david_taurus83

Even on an Android device it was flaky at best. I tried my AZEQ6 with the wifi dongle for visual in AZ mode. Pretty much the same setup as the GTi. Connect to the Synscan app and then SkySafari. It maybe connected 50% of the time to SS and other times I got a message saying SS can see the mount but cant connect to it. Perhaps the answer is for SkySafari to develop it's own way for a direct connection to Synscan wifi.

The ASIAir would probably be the easiest option as long as you go for a ZWO guide camera but it has limited DSLR support. I've not used on so dont know exactly the limitations. I'm on the FB page and it gets rave reviews but its also not without its issues. There is also a long waiting list for the unit itself, even before COVID restrictions were in place there was a waiting list.

An RPi is cheaper, I've used Stellarmate and I highly recommend it but there is a learning curve. It supports a wider range of devices than the Air. Stellarmate also has it's own app so you can use it on a tablet. I've not used that as to be honest, I couldn't get it to work on my phone when I had it. Its had some updates since then I believe.

Another option, one which I currently use, is a Windows based mini PC with all the software you could possibly need. I have APT, Sharpcap for polar aligning, NINA, Pixinsight, Stellarium, Carte du Ciel etc all on a Windows 10 Pro mini PC that I picked up cheaper than an ASIAir pro. I control everything via VNC viewer on my phone.

Whatever route you choose, I would try and hone it from home first as your first few sessions wont go without problems and it may be a disappointing trip to a dark site and you find you come away empty handed. Also, unless your planning to leave the van running, I wouldn't use the 12v outlets to power your kit. A leisure battery would be much better to power everything separately.

19 hours ago, oymd said:

Lastly, if I go all out and invest in 2" filters, I assume they would screw into the backside of the 21mm extender just like the 2" adapter, without the need for any adapter?

Many thanks!!

 

If you want 2" filters you will need something like this. That one simply replaces the 21mm spacer as it's the same length. See how you get on with the 1.25" filter first. I have mounted filters the "wrong" way round before and I've never noticed any difference. Baader actual reckon you should try them the wrong way round if you get halos or reflections.

28 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Brilliant. I got my first Leo Triplet on the advice of a friend a month ago. Breathtaking what can be imaged by small aperture scopes, well done x10.

I have a question about the colour? The galaxies are very red. As a new comer to imaging why is this so? Not a criticism just a point of reference for newbies like me to learn from.

Marv

Thanks Marvin. No idea why the galaxies are that colour. Probably a combination of small aperture scope, large pixel scale and all the light pollution I have to deal with. It also depends on how I stretch the image initially. Usually I have to remove the light pollution first but it can really damage the image. With this I stretched it first in Pixinsight and then done Dynamic Background Extraction. The result was a much smoother better balanced background and it left the galaxies pretty much intact.

344mm isnt exactly galaxy focal length but I gave it a shot anyway. Not much nebula stuff around for a bit. I'm surprised how well its come out given the short focal length and rather large 3.9 arc second pixel scale. I'm really liking this camera.

Canon 6D, IDAS D2 filter, Starwave 70EDQ-R, AZGTi in EQ mode

360 x 60s at ISO1600

Whats that adapter with the thumbscrew? Shouldnt need that?

4 minutes ago, oymd said:

Yesterday I tried everything i have to make an attachment to the M48 thread on the Reducer. NOTHING worked.

The 16.5mm M48 to M42 goes onto the flattener thread. Then the 21mm spacer. So you should have male threads facing the camera. With the 11mm female spacer on the camera, you should be able to attach and that gives you 55mm when you factor in the 6.5mm chip depth.

Try 0.5 and see if it makes a difference? Also, I added a IR/UV cut filter to the nosepiece of my 120MM and it made a noticeable difference to focusing stars on my mini guidescope. Pretty much eliminated bloating. I suppose I'm getting at how accurately PHD measures pixels. Any ideas why it failed calibration with the OAG?

Just now, tooth_dr said:

I’m not sure where to set the guide rates at, or how to adjust it. It says guide rate 0.33 in PHD2 calibration wizard. 

The reason I ask is I had trouble before with my AZEQ6. It must have been after a fresh install of EQMod on my laptop and for some reason the guide rates were 0.1 sidereal in the EQMod box. Guiding was awful compared to what I knew the mount could do. Eventually I spotted the guide rates and set them to 0.5 and guiding much improved. Since then I've always made sure to check. Using Commander now with the new iOptron CEM25 and the default rate in that is also 0.5.

Not sure where this settings box is on your kit but it looks like you can change the guide rate here:

Is there a reason the guide rates are 5" and not 7.5" (0.5 sidereal) like you would expect if using EQMod?

Regardless of what the GA recommends, I always try setting the min movements to 0.1 pixel on each axis.

I'm not an expert looking at those logs but its guiding with a quarter of a pixel peak to peak so the limiting factor here might be the focal length of that guide scope.

What camera is it? Should have everything in the box?

Another daft suggestion from me Adam! Is this a recent issue? Are all the times correct in all the various software as we've not long had DST springing forward?

The bands look like the outer edges of different frames. Did you move the camera a few times?

Your 1.2s flat looks good to me.

For comparison, here is a couple of Av mode flats from my 6D with a 50mm lens at f1.8 pointed at a white ceiling. This first on is Av at 0 Ev.

A mean value of 2723 ADU out of a possible 16K ADU. Now, if I calibrate that flat with a master bias file which on a Canon is 2047 ADU then that doesnt leave much of a flat, does it??? It simply doesnt work!

Here is another Av flat but this time the Ev is set to +3.

A much better value and even when the bias is subtracted I'm still left with a value which is approx 1/3rd of the available ADU.

Ultimately, I suppose, its whatever works for you. For me, Av flats under correct and emphasize dust bunnies in the final stack whereas the method I use (similar to the article) removes them.

ASIAir only works with ZWO cameras and has limited DSLR functionality. Laptop is far more versatile.

You can also place a wanted ad in the classifieds. 👍

29 minutes ago, Dan13 said:

apologies John, i never seem to see them advertised in there but often stumble across them in random threads  will keep to the correct sub as advised. have a good day 

Can always PM a member directly. Even if they haven't logged on in a while they should get an email containing the PM.

Calibration is needed to tell PHD which way is up, down, left, right etc. If you calibrate and then move the guide scope or rotate the guide camera then it can end up sending corrections the wrong way. A few key points:

If you move the guide scope or camera in any way, no matter how small a movement, you need to recalibrate.

If you are using an ST4 cable to guide you need to recalibrate everytime you move to a different target in the sky.

If you are using ASCOM pulse guiding (not with and ST4 cable) you dont need to calibrate when you change targets but your EQMod coords need to be accurate. You should sync the mount to your target once you are centred on it.

Hi John

Pretty sure when I used the wifi dongle on my old AZEQ6 and the app on my phone, had to do a 1 star alignment first or the mount used to go off on a tangent. Used the point and track to centre after alignment.

3 minutes ago, jimmerz50 said:

Whats the difference between the EQMOD and EQDIR cables please?

Thanks again!

Think they are often referred to as the same thing. They allow you to connect directly from your PC to the mount without the need for the hand controller. The ones I linked to are the best ones. They just work and the COM port remains the same each time.

Nothing simple about Canon flats either as Av mode doesnt work at all for me. Always under exposes, even if I set the ev to +2. I always aim for flats to be at least 1 second and aim for around 2s. I then check in Pixinsight for the mean ADU value to be around 50% of the cameras max ADU. My 14 bit 6D is around 16k so I aim for 8/9k mean value.

1 minute ago, jimmerz50 said:

trying that

 

handset to mount = OK

after that, the mount was second hand so i dont have a serial cable that fits into the handset  - i take it that has a serial on one end and the small phone type plug on the other, to go into the bottom of the handset?

 

 

Yes. You need the specific Skywatcher one. Failing that, you may be better off getting a proper EQDir cable that goes from your laptop straight to the mount and you dont need the hand controller then. FLO stock these but they are out of stock.

A lot of member use EQDir so a wanted post in the for sale section asking for a serial cable and someone might have one they can part with.

^^^As above, that's not an EQDir cable. You need to connect the handset to the mount as normal, connect the serial cable that came with the mount to the handset and then that serial to USB from the serial to your laptop. You also need to go into the handset settings and select PC control.

1 minute ago, Cornelius Varley said:

EQMOD can be opened without the need for a planetarium programme. Using the Setup EQASCOM option from the start menu allows you to configure the programme. If you use EQASCOM_run from the start menu then the programme will keep trying to connect to the mount and failing if the mount is not connected. Using the Start EQASCOM option should allow the programme to open normally even if no mount is connected.

I've never got it to open on it's own. When I try it does the same, just continually loops trying to start. It's pretty useless on it's own. Cant issue goto commands. Much easier to start via planetarium.