scitmon

Thank you for the replies, some promising things to try on my next imaging session.

I keep getting intermittent error "PHD2 is not able to make sufficient corrections in Dec" when guiding and I'm trying to pinpoint what the problem is.  Can more experienced guiders help?  Here are my logs and calibration data from Friday night:

Things I have checked:

Guidescope FL settings are correct (SW ST-80 and ZWO 120MM) 

I don't think my cabling is causing any snags

Calibration data:

Not sure how to analyse this?

I also did a star test exposure which looks ok to me?  The exposure wasn't quite long enough for the test hence the slightly short side on the cross:

PHD2_DebugLog_2019-11-29_173318.txt

i think the https://www.firstlightoptics.com/light-pollution-reduction-imaging/optolong-l-enhance-dual-narrowband-deep-sky-imaging-filter.html reviews favourably

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html is worth a look at along with this thread:

The FLO description says the SkyWatcher Black Diamond is compatible, which is another name for the Evostar ED DS Pros.  So yes is the answer.

If you want something more portable and less complicated, perhaps a refractor such as https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-102-az3.html might be worth considering.

No, you need to rotate the mount so 12 is top as you look through it, then posistion polaris at 7.  Actually all you really need to do is get the cross hair straight, and then position polaris at 7 (even if 12, 3, 6 and 9 are at the wrong points).  

First image of the season, getting some practice in.  All comments welcome.

I really like those adjustable feet platforms, I could see those being useful for a semi permanent setup of my AZEQ6 if I secured them in the garden, assuming they wouldn't rust?  Anyone know where I can buy these or something similar?

Well I personally have only had experience with the Skywatcher AZEQ6 which is good. I was just going off iOptrons good reputation. Perhaps its worth emailing FirstLightOptics they are always happy to offer expert advice. 

C11 Edge Weight is 13kg, plus Accessories and apply the 2/3rds rule for Astrophotgraphy... You are looking at a mount that can handle around 23kgs of weight.  The CEM60 is a very good choice I think

I have two questions...

Is the filter swapping just a minor inconvience?

Will it still have the micro lens diffraction pattern problem for bright objects?

I'm assuming your mount came with a cigarette style plug?  If so I would recommend placing https://www.firstlightoptics.com/power-accessories/nevada-ps-08-6a-8a-regulated-linear-power-supply.html at your nearest electricity plug indoors and run https://www.firstlightoptics.com/power-accessories/lynx-astro-silicone-power-cable-extension.html to your mount.  

4 minutes ago, AKB said:

I think you'll find that Crayford focus slip is not anything to do with how firmly you can hold the focus control, but all about the focuser tube slipping on the control shaft.  So a motor, per se, may not help.

3 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

However, even the best auto focuser will not really help with slop in the focuser so if the issue is just slippage then I would say it would help but if there is play or slop then it would not help.

 

I suspected this was the case,  I think my plans to get a mono camera with filters will have to wait til I can also buy an Esprit along with it.

I've been imaging with a SW ED80 for nearly a couple of years now, using a DSLR with the stock focusser with no issues.  I've heard stories of the stock focuser slipping for some people with heavier imaging equipment (mono camera + filter wheel) which is something I want to upgrade to in the not too distant future. 

Something I am also looking at getting soon is the Sesto Senso Autofocuser, and I was wondering, do these help with the prevention of focuser slippage at all? I want to avoid focuser upgrade if at all possible because I would rather invest the money into an Esprit which is a scope I want to buy at some point.

I would recommend setting up in daylight and point to something you know is vertical i.e. the side of a house.  Line up your polar scope with it and take note where your arrow marks are pointing.  Or you can mark it with a sticker or something like that.

how long was the exposure of each light frame and what ISO setting?  A bright moon will adversley effect the image.  Perhaps if you post one of the frames to help us?

Any comments on https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ovl-eyepieces/hyperflex-9-27mm-zoom.html ?

I have both the SW ED80 for DSO imaging and a newly acquired Skymax 180 for planetery imaging.  I am looking to possibly upgrade the focuser on the ED80 and buy a crayford focusser for the Skymax at some point. 

Not sure its possible... but can I kill two birds with one stone and use stock ED80 focuser on my Skymax with some kind of adapter?  Sounds like a longshot but worth asking...

Looking to fill a gap in my limited eye piece range for my relatively new SW Skymax 180.  My current collection consists of:

• Explore Scientific 6.7mm (402x mag rarely useable at such high magnification?)
• Skywatcher 25mm that came with my ED80 (108x mag)
• Explore Scientific 2x Barlow

So my 25mm is the only really useable eyepiece I own, giving me 108x and 216x mag options with my 2x barlow).  

There are some things I would like advice on:

• I'm thinking of getting something to fill the 300x-350x mag range... should I go for something like a 10mm eyepiece, or 20mm and use my barlow?
• I've read that I don't particularly need a top of the range eye piece for a scope with such a large focal length?  
• Considering both the above, I was thinking https://www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/bcortho-18-2954118.html.  Any better candidates? 

1 hour ago, Yawning Angel said:

I'll happily second this. The stock focuser on my ED80 is holding the 0.85 reducer, mini 5 slot EFW and a 1600mm pro with no issue. Repeatable and consistent focuser positioning with a Sesto Sento motor. 

This seems to be a predicament for a lot of ed80 owners such as myself.  I too, have had no issues so far with a dslr on the stock focusser but I have also heard reports from others who do.  When considering the expense of a feather touch/moonlight, I think i'd rather put that cost towards an Esprit.

Not initially.  But I did go through the setup wizard again where it took the darks.  Would this have created new calibration data? Not really sure what that process involves.

Would the fact that my unguided was better than my guided suggest that my polar alignment was not the problem? 

I was using eqmod with a zwo 120mm on an skywatcher st80 to guide a skywatcher 80ed ds-pro. The mount was an azeq6. 

I used the same settings as i always had in the past successfully. I realise its a long shot to ask on here like this but i wondered if anyone had experienced something similar. 

Last night was my first imaging session of the season and was a very frustrating one.  I setup my rig as usual, but just could not get my guiding to work.  I was using PHD2 and it complained that it could not make big enough corrections to my mount to keep tracking.  I must have checked and rechecked my polar alignment (I use the polar scope and an app to tell me where to position Polaris) 5 times!  

I switched guiding off and took a 90 second exposure and it was actually much better!  Can anyone give me any theories as to what was happening? 

Unguided: 

Guided: