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MikeP

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Everything posted by MikeP

  1. Only just read this and it would have been an easy drive. Sorry I missed you. Mike
  2. Hi Tony, Thank you for your response. I've replaced my obsy and just about all my obsy equipment after a bit of a hiatus, so I was reluctant to move away from some semblance of familiarity i.e. EQMOD. I didn't really understand what you have written in the first bullet. What I take from it is that if I use PPEC alongside PHD2, there could / would be clashes. Since I wasn't planning to look at PPEC for the foreseeable, I won't worry about that but I won't forget the issue . I had read somewhere that GSS sends GoTo commands rather than the varying length pulses that EQMOD uses. In a digital world that makes sense as does using software that is being further developed. Once I have everything working with EQMOD, I will have a look at GSS and possibly PPEC. Could you point me to where in the GSS EQ8 group that the first two bullet points are discussed. I had already joined the group but can't find what you are referring to. Thank you again. Mike
  3. Hi Tony, I have a new EQ8-R. What specifically are the advantages of GSS over EQMOD? Its user interface is much more modern but that aside, I couldn't see anything that made me want to switch. I've used EQMOD since its early days and so perhaps I am just biased. Mike
  4. Hi there, Welcome to SGL and congratulations on finally getting your new scope. My wife and I went to a wedding in Antigonish some years ago and took the opportunity to tour around Nova Scotia. Very nice part of the world. Mike PS Interesting plants in the background
  5. I'd have bet against that roof staying on in strong winds. Hats off to you for coming up with that solution - I love it. By the way, your kitchen is a lot tidier than mine would be if I was single. Mike
  6. Thanks for the link Scotty, I'd found a few references myself but I'm reluctant to blame the hub. There are three USB cables plugged into the NUC. One for the dome (which I have not powered up since the EQ8 was installed) One to the EQ8 "mount" - it is a straightforward USB cable not an EQDIR type of lead One to the EQ8 "hub". There are two USB leads from the hub - one to the Sesto Senso focuser and one to an ASI2600. The ASI2600 is further connected to the ZWO filter wheel and an AS mini guide camera, In NINA, if I connect any one or all devices that are physically connected via the hub before I connect the mount, they all connect but the mount will not connect. If I connect the mount first, all other devices can then be connected. Since this workaround is not onerous, I'll continue getting everything set up and just live with it. One thing I might try though is connecting the NUC to the EQ8 mount with an EQDIR cable since I have one spare. Mike
  7. I polar aligned with Polemaster very easily - as Graeme says small adjustments are easy and I found it was possible to tighten everything down with no discernible movement of the alignment image on the screen. Since then I have been fighting weird connection problems to NINA. Everything on the mount is new other than the focuser so I expected some problems but I concluded that the built in hub was faulty. To test it, I bypassed it by connecting the cameras, filter wheel and focuser to a HitecAstro Mount Hub (which was used with my old mount and I planned to sell) and hey presto everything connected. As I was pondering how this would be resolved, I had another thought - the USB lead from the NUC to the HitecAstro hub was not the one I had used from the NUC to the built in hub. I reconnected everything back to the built in hub using the HitecAstro USB lead and hey presto again - everything connected. Ordinarily I would have wondered about the USB leads but they were all new and not cheapos. However, I think I still have a problem and was just lucky with the result above. In NINA, if I don't connect to the mount first, I can't get it to connect. Not the end of the world but very irritating. I use the ASCOM Device Hub Mount -> HEQ5/6 as the driver because I found that worked with my old set up to allow synchronisation with the dome by using Device Hub dome. I've not tried the dome connection yet because I want to get something captured even if it means manually rotating the dome. I've a bit of measuring to do for the dome parameters but it worked before so hopefully it won't be a problem now. Two steps forward, one back. Mike
  8. My kit has almost always been 2.1mm but I have a Sesto Senso focuser which is 2.5mm. So, I agree with Scotty38. You can buy 2.1mm to 2.5mm adapters rather than buying new leads. Mike
  9. Just a thought ... are both the DEC grub screws still in place? If something small has fallen in to the workings somewhere, it could be one of the grub screws. When you re-balanced it could have moved and is now jamming. Bit of a long shot but only a few seconds to check. Mike
  10. Hi, It is hard to understand how a mount that was functioning perfectly can suddenly lock up when left alone for a few weeks. I have the same mount (older model) and I got fed up of mine being "sticky" in both axes when left for a short time. Nothing like your video - just a bit of light pressure to get things moving. I finally broke down and dismantled the mount and regreased by following this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21wRVsNU6_w It really is quite simple to do and the DEC axis is the first part to be worked on. Unless someone more experienced comes along who can offer better advice, I'd suggest following the first part of the video - it will let you see what is going on inside.. You say that you adjusted the DEC backlash screws a couple of months ago and the last imaging you did was of the Rosette. Just to be clear, was that imaging done after the DEC grub screws were adjusted? The diagrams in the following that show how the adjustment screws work are helpful since it is a bit counter-intuitive https://www.astro-baby.com/EQ6 rebuild guide/EQ6 worm alignment.htm Sorry I can't help more. Mike PS If you do follow the video, be very careful unplugging the encoders, they are quite delicate. That said, I have encoders turned off because they are said to interfere with guiding.
  11. Into my 73rd year and the biggest disincentive is the cold and damp. I think once you develop an interest in astronomy, it lasts forever. I'm more likely to die at the computer screen than the eyepiece though. Mike
  12. Hello from another member on the Kent / Sussex border. Buying telescopes = clouds. Does that mean buying umbrellas = clear skies? Mike
  13. It is what I used with a new installation earlier this year and it has worked perfectly so far. Mike
  14. Same experience here with an iOptron last weekend. As you say though, as long as the AZEQ6 tracks and guides OK, why mess with it. Mike
  15. Mine is also quite stiff. Tempted to strip it down and re-grease but lack confidence that it would ever work again. Mike
  16. Brilliant. Especially the gradual sneaking up on the minimum size of the roof. Mike
  17. I can't speak on behalf of all the moderators but this one loves the post and what you are building. I look forward to seeing more. One suggestion - do you think your better half would be happy with future gifts of say ..... mounts, scopes, eyepieces etc? Mike
  18. Hi Nicolàs, I wondered what lateral offset setting was for - obvious now you point it out. When I took delivery of the Pulsar, it came with a memory stick containing an ASCOM driver. I was able to connect to the dome via Device Manager and to Device Manager dome with NINA but not directly. One of the error messages suggested a disparity between 64 bit NINA and 32bit drivers, so I reinstalled NINA as 32 bit and was able to connect directly. Since the delivery was only about a month ago, I suspect there isn't a 64bit version but I'll email Steve and ask. I'm familiar with the sequencer but haven't explored the advanced sequencer yet, so I was completely unaware of the synchronise dome trigger, or any triggers to be honest. It isn't my intention to fully automate my imaging but I can see that using a trigger within the sequence would be better. It will be a while before I get that far (waiting for a new scope) but if I have difficulties I will be sure to get back to you. Thank you for the help and the offer of more help. Mike
  19. I'm in the process of setting up my new Pulsar dome. Preliminary testing using NINA to connect to the dome and the mount indicates the dome is following the mount, so I'm very happy with that . Currently I don't have a scope on the mount but I will eventually have a side by side set up. Will this invalidate the measurements I have taken to the intersection of the two axes within the mount? Also, does anyone know if Pulsar have a 64bit driver? Thanks Mike
  20. I could be wrong but I think print ("The dew point is" , calc_dew_point) should be print ("The dew point is" , calc_dew_point(get_temp(), get_humidity())) Mike
  21. Have a look at the ASCOM Device Hub Help. I found this part very helpful ......"If your mount has a hole through the internal portion of the counterweight bar to support a polar alignment scope, Point A would be in the exact center of that hole. " Mike
  22. When I made mine, I was trying to figure out how to bolt the mount to the top disk, LongJohn very kindly pointed me in the direction of www.lasermaster.co.uk. I think the "washer" cost me £20 odd including postage but well worth it. It drilled quite easily too. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/295820-lasermaster/?do=findComment&comment=3238658 Mike
  23. Exactly what I used. I had oil to hand but found I didn't need it, drilling at slow speed especially. Mike
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