powerlord

no I mean, when you PA you are manually moving the mount. So then, afterwards it doesn't know where it's pointing. So you need to do the synscan align process again (reset first, then align with 2 or 3 star). So minimum routine (assumes mount has moved since last session): - level tripod, use summit like polar align pro app on mobile to get bearing and angle of WEDGE as spot on as you can. - fit yer gear, and balance. - turn stuff on, and start to use your camera ideally, and an RDF or whatever. - reset alignment -do align routine - do PA routine - reset alignment - do align routine (which will now be much better since you've PAed, plus RA should be closer for tracking) If you can be ar$ed - go around this once or twice more - you should get closer to just moving polaris left/right, up/down in the crosshairs of your camera with each PA attempt. Once satisfied, goto and image as many targets as you like. You don't need to do this again unless you move the mount (but if you do plan to use it again without moving it after turning it off, be sure to use hibernate - but you'd have to PA again then anyway as different night, so not sure that adds much frankly)

Yeh, it seems to be fairly well accepted that the AZ GTIs are not exactly honed to perfection in the factory. I've seen folk saying their's was missing a thread for a balance bar for example. And some seen to have better tolerances and less backlash than others. I've did the usual, and taken mine apart, re-greased it, adjusted the worm tensions, etc. Who know if it helped, but it feels as good as it's gonna get. But I do believe mine has terrible ALT accuracy for whatever reason. So taking that out the picture by running in EQ mode made a massive difference to me. Your results may vary. But I've shot unguided 60 seconds with my 1300mm mak102 no problem (it came as part of a kit with the AZ GTI). Quite a lot of it comes down to how many times you go around the PA - since the nature of how the synapp process works means you really have to reset aligment and do your 2/3 star alignment again, then PA again, repeat. Frankly I've only once had the patience to go around twice. But if shooting with long FLs I'd imagine that is key. The other big EQ advantage (it is in the manual), is that you don't need to be connected to the app all the time on yer phone. just goto, and leave it tracking. I had bought a 2nd hand Samsung S7 and hardcase just so I can leave it out there with the mount and not have to have my mobile sitting close enough to the thing for hours while it imaged. Now, it's not required!

I don't have access to PHD2 - only what ASIAIR PRO exposes. But yes, life is short - I'd rather get the kit I really want than waste it away struggling. 🙂

it's a video - one of my favourite flights. agreed - North West is one of the most amazing scenery on earth imho. I'm kinda glad it's not more popular - it's the isolation as much as the scenery that makes it for me. Then Ben and around there is another favourite of mine to fly - probably getting off topic now.

thanks Olly, so you're saying for my skymax 102 and 6d - I'm at the boundary already then. add a barlow and it's too much for the guiding ? that's a pity - not a lot of pixels to play with. 😕

wow - that will be a yes then. 😀

did you forget to post the steps ?

Surely it's the FL that decides if it's long or short ? I mean a 400mm FL with a 30mm Aperture would be an F13.3 (long) by this definition, but it's surely still 400mm - which isn't long surely ? Or has long and short got a weird astro definition as well as every other camera term I've learned in the last 40 years ? stu

Hi chaps - er new to this collimating lark. I bought a svbony laser collimator and it shows it's well off - reflected laser not even hitting target ! But my old Helios just seems to have fixed philips screws in base and base sides ? The spider has adjusatable knobs though. I'm assuming the primary locking screws are under the bottom and it's a base plate cover thing ? Am I likely to be able to do a decent job with this laser ? I'm not looking for perfection, and I figured it'd be easier than a cheshire thing. But I don't want to spent hours faffing about and failing only to then ask on here and be told I was wasting my time. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Telescope-Collimator-Bysameyee-Calibrator-Collimation/dp/B07J5WBG4K/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B07J5WBG4K&psc=1 Second thing is, as I'm going to flock about with it (yes.. it is the cheap pun you suspected), is it worth me just taking the spider off and flocking the inside ? It is painted black, so is there really much gain in flocking it ? Lastly.. it's pretty old, and been sitting in someones loft for years - the main mirror is pretty dusty and one big (im hoping) hair rather than scratch visible - if I take it apart and carefully wash it (following you tube videos - distilled water, etc) am I likely to get it back together again, or am I best leaving that alone ? cheers stu p.s. ignore mental 3 in one mount - that's coming off and putting a top dovetail on and will mount stuff to that.

yup - pro app takes you through it. I find it soo easy now. It knocks asiairs method into a cocked hat imho. takes a few mins only. I had an adventurer on order, but with the performance and easy/vesatility of the gti in eq mode, I swapped the FLO order for another GTI - then yesterday decided one was enough and I'd use the cash towards an EQ6-R.. but point remains. I just got an M12 threaded rod (7 quid), some bolts, propeller nuts. printed a standard dumbell weight to M12 spacer on my 4d printer, and used 2 spare 1.25 dumbell cast iron weights. And I use it with an ioptron wedge as they were the cheapest. weight easily screws off for transport or AZ mode. It's a no brainer really honestly - you'll never look back. I really need to try it out with my EQStarPro and guiding - I'm keen to see what accuracy it gets - with easily getting 120 sec unguided, could I hit 5 mins+ ? I've been mainly using it with my SLR lenses - and that 120 secs is with an APS-C 1200D, and a 1.4x extender with my 300mm L F4. i.e. 1.6x1.4x300 (672*). I've shot 90 secs with the 2x extender (840*). *FL pedants - leave me alone - my mind works in 35mm and it's not changing now 😛

you dont need a polarscope Lee, synsapp does the work. I get 2 mins reliably with 72ed unguided

that really is excellent. And that is unguided ? I didn't even try to attempt it with my az gti in eq mode - just didn't think it could do it - went for it last week with my 6d, SW 72ED and EQ5 mount, guided, but didn't get anthing like as good as you got. I was shooting 90 second lights, and forgot to shoot any calibration frames. result below 😞 I shot it 2 nights later with my mak 102, which maybe approaches your result, but that was at 300 seconds. I think I DEFINATELY need to try my AZ GTI on it (though will be in EQ mode ! (boo hiss i hear - can't post to this thread). so hope following images allowed even though with EQ - it's as a comparison to show why skill and talent and an AZ mount beats a monkey in charge of an EQ mount. SW 72ED (heavily cropped): MAK 102 (heavily cropped):

haha, fair enough. I've been using my tripod unextended, and I reckon that should fit just about. But yeh, extended - not way. "what pier ? you mean the high tech designer bird perch I've put in the garden ?"

yeh it's got pegs, and it will be sitting on concrete base circle anyway (I'll peg it out with bungies to the grass. I ordered a green one, so could blend in reasonably. Of course like all these pop-ups, there's the 'blackbelt kata' you need to learn to 'pop' it back down. 🤪 And if it's not that shower proof, a spray coat of waterproofing should do it. Obviously I'd being the scope, cameras in, - but a bit of humidity isn't going to do a mount or asiair, etc any harm once in a while. I'm beginning to get a nervous twitch when I hear 'polar alignment'.. so anything that can make that need doing less (or adjusting less at least) has got to be a good thing. The other thing I plan to do is carefully drill little indents into my circular patio where the tripod legs go (2" stainless steel EQ6 tripod). that will make it easier to position it exaclty the same place each time. just need to get em in the right place! stu

I did see those, but they are not 15 quid. plus, seems with something like the tent, you've got a bit more latitude for things like leaving my battery pack, etc outside too was my thinking - i.e. stuff that I usually have on the ground under the tripod. I mean bottom line is they're 15 squid, so I'll get one and post some pics of the results. stu

I love flying up there in my paramotor - had a close one with US airforce last time right enough.. but still - awesome scenery. It's where I named my puppy after 🙂 Last time I was up (2019) I had amazing weather - motorhome parked next to sea in a wee place all to myself, swimming in the sea in the evening, and flying over the Cullins during the day. cannae beat it. Wasn't into astronomy then so probably missed out on some great night skies. Saying that, yer a lucky lucky man to get those conditions, rain, cloud and wind are more likely. one of my movies if interested:

So.. as we have a dry week forecast, with maybe 2 or 3 seeable nights, it'd be nice to leave my kit out. I've done that a few times with just the mount, covered in a mylar (body warm) sheet, but I was thinking one of these would be sort of ideal.. might need to remove the base so I can pop it on: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384104097603?hash=item596e636743:g:mB4AAOSwlIZgfVnc What do folk think ? Anyone got another cheap and simple solution for leaving kit out, hidden during day, out of sunlight and safe from the odd shower ? stu

update: ordered EQ-R PRO from FLO today. July earliest delivery 😞 . but I can wait - will keep learning with what I've got in the meantime. Next job is to collimate the 200p and try to get used to the thing.

sorry - missed your post. I was waiting to get a few sessions under my belt and learn it's ins and outs. I still reckon thats ongoing tbh. give it another 3 or 4 sessions. However headline is so far so good. All works as you'd expect. Only quirk is around having to HOME it each time you turn it off or it gets quirky. powerwise - standard 12v, standard connector. USB is standard serial, so EQMOD compatible. I run mine off my own built power pack - you can tweak how much current you let the steppers use, but by default it's 0.8amp per motor. I find it runs fine off my custom job (which would struggle if over about 2.5 amps):

1600 wise - there's one on ebay that might go cheapish is all... I mean it might not - 2 days to go.

thanks for advice. And NEQ6 vs EQ6-r - for my application do you thing the 250 quid more is worth it for the belt drive of the R or will it be wasted on me or not required with ASIAIR compensating for backlash anyway, etc do you reckon ?

thanks, neq6, eq6-r, az-eq6: as faras i can tell.. neq6 is decent gear driven, az-gt6 same but with az option, and eq6-r is belt driven?\ eq6-r most accurate ? but other 2 prob good enough ?

So, equipment in sig. Warning: it's a long one... Friday night I got my asiair pro set up with my 72ED and modded Canon 6d. The mount is an EQ5, with an EQStarPro controller and belt driven servos. I was guding with my ASI224. My target was M51 - if was gonna be small, but I wanted to see a galaxy!! 😀 The result was ok, about what I could expect - with a nearly full moon, 37 lights 90 seconds, iso1600, and nowt else. And heck, it was the first galaxy I've ever seen !! (andromeda not visible from garden) Last night, I was back again with better PA (took me 20 mins as the EQ5 tilt is quite worn and it was back and forward, back and forward.. but with a larger guide scope (50mm vs 30mm), and my Mak 102 with the 6D. I spent about 2 hours setting up, and trying to get the guiding tuned, and mostly I was getting RMS error of less that 2 degrees, with most of that being DEC (I assume my PA wasn't as good as I thought). I shot 60 lights at 180 seconds iso1600. I shot darks, flats and bias. Sometimes DEC was really struggling, so only 43 were good. There is a fair bit more detail in there, but not as much as I hoped. Am I expecting too much do you think and this is about as good as I can get with my current kit ? I feel that my old EQ5 might just not be up to small targets like this - I do want to try my AZ GTI just to see how it compares.. but I imagine if the EQ5 setup is struggling the AZ GTI will certainly struggle. I came into the hobby wanting to basically try a bit of everything and then see what I like best. I originally thought going down to complex laptop, guiding, modded dslrs, etc direction was not for me and i wanted simplicity. However as a super-nerd, I should have known better. What I reckon I'd enjoy best, is a solid setup that will me shoot nebulas and galaxies. The odd planet would be good, but I think I'd like to focus on nebulas and galaxies - moving into mono, narrowband, hubble pallete, etc. So.. rather than add more and more not quite right equipment to the already burgeoning pile I have accumulated in 3 months, I think maybe now is the time to flog what doesn't meet those goals, and get the kit I do need to do it well: - two setups: one mobile(ish) that I can take with me in the motorhome, probably built around the az gti in eq mode, and one for the garden for the serious stuff. Serious mount wise, seems to me it's a no brainer to get an EQ6-R PRO ? Ticks all the boxes ? After that though I'm a bit lost. Imaging wise, unless I do narrowband with colour camera (many doing? worthwhile ? not trying to win competitions, but do wanna get cool shots ), i suppose im looking at mono camera, filter wheel and LRGB, Ha,Oiii,Sii ? What do you think are the best options ? 1600GT ? 1600 pro mini ? or colour like ASI294 ? But it's when I get to OTAs I'm really lost. I think the 72ED I have is a keeper - it's ideal for most nebula - AND it's portable for the motorhome ? So if thats the case, could I cover the rest (smaller nebula, galaxies) with one other OTA ? Are we talking something expensive around the 200-2500mm range ? EDGE HD or summit ? I know I'm very much running before I can walk, but I like progressing fast, and I feel at the moment, I might have outgrown the skymax 102, I've yet to actually use the 200p I got hold of, basically because it's really too big/heavy for the EQ5/EQStarPro and the one time I tried it, it was just so so cumbersome to try and use.. And though I've enjoyed using my Canon's, I wonder if know, I'm trying to knock a square peg in a round hole, and should sell them on (well maybe keep the 6d). EDIT: got a bit carried away there - the point I was also gonna make was - do I just need a different OTA for small stuff and that would let me get nice pics with my 6d ? I mean, I can still shoot narrowband, etc. ? stu Friday night with the 72ED: Saturday night with the Mak102:

Thanks - I got there eventually - what with eventually finding out that it was based on it. stu p.s. I'm sure Skye would like meeting yer dogs!

Maybe this can be the thread to document the best... I've had a few so far... but don't scroll down if you want to guess this one. Second night ever trying to guide for first time - I've got a 30mm mini scope, and an ASI224. I'm having to wack the gain right up and put explosure to 3 seconds to see any stars.. i mean.. it's a small scope but surely.. is it this bad... even focusing is hard. sigh.. another stupid purchase - should have got a 50mm one like a normal person. I then proceeded to actually get this working, guiding on a star, and shot about an hour of M51. When packing everything up.. I discovered this. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .