Tomatobro

Stop trying to do this in the dark. Point the scope at a distant object (pylon, tree top etc) and get it aligned using an eyepiece. Then install the camera and set the shutter speed at something like .025 and the gain low. Then wind the focus in and out till you get an image. If with the focus fully out no image is seen then remove the camera and if you have a diagonal fit that and then the camera and try again. If you do not have a diagonal make up a cardboard tube to excluded the light from the side and hold the camera in position. You might be surprised how far away the camera needs to be held away to get a rough idea of focus. make a note of this distance and then get a spacer to suit

I set up the antenna for the GRAVES signal and for 3 hours the screen was just swamped with lightning strikes so abandoned it. Mostly cloud to cloud discharges.

That Muon detector looks interesting. Shame they do not do a full kit but I look forward to your write up when works starts on it

Timing unit arrived this morning so data recording times now linked to MSF in Cumbria.

Sample graph attached

I have been doing some timing drift tests over each 11 day recording session and its significant so am incorporating a new timing system which should be done by Monday. Timing for me is critical because I start the recording run at a particular date/time and just add 30 seconds for each data point. The few milliseconds drift per data point are adding up. Also we have had some power outages which mess up the timings as the clock stops and restarts once the power comes back on. I also have looked into the "washing machine" interference, checking that the machine frame is earthed and that the mains wiring is correct. As yet I have not tried the ground rod but its on the list to do. Mrs Tomatobro suggested that if the machine was messing up my SID data then we should get a new one.............. Once the timing issue is sorted and I have the exact timing of the mystery spike I will investigate further. But apart from the interference and spike the recordings are going well. Just in time as it looks if the Sun is waking up at last.

There are some websites that show pictures of tumbling space junk or other stuff. That's moved quite a distance for a tenth of a second and you say the other frames show the object moving in a straight line frame to frame. You are right though in thinking that usually sats produce straight lines on the frame. I wonder if it appeared mid frame and disappeared the same way. Could be interesting to stack just those frames to see what it looked like

try "heavens above" to search for satellite

From a site near Shrewsbury a very bright meteor was seen at 21:59 (30/07/2020) which left a smoke trail still visible after 35 minutes. It covered two thirds of the visible sky and its track was in the western horizon .

Lord Rosse to his missus "be a love and bring me up a 20mm would you ?"

Take a look at this as a possible alternative Ebay 303607598518

Could you post a picture of your setup? It would help in getting the correct advice. You are correct in thinking that once polar aligned you do not move the adventurer or the tripod.

I like the reflection in the pool

The problem with adding a diode is that it drops about half a volt and carries the full current of the supply......and they can fail short circuit. When battery power is the supply that half a volt can make all the difference.

If there is any risk that you can swap the polarity of the input power connections (in the dark perhaps)I would add some polarity reversal protection. Just add a suitably rated relay and place a diode in the relay coil supply so if the power connections are accidentally reversed the relay will not close. A few milliamps of extra current draw is a small price to pay to protect your kit. So you are back in your favourite dark site and have set up your kit. What you do not know is that the last time you unplugged that 2.1mm power connector the positive wire broke off inside and is now touching the negative. With the relay polarity protection you get the following. Connect the battery, no audible click from the relay, connections reversed. swap and you get the click no harm done Connect and the relay buzzes. remember that shorted connector? The short pulls the voltage below the relay hold in voltage so the relay opens, voltage now recovers and relay closes and so on. Audible warning that something is not right. Disconnect and check. same if input connection is poor and is causing a volt drop.

Now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end but it is perhaps the end of the beginning. (WSC)

I have been trying to figure out what is the cause of the spike at 18:00 hours that has appeared in in both my old and new data. One one hand its useful as a timing marker but what switches on and off for such a brief period is a mystery. Its not the central heating that's for sure. Maybe one of the parked cars are doing something with the door lock solenoids?

Had a look at ETD (Exoplanet transit database). You put in your latitude and longitude and it gives you the stars and timing data.

Wow I am very impressed.

Latest SID data. Washing machine interference on the 3rd and 4th

My focuser is equipped with a skywatcher dc remote focus kit and it holds the 383 and filter wheel ok. When mounting the camera and wheel it is possible push the tube in a little. An upgrade to a moonlite might happen one day but the standard focuser works ok. I set up and take down for each session

For the earth and to see the effect wrap a wire round the BNC connector and connect it to the water pipe. I noticed that when I connected my RS232 comms cable to the laptop the signal quality improved which suggested that the receiver was being grounded via the comms cable. Also I attached a high quality 0 to 3 volt analogue meter to the output so I could keep an eye on the signal strength. When this meter was connected the signal increased by almost a volt. When the comms cable was connected the meter fell back and indicated the expected signal, disconnecting the comms lead and you could watch the signal slowly rise. I emailed the folks at UKRAA and they suggested earthing the metal case (the coax is grounded to the case from the tuning unit via its BNC connector) I still see interference from the washing machine motor and the induction hob even though the outbuilding is 60 metres away and the machines sit on the null plane of the antenna. Also if the outbuilding strip lights are turned on I see a small increase in signal strength. I guess I will have to live with this level of interference. Longer term will see an experiment with an earth rod driven into the ground outside to see if that works any better.

I have added a proper earth for the antenna and its cleaned up the signal. Its back in the outbuilding loft and started logging at 14:00

Dam! Only the other day I said I have never see these clouds and now still haven't. I did look outside at around 23:30 but did not see them. Probably a case of seeing everything but observing nothing

I made some changes to the hardware and relocated the antenna but I cannot match my earlier results. next step is to provide a ground as the only thing I can now think of is that when a laptop is connected via USB comms link the noise is reduced.