Varavall

Hi I see the kit costs around £350, but a second hand EQ5 with GOTO can be had for not much more. Personally I would go for the better mount if your budget can be stretched a little. You'd also have something easier to sell on when you realise you need an EQ6!

I do the flats in the same way too, so just as an out there thought. If you hold the filters up to the light, does the colour extend all the way to the edge; no ring of light!

Good plan. I await the result with interest.

The filter wheel itself can be attached in 2 ways. The camera should be attached to the side opposite the removable cover that gives access to the wheel so that the filters are screwed in towards the camera, if that makes sense.

I have the same camera and I use the very same illuminated screen for flats, but I use NINA for the flats wizard and I have never seen the problem you have. I use a SW 20Opds and I did have a problem of light entering around the primary mirror so I made a black rubber shower cap to cover the end of the OTA; problem solved. I believe there was some sort of issue with the older ZWO filters, but I have only used Astronomik and Astrodon filters. Are the filters the correct way round? Any possibility of a light leak around the filer wheel connections?

PS: You are creating flats for each filter?

What OTA are you using; are you in a light polluted zone; was this a very dewy night, was the Saharan dust passing over; how are you illuminating and creating the flats? Anything else you can think of that could help diagnosis would be good!

Have you tried stacking the images without using the flats to see if that Xmas tree affect persists?

I get that same message sometimes but it seems to be advisory as its in yellow. Anyway, I ignore it and guiding starts when NINA wants it. Doesn't appear to cause a problem.

I prefer the Polar Clock app (I'm sure other apps have the same functionality) which can show the expected view in the polar scope. Makes life easy for me any way.

Just a thought, have you analysed your wifi environment with something like this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.signalmonitoring.wifimonitoring There maybe interference from a neighbouring router and a change of channel may help.

You need one of these as you already have the bands https://www.amazon.co.uk/Desktop-Charger-Charging-Compatible-Smartphone-White/dp/B09FDMZ67H/ref=sr_1_20?crid=1KW3NF8LIWKDG&keywords=4+port+usb+charger&qid=1648160201&sprefix=4+port+usb+%2Caps%2C333&sr=8-20 That solved my problem with the same type of bands, which do keep heavy dew away.

Hi Try this one https://pbleic.medium.com/star-reduction-in-gimp-a-tutorial-using-wave-decomposition-59d209e53bc6 There are a couple of errors in the steps. Step 13 to clear the "dancing ants" got to menu, select, none; and in Step 15 highlight the original visible layer that is below the mask layer to effect erode. Hope that is some help.

ASTAP does panel stitching which I have used for 8 panels successfully, but 28!! Maybe you have a Cray at home 🤔

For a start I don't use wifi as my walls are 2ft thick. I run a 10m StarTech active USB3 cable (expensive) to my ASI1600MM, to which are EAF and EFW connected via the USB hub, and a 10m powered USB2 cable to a hub to connect the less demanding bits of kit. All run by N.I.N.A on a Windows 10 laptop. I notice you are using a wireless extender; as that is connected to 2 networks simultaneously it will halve the bandwidth to your mobile. Perhaps run a cable from the asiair to a computer and see if the problem persists.

Hi Is whatever device you are using to connect to the wifi on the asiair always awake or is it set to go to sleep when not being used, including turning the screen off after so long? Maybe it is doing something else such as auto updating/backing up in the background? Those are a couple of issues that caused my set up to have connection problems, albeit not with an asiair.

Hi I think you will have that exclusion with all couriers. The exclusion only covers damage, but if it gets lost then you are covered, well if they pay out what its worth that would be a surprise too. A personal courier service direct from you to the buyer does exist, but prohibitively expensive unless the telescope is made of gold. I have shipped telescopes (up to 8" SCT) around Europe without problem; well packed in one box, then pack well into a second strong box. Good luck with the sale.

Hi I have used the very same camera on the very same finder on a SW 200pds with good effect. When I bought the camera second hand it came with the finder scope adapter, so I assumed it was standard kit. Any way, when you have the adaptor make sure you screw it in as far as it will go to enable focussing.

If you have a close fitting, non-breathable cover then that will be a problem. Using the clamshell cover nothing is touching the kit so condensation generally isn't a problem. However the kit is most likely to be covered in dew when in use so probably best to leave the kit to dry off before sticking a bag over it. Thus back to the clamshell; there is sufficient air around the kit for the dew to evaporate albeit slowly at times.

I use a motorbike clamshell cover which are available in 3 sizes (available from Amazon, Ebay and I am sure other sellers). I leave my rig setup permanently and it has survived 70mph wind and torrential rain. I have bolted my cover to a concrete pan, but for occasional use a weighted bag at each corner would suffice. It can be picked up and moved quite easily or dismantled and folded away. Excuse the ramshackle cabling, etc. in the photo, this was part way through setup.

Maybe it's natures way of telling to get a bigger tube 🤔

Hi I have the same camera and filter wheel plus a coma corrector but on the 200pds. I assume the focuser is the same on both models (could be wrong). On mine when in focus the focus tube withdraws about 10-15mm to achieve focus. I have not noticed any problems with the focus tube impairing imaging. Perhaps on the narrower tube the focus tube could be more intrusive, so I would suggest take some images and flats and see if there is some artefact produced by the intrusion of the focus tube. That's my two penny worth. Hope it helps.

I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. There's some nice subtle detail and I quite like the pastel colours rather than a vivid in your face production. If only I had a starship to pop out there and see what looks like close up!

Try this https://www.startech.com/en-eu/faq/change-com-port-number-windows I pull and push my usb cables in/out of the computer and shutdown with all connected without problems. The point to remember is that COM ports are assigned to devices at each usb port, so if you have a hub as well at the telescope the cables need to be connected to their same ports at the hub and the cable from the hub connected to the same usb port on the computer each time. That way the COM port for each device remains static. Hope that makes sense!

The tester only seems to check pin-out, that is each internal cable is connected to the correct pin. This will not help to determine if the cable functions correctly in use. I had intermittent problems with my rig (10m run USB connection for EFW, EAF, ZWO 1600MM, ZWO 120MC, HEQ5) and my solution was a Startech powered industrial 10m USB 3 cable connected to the 1600MM and connecting the EFW and HEQ5 to the USB hub on the camera and the rest of the kit to a USB 2 hub connected to a powered USB 2 10m cable. So that's 2 cables to the PC. Forget about Amazon basics cables and hubs, good for 50cm!