cotak

Any guiding results? 

Just to see vs the iOptron encoders. Would you be able to grab a unguided log for the worm period with fast frame rate like 1 second exposures using subframe mode? Just to see what the true native PE is and if there's any issue with the encoder implementation.

Your setup looks quite massive. Must be a lot of work settings up and taking down!

Finally.

https://www.astrobin.com/ci0vg7/G/

2 more frames left.

7 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Looks like the pelican to me

Working my way over.

One frame at a time... frame two. Of course after last night clear, tonight forecast clear but turns out overcast. 

https://astrob.in/ci0vg7/D/

The single sub is still noiser. 

10 minutes ago, jif001 said:

Nice image 👍🏻 Minor point though - it’s not NGC7000 it’s IC5070. Happens to be my profile pic too!

Yeah I know, it will have the whole lot when it's done. When you have something so big what do you call it is sometimes unclear to me anyhow. Can't call it Bob LOL.

Yep I'll try for 6 and see if I get enough nights to do it. 10 inch scope is not something I like to put on and take off every few nights so mosaics allows me to keep it on. And it is fun to get a larger picture.

https://astrob.in/full/ci0vg7/0/

First of 6 frames. Hopefully whole image will turn out quite well.

Don't have a Ha filter this is an OSC image. Thinking about getting the tri-band type filter maybe, or a mono setup.

Saturating was the way to get the faint details to separate from the background. I already masked the stars but it still seems to have an impact.

More data might help in that regards.

I am debating if I should go out tonight with the nearly full moon or if it would be a bust trying to get more data on something faint with the moon blazing. Thoughts?

https://www.astrobin.com/wghzkc/D/?nc=user

Had some trouble before with the faint bit, but some more effort and sub seems to bring a bit of it out. Maybe add more hours?

1 hour ago, Datalord said:

I have to add myself the Crux 200HD mount is looking extremely interesting to me. At £8k it is very top end for me, but what I have read of reviews, it is impressive.

The rainbow one however, especially the smallest one seem to have quite bad PE. So I'd becareful and hopefully buy with a good return policy.

Not going to suggest you get an iOptron because support in the end for me wasn't so great but maybe different in Europe.

However, I am running right about 22 kg at 1000mm and 0.7" scale on a cem60ec. It seems to work fine and my images are dominated by my collimation or optics issues. 

I don't know if you need encoders for an RASA thought. It's not going to be a small image scale system is it?

The one example of the RH was not impressive. Maybe needs more adjustment but at the asking price you have other options.

Encoders are not needed for even long lengths if PEC works or native PE is low. It's a nice idea if it works.

https://www.astrobin.com/full/npgu60/C/?nc=user

Always fun when there's a nova.

There is now a Gemini GTD mount on sale for first 10 copies? And it's cheap too but you'll have to roll your own controller..

You got some input from the net?

There is only one example seen online for the RH. And lots of problems with the cem120EC.

Sorry it's not likely an easy question to answer. Given known quantity vs unknown I'd say maybe a non encoder cem120 is the best bet. The big standard eq8 to me just lacks the features like not having to adjust the worm to be that interesting.

1 hour ago, oymd said:

Hi John

Does it say if it will use those spring loaded knobs t control the RA and DEC, similar to the CEM25 & CRM60, or will it use simple clutches like the CEM40 and CEM120?

I can’t be sure from the product images?

Likely it's a smaller cem120. So cem120 style.

This is like a cem60 refresh. Not exactly ground shaking but I suppose it was necessary at some point. 

Update and a public thank you to Starlight.

So I ended up getting a 2" feather touch focuser. I needed the adapter for the GSO truss newt which initially Wayne from Starlight provided a part number for, but it turns out to be the wrong part and doesn't mate to the scope base plate. Wayne took back the adapter and made me a custom one and made it right in a way that really shows they do care about the out come for their customer (note you do have to be patient as it takes a while for these things).

Now I can report that the feather touch crayford is indeed a step up from the 2.5" large format moonlite. The feather touch and no flex within reasonable hand pressure even with the force application being made 8 inches away from the focuser body.

I guess for this person at least going forward I'll be sticking to the feather touch focusers. Design wise it is definitely better than the way a moonlite is put together. In my own opinion the moonlite looks better but is only slightly better mechanically than most included focusers on mass market OTAs. 

Now I have to fix the secondary flop after I removed it from the stalk to remove the massive foam tape used at the factory which I think was causing astigmatism, the 3 blobs of silicone should be better but now the 88mm mirror moves with changing angle of the scope.

Yep. The litmus test awaits.

Good luck. My dealer just ignored me after a while.

What was the response?

It's the encoder.

The reader alignment to the ring has to be precise or it'll cause more problems than it solves. Realignment is not advisable at home per iOptron support.

All this is under the SDE topic threads on CN.

I would not waste too much time like I did. I think your copy has some of the highest oscillation ever seen with a recent model cem60ec. You should get a new copy.

For your reference, my copy has a 1-2" peak to peak oscillation at the know SDE period of 5.4 seconds. Yours appears to have similar but at a much higher peak. This could be due to encoder issues. And according to iOptron it's a factory only fix. In other exam experience sending to their factory for fix has been problematic, with long waits and unsure results (some folks have received them back with nothing fixed). It is the reason why I haven't sent mine back yet because I am have no return policy to fall back on, and it would cost me hundreds to ship the mount to them for a roll of the dice.

So if you just got this mount. It is time to exercise your return policy.