Tomatobro

my SW 4.5 inch is 130 mm (100 from bottom edge of diagonal to top edge of spider) with your 30mm allowance

30 second exp suggests its a meteor, It has the classic enters upper thin atmosphere (thin trail start), gets to the thicker layer and then is destroyed.

agree with truckstar. Its just the wrong time of the year just need to give it a few weeks. The eyepiece would not be my first choice I guess, with a 30mm giving you a better chance but if the zoom is all you have then stick with it. Greater magnification spreads the light out and makes things dimmer. Double check that the telrad is calibrated properly ie aligned with the scope. Once you see your first faint fuzzy and know how they look then it gets easier. You may have already looked at one but just not "seen" it

Just had another play and I think I can see the mistake. I went straight to the sequence editor to try and set up a sequence without setting up a sequence in the Deep Sky editor first so the SE had nothing to edit. My error

I have had a play with Sharpcaps sequence generator but hit a problem in that when I add the filter wheel to the sequence and then ask it to change the filter I cannot find a way to highlight the filter selection between the < > to type in the filter name I require. If I test run the sequence if fails with a "no filter selected". I have tried every key press combo and mouse clicks to gain access to the filter selection but no joy. In settings the correct filter wheel setup and it lists the filters which I guess was copied across from the 3.2 version. I have posted this on the Sharpcap forum but wondered if SGL members can tell me how to add or change the filter

C is for counterweights.......remember to fit them

Astronomy magazine great except for the smell. Cor it don't arf pong........

I was saying to Tomato yesterday how some companies I deal with on a regular basis and are rated as exceptional suppliers have begun to struggle to maintain their high standards. It seems that all come through in the end , it just takes time.

I agree with fifeskies. far better to have a guide scope mounted so it does not flex (remember we are talking arc seconds of movement here) so as long as its pointing near enough in the same place it will work ok.

it lay down just for an instant and then blew up......

Hmmm...scaling from side on photos not so good. Worth remembering.

I scaled tomatoes image and I got 825 mm from the balance point to the camera end. I also did the same on other pictures on the net and I reckon the number is not too far out. Hopefully someone will confirm

hear are some pics of the controller

Thanks will read up later. The motors on the SW are DC with encoders.

Thanks for the tip. I just had a quick look but I think this is only for equatorial mounts. The Alt Az system we employ is very effective and only requires one known object in the eyepiece for calibration. Will have a proper read of the websitel tonight

We tried Malc-c we really tried to get the go to working. I do a lot of work with PIC's but in the end we went for our tried and tested Alt/Az system. I have made a controller that operates the motors via a radio handset, Its nearly finished but will have up/down left/right fast and slow speeds and a start/stop circular search. Thanks again for all yo did re the chips and advice.

If working with wood is more comfortable (experience and tool wise) I don't see why something could be designed and built to suit your needs. A square box pier out of ply with a metal top adapter, and some gusseted legs on castors with corner screw jacks to level and stabilise seems to be a realistic project. I would make the pier about 180mm square.

Going A over T after tripping on the legs or loosing polar alignment if just knocked are two hazards that will present themselves. No chance you could set up a fixed pier in the garden? I guess that the overall idea is that the wheeled tripod would have the mount and scope permanently attached so you did not have to carry them about? what scope and mount head are you thinking of using?

wise decision

Over the years I have had a few bits and bobs from ENS and have yet to be disappointed. Buying used kit unseen can be a bit of a risk but I find their description matches well to the item. Deal direct for best prices. Tip. Don't visit the store as you always come away with more than you went for

I have tried both but for shear simplicity have gone back to a guide scope. I change cameras quite a bit and with OAG have to set it up each time but with a guide scope its just plug and play. The numbers from PHD say the OAG is slightly better but the images look the same from both setups.

There is a pi add on board the allows for remote safe shutdown. I use one of these to shut down the pi in my all sky camera. PowerBlock - Raspberry Pi Power Switch available from the Pi Hut. Take a look as it might be an easy solution. Also does a safe startup

Thanks John. I should have a sample of material arriving tomorrow and if my wife will give me the nod as to whether or not it can be machined up.

Coronado pst, 2000 frames best 20% in Auotstakkert and polished in Registake6 and Gimp ASI383 MC

I have done three of these cameras so far and we have found taking the temperature down below freezing invites frozen water droplets on the sensor cover. Not shown in the picture is that we now use a thermostat that regulates the temperature of the sensor to 3c. Sharpcap gives us the sensor temperature so we adjust the thermostat accordingly. ZWO do a heater ring kit which we have tried but found the thermostat a better option.