M40

Great news in that you got focused using the 533 so at least you know the camera works fine. Can I suggest on your next step using the main telescope, you remove the filter drawer and CC and just bolt the camera into place. Try and get focus and see what happens. Try it in preview mode taking single shots on low gain and short duration. Good luck.

Well I've had the aa+ since December but no chances to use it and after weeks of cloud, we have had one ok night followed by last nights high cloud but im going for it. After two nights using the asiair+, I got the camera focused ish, plate solved sorted, polar aligned (40') ish a few pictures taken of M51 with lots of cloud, Moon and a number of Elon scrap metal tracks across the frame but then I took this... 16 x 10 second pictures in live mode, mid gain using an asi385mc on the 85mm stellamira.

This is a simple screenshot and I am well happy regardless of the massive dust bunny on the camera. I can now sit indoors away from flying things and play. Very much a first step, but I got it all working

I've just started playing with the aa+ so may not be much help but can only try. 

Did you get the all sky lens with your camera? If yes try that on your laptop as you should get some sort of picture. It would be good to know the camera works stand alone.

If no, stick the camera back on the telescope and give it a go during the day pointing, if possible, at somewhere remote, then with the gain set to 0, set to preview rather than video, put a very short exposure time, start with the focuser racked all in and take a single picture. If its bright white, stick a moon filter on and take another picture ( you do have a bit of a light bucket there) hopefully it will at least be a darker picture. If it is, start winding the focuser out a bit and take another single picture. Keep going until you either get something or you get to the other end of focuser travel. Give it a try and see what happens. 

Many thanks, miniscope ordered 👌

Yep, that's the one

The camera is not the mini version as I am just using what I have at the moment to see how I get on. According to everything I have read it should be compatible without anything else but....... do I need a helical focuser of some sort? 

What is your mount sitting on? In the past I had a problem with the azimuth pin coming loose as the thread had stripped, so if you are using an adapter plate of some sort it may be worth checking. I also found some silicon washers (b&q) that I stuck between mount and base which seemed to help with small adjustments.

I would expect the PA to be out on the following day so that's quite normal. All the best.

Hello all, I am going to have a play using the zwo mini guide scope with an asi290mm and the asiair plus, which has led to a few questions.

First off, does the asi290 just bolt straight on and come to focus without any other adapters required?

Has anybody tried the above combo with the asiair for solving and polar alignment? 

Many thanks for any help.

10 minutes ago, FLO said:

I will most likely purchase one ........... It will be my last telescope. 

Steve

Of course it will 🤣

Hello and welcome to the site 👌

Hello Suggsey and welcome to the site 👌 I look forward to seeing some pictures taken with the Dwarf, always good to see what people are using and what can be achieved. All the best. 

Superb👌 and a great idea with the toolbox to keep everything tidy. But I have spotted something that you have missed, a doormat. You know you will be distracted by that muddy footprint  😉

I think everything is a playoff, it's going to be lighter so the mount maybe that little more accurate versus possible longer exposures so you may need the eq wedge. There is also a good chance you won't see the more faint galaxies but at the same time I can't see it being a problem for the brighter stuff thats out there. I think it really comes down to your targets and lets face it, the way the weather has been lately it will take years just to cover the brighter stuff. All the best. 

Many thanks, looking forward to the next one 👌

31 minutes ago, Astro74 said:

Great advice thanks - I was considering the 80ed

👍have a good look at the stellamira 80mm in comparison to the skywatcher 80ed. It may be a tad more expensive but it seems to be significantly lighter.

I currently use an 85mm refractor with a zwo asi290mm for my eea stuff and am quite happy with that. It also goes with me on an az gti/tripod as my grab and go. The mount just about manages, it actually moans and groans quite a lot but it gets there. My suggestion is, if you are considering a refractor, use an 80mm as a max on that mount. I understand that a mono camera is more sensitive than colour and with a smaller refractor the more sensitive the better. All the best.

I don't have that mount so cannot confirm it, but does your mount have the port for the synscan hand controller? If it does, it should work using an eqmod cable but it would be well worth an email to flo first. All the best.

+1 for dropping the eyepiece kit, but I do like offering an alternative. I  use two eyepieces all the time, a baader zoom (never used the barlow) and a baader hyperion 36mm. So can I suggest you start adding to your kit with a zoom, it will be so much easier to use than swapping eyepieces. All the best.

22 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi and thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, this site is on a roof terrace.

🤣 let's not try that then.

Plan B: is your roof terrace material concrete or a rubberised type coating? If it's concrete or similar, bridge between one of the mount legs and something metal fixed to the roof or try somewhere on the floor to see what happens. If its rubberised that becomes a whole new ball game as you may be getting a tickle when you touch two different parts of the mount or it could just simply be static. What's also interesting is that others have experienced it. I use both a battery and a nevada on an heq5 and have never felt a thing. 

Your mount is probably on rubber feet which means its isolated from earth. Any potential difference that exists between the mount and the ground you are standing on will therefore go through you when you touch it. Easiest solution thats been mentioned above, is get a piece if wire and go between mount leg and the ground its standing on. Do not connect it to mains earth or the DC supply. If you can, stick a long screwdriver in the ground and wrap the wire round that. You may need to chuck a cup of water over the ground connection if the ground is very dry. Job done, let us know how you get on. All the best.

Great sales technique, because they left out a few M3 screws they sold you all sorts of other stuff 😉 looking good and hopefully a clear night will be along soon

What you have there is something called an eq6 wedge kit that has been fitted after market that is supposed to help things 

Have a look at this and hopefully it will help.....

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/how-to-set-up-an-eq6-wedge-correctly/

All the best 

Hello AstroGeorge84 and welcome to the site.

I can't see from your picture, but do you have a clamp arrangement on the other side of the mount similar to the picture below?

9 minutes ago, FrenchyArnaud said:

You meant Daily Express didn't you? I don't think the Daily Mail published If thry did, I need to know 🤭

It's in the online daily mail, not seen the actual paper. Well done 👌

On 06/03/2023 at 19:54, Stanneman said:

I got a telescope for Christmas and I really like to observe things with my own eyes but I also like to show people the things I saw but as you might imagine, it's really difficult to take a picture with my phone and bare hands. My question is if I should wait with astrophotography or if I could already start with a phone adapter for example. I also don't know if I should spend money on a phone adapter or if I should wait sometime and start with a dedicated astrophotography camera.

I am going to say, jump in and get a phone adapter. Nothing better than being able to show people what you have seen and for £15 - £20 on something you can use over and over, it's perfect. I started with a Dob and one of the first things I bought was a phone adapter, I still have it and I still use it. Enjoy the journey and let's see those pictures. All the best.

Just to add, you can also use the phone adapter on a set of binoculars