The Sailor

Hi Pat, well I am perservering with it, I want to get the Ascom working so I have reinstalled Windows to get rid of all the rubbish and will install all the Ascom software, nothing on the laptop but astronomy software so nothing to lose, just don't want to let it beat me :).

Good to hear you have started the build, hope it goes well for you :).

Jim

Just looking for something that will keep the camera on target :). Not interested in what the guider does in relation to taking photos just keeping steady on target is the job :). As said, the next clear night I will be banging away with the DSLR and see what I can achieve, I left the OTA on Vega for 20 min last night and it had moved a degree or so, so maybe have achieved something there.

Jim

Jim

Back on track, ditched the re-alignment part after 3 star align and all target in/almost in centre of EP, did have me worried but spent most of yesterday going over layout of OTAs on mount and last night turned out to be a good one, seen a few more Messiers than expected in the EP so am happy. The next night out will be to check drift on AP exposures, will be getting an auto guider so hope that will help as well :).

Jim

Just about Pat, after the last few days I thought that I would end up chucking the lot in the dustbin :). I followed the polar re-align and at no point after would I get my target anywhere near the EP, very frustrating. Today I spent looking at and arranging the OTAs on the mount and by this evening I had finished to some satisfaction. With it being cloudy all day I was not expecting to get out but by 2300 it was all clear and I was away. Done a polar align and then a 3 star align and left it at that, up to now I can say it has been a great night, everything spot on, got 4 Messiers I had not got before and have left the mount to drift along with Vega, have a drink and then out again so see what the results are. No AP tonight, just want to star hop and see how well it is holding on targets, so back out now and carry on :).

Jim

I've actually gone backwards!!! Don't know whats happened, all great befor I built the obsy now it's all gone wrong. So now, I start again and crawl along till I get better :).

Jim

Now why can't all mine be like the second and third rather than the first. Have to admit I am having a load of problems with aligning, have the NEQ6 Pro and have updated the handset firmware to the new polar re-align and it has given me nothing but trouble. Follow the instruction to the letter and still when it comes to hitting a target I am way off in the EP and drift. At the moment I am looking at reconfiguring my OTA setup to just one type of OTA on the mount and see what happens, maybe then I will get good shots like above :)

Jim

Nice one :)

Jim

Nice one Nova but what I done was to place the solar film inside the OTA cover, all I do is take the small cover off and it is there, have less to worry about :).

Jim

I have at long last got the observatory working okay, the dome rotates very easy with little effort and all the cables have been rerouted. Although the dome runs easy I have bought a 12v winch with a control handle and converted it to allow rotation both ways and will install this during the week. Still work to do but that is decor and will just make the obsy look better. Just have to wait for clear skies now and get the equipment working. I have updated my photos in FB and the link is in my sig.

Jim

Pat, thanks, have sent you a PM, may be of help.

Jim

Well the rain today has done me a favour, no leaks!!!! Time has come to get on and finish it, I have a few embelishments to add and do some astronomy :) .

Todd, my shed had a roof which came in two parts lengthways, this enabled me to open it just enough for the OTA to stick out, take a look at my FB albums, there is a link in my sig, it will show you what I mean. I castleated the two sides so that when thay came together they formed a seal, worked well. :)

Jim

Thanks Todd, well have not been out there yet, believe it or not I was hoping for more rain!!! Want to test it to ensure that it is waterproof and the gear will be okay in there, have a cam in there and appears to be dry, just to move the cables and that will be it, all up and running.

I went out last night and set up on Polaris and that was it, cloud moved in so closed up, then when I went to bed about 1am the sky was clear!! Anyway all is going well so hopefully it won't be long till I have a few all nighters :).

Jim

Hi Isabelle, am afraid that one problem begets another and at the moment my observatory is scattered in bits across the garden, I have had to take the dome and ring off to repair the roof and the constant rain has created an utter mess so I have to start all over. It may on reflection be a blessing in disguise as I can rearrange to take account the gear I have now and as the cloud cover seems to be stalled over the house for the foreseeable future I may as well do it now. :)

Jim

Thank you both, I have given all the parts with the batteries a good clean now and test show no problems, have to say I had almost forgotten what I had in each case and opening them has given me food for thought as to wether I actually need some of it so it may be time for a clearout. I doubt if I will ever be able to attend any star parties now and a lot of the gear is aimed towards that so it may be for the best. The observatory, well all I have to do now is wait for some good weather, take the dome off and put new plywood on and get the glassfibre on, so the future is looking good :).

Jim

Well, the sun is beaming, not a cloud in sight, so took the opportunity to try out the mount and telescopes on a solar view. At the same time I want to me see how my dome will work, a few modifications required so far but all in all going well, maybe tonight if it stays clear I will have a go. I have yet to open up my camera cases, after so long I dread to see what has happened to all the gear, will leave that for another day, one job at a time :)

Jim

Old age creeps up and wallops us all in different ways :)

Jim

Thanks Todd, all is well, a few aches and pains but nothing to worry about, the kidney and protrate problems I have to live with but getting back into the observatory has taken my mind off it all. Now where are all those clear night I seen when laid up? :)

Jim

As far as cooling is concerned I don't have that problem, I have all my gear in a location that ensures it's all at outside tempeture at all times :), security headache :D. Regarding the dog, thats nice but I have a cat and she has given me some heart stopping moments by creeping up on me, probably the reason I hit my head on the balance weights some of the time lol.

Hi Todd, although no overall cloud cover it was patchy enough to ensure I could not do any AP but as said it all disappeared to be replaced with moonlight which really killed off even playing with the cams :( .

I learnt many years ago to never look directly at anything at nighttime, I have always kept the target to the side of my vision and this made it more distinct. Another thing I do is if I do have that problem of having a fuzzy target is look through the eyepiece as above but also keep the other eye open looking at nothing in particular, for some reason it has been a help.

Oh, seen the ISS going over last night, took me by suprise as that was the first time I seen it go over NW to SE, as I was setting up I had to grab a pair of binos and it was magic to see. Rather than a blob of light the main body and the panels were distinct :).

Jim

I think this will be way things are for me Isabelle, I started out over a year ago snapping and videoing all the year, this year has really been a disaster :). The only thing that seems to have gone right is the upgrading of my gear and the downing grading of my bank balance :). Still, I can always get on with the gardening if the moon stays as bright :D.

Jim

Nice Isabelle, you caught it :), good to be able to say you done it, well done :).

Jim

I have to say that Stellarium has been so accurate from my position since I installed it. Each pass of the ISS has been good except obviously when it has passed into shadow and not been visable.

Jim

Good on you Isabelle, I have already done 1, 2 and 3 but have to say that 3 was a cheat. I have a small refractor which I used just like a ships telescope, resting it on a wall, did not realy help as it was jumping all over the place as I tracked the ISS but I did get it :). I have tried Step 4 a few times, again a manual movement on the mount and the camera taking multi shots but again a washout. One day it will happen for you and I will be watching for that photo :).

Jim

Well since the small road leads to an old peoples estate I doubt the council will cover/switch these off. As for switching them off, well as far as I am concerned that is criminal and I don't expect old people to carry a torch just so I can skygaze. Times have changed, people expect lighting and the way I see it if I want non-polluted skies then I travel to a dark place. I have built my observatory knowing that those lights are there so I have no excuse.