maxchess

I have been imaging for 5 years now & have tried many of the Apps discussed. Here is my (abbreviated) journey to the ASIAir Plus:

Started with Indi-Ekos (aka, Stellarmate, Astroberry) on Raspberry Pi, controlling HEQ5 Pro.  Worked well but occasionally developed faults which often required knowledge of Linux command line. Great value for money. But decided I wanted SharpCap as well for video and its then ground-breaking Polar Alignment so move to Windows PC.

Used old PC and implemented "APT - Astro Photography Tool" pretty good with Sharpcap for video. Built roll-off shed observatory and upgraded mount to CEM120.  Then discovered NINA.  Astonishingly good and reliable with regular additional features that were so much better than anything else:  best fastest Auto-Focus, new PA routines, and Advanced scheduler to name a few. Fantastic, but still kept Sharpcap for video.

This year: putting together a rig for travel, or at least darker sites, mainly using Widefield scopes, like Samyang 135. I Bought SW Star Adventurer GTI, the new one with GOto etc. Initially used Raspberrt Pi with Indi Ekos, but the wiring was all too complicated for a little mount, especially power. So reluctantly have just ordered ASIair-Pro. I know it limits me to ZWO cameras etc but friends who use it say it's reliable. (Last year I took a PI on holiday and it froze on me) But the real attraction is the wiring simplicity. One box on the mount handles all USB connections and power distribution. So just ONE cable to the mount. Joy.  But I wouldn't use it on my main mount.

I am fed up with multiple 12v power bricks going to the mount.  I currently have 3 for: The mount; Camera & Dew heater. Soon I will need another for my mini PC.   A possible solution is to get a 10amp plus and just split the power, but I am worried about damage to equipment due to surges. Now I think I might have found the solution and its cheap: 12V 20A Waterproof Fuse Relay Box Kit with LED.  I have ordered one to test. Does anyone know why this won't work? It looks like it gives me 4 independent fuse-protected 12v power feeds.  I can use either ONE mains transformer or a Battery as input.

The title of the book is a link. Click to see the book. I built my book in Affinity Publisher and printed it using Mixam. Good quality and reasonable prices 

Max

How to share those great images? I have accumulated loads of images, some of which I have printed, however, the rest of my family does not have the same intensity of interest as I do and I am limited to displaying them in my study and the downstairs toilet. I was looking for a better way and considered a printed album. I am also a keen terrestrial photographer and joined the Royal Photographic Society.  They have levels of qualification which encourage you to become a better photographer. See: https://rps.org/qualifications/.  One of the genres is a "PhotoBook" defined by them as: "Photobooks are based on an idea or concept, with all aspects of the book, not only the photography, being aimed at the presentation and experience of the idea or concept to the reader. It differs from a book of photographs, where the book is the container for the photographs."   So there are great images, but also a narrative that ties them together. I took my Astrophotography images and tried to craft them into such a book. I found this a great way of presenting images to others. After two years of drafts and a few failures, I was eventually awarded my Associate qualification for my book: “Deep Sky Wonder -mages from Beyond the solar system”.

A few images are shown below, there are 23 in the book.

I have found this gives a new direction and incentive to my imaging and I am now working on my next photobook project.

I have the Celestron focus motor installed on 3 scopes, A RASA8, a C8 & a really old C14. I have an Ioptron mount.   All of these work with NINA on Windows 10 no problem. I assume that it works using the Celestron Utility. ie not just calibrates but you can move the focuser in & out.   You must install Celestron's own ASCOM foccuser driver from ; https://www.celestron.com/products/focus-motor#support-downloads

It then shows up within NINA as Celestron USB focuser. You don't use cpwi to connect to NINA.

  Always best to install when the foccuser is not connected.  You will know which USB port the foccuser is on from the Celestron Utility.  You can then make sure from within NINA that it detects the driver and the port is set directly.  I have connected from a number of PCs with no problem. Also connects through Sharpcap when I am doing Planetary.  Best to make sure that no other device has already grabbed the port, so shut down the Celestron Utility before firing up NINA.

Jupiter taken with an Ancient C14 on November 6th. ES 2x Focal extender, ASI553. Captured in Sharpcap. Processed in Autostakert, Astrosurface & Winjupos

Got one of these a few months ago. Love it. Worked seamlessly with NINA. Latest image:

[URL=https://astrob.in/dgpoi1/0/][IMG]https://astrob.in/dgpoi1/0/rawthumb/gallery/get.jpg?insecure[/IMG][/URL]

https://astrob.in/dgpoi1/0/

Until recently I was running off an Rpi with everything attached. However needed more power for Firecapture so replaced with Ubuntu on an old desktop.

I highly recommend Indi Ekos but it requires some Linux knowledge.

At present Indi Ekos does the checking that the mount is parked before kicking off the script to close the roof and I have that working. However as stated above I am a bit nervous about letting it go unattended. The three sensor design  (Reed+distance sensor + bumper) would be an additional fail safe wired directly to the STOP terminal on the roof motor.

I would implement it as a two stage process. First use the Reed switch to independently check if the mount is parked. (So an extra check on the software) If it is, let the roof close but Stop the roof if a collision occurs.

Although leaving the roof open is not ideal it’s better than a collision. Could also get Arduino to send an alert could be txt, email, or even a very loud horn.)

It is very simple to f do using an Arduino, it’s multiple switches and  you test to see states and if bad just switch “Stop” to on, but I have not implemented it yet.

there are standard ready written routines for most of this.

Of course you could just leave the roof open and have a rain detector raise an alarm. I have also installed shower curtains so if necessary I can leave the roof open and just the mount and scope get wet. I think most kit would be ok in the occasional shower??

I went with a Shartec Garage door opener. It uses a chain drive in an enclosed rail. Can be operated by wiring buttons or remote control. Has auto load calibration so it applies just the right amount of force to open or close the roof. Also on closing has built in collision routine if impact does occur when it will stop and roll back. (designed to avoid crushing children).  It has been working well for two years. I have linked it to my Telescope control software INDI EKOS.  So in theory after the scheduler has parked the mount it will shut the roof. I have run it with me watching. I also have a webcam in the observatory, so in winter I can check the mount is parked and then use the software to close the roof and kill all power. Just haven't quite trusted it to do it unaided. I think the key is multiple sensors. So Reed switches on the mount + Distance sensors on the roof + Buffer switches (will stop roof a few inches before a collision) . I will get round to it as my next project, for now I can check the mount is really parked and close the roof from my bed on a tablet which is good enough for a cold February. Also good wheels on the roof is important.

Second Entry: Veil Nebula First light with RASA8 using ASI294MC : 118 x 30 secs, L_Enhance filter. I like this wider shot of the witches broom offset against other detail in the veil.

M27 Dumbbell with new Gear

Setting up my new mount and scope, guiding not ready so did 74 x 20 secs using my new WO 132FL plus ASI294MC with Optolong L_Pro. Mount not set up right so it stopped tracking at the Meridian, No flats (failed to capture and I didn't notice) 25 darks. Processed in Pixinsight. Pleased by the result with such short subs and integration time. M27W132NoFlat_ABE_CC.xisf

4 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Do you think that RASA8 will magically collect more photons than any other 8" scope?

I think it's about matching equipment to targets and FOV. Then for me maximising imaging opportunity.

 If I am looking for a wide FOV equivalent to 400mm for given sensor then by choosing a 400mm RASA at f2, rather than a say a William Optics GT-71, FL=420, f5.9,  I can capture the same number of photons 7 times faster for a specific FOV/ set of targets. So with the RASA I can do in 34 mins the equivalent of 4 hours integration time with this specific refractor.

I also have an 8" C8 for small FOV targets but that has a native focal length of 2000mm at F10, which I can bring down to a 1200mm with a focal reducer, (or even use a hyperstar,) but I use that for a different range of targets. 

In between I have a Williams132 with a focal length of 900mm (720 with FR) .  If I could afford it I might buy a  RASA 14 with a FL = 790mm but that's about £13,000

Exposure length is very interesting Robin of Sharpcap provides detailed calculations and an interesting video that shows that effective exposure times are often a lot shorter than commonly believed. Obviously heavily equipment dependant.  But with the RASA it is so fast that there is a real danger of exceeding the full well capacity.  

I have the same problem. I motorised my roof with an electric car door opener and it came with an infrared  beam and sensor that will cut off the door from closing if there is an obstruction, but I doesn't work well. Lots of false stops or no stops.  My thoughts are to use an Arduino or Raspberry Pi to control multiple cheap distance sensors like the SR04  and also bumper switches .  I think both of these would be installed on the leading edge of the roof. In the event of a trigger I can send an impulse to the "Stop" connector on the door motor.  I use INDI EKOS to control my gear and the scheduler allows you to write a simple script to trigger the door to close after the mount is parked (Slewed 90 deg).   So in theory  I could kick of a schedule to run a series of imaging jobs then park the scope and close the roof while I sleep. However I am not sure I am brave enough to try it or that I would get any sleep worrying about a collision.

Hi, I have just got a RASA 8 that I got so I could maximise my time under UK cloudy skies. Still cloudy so only one quick image so far. Going back to the first two images that started this thread I notice that  for the refractor the "ASI071MC collected the RGB (56 x 5 min). Totally 8.2 hours" for the RASA 8 it was  " 19 x 10 min, so totally 3.2 hours " .  So I wondered what the impact of the very long exposure time of 10 min per exposure might be?  Could the detail be blown out? Maybe star bloat is the reason for poor separation of smaller stars noticed by another user. Many RASA8 users are going for 20-30 second exposures which is the equivalent to somewhere around 180 secs for a F 6.3 refractor in photon gathering (rating the RASA 8 effective f ratio as f2.2 adjusted for central obstruction).   Shorter exposures also give you the benefit of reduced tracking error.

To me the benefit of the RASA 8 is all about photon collection. I believe I can get  around 4 hours worth of photons in something like 30 mins compared with a f 6.3 refractor. I have other scopes for other FOV but for a given sensor this covers me for the medium wide FOVs.

Or I could be completely wrong.

Max 

Email sent

Any update on current Ioptron mount delivery?

My understanding is that the ASAIR pro is a proprietary derivative of IndiEkos. It has some additional front end interfaces but is limited to ASI products. So if you wanted to use a A focuser or camera or other device made by a competitor you cannot. There are various standard ready to load images like Astroberry or StellarMate or you can do a full install yourself. I have been using it on a RPI for over 3 years with equipment from ZWO plus a QHY guide camera, a Celestron focuser and a Skywatcher mount. It also integrates with PhD. It requires a little more technical knowledge than a windows system but has been very reliable.  I recently bought a Celestron Rasa 8 and there is a matching focuser I couldn’t have used with Assir.

To answer earlier question in this thread. I have found that sharp cap works well for AZGTi polar alignment. But it is very important to have the right FOV about 2degs I think. Which is usually the guide camera and it’s scope.

For actual imaging the AZgti works best with scopes up to 300mm focal length. Any longer is pushing the capabilities.

Great question, I am in the same position my trusty heq5pro belt mod doesn’t have the payload capacity I need. After scouring the forums I have come to the conclusion that don’t want to stretch to paramount/Mesu £7k + when fully loaded. EQ8 looks like old ok technology. CEM70 overpriced with toys I don’t need, so CEM120 looks like a good step up with plenty of payload even for dual mount and good performance. Plus great cabling etc with USB3. Looks like several people have these and are very satisfied but a few dogs also. EC encoders not worth the extra.

so very interested in reaction.

Yes a refractor at f5 or even f6 or 7 is ideal on the right mount. With an AZ mount Its the focal length you need to think about. The longer the focal length the more critical the tracking. Conversely the shorter the focal length the more forgiving it is. At the extreme you can take a 20 sec exposure of the milky way with a 24 mm lens on a static tripod.  The smaller f number tells you how much light is let in during that period so a faster lens allows you to get better results for a given exposure time.   So your 105mm lens is worth a try. 

All a bit on the long side for a AZ mount. Do you have a telephoto for the DSLR?

You don't mention what lens/scope you have. If you are imaging on an AZ mount with a DSLR then you should concentrate on widefield targets using a focal length less than 200mm, which will tolerate less good tracking.  Also ramp up your ISO.  On targets like M31 etc you can get acceptable results with loads of 10 sec or less exposures.  But in the end there is no substitute for an EQ mount if you want to get into imaging.

I have a belt modded HEQ-5pro with an Explore Scientific 102 and it performs great. Total RMS is usually around 0.5.  It is on a steel pier bolted to a concrete block in my roll off shed.  The belt and bearings upgrade was done by Dave at Darkframe, which had its challenges but it's good now. I also added an ADM dual saddle.  I also use a 8" SCT with a ST80 guidescope, focuser etc which comes to 10Kg and it works well too.   My view if it works, leave well alone.  Except that I am thinking about a heavier scope maybe a WO 132 or a C9.25  in which case I would look at the CEM70.  But unless I do the scope upgrade,  I'm sticking with the trusty HEQ5.  

Hi,

I have Astroberry installed and I just want to control a relay to switch it briefly on and off  to trigger the momentary circuit in a garage door controller that opens & closes my roll-off roof.  I have used RPIs and relays before, but I can't find what GPIO library is installed in Astroberry and how to address it.

My basic code is:

#!/usr/bin/env python
import time
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.output(17, GPIO.LOW)
time.sleep(0.25)
GPIO.output(17, GPIO.HIGH)
GPIO.cleanup()

But Astroberry doesn't like the library and when I try "sudo apt-get install rpi.gpio"  it doesn't like that either saying it can't instal it because of unmet dependencies.  I think I must be using the wrong GPIO library. What should I do to open & Close a relay on Pin 17?  Any other suggestions for writing this simple script gratefully received. It is designed to run from the scheduler as the shutdown script.  

Thanks

Max

I'm planning to build a pier using 2 x Skoda disks as described. However I notice that the four holes in the pads have a diameter of 13.8mm. What size rods did you use? I assume M14 would be too fat or does it work. The next standard size seems to be a lot thinner. Thanks for any help.

My plan is to fill a 125mm Round Ducting pipe 1m high with concrete and then to use a  joining section cemented in the ground to hold it.  I would like to be able to lift and move the pipe to one of three locations in my garden.   I calculate that when filled with concrete the pipe will weigh 28 kilos, so  movable, any wider and the weight increases rapidly.  I would only be putting widefield kit on this, so it only needs to be better than a tripod. Any observations on this plan are most welcome. The advantage over a tripod is that I can leave the pier and mount polar aligned and its easily covered. A tripod is too easily moved.