adyj1

That's something I never really thought about - if I connect to my upgraded GTi with my phone, it prompts for AZ or EQ mode. If I connect with a handset instead, it does the same... But when I connect with an EQMOD cable it seems to automatically be in EQ mode without me selecting it.

I'm interested to see if anyone has run a GTi with the upgraded firmware in AZ mode with the EQMOD cable...  

This does look like an ideal post for the Suppliers Review forum, but it looks like you will need 50 posts before you can post there.

Ady

Just to add, the ZWO camera with an 11mm F-f T2 adapter which screws onto the camera T2 male thread, a 21mmm M-F T2 extender, and a 16.5mm M-F T2-M48 extender. There is a 6.5mm gap between the sensor and the front edge of the camera. 

I have the ASI533MC-Pro, and there is everything in the box to provide 55mm back-focus to an m48 male fitting (which is what my skywatcher coma Corrector has ✅)

However my Altair Astro Lightwave flattener has a T2 male thread 😔 (with the same 55mm backfocus requirement) which meant that I had to find some way of replacing  the 16.5mm T2-m48 adapter with something that did T2-T2. 

I had no joy finding 16.5, or even 16mm (I could have made up 0.5mm with ZWO-supplied spacer rings). I could have bought two packs of extension rings to provide 2 x 8mm T2 extensions but that was getting costly/wasteful. 

I ended up buying a Baader Varilock 46 to replace both the 16.5mm and 21mm ZWO extension tubes, with the advantage that it lets me fine-tune the spacing if needed. This only arrived yesterday so there hasn't been the chance to try it in anger, but I have successfully done a dry fit. 

HTH

Ady

Would any regulars be able to give a run-down on nearby amenities? Local Pub/Shop/Restaurants?

(If we're there for three nights, that's one night to realize I shouldn't cook again, the next night to work out that neither should @mikeyj1, so we'll need something for night three 🤣)

25 minutes ago, Chrissh said:

Have just had a reply back from ZWO and the answer it seems is a ugreen usb hub. They are about 12 pounds on amazon and mine is coming today so the proof will be in the pudding as they say. Thanks for the help

 

Chris

I think they really want you to buy one of their dedicated cameras which has a built-in usb2 hub for the focuser and filter wheel 😈 , but it's good of them to suggest a cheap solution to your problem. 👍 

Thanks Mark - we're now on the same row as you 👍 

37 minutes ago, mdstuart said:

Pitch 10 in the oaks booked for Friday and Saturday night.

Mark

@mdstuartI I can see the site map - are there some pitches with better sky views than others? (insider info greatly appreciated 😉 ) 

Thanks 

Grass pitch for 2 booked. @mikeyj1 nudged.

Fingers for clear skies crossed 😉. 

My 2p.... Started visual, learned the ropes on budget gear but realised that age-related eyesight issues meant that I was always going to be the weak link (and limiting factor) in my visual astronomy journey... 

However I'm a geek. I work with computers all day and would happily do the same all night. The first time I put a smartphone to my 25mm bog-standard skywatcher ep on an old 90mm refractor and took a blurry picture of the Orion nebula I was hooked. I get a thrill out of AP and an equal thrill out of computers, wires and associated tech gubbins. 

I still dabble in the visual arts - the binos get regular casual use, and I have a 152mm Mak-Cass that I really must get sorted for planetary - but AP does it for me.

4 hours ago, bendiddley said:

How long does it take to 3D print something, excluding designing it, the actual print time. For example a simple end cap like the one in the first photo?

This is an unusually simple thing to print - it doesn't have to get that much bigger or more complex to start taking 1-2hrs+, and things that you want to be strong take even longer. A pair of tube rings for a cooled CCD camera took 14hrs... 

15 hours ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

I don't have 3d printers thousands of pounds or high tech machinery or the technical skill to create something to fix the problem. 

I appreciate this may have just been a turn of phrase caused by your understandable frustration, but is there a 3d-printed solution for this, or are you thinking that someone fettling away at the problem might come up with one?

Ady

Out of interest, what should it look like? 

Alan, thanks for the great explanation. 

5 hours ago, symmetal said:

The Canon 700 being an APS-C size sensor will need the extension spacing to be more exact. The Canon T2 adapters can vary slightly in their length by 0.5mm or so depending on the manufacturer, so the extension may need to vary slightly from 8mm to get optimum results. 🙂

Alan

Alan, 

Useful info. What should you look out for to be able to tell that the spacing is slightly off? 

Ady

6 hours ago, Nojus said:

Now trying to reset head wifi to factory settings by connecting to power for 4 h,lets hope it will works

The one complication is that if any device tries to connect to its WiFi during that 4 hrs (perhaps because the SSID has been tried before), then it will halt the reset.

I used to take mine to the far end of the garage away from the house when I did mine 😉 

It appears I should have been spending the money on spanners 😂 

4 minutes ago, StuartT said:

BTW, does anyone know why EQMOD/EQUASCOM apps can't be closed by clicking the normal X in the top right corner? I always have to open the Windows task manager and 'End Task' (which always feels bad)

Thanks

It stays open until all apps linked to it (in my case APT and CdC) are closed. There should be a 'kill eqascom' shortcut in the start menu folder for eqascom that you can use instead of task manager... 

On 09/06/2021 at 01:35, adyj1 said:

Thanks

I assume it is the 8' x 6' ? ARGOS: Arrow Tall Metal Green Garden Shed - 8 x 6ft

Did you get the have to fabricate the 'flap' the over the apex, or is that part of the shed? 

More details about the runners would also be appreciated ☺

Looks a cracking result! 

Actually, I think the one I found in my post is bigger than the one that @Turbocoo has.

This 6' x 4' looks a slightly smaller one: ARGOS: Yardmaster Metal Garden Shed - 6 x 4ft

Ady

4 hours ago, Turbocoo said:

Hi

Purchased locally direct from the manufacturer, Yardmaster. Their factory is 30 miles from me. 

They supply argos etc. 

Best 

Thanks

I assume it is the 8' x 6' ? ARGOS: Arrow Tall Metal Green Garden Shed - 8 x 6ft

Did you get the have to fabricate the 'flap' the over the apex, or is that part of the shed? 

More details about the runners would also be appreciated ☺

Looks a cracking result! 

Looks good. Where did you get the shed from? 

47 minutes ago, StuartT said:

thanks. Good tip! Probably forms a rather nicer cylinder than my cardboard too. I'll give that a try

I wouldn't say it forms iit that much better, as it is still like corrugated cardboard... It is durable, though. 

I got some of this from wickes;

Proplex black protection sheet

It's a 2mm thick matt black sheet, like cardboard but made out of plastic (one side has no printing) . Bit more robust than cardboard and a big sheet... 

Cheap and cheerful ☺ 

On 04/06/2021 at 21:37, wookie1965 said:

I would love one of these making for my missing one. 

Pm sent

Yup, this fits my Eq6 and eq5 perfectly - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:681408