adyj1

Getting back to the flat panel, does anyone have a simple workflow for working out the best flats exposure time? (given that the software is automatically able to work what length exposure gives you the optimal ADU...)

Same thing happened to me. I know you can't expect it every time, but the fact it happens at all is pretty good.

I agree with @scotty38, but it seems you can change *anything* in the sequence while it is running should you so wish - change the length of exposure when you realise after 10 exposures that you need longer with a HA filter, or add in the dithering you forgot at the start, or go back a bit later and change the number of exposures between dithering, or pretty much anything! I also like when you cancel an exposure before it has finished it doesn't bother saving that exposure.

If you don't have a focuser that has a zero end stop (and therefore can always set a known position at the start of a session) - or a focusing workflow that will reliably remember it's position between sessions, then this is definitely a good idea. 👍 Or a sharpie mark on the focusing tube if that is possible...

Excellent! Hopefully you didn't have tracking turned on! I'm sure this isn't the only way, and there may be easier ones, but here is a simple description of the process I used; - In APT go to the 'gear' tab. - select a star from the 'objects' browser to put the the RA and DEC co-ordinates into the 'Goto RA' and 'Goto DEC' fields and hit 'goto'. - When it stops slewing, turn on live view and make adjustments with the N/S/E/W buttons until the star is centered (you can turn on the crosshairs in live view). - When it is centred, make sure the 'Goto RA' and 'Goto DEC' values are still the ones you entered for that star, and press 'sync'. The actual RA and DEC values on the gear tab should change to the new values, as should the RA and DEC values in the EQMOD screen. Et voila - aligned. When slewing to another target, if the slew is slightly off, just repeat the process. In theory, after a few slews they should get more accurate, but that isn't that important as you'll no doubt want to make slight adjustments. Ady

if platesolve is working but the following goto isn't obliging then you may have an issue with the 'sync' commands not being registered - something I've seen in EQASCOM and had to clear the pointing model - however I have no idea whether this is of any relevance with an ASIAIR...

I started with Astrophotography Tool (APT) which I found easier to get my head round than the other packages. I have since moved on to NINA with all its bells and whistles, but still think APT was a good start. I was able to start with a simple setup and add things like plate-solving and guiding as I got round to it. What I did like about APT was that it would dither without guiding, and so I could save time by not taking darks. Plate solving really helps me get a session up and running quickly after setting up my kit. The good thing about plate-solving is that it isn't a binary choice. You can continue your manual methods (taking advantage of the better visibility of your exposures on your laptop), and then use plate-solving if/when you get it working. If it stops working, you can revert to your manual methods. You've got quite a few things to buy before you can get everything up and running, so it will be dependent on budget. Getting the camera talking to your laptop is probably your first job and getting the right cable to connect your laptop to your mount.

For me, the money saved went on the excellent ADM dual saddle, and also an adapter to allow the Az-gti to go on my Eq6 tripod 👍

I would echo what Stu says - I have the SW wedge on my GTi, and am happy with it - and comes with a short dovetail, so is good to go. I looked into a 3d-printed polar scope mount, but realised that with the advances in computer-controlled 3-point polar alignment (in my case with NINA - but others have it), it became redundant - much easier with the laptop telling me to move up-down-left-right (Bernie, the bolt!), than me crouching and squinting The WO definitely looks better engineered, and is always held in high regard - but then again it should do for more than three times the price 😮

Len, Do you know if there are any design files out there for this yet? Ady

Would a 3d-printed adapter plate to convert the PG5 into standard nema17 mount help? https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2161044

For 32-bit there's also Affinity photo, which is not a lot of money and has some useful tutorials on the 'tube....

Which platesolving software are you using? (I assume you've set the correct focal length in APT?)

I can see why you don't use platesolves, olly - you are well out my league. Down here with the beginner astrophotographers platesolve can be a lifesaver... 😛

Not familiar with Argo Navis but it must be heaps better than my eq5 😉 . I always had to do small tweaks after the goto, needing me to take exposures and adjust, which all took time. With platesolving it is much quicker than me and also more accurate 😁 I can understand that the better the kit the less the computer correction would be needed.

I hear what you're saying about software problems, @ollypenrice but surely there's a lot of time-saving that comes from a working platesolves solution... Mind you, I do also recognise the need to listen to experience 👍. What is your workflow for framing a faint DSO without plate-solving?

You would only do multi-star alignment if you can't do plate-solving. This would normally be because; a) you don't have a computer controlling your astrophotography session, or b) you're doing visual. Hth Ady

I don't think it is either APT or Stellarium/CDC that is recording where the mount is pointing - they are reading where it is pointing from the eqmod driver (if you are using that software - its the mount control software that records the position) You use (say) APT to do a 'sync' that tells the driver where the mount is pointed and any software that is connected - maybe CDC - will automatically update when it reads it from the eqmod driver. You can also sync the other way from planetarium software to mount. If you really wanted to you could manually enter co-ordinates and press 'sync' and that would update it (and any other software you had connected to it via ASCOM). If you've got platesolve working in APT you really should be using Goto++, which works like this; - start from a position where the mount has some idea of where it is pointing (at the beginning of the session this is usually the parked position, but could easily be after imaging a different platesolved target) - enter the target co-ordinates in APT (either from the APT object list, or sending the co-ords from the planetarium software) - select Goto++ and tell APT to slew. APT will then think the mount is pointing directly at the target, but it won't because you haven't aligned yet 😉 the Goto++ will; - slew to where it thinks the target is (especially on the first slew this is likely to be way out, but doesn't matter) - take a picure and platesolve it - sync the mount to the platesolved co-ordinate - (likely be slightly different to where it thought it was pointing) - repeat The three steps are repeated if needed (to a max of 5 goes normally) with each slew getting closer and closer to the target (and hopefully bang on). This process is particularly useful for multi-session imaging. HTH Ady NB - this is from memory as I've now switched to NINA, so apologies if the buttons/functions have slightly different names

I used to do the 3-point star alignment, but once I got platesolving working in APT I just used goto++ and the mount zeros in accurately on a per-target basis (the equivalent is 'slew and sync' in NINA). I found ASTAP head and shoulders above the rest in terms of platesolving software. If you follow an old tutorial, you may find platesolve2 is used - choose ASTAP every time 😉

I'd be interested. I haven't seen it anywhere in the forums, and I've got an issue with one of my motors that could be the PG...

Just been trying to screenshot that flashy thing on my phone @Stuart1971

Ekos is autonomous - by plate-solving it is doing its own alignment and doesn't 'need' any other app. The ability of Ekos to 'solve and slew' means that it doesn't need the first slew to be precise (which is what something like a two-or three-star alignment is trying to provide) - it syncs after the first platesolves and is then aligned for that target.

Just to go back a couple of posts, rest assured that we're trying to help, @dazzystar - if there was a 'messy' way to achieve what you wanted then we'd have mentioned it... (And if there were, it would probably have involved jumping through flaming hoops that would make the suggestions we have already put forward look like a primary school project!) No. There really isn't a workaround that we haven't thought of - we've been through this loop before, standing on the shoulders of the giants that have created the great focuser projects we've mentioned thus far... If you want to build a working ASCOM focuser, look back through the suggestions and work out your preferred option - by all means ask more questions, but listen to the advice offered. If you were considering the Bullseye build, the simple myfocuser link @fozzybear posted actually looks easier (and you don't really need anything more complicated than that). A few different components to buy, but still way cheaper than a retail autofocuser... Your call.

Yeah, sorry I rambled 😉

That simple myfpro link you provided was top drawer - wish I'd seen it before I went full-blown esp32 +bells +whistles 😉