AndyThilo
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Posts posted by AndyThilo
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Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but has anyone tried these? I get my Esprit 80 tomorrow and want to put my guide scope on top:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tube-rings/skywatcher-telescope-tube-rings.html
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Well decision made and purchased. And it was none that I previously shortlists :D. I was having trouble matching a 2.5" flattener with one of these chinesium scopes so decided to choose between the Willams Optics 81GT and the Skywatcher Esprit 80. Both Triplets. Decided to go with the Esprit 80 package which included the 2.5" flattener and a Canon T-mount. Plus was a few hundred pounds cheaper than a 81GT + Flattener and comes with a decent hard case.
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Thanks Alan, that makes sense now. Cable should be with me on Tuesday so I can test it all out, thank you for your help
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I’ve ordered an eqdirect cable. Happy to ditch the handset if it works.
Still confused to the process, is there a step by step anywhere for using the EQMOD directly without a handset?
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1 hour ago, symmetal said:
In the home position Eqmod will show your RA as being 6 hours out (90 degrees). This is normal as the counterweight bar is not in its 'viewing' position. The text with the image says you synced the home position and the statement you wrote that I quoted also says you synced the home position. You must never do this or you will end up pointing 90 degrees out with CdC/Eqmod. When you were using just the handset you wouldn't have synced the home position as it wouldn't have asked you to. The handset only asks you to sync after it's slewed to a star.
Alan
Ok definitely sounds like my issue then. So the sync isn’t to sync home position? If there’s no handset, do I just park in EQMOD and then release the clutches and centre the mount to its home position?
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2 minutes ago, symmetal said:
You shouldn't sync in the home position because the counterweight bar is in the wrong position for viewing near the meridian. The home position is a known starting position with the weights safely at their lowest position and that's all. If you unpark the scope and tell the scope to slew to polaris (or any object near the meridian) the RA axis will turn through 90 degrees so that the bar is horizontal. This is the position the scope needs to be in when you sync. However, never sync on Polaris anyway, as unless your polar alignment is 100% accurate the RA in particular will probably be significantly out. Always sync on objects well away from the pole to align your scope pointing. This would explain your RA being 90 degrees out in Eqmod.
Alan
I wasn't trying to sync to Polaris, just slewing as a test, but it's not just Polaris. If I use handset only and slew to to say Vega, it's fine. Goes to roughly the right place. If I try it with EQMOD and slew using CdC, it's massively off.
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I guess I could try that. I have a hub also for my DSLR and guide camera. Just seems a waste to ditch the handset. I don't understand why with all location/time/park position synced, EQMOD sees a different RA position. Doesn't make sense to me and that annoys me lol.
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How do I ditch the handset? I plug the USB cable into it. It's the latest handset with built in serial to USB.
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Oh and RA reversed was unchecked, I was just trying things.
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Hi
So I've been playing with my EQ5 Pro Goto Mount. I setup it up according to a guide using a level and manually slewing both axes to get a perfect scope up, weights down home position. With the hand controller, even without calibration, I can slew to any target and it's close. I'm using an app on my phone, with the phone held against the mount to check and the target is always close to where it should be. Obviously a 3-star alignment would make it much closer. The Synscan app also works perfectly, with the same results as using the handset.
However, the issue I have is with EQMOD. I installed everything required, ASCOM standards, drivers etc.. I have no issue connecting to my laptop and synced the home position. However, EQMOD fails to have the same position as the hand controller. Whatever I try and slew to using CarteduCiel, it's completely off, massively so, like 100+ degrees.
How do I get EQMOD to work the same as the Handcontroller/Synscan App? I really want to use APT for everything and this is causing me real issues.
Photos from handset location information:
Untitled by Andy Thilo, on Flickr
Untitled by Andy Thilo, on Flickr
Untitled by Andy Thilo, on Flickr
And EQMOD with park home position synced:
Untitled by Andy Thilo, on Flickr
Seems RA is 6hours different.
Any ideas before I chuck the lot in the bin lol (jk, maybe)
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Looking to buy a dedicated refractor for astrophotograhy. Looking at the 70-80mm range, doublet or triplet but cost needs to be below £800. Any recommendations?
Looking at these at the moment:
https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-starwave-80-edt-r-triplet-apo-refractor-ota.html
https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/A-Z81BU.html
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Thanks but doesn’t support Olympus cameras. Seems no software does. I need stand-alone software
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Hi
At the moment I'm using my Olympus mirrorless camera for imaging. Whilst it has remote control software, the software doesn't allow for image review or auto-stretching. Is there any simple software out there that I can quickly load a photo into and auto stretch? Mainly to confirm object framing and image exposure.
Thanks
Andy
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Got it figured out. Ended up buying a cheese plate and a dual screw Arca swiss mount. The dual screw mount is for the lens foot. I then fitted another arca swiss base to the other end and screwed the arca plate to the bottom of the guide scope dovetail.
The EQ5 plate is bolted up through the cheese plate into the dual screw Arca mount. Super solid and all threadlocked.
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Just now, carastro said:
Do you have a small telescope? It would be easier to mount the camera on that and the small scope can be used as the guide scope. Lots of telescopes come with a camera screw attached to them.
Carole
No I'm using my 300mm F4 prime lens for the time being.
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Hi
Trying to get some ideas on how I can mount both my DSLR (lens has arca swiss foot) and 60mm guide scope to my EQ5 Synscan. Photos/ideas would be great please.
Thanks
Andy -
21 hours ago, almcl said:
Here's how I mount and guide my Canon + 200 mm lens on my EQ5 (ignore the stepper motors - my EQ5 was a manual at the beginning)
The finderscope has an ASI 120 mini mono and regularly guides at around 1 arc sec
Did you make the mounting plate yourself? That's kinda of the way I'm thinking of going.
21 hours ago, almcl said: -
Hi
I'll soon be getting my first mount, the EQ5 Pro Synscan and want to add an autoguider. Any recommendations? I don’t want to spend too much. I’ll be using a PC for both mount and camera control so makes sense to use it for guiding as well.
My initial setup will be my Olympus M1X with 300mm F4 prime. Will a 120mm guide scope be ok with an appropriate mono camera?
Then I’ve got to figure out how to mount it all to the EQ5.
Recommendations for a 70-80mm Doublet/Triplet Refractor for around £800
in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups
Posted
Thanks, hopefully it will out resolve me for a long while :). I've already taken the foot off and fitted Skywatcher 101mm rings and a long Skywatcher green Vixen plate. Also fitted my guide scope on top. Just got to check it balanced ok or I might have redrill and tap the vixen plate to move it further back towards the camera.