are the frames. The flat frame is of no use. It is saturated and will not correct the light frames. Aim for around 20000. Redo the flat frames correctly and try again. It should get you closer. This will make it much easier to diagnose. Next, remove the filter and take another flat frame. Otherwise, it's probably local to the session. Cheers and HTH --- --- --- flat: dark: bias: light:

Hi You need around 35mm further from the telescope. Just get a set of extension tubes; https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExGd4cp Specify 'm42' at the checkout. Cheers and HTH

Maybe it would be easier for us to troubleshoot if we had -links to- a light frame and one each of whatever calibration frames you used. Cheers

Agreed. We have visitors bringing all manner of cameras. It's the only way we've found to host client-server reliably. .For free. All night, every night. I doubt whether you'll find a Pi though ATM,. instead we use mini pcs running Ubuntu at the telescopes. These are faster and significantly cheaper than both Pis and Airs. Otherwise, just go with your laptop. Here's an example under it's high-tech vegetable rack dew shield. 5GHz wffi to the router. Then wherever you like. Cheers and HTH

+1 This is our observation too, except we'd substitute 'gone' for 'changed'. Threaded or not, low end focusers on low end telescopes will introduce tilt. Simply re-seating the camera will change the tilt, as will moving the telescope to a different angle. Cure it at one angle, and it's gone for the next. Perhaps don't stress too much over numbers. rather look at the averaged out final images. Just our hands on but HTH anyway. Cheers and clear skies.

Hi Nice data. There is some good detail emerging in the big galaxy Our PI trial expired some while ago but we came to the conclusion that it deals well with data which is perfect or near perfect, but needs hours in front of a computer otherwise. Disclaimer: that is almost certainly down to our lack of both skill and patience! A few pointers: - go through the frames and remove any which have cloud - apply matched flat frames I'll leave it to the PI gurus to advise exactly how to tackle stuff like this. We never found a way. Maybe do the heavy lifting elsewhere and come back to PI for the finishing touches? Dunno. Anyway, 10 minutes in a different app but with no finishing touches gave... Cheers and HTH