Len281249

Thanks to all, now sorted very simply and no fault of mount or movements etc. I took the advice and just used Polemaster and no apps. Set it up perfectly with PM, checked through session all good, switched off left over night rechecked with PM, absolutely bang0on and has remained that way since. Classic case of "too many cooks....or apps" Thanks all

Well October now and late to the party but here goes on my thoughts and realities of my EQM Pro 35 Firstly from new it is a very "sticky" mount in RA and DEC, whether it's in infamous SW "gunk" grease or not I can say after 3-4 months of using it daily, not just for imaging as we all know our clouds issues, but just leaving it running scripts from APT and the occasional vigorous manual rocking and twisting, it is now much freer in both axes. Not so free that it makes balancing simple but I use the "electrical" method from the Lazy Geek which is foolproof and works a dream and balance is no longer an issue. Both RA and DEC backlash from new was awful and my thanks to Martin Pyott's episode 4 video on tuning, I have taken 99% of any backlash out of the axes. Before I had backlash infos and 12 step BL clearance in PHD2 and now never have alerts on backlash and never more than 2 steps clearance. Original guiding was really bad and now I never hit 2 on the graph and both axes are smooth and all those horrible spikes have gone Don't use the Handset as all under ASCOM/EQMOD and totally reliable comms under the EQ5/6 choosers Perfect GoTo's with never more than 1 slew in PointCraft 8Kgs on-board...TS65 Quad, 120mm GS with ASI120MMC, ASI533MC, EAF focuser, DewZap, 7 port USB 3 Hub...all up and I am extremely happy though a lot of tweaks to get here That's my input

Hi, yes that was my procedure exactly when I used the handset but now I go direct so no handset. When I finish I always Park the mount to my normal Park position using EQMOD Toolbox or direct from APT and Unpark directly from Tool ox or APT I check that the mount is always Parked both visually on the laptop screen, checking alt/az numbers and physically looking that it has parked exactly on my mount marked lines for my Park/Home position so I do not see how this is any difference to when I used the Handset and used the routine you suggested and which I always did. Had a quick check around today between the rain and all looks good including the Polemaster mounting adapter as I thought it might be either loose or not sitting flush on the mount but all look good. I also checked the polarscope was centralised at any RA Really have no idea why this is happening, Thankyou so much for your inputs Len

Hi both, many thanks for replying to my question/concern. When I say switch off after a session I mean: Park the mount to to its normal park position which I have marked on my mount to cross reference by me for my sanity. Shutdown all programs, by individually disconnecting from Camera/Scope/Focuser etc in APT, Disconnect All in PHD2 and then ASCOM Disconnect in Toolbox, (Using EQDir cable, don't use the handset Then I power down everything by switching off my 12Volt power tank. I cover the complete mount setup with scope and everything and thats it for the night I'm not quite sure that if the mount is in the exact same condition/position/no interference or movements whatsoever, why when I check via polarscope and Polemaster the next night/session, the "dot" position in the clockface reticule of the SAM app which is the same clockface reticule as my polarscope aren't in closely the same position on both clockfaces, and Polemaster also confirms this and hence the need to re PA with Polemaster If this is normal that's fine and I will repeat PA every session Just cannot understand why it can change if everything else is static Thanks so much...like everything in AP, probably over-thinking it!......AGAIN!!!!!!

Another newbie question I'm afraid, looking for some answers please. My Polemaster is securely mounted on my SW EQM35 Pro mount with the correct adapter. My mount is always in the same position on a concrete base so no movement. I polar align with the polarscope and then with Polemaster very easily using the SAM app Polar Clock Utility and start imaging and then switch everything off. When I switch on the following night and check my polar alignment using the Polar Clock Utility app SAM console Polar Utility, the position of the position "dot" on the SAM app clockface is always quite a way away from Polaris position I see on my "clockface" reticule in my polarscope and of course I have to PA again with Polemaster before imaging Can someone give me any clues please to explain why this should happen??? I have to re Polar Align with PM every night because of this Thankyou

Thanks Tomatobro, Like Andrew said, they may well be hot pixels and hence I think would cause the strange phenomenon of disappearing with gain and exposure changes. I am comforted by your comment re "a little out of focus and short exposure times producing a blank screen"....that really settles my mind a bit. No definitely remembered the dust cap I'll do as you suggested if we ever get a clear sky, I'm in St Asaph so quite near to you in Shropshire and we both have horrible skies at the moment. I am using the capture in APT though do have ASICap from ZWO and Sharpcap, not really familiar with either as used to APT with my DSLR and stupid me thought it would be a simple switch to CCD (CMOS)...unfortunately not. I will wait for extension tubes to arrive and set exactly 110mm from rear of scope to sensor and try again. Do you mind if I contact you again please to try to move along this learning curve?, are you on Messenger?

Thanks Andrew I'll try the Moon when I get the extension tubes

This is probably a stupid newbie question but it's really got me head-scratching!! I am just moving to a ASI533MC camera from modified Nikon D5300 DSLR, I have a TS65 Quad scope F6.5 and have been getting images from the DSLR with the DSLR, a 2 inch adapter straight into the scope drawtube and focused with the scope focuser and Bahtinov mask and all good. I installed the new camera and all drivers etc are functioning and originally I forgot to add any extension tubes to account for the 55mm back focus required by this ASI533MC camera. I took a star image and long or short exposure times and low and high gain combinations, the stars were the smallest of smallest pinheads where previously with the DSLR they were normal. I thought the new camera was faulty!!!. Then I saw and remembered and fitted 55mm length of extension tubes and tried again. Exactly the same outcome, impossibly small star pinheads at any setting. In the daytime I can focus on far away objects using the focuser and acquire a correct sized image on the new camera. I have of course now realised that my scope which includes a built in flattener, requires 110mm of back focus and I am now waiting for additional extension tubes to arrive to get to 110mm from the rear of my scope to the ASI533MC sensor. My question is would such a way off back focus produce this symptom of crazily small pinheads stars that even disappear from the image when I increase the gain or exposure times and only reappear in their incredible small size at minimum gain and exposure time and of course are useless for AP. I am trying to convince myself that my scope is still OK and all will be well when I get the correct scope back focus of 110mm Any explanations that this incorrect back focus is causing this effect would be very reassuring Thanks so much