Viktiste

This is my experience too. I am using a Canon 550D with Stellarmate/Indi/Ekos, and it is just not stable.

It puts it somewhat into context for me, and makes me think we are never ever going anywhere (apart from maybe Mars) anytime soon. Kind of frustrating to realize we will never travel around our universe and visit places (If Einstein has it figured out correctly).

If the moon were only 1 pixel is also a good visualization of how slow the speed of light is. After you scroll one page to the right, hit the speed of light icon in the lower right corner, sit back and enjoy.

Hmmm... That website looks remarkably similar to astroshop.eu. Does anyone have experience with optics-pro.com?

I disagree with this statement. In fact, to get a proper understand how the secondary mirror mechanism works I removed my secondary mirror completely and then put it back on. There are plenty of good guides on the web for this. Just be careful not to touch the mirror or drop it. And keep the tube horizontal so nothing falls down towards the primary mirror. You most likely don't need to adjust this screw (and certainly don't need to remove the mirror), but I found it was a good exercise to make me more familiar with the design.

Just out of curiosity... Did you figure this out?

Not an app for phone/pad, but totally superb/awesome... Google and download NASA's eyes to your PC... Highly recommended

I agree with Dr_ju_ju - download a USB cleanup tool and delete the USB entry of your 183 camera (with the camera unplugged). Then plug in the camera and install it from scratch. It could also be eroded pins on your 183 camera. You might (at your own risk...!!!) try to gently rub the copper connectors on your camera with a tiny screwdriver or other suitable tool. Don't be tempted to use electric contact cleaner on the usb connector on a camera, but on the disconnected loose usb cable and on the PC side connector you could try contact cleaner.

Ok - some more stupid questions about this... For reasons I completely cannot understand the common standard (and the HEQ5) design is such that you have to turn the the scope horizontal to see through the polar scope. Why the he*k is that? I understand that I am only positioning the mount, but it would be convenient to be able to use the finder scope in this process...??? When my Dec axis is in the horizontal position the polar scope clock circle is not with 0 hrs up, and so placing Polaris in it is a completely eyeballing exercise? Or is there something I don't understand here?

Congrats. That thing you just took a picture of is gonna collide with us in about 4.5 billion years... I'm a novice in AP too, good to see other beginner pics. Keep them coming

Yes it does. It does indeed... Dust lane? The darker belt just below to the right?

So here it is (M31). Not much compared to all the amazing pictures I see on here, but it is a start. For one I now know I can achieve focus with a DSLR (Cannon EOS 550D) and my Skywatcher 200P (Mount is a HEQ5 Pro). Not very accurate polar alignment and just 4 frames (with variable exposure times) stacked in DSS. Still learning... so many things to digest. At least for me it is a a proof of concept. And I am starting to think that time (in addition to money) is going to be an issue...

No I have not done that - yet. But I will do. Another thing i found is that there are no physical surfaces to place a level on (unless you take the head off the tripod - which I don't want to do every time). And the built in level seems a bit inaccurate...

Ok, Thanks for the explanation guys. I got it. I guess the divisions and lack of labels in PolarFinder got me confused. I was planning to set up and properly polar align tonight, but then the clouds came sneaking across the sky...

OK, thanks. So the circle in the polar scope is just like a regular 12 hour clock?