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Geoff Lister

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Everything posted by Geoff Lister

  1. I think that we are back to the old adage Your best telescope is the one you use. In the last 3 months, given the variable weather in the south-west of England, for me, it has been my Seestar and Dwarf II. Easy to set up, quick to get going, and quick to get back under cover when (not if) it starts raining. Probably slightly more Seestar than Dwarf, but sometimes both together. If I can rely on a clear evening, then it is worth getting out the 10" Dob, but, given the narrow time and altitude window for comet 12P, there was no contest. Geoff
  2. On Saturday, from South Devon, unprocessed from my Dwarf II Geoff
  3. This evening's view of 12P, but this time from my Dwarf II. To get the clearance over my fence, I used a step ladder with built-in painting tray, and a tripod clamp on the tray. Geoff
  4. Because the comet is low towards the north west, I have been using my Seestar on the full-height tripod of my iOptron mount. Whilst the Seestar was capturing images, I stood directly behind it with my 10x50 binoculars, to get the correct azimuth angle, and so I was able to spot the comet by using slight up/down scanning for the altitude. Geoff
  5. With my 10" Skyliner, the problem was low clutch friction on the altitude axis. It's a compromise between a reliable motor drive and the ability to make manual movements. My 2011 version does not have the clutch adjustment knob shown in the Geoff Barnes' picture (15 August 2020), but has the nylock nut indicated in PlanetGazer's diagram of the same date. I found that it was difficult to get the best compromise, and it required several tweeks with a ring spanner, each time having to remove the OTA. I made the adjustment probably 10 years ago, and have not had any problems since. Geoff
  6. This morning, I had a look at ZWO's web site, and the Seestar S50 manual is still showing 2023-10. There have been many app/firmware updates since October 2023. A download confirmed the same size 29-page manual, and I could not spot any changes from the version I downloaded at the beginning of January. We need an update to give more details, including about the use of the "Light damage filter" (page 18 - I love these translations). I had a similar problem with an early morning session. When I looked outside (instead of at the tablet's screen) it was starting to get light, with a clear blue sky, and I could not see any stars either, except light from that big one towards the eastern horizon. Geoff
  7. On March 16th, I looked at the ZWO web site, and they had updated the Android App from 1.15.1 to 1.16.1, but Google Play was still showing 1.15.1. I downloaded the 1.16.1 apk file, and, with the warnings about apps from an unapproved source, updated the app. When run, this prompted a firmware downoad, thus going from 2.30 to 2.42. I checked Google Play again, at 07:10 this morning (19th) and this is now showing 1.16.1, with a release date of 14th March. Due to clouds, I have not given the updated version a try. Geoff
  8. On my Skyliner 10" Flextube, I had a similar slipping problem, and found that I needed to add a weight of about 1kg at the primary mirror end of the OTA. This was to balance the OTA when using my DSLR or binoviewer. I also tightened, slightly, the central nylock nut on the altitude axis drive plate. This cannot be done with the OTA in place, and so had to be done with small adjustments, replacing the OTA and checking the clutch grip compromise between reliable manual and motor-driven operation. In total, the nut was tightened a few tens of degrees. Geoff
  9. This is my concern too. I have both the Seestar S50 and Dwarf II. These have 50mm and 24mm objective lenses, whereas the Astrowl Box can be used with any GoTo/tracking mount, and thus larger OTAs. However, it is unlikely to provide the integrated operation, rig portability, and ease of use, of the S50 and Dwarf II. I wish the Astrowl Box team well, but I fear that their product will be eclipsed by the S50 and Dwarf II. Geoff
  10. I was thinking that with four S50s, a decent sized garden, and the right software, we could start to have "Very Large Telescope" capabilities. Geoff
  11. Yes. The first connection is via Bluetooth. This then turns on a WiFi transmission from the Seestar. This can then be received by your phone/tablet. Your phone/tablet may either, lock automatically to the Seestar, or, need to go via "settings" to switch from your home WiFi. There is an option to use your home WiFi for the Seestar link, but I have not tried it. Geoff
  12. I too, have not had significant problems with field rotation effects on the Seestar images; but I have noticed it more with my Dwarf II. If you are going to be spending hours gathering FIT files for off-line processing, you are, perhaps, missing the point of these lovely little 'scopes. They both work at their best, capturing for a few minutes, with a "Live" display on your tablet's screen, and a download of a nice JPEG image for your records, - then a quick slew to the next interesting target, and start "Viewing" again. I found a very good web site that explains field rotation with an Az/Alt mount. https://calgary.rasc.ca/field_rotation.htm About 2-thirds through the document, there is a very nice 3D graph showing field rotation with respect to the target's azimuth and elevation. As far as I could conclude, for minimum rotation select targets near the horizon, and towards the east or west. Anything close to the zenith is bad for field rotation, (and anyway would be challenging for any Az/Alt mount). Geoff
  13. As far as I know, the Seestar does not need a mobile signal. Some of the weather and "best targets tonight" parts of the Android or IOS app on the tablet/phone require data access to the internet for updating, but I am not aware of a "SIM" equivalent to communicate with a mobile phone base station. Geoff
  14. I think that ZWO has done a great job with the Seestar - an image building-up on your screen in real-time, downloaded direct to your tablet/phone as soon as you stop capture (and with text showing basic location/date/time/target name details) and the storing of the original captures for later post-processing if you wish. No need to level the mount, or polar align; prior to the initial capture, it works out its non-level mount correction data, and then takes a set of dark frames. Geoff
  15. Many thanks. Nice video. My Seestar is imaging 13P/Olbers. It's showing the core moving slowly northwards, so I will stop and download from my tablet. Done. Geoff
  16. As requested, hot off the tablet from another part of North Somerset I managed to see it at the same time that the Seestar was capturing - I just stood directly behind it and pointed my binoculars at the same angle as the alt. axis. Whilst downloading this image, the Seestar app is stacking 13P/Olbers. Geoff
  17. I was watching the image build up on my tablet's screen, and it started round and then elongated. Once 12P had dropped below my local roof line, I went for 144P, about 10 degrees above Bellatrix, and then 62P about 10 degrees below-east of Denebola. After 7 minutes on 62P, the display remained stuck on 4 minutes stacked, so I stopped capture, turned on anti-dew and resumed capture. I like the way the Seestar offers the option of Restart or Continue. Geoff
  18. +1. The nice new functions in the App need documentation. I tend to use Stellarium to search for a target and get an idea if it is likely to be above trees/houses/fences etc., then home in using the Seestar sky map. Using that method has got me 144P. Geoff
  19. It is now much brighter than it was in January (see my posting above) Just 6 stacked frames, and, recording for a bit longer Geoff
  20. Another one of 12P from 2nd March Even with only 6 stacked images It's a shame that this comet is disappearing into my neighbourhood roof line as dusk moves later through March. Geoff
  21. I think that the main problem with these 5.5/2.1 mm connectors is that the plug, with its 2 metal cylinders is ok, but the equipment side, with centre pin and cantilevered spring side contact provides poor electrical contact and very poor (as mentioned above) plug retention. I have added a cable retention clip on most of my mounts that use these connectors. Geoff
  22. And more recently:- 62P is about magnitude 11 and IC 3602 is magnitude 15.5. Geoff
  23. A warm welcome to SGL. We like to help with advice where we can. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Geoff
  24. I am a retired electronics engineer, so making up leads is easy to me. The 18AWG cable has good current capacity for most astro equipment needs. The other thing to consider is volts-drop along the cable. Some of the Skywatcher equipment (particularly Synscan handsets) is sensitive to lowered voltages at its end of the lead chain. This is where the lead lengh, and its related resistance, is important. The table that I looked at, showed 18AWG resistance as 20.9 ohms for 1000 metres. That equates to a volts drop (with supply and return wires, and the 3.5A mentioned above) of about 0.15V per meter of cable length. If you assume 10 milliohms contact resistance for each (clean) connection in your connectors at each end of the lead, 4 * 0.01 *3.5 = 0.14V will be added to the drop, independent of lead length. I think that, given a good 12V supply, most equipment that requires 12V will be OK with 1.5 metres of your 18AWG cable. Geoff
  25. 3 days after my first picture (above) the Moon was further east, and the comet was much easier to spot. Stellarium shows IC3602 as being magnitude (at this altitude) 15.68. OK no useful detail, but still impressive for an extremely "faint fuzzy". I'm also impressed with the sky map. It makes finding targets (including comets) very easy. Once the Seestar has identified and centred the session's first target, it slews to take 3 orientation images to plate solve for mount leveling error correction. The mount goes back to the target, and goes through a (roughly) 1-minute process. The on-screen information does not explain why. I am assuming that it is recording a few "Dark" frames to use in its stacking process. If I am correct, it would be nice to have these made available for future post-processing. Geoff
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