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3 hours ago, Feccy said:

I just installed the same focuser yesterday and had the same issue - on Kstars/Astroberry - the fix was to power down and re-start everything & set the max steps to the desired number - for a while I was stuck as you are

Thanks for the reply. Will try that with fingers crossed. Seems like it's an issue all round. 

Good evening all,

When using the focuser, it seems that I can only move it 19635 steps. I have tried to change the maximum steps to 85000, but always reverts to the above number.

The only way around it is to reset the zero point (not to mention I still cannot seem to find focus with my ST120 and crayford dual speed).

Has anyone got a clue as to how to reset the maximum steps in the software (and how I can focus an image. Really frustrated now).

Thank you all in advance.

Rob

6 hours ago, Clarkey said:

I'm not sure about the ST120 but I use an ST80 for guiding and that needs about an extra 10cm on top of the focuser being nearly fully extended. Try adding some extra extensions and check it during the day. Hopefully you will not end up wasting imaging time trying to sort it out.

Thank you for the reply. I think you are right about the extentions. Just got to find the right ones now 😉

3 hours ago, JamesF said:

Ok.  From the back edge of the main tube (not the focuser adapter) to the camera sensor is about 235mm in my case, or alternatively it's about 600mm from the join between the dew shield and the lens cell.  I added a 60mm (T2, I think) drawtube extension to reach focus after removing the clamp and 2" to 1.25" converter that is normally on the end of the drawtube (I think that's what's normally on the end of the drawtube -- I no longer have the stock focuser on my ST120, but I believe in that respect they're the same).  My preference is to have everything screwed together rather than clamped in place by a few screws with the potential to drop out or not be square to the optical axis.

James

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I will look to add some extention tubing in the next few days, and see how that goes.

Rob

Good evening all,

I am in the process of getting my equipment together for some DSO imaging.

Currently have ST120 with Crayford style dual speed focuser, EAF, zwo 224 mc (i think, colour camera) asi120mm guide camera with 120mm zwo guide scope.  eq5 goto pro controlled by stellarium, sharpcap pro, eqmod and ascom. I am using a startech starlink from the mount to the computer.

I think I have everything covered to start imaging, apart from experience and knowledge (but trying).

I am struggling to find focus using the 224 as the main camera. Is there a calculation I can use, or does anyone have an idea as to the length I need the draw tube to be at to get focus on objects? Will I need extenders?

The reason I ask is that I had a little play while setting it all up (on one of the rare cloudless nights in my area), and the drawtube was at its maximum and still did not seem to be in focus (was aiming at the moon).

I hope these questions make sense, but happy to try and clarify if that would help.

Rob 

On 19/09/2020 at 07:02, Dr_Ju_ju said:

For your sanity, have you ensured that your system, virus checked the files on download. On install, you just need to select 'Install anyway', the error message is thrown as ASI\ZWO haven't submitted their files to Microsoft such that they can then get a 'signature' which allows easy install... 

Thanks for the thoughts. I tried again last night after removing everything installed from the system and the same error came up. Really at a loss now as have a good camera I cannot use 😥

Good evening,

I finally received my above camera ttoday from FLO (great service and team) and tried to install the drivers from ZWO website.

Unfortunately, this did not work. Windows is saying there is a problem with the driver. Have tried to email ZWO, but just curious if anyone else is having problems and may have a solution?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Rob

2 minutes ago, DaveS said:

No, the Bayer filter is a physical layer of RGB filters over the photosites.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Thought it was worth an ask. Will have to get a mono set up in the future, but babybsteps for now.

50 minutes ago, symmetal said:

Here's the colour response of the 224MC. The Ha filter will pass a narrow wavelength band centred around 656nm so as mentioned above the red pixels will give a reasonable output but the the green and blue pixels will give much less. Putting an IR/UV cut filter in front isn't necessary, as the Ha filter has a much narrower width pass band so will cut IR and UV anyway, as well as the blue and green wavelengths. IR/UV cut filters normally pass wavelengths between 400 and 700nm.

Alan

thanks for this, makes sense now. I think I'm trying to sprint before I have even started to crawl, but cannot stop myself thinking ahead.

I will have to see how I get on with the  scope/ mount and camera first then think about a non colour camera. 

I would really like there to be no cloud on my rest days, just not when I'm working! Not been able to get out for about 4 weeks now due to shifts and weather!

50 minutes ago, jambouk said:

Without the IR-cut filter the red pixels will be sensitive to Ha; but you need to see where the IR-cut filter kicks in. You’ll only be using 25% of pixels with an Ha filter on though because of the Bayer matrix. The 224 is a CMOS rather than a CCD but potentially splitting hairs. You’ll have to have very long exposures with the Ha filter on compared to the images in full OSC mode. 

That is a fair point about the bayer matrix. I didnt consider that. Would it still be the same using a y800 codec (as believe that 'turns off' the bayer filter but could very well be wrong).

3 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

You can but its not as effective as a mono camera for narrowband. What camera do you have in mind?

I have an ZWO ASI 224mc with ir/uv cut filter and a neximage 5 (just for planetary work).

Currently have slt mount, but have an eq5 pro on order. 

Was just curious as to whether I could use an Ha filter as well to add definition to deep sky objects.

I'm hopefully about to embark on DS imaging soon and was wondering, can you use a colour ccd camera to take images  and then use narrow band Ha filter, stacking all the images?

Forgive the question, but trying understand it all before I get cracking.

Thank you.

Rob

Good evening all,

I want to get an equatorial mount, and only have about £600 to spend as a maximum.

Been looking at EQ5 pro goto or EQM35 Pro goto.

I want to start into DSO imaging and have a startravel 120 for starters.

What do you think would be better for me (or any other suggestions).

Wishing for clear sky (eventually).

Rob

1 hour ago, KevS said:

Good morning, 

Looks to me like movement blur, and only slight focusing problems any longer than about 2 mins on Jupiter will capture the rotation and smear the results. Not sure of the pixel size of the camera you mention but you could (dependent upon the focal length of the scope) be "over sampling". Try it again without the Barlow. I am not an expert by any means but I am sure there will be a more experienced planetary person along soon.

K

thanks for that. I was wondering if an adc would be of benefit, but would prefer to put my money towards a new mount 😉

Am using 640 x 480 on the camera, and the focal length ratio of the scope is an f/12 

Frustrated with outcome so far, must learn how to curb my enthusiasm 😉😁

1 hour ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Firstly, remove the diagonal from the imaging path, it isn't required.

I am having to use the diagonal as I am always realigning - starsense is just not working too well for me. Think the mount may be playing up as I have never been able to track correctly even before using starsense. 

But will certainly try without the diagonal, tonight hopefully.

Good morning all,

I am using as 127 slt mak, 2 x barlow, star diagonal and neximage 5.

i am really struggling to focus or to capture a decent image of jupiter. I know i am not to expect hubble quality, but really dont know what i am doing wrong. i have tired focusing on a star using a bahitnov mask then moving to jupiter (issues with starsense but that is a whole other thread), but just cannot seem to get the focus right.

I attach an image i managed to grab last night as an example.

i am getting incredibly frustrated, and feel that i am missing something.

Please, any suggestions/ tips/ help will most certainly help my blood pressure ;-)

Rob

jupiter 06082020 1.bmp

Good morning all,

I recently purchased starsense for my 127slt. Tried to use it Sunday night, but the alignment process result was awful, and way off line.

I decided to do a firmware upgrade as read that this may well be the problem.

Did the upgrade, it didn't recognise mount but upgraded the camera and the handset, but now the camera does not seem to work (handset said waiting for camera to initialise), and handset says there is a critical error and now will not work the mount.

Changing the handset back to the nexstar+ moves the mount, so I know the mount is not dead, but really dont know what has happened to the camera and handset.

Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

Rob