Tomatobro

Gorann's nebula? I like the sound of that!

you would loose the position count sync with the clutch. I always ask the EAF to wind the focuser fully in (position 0) so the scope will fit into the case. When set up again I command it to move out to 9200 which is roughly the focus position. With a clutch undone winding out the focus manually would leave the EAF still at zero count so it would not move the focuser in even if told to do so.

do you have a multimeter? If so you can check for continuity from the red wire (usually go's to the centre pin) and one of the others will go to the inside sleeve (black wire or ground). If you are not into electronics do you have a neighbour or friend that can check it out for you?

try this https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/switchcraft-inc/S761K/1289494

There is a post on Cloudy Nights that claims to have found the bulkhead socket. Here is the link to the supplier Switchcraft S761 https://www.digikey....C240-ND/128949 It is 5.5 mm o.d., 2.0 mm i.d. digikey is available in the USA

Flo do replacement power cables (the cable you plug in and lock with a collar) and the red connector is a JST (available pre wired on Ebay) Looking at the picture I guess its the bulkhead socket you are looking for? If so the plug outer diameter (usually 5.5mm) and the internal connector pin diameter (2.1mm or 2.5 mm are the usual sizes). The cover hole size where the connector fits would help with the search. Armed with this info a suitable replacement can be found on Ebay. Might have to give up on the ring lock though and just fit types that just plug in

I wonder if the secondary could be mounted on a glass disc on the tube end. Like a catadioptric?

I believe that a curved secondary mirror support will remove the spikes. Changing the mirror itself will have no effect.

Like my Bro I use C du C on windows but with Sharpcap. Have my local horizon set so I know when targets come into view.

The camera is something like 12 mega pixel so its a big file to download and process.

Mary McIntyre has some excellent YouTube Vids on sketching. Worth a look

diffraction caused by a tiny spider on the objective?

Don't worry. I will DHL a file to you in a cake.

I will look at the software we use to do ISS tracking. Remember my post on how many geo's you can capture in one image? I think you can enter the coordinates and find out what is their (unless its a military top secret one).

Agree about the actual size. It was more about the apparent size and the reason for the need for long exposures. A bit off topic but I promised my astro club I would help with outreach this year so put together a rig that would do live stacking. I have been experimenting with suitable targets to know what would work and what would not. Last night I had about 15 minutes before clouds rolled in after finishing M51 so I thought why not do a comparison between the two objects just to see the difference.

as NGC2460 is known as the little whirlpool I did a comparison size wise using my ED72 portable rig between it and M51. NGC2460 is the tiny Fuzz right in the middle of the image. Smaller than the core of M51

One NUC is connected to an all sky camera and runs Sharpcap. This gives advanced warning of clouds and links to a laptop. Second NUC in the observatory connects to various sensors such as sky quality, temperature and a camera that looks up along the scope to ensure the dome is tracking properly. this NUC links to a NUC and monitor in the house The third NUC runs the imaging camera, focuser, filter wheel, dome and the mount. Software is NINA, C du C, Sharpcap. All the imagining data is captured to the NUC memory and is downloaded next day to a stick. Links to my tower PC All were purchased used and cost around £90 each. All run off a 12 volt power supply.

I have three NUC's in the observatory all on Win 10 pro. In the house I have a NUC, laptop and a tower PC again all on Win 10 pro. Upstairs I have a WiFi repeater. I can connect them to each other on a one to one basis using Remote Desktop. That means three paired systems at one go. Connections are stable if I remember to disconnect the Smart Speaker.

I used to drop the washer and black knob (the one that holds the spreader for the tripod legs) and in the dark and long grass spent ages trying to find them. To make finding them easier I purchased a hand held metal detector like the ones used for body searches to help find them. Since buying the detector I have not dropped them once. Insurance I guess?

Over the years I have always had a good working relationship with the royal mail people that do the deliveries and have had no issues. I cannot recall a package arriving late from Flo.

From experience ttttttttttttttt = lots of time. Right Bro?

during daylight/twilight navigation relies solely on the data from the digital compass. If the compass data is off and or the mount is not level it will struggle. in darkness it can use plate solving to improve accuracy.

There is a post on this issue on the Sharpcap Forum. The CPU is more than 8 years old and does not support the software. If your CPU does not support SSE4 instructions then flat frame correction will not work What version of Sharpcap are you using as a fix was introduced when using flats. version 3.2.5825 and above

You will need a "solder sucker" to suck the molten solder away from each pin in turn after applying the tip of a soldering iron. A solder sucker has a spring loaded plunger that you press in and when ready press a catch which causes the plunger to retract which sucks the solder up the nozzle. Pressing the plunger back down pushes the solder back out. If the solder on a pin does not come out cleanly then re solder and suck it out again. If you have an old PCB to practice on first it helps to get the hang of it. I will see if a YouTube vid is available and if so put the link here search using a solder pump to desolder

I would power up the mount, then using the handset move the mount in RA and Dec to some position and then hit the park. When its finished parking the counterweight bar should be pointing down and the scope be pointing up. Correct any misalignment by undoing the clutches and positioning the Dec and Ra. axis manually. If the mount gets powered off while unparked it will start from its last position. If you want to be super accurate on the axis positioning you can use a spirit level on the counterweight bar, undo the clutch and rotate the mount till the level on the bar shows its level then use the setting circle to turn it back 90 degrees. Do the same with the scope. You now have an accurate starting point (parked) for the mount. search " How To Set The Equatorial Home Position "on Youtube for more info