Padraic M

Hi Stuart, my information is out of date! I see that the Gen 2 PPBAdv has fixed this issue, and all ports are USB2 compatible. This note from the website relates to the Gen1 PPBAdv that I have: * Older product revision (Gen1) had only 3 out of 4 USB Ports that were compatible to USB2 devices. For detailed information please check the product manual. The issue was that while many devices are USB3.0, some require a USB2.0 handshake to power up, and this can't be supported on a USB3.0-only port. I also have the 30A Nevada Radio PSU and it works perfectly with the PPB.

I have the PPB Advanced and it has enough of everything for a guided refractor or SCT, including two dew straps, power to the imaging cam and focuser, and USBs for both cameras. I use the USB hub on the imaging cam (asi1600mm) for the filter wheel and guide cam. I haven't powered the mount from the PPBAdv yet but intend to try. The PPBAdv has plenty of ports and power for me. The usual caveat that one of the USB ports is 3.0 only, and a lot of the imaging gear can't use it, so I just leave it empty. The 4 12V power ports are switchable on/off but are not voltage adjustable. There is one additional switchable and variable voltage port. So you can have 4x12V and 1x8V. The PPBAdv is likely to be enough for you but as others have said, if you don't mind the cost, the Ultimate will cover all options. Either way they're a great buy.

Phew! Well done. Glad they turned up! I always agonize over the file naming pattern - I'm sure everyone has their own favourite way. You can see my pattern in the screenshot above, but the drawback is that I need to remember on which date did I shoot a particular target. From time to time I discover sets of images that I had completely forgotten about. I'm thinking about arranging source images by "target then date" when I copy them off the laptop hard drive onto the USB drive.

+1 I use Nina and it will store files in the directory you set in the Settings tab. This may not be where you actually want them to go, but they will save there. The default location is C:\NINA_Images so first things first, look in there and make sure they're not there. I've never had to save my image files after a run, they're always automatically saved by NINA. This folder is set under Options/Imaging/Image File Path Note that by default it saves FITS files so just make sure that you're not looking only for normal image file types like jpg, tiff, png etc. The SAVE button that you're pressing on the Sequence tab has nothing to do with your images. The one on the top right corner saves the configuration for a set of targets if you have multiple targets included in your sequence (e.g. the target name and RA/Dec coordinates). The one in the bottom left saves the configuration for your sequence for each target including number of subs, filters, exposure time, binning etc. I'll put money on it that your images are saved there somewhere on your C drive!

Glad to hear it!

There's still hope - plenty of time for the forecast to change to green! btw did you get all of your kit sorted out in time for your trip to dark skies?

I think this is what it meant to say:

Nah, got to be a mistake. A glitch in the matrix.

Hmmmm I've done that one too, and luckily did no damage. I like your idea of taping up the adjustable power output.

I'm thinking along the lines of a 1m-cubed flower planter with a hinged roof and some linear actuators to open/close it. In my very small garden I have high trees to one side so blocking off one side with the roof isn't an issue for me. I'll leave North free for polar alignment, and have a reasonable view to the South, SE and directly overhead for imaging. Inside I could just use a tripod on a solid base rather than sinking a pillar in concrete. I still have the same question as you - 'Can I close the roof?'. Interesting point about the birds - I suspect that birds won't perch on the scope until they get used to it being there. I leave things set up only while I can be sure of the weather so it's only ever up for a few days at a time, and the birds don't go near it. But if they do, a safer, easier option might be to automate a simple scope end-cap/flat panel?

This is something I've given some thought to for when I get around to building my micro observatory but I haven't implemented as yet. But I have built a lot of other types of sensors, and I find that you are sometimes just as likely to get a false reading from a sensor as you are to detect an actual real life event. This means that you'll end up trying to balance the risk of closing the roof on top of your scope vs the risk of leaving the roof open through a rain shower. NINA can definitely park to a custom position (I've done that by defining a horizontal position and parking to it and it works fine). It depends on your mount type but if my HEQ5 can do it, your AZ-EQ6 will definitely do it. This can be done in pre-1.11 NINA by defining the park position in EQMOD and setting the NINA option to park scope at end of sequence. I think that 1.11 NINA with the new scheduler can do more sophisticated things but I haven't spent much time with it. I have only had two failures with NINA parking at the end of a sequence and they were both my own fault - once because I turned off the option while testing a new sequence and forgot to turn it on again (resulted in a mount collision in the early hours); and the other one when the camera power cable got stuck around the stupid hand controller holder that has now been consigned to the bin. I think that trusting NINA to do its job properly without sensors is a relatively low-risk option. But, I agree, it's low risk/high consequences. If I was to do anything, I might look at a way to prove that the scope has parked successfully before closing the roof, rather than trying to stop the roof en route. Regardless, what will you do if the sensor flags an error? Issuing an alert is the best outcome, as just stopping the roof leaves the scope exposed. There's a safety control and alerting system whose name I just can't think of at the moment called something like 'happy nights' or 'sleep well' or something appropriate 🙂 maybe someone else can remember.

Nice write-up Colm, and some lovely images.

Superb!

Absolutely the right call. The stars are not going away for a while yet. No need to take a risk like this and you've absolutely no idea who's going to turn up and wheeze all over your eyepiece.

Is that even a question? There's nothing like a dark sky. Seriously though, your in-laws won't get anything out of you setting up Mission Control on their back garden. If you have any visual kit that you can take, it might be worth sticking it in too to give them an Oooh moment with Saturn and Jupiter. Any time I have visitors, they really don't understand why I won't let them look through my imaging scope. Duh! Why can't I just take off the whole imaging train and electronic focuser, and stick in a visual back and an eyepiece?

Not at the same level of astro quality I know, but I'm struggling with a C8 (non-EdgeHD) with the Celestron 0.63x FR. There's no/little/confusing information about what back focus is required, and from which point on the reducer is it measured. Procedurally, if the back focus distance isn't known but the reduction factor is, am I safe to test at two or more different distances, platesolve to establish the achieved focal length at each distance, and calculate the back focus distance that gives the required reduced focal length? (in my case, 2032mm x 0.63 = 1280mm)

Deservedly so. Beautiful production.

Just arrived! Looking forward to lots of nights of discovery. Thanks @Ags.

I know what you mean. I suppose it's £5 for the cable and £30 for the peace of mind. This is called Value-based Pricing. 😞

Was just about to ask.... I have a spare 1m one but obviously of no use to you. ebay/Amazon is what it is - the listing says 'genuine FTDI chip' and I don't generally pay any attention to the user reviews as they are usually a) the advertiser giving 5 stars and b) the competition giving 1 star. But you take your chances. I don't like the picture of the seller's observatory - empty beer cans and cigarette butts all over the place!!! Maybe put a Wanted ad on here, someone may have a Lynx Astro cable to sell you. btw, the HEQ5 motherboards are notoriously bad for over-voltage, reverse-polarity etc. protection. I'm usually pretty good at soldering and crimping but I managed to fry my board nonetheless. Usual mistake is to accidentally put 12V on the UART logic pins and there's no voltage protection before the onboard PICs, which contain a surprising amount of magic smoke.

@scitmon interesting! Apparently Microsoft has removed the Photos option to disable Automatically Enhance.... so there's no way around it! I've just installed irfanview as the default viewer for JPEGs and it's working fine. Thanks for the answer!

Unfortunately yes - Bortle 8 at best. NB works well, but WB really not a runner. Had a few weeks in Kerry recently and really noticed when I got back how few stars I can actually see naked-eye in Dublin. @wimvb this might be an option for some of those long Swedish winter nights! I presume it's circumpolar for you at +59 degrees?

Very nice shot Colm! It certainly is faint - I took a peep at it myself last night but got absolutely nothing in 10 minutes of Ha (f6.3 C8 @1340mm), and RGB is almost a waste of time in Dublin skies. I moved onto a brighter target. It's one I'd love to try from dark skies.

Hi, anyone know how Gimp exports images as JPG, PNG, TIFF? As below, the exported image is always brighter, with less contrast, than the image as seen in Gimp. I'm using sRGB v4 colour space, perceptual mapping. Image in Gimp on the left (32-bit gamma floating point, sRGB V4 ICC perceptual intent); exported JPG on the right in Win Photos.

Thanks Carole, I've seen the nova in a few images, I think there have been quite a few accidental captures recently! Nice to be able to identify it. It's a busy piece of sky.