Palantir

Thanks Mike, do you have the star go or synscan version?

Thanks, Vlaiv, Mike.  So I think my polar alignment was good (I found what I believe was the pole star, downloaded the app and aligned it to the correct part of the circle according to the app) but I think that my DSLR was not aligned with the polar axis accurately as there was no was to line up except by eye.  Also because I used a 'L' plate it was perpendicular to the normal way a telescope would be mounted (see picture).

Mike, I have the synscan version, does it also build up a model or is that just the stargo version?

Hi David, Vlaiv and Mike, thanks, looks like a little more investigating on my side needed.  I will have another look.  Its a bad week this week in the centre of London so I will have to wait before I can try again.  There was a large slew (I guess its subjective) so will definitely try plate solving on the target object or nearby in future.  Do mounts normally loose their place between slews?  I thought once you were plate solved that was it for the session.  I'm also going o have a go at astrometry.net to have a go myself.  I did look at the website but couldn't see where you can do it.

Hi all, mystery solved, I was pointing at the galaxy and the plate solve did work just too faint to see as many suggested.

Apparently the galaxy is there (see pic).  I should say, for anyone using a Mac, the support was excellent from cloudmakers (http://www.cloudmakers.eu)  who developed the AstroDSLR and AstroTelescope software (I was emailing with Peter the developer).  I can also recommend their software as it just works without much fiddling.  I set up a windows 10 laptop with EQMod and my Mac with the Astro suite from and can say that the astro suite of software was very clean and did what it said, certainly from download to set up and running was a lot quicker on the Mac.  I think it is helped by the use of the INDIGO and INDI platform which (putting my day job hat on) is a well architected software platform IMHO.

Actually that didn't work, here is a better jpeg:

Hi Olly, I did run the stacking anyway as I set it off before I left for work.  Attached is the stacked image.

Hi Kirkster501, I did have the ISO at 800 to begin with but it was over exposing quite quickly.

Cheers

Tariq

Thanks everyone, let me have another look at the lights, I’ll stack them and post results.

Hello

Just started and first attempt at astrophotography failed spectacularly (obviously).  I did some research and bought as good a mount as I could.

Kit:

Avalon Fast Linear Reverse

Sony A7rii with 70-200mm f2.8

MacBook

Software:

AstroDSLR and AstroTelescope form CloudMakers

Process:

Polar aligned

Mounted and balanced camera (to light for any counterweight so just used bar)

Plate solved using AstroDSLR and http://nova.astrometry.net, twice and synced to mount

Slew to Pinwheel galaxy and took a test frame, couldn't see the galaxy put pressed on with sequence of 30 second exposures at iso 100 at f2.8.

After downloading light frames and stretching definitely no  success.  I can see stars and they are in focus, at the edge the stars

My question is what is the most likely step that failed?  Is plate solving 100% reliable?  The mount is second hand but appears to be working and is in very good order.  Even though the DSLR was only clamped on using a Vixen to DSLR 'L' plate I assumed it doesn't matter if it is exactly lined up with the mount as I aligned using an image form the camera (if that makes sense).  Anyway if someone spots something I would much appreciate it.