spikkyboy

I have had my cpc925 for a couple of years now and finding it's a great scope but not the one for imaging. I am interested in planetary and deep space images and am hoping to choose my next purchase more carefully with some research and advice. So far I have had SW80ED suggested with the HEQ5 mount. What about the 120 and 150? A bit dearer but any advantages? Budget is up to 2k. Go!

Hi all, I have struggled with a CPC for a year or two. some great observations but not cutting the mustard for imaging a F10. So, I am contemplating changing my kit. I am interested in planetary and deep space objects so after a good all round set up. So far I am pointed to SW80ED and the HEQ5 pro. Any thoughts from you way more experienced imagers? What about the SW 120 or 150ED? Whole set up to come in under 2k.

Sometimes yes sometimes no. Not reliable. Hoping for minor success with alignment then keep on track with the guide scope and camera. To be honest my old slt127 was way more reliable. I've had the scope serviced and collimated and was told all was ok

I have tried a star sense with auto align but have trees and restrictions so it never works. Manual align and pick my own stars has worked and it does goto ok.my problem is that the subject does not stay in view for long enough and I have to nudge the scope along so why I am swapping eye piece for camera it's gone. I start horizontal with the index Mark's on the top and have checked with a spirit level to check its correct. Gps has connected and date and time are now correct after the date issues with gps. I bought the cpc for its ease of use and its proven anything but. A lot of the alignments fail. After it says it worked but then select a planet and it slews off somewhere else. The backlash is horrendous and if you dont end with up and right it has no chance. Having noticed the auto guide port on the scope I thought oh I will buy an auto guider and solve my problems. Side note the scope is on a 5 foot brick pier in my observatory conversion summer house. Pier is dead square and level and very solid with hollow core filled with concrete. I fixed four big anchor bolts into 12 inches of fibreglass resin and bolted a 10mm steel plate to them again dead level and then the three scope mounting bolts to the steel plate. Surely any errors should be correct by the scopes alignment routine? Spending most of my time fighting for correct alignments and not really doing any observing and even less AP. Bit frustrating. New scope may be on horizon and I will sell this one back on it's own mount. Any suggestions for replacement scope? Thanks

What about the mount not showing up in the phd2 drop down list? Is it not an axiom mount?

I'm not trying for long exposures just decent centering on the short ones.

Hi all, So I bought a guide scope and the ZWO mini camera. As usual rain so not had a chance to look at the set up until today. Guide scope attached to main scope (CPC925) and camera to guide scope. USB from camera to laptop and ST4 from camera to The CPC. I am reading that it may be better to not use that connection and go from PC port on CPC to USB. Anyway have tried both and find that when I run the set up equipment wizard the ZWO mini is in the drop down list but when i go to the next step all the you tube videos have the mount being used listed here but mine is not shown. The Astro Addict you tube video said use on camera. So I have no choice but to select this and continue. I then get a message to say that the mount connection I have chosen will not be compatible with guiding so a bit confused. My CPC was second hand. Would there have been a CD or DVD with it with software on? Maybe I am missing some scope control software on the laptop as when I plug PC port to USB on laptop nothing happens? Any ideas here greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance as usual.

I bought the Celestron Neximage Burst for now but am looking at the ZWO offerings.

One more has just popped up. If I am using my laptop to run the guide camera, will i need a second one for the imaging camera? seems there could be a lot of processor action from both.

Do I need to align the guide scope with the main scope the same as my red dot pointer?

Hi all, I have just bought my first guiding set up with Skywatcher scope and ZWO package from FLO. Not had a chance to try yet due to rain. bBut having a read and a fiddle and questions arise. Maybe one of you seasoned imagers and please answer. Should I fit a moon or IR filter to the camera to make guiding more accurate? What happens of after I get a lock on a massive cloud comes by? Do I have to reselect guide star and get a new lock? Have downloaded the PHD software and it seems straight forward enough and a few good Youtube videos on this. Cant wait to get going and try it out. Thanks in advance for any tips and suggestions.

I ordered the dome in light grey. This proved to be a mistake as it really did look like a suspect missile dome. I painted it with green Hammerite before applying the camp net obtained on good old Amazon. At least during summer it blends in with the trees. Will go for a proper fibreglass observatory when funds allow but its ok for now and the wife is very pleased that all of my gear is housed and out of the house. Just too delivery of the Skywatcher guide scope and ZWO camera (FLO of course) so hopefully there will some imaging as soon as this rain does one.

It floats off centre after about three seconds, by 10 it's gone and I'm looking for it again. Frustrating as my old slt127 would lock on, go make tea come back and still in view. Seriously thinking about swapping this scope. The observing is great but it's not really for AP is it.

Hi all I have a CPC925. I am trying to do some basic imaging but after the gps is locked and scope aligned I normally add calibration to make sure an object is centred. 50mm wide ep then 25 then 12mm. So I think I have good alignment but the planet slowly slips away up and right resulting in constant little manual adjustments. I am using ALTAZ and no Eq wedge. 1. Can i still use a guide scope and camera to track? 2. Will it keep my planet centred without the wedge. This is for short video captures nothing fancy. 3. What kit do you recommend for the guide scope and camera and what software to run. Shame as the CPC has a redundant guide port. Thanks in advance.

Did similar to our unused summer house. Bit more permanent. Fibreglass dome from fibre sports basildon sizes and colours to order. Was about 380. The brick pier is about 5 feet tall and was hollow. I filled with strong concrete about a foot from the top. I then sank u shaped 10mm anchor bolts down suspended on a bit of wood and poured 2 gallons of fibreglass resin and left to set. This then gave a platform to fix a 10mm thick steel plate to and be able to level with the lock nuts and pre drilled holes to fit the scope finally attach to that. Very solid.

Sorry. Scope is a cpc925 I have found a lot of posts with advice about gps dates etc. My time zone was set wrongly. Will test as soon as weather allows.

Hi all I posted a similar topic a while back solved my problems but now have new ones. I am using manual align because of trees and buildings After four areas I get align success message tonight I have Jupiter and Saturn to my south so as a quick check I press solar system Jupiter scope whizzed off 180 degrees from where it should be I power off and reset manual align again Success solar system offering me moon Mars and venus none of which are visible to me Seems like the scope thinks it is somewhere else? Are there any settings that I could have wrong to cause this? Maybe after it thinks its found jupiter I manually slow to the real one and tell it to realign? Finding it very frustrating and an spending all of my observing time fading with alignment problems Any tips would be greatly appreciated .