scotty38

Here's an old photo of my setup. Some of my kit has changed and I'm actually a bit tidier now with shorter cables but you'll get the idea of how I mounted things so just one way of doing it.

Ok thanks, I can sort of see how it could be a problem for a sensor if it's not of a suitable length to calibrate correctly, indeed for my 294m I have to be careful, but other than that I cannot imagine why PI itself would care if you see what I mean. Is the issue not with PI as such but rather one of ensuring that proper calibration is able to take place? I'm just wondering if the reasoning for longer flats to address some "quirky" sensors has grown arms and legs and has now even morphed into becoming a PI problem 🙂 🙂 All that aside the sensor that's the subject of this thread is far from quirky and should not need any special treatment whatsoever......

Where have you heard that Stuart as I think that's a new one to me? The majority of my LRGBSHO flats/flat darks are under 4 seconds and as far as I can tell they're ok and I get no reported issues but if I need to do something different it would be good to know......

I realise it's daytime but anyway this is what I see for the zero pos setup: 5.10. Zero Position 5.10.1. Goto Zero Position This moves your telescope to its Zero Position. 5.10.2. Set Zero Position This set the Zero Position for the firmware. The Zero Position reference will be an undefined value after firmware upgrade, or it may lost during power outage or HC battery replacement. You can use this function to set the zero position reference. Press the ENTER after moving the mount to Zero Position either manually or with the hand controller. 5.10.3. Search Zero Pos. In the event of power failure, the mount will lose all its alignment information. This can be very troublesome if the mount is being operated from a remote observation site and is controlled via the internet. To counter this, the CEM70 has been equipped with a function that can find the Zero Position for an initial mount set up. Select “Search Zero Pos.” and the mount will start to slew slowly and find the R.A. and DEC position to set the mount to the Zero Position. When the mount has found the Zero Position, the HC will ask if you want to calibrate the Zero Position. Press ENTER to confirm. Use the arrow keys to fine adjust the zero position. This will correct any discrepancy in the Zero Position. Alternatively, press BACK to cancel. I assume you have the mount in its "Home Position" physically and you are trying to set that as the "Zero" position? I am also assuming that the mount is already polar aligned??? I am assuming that if the above are true then you are being shown the only feasible stars available although given it is daytime I'd expect that to be none at all so I am a bit confused as to what you're expecting to happen....

So a 533 gives more reach than a 2600 does it? They use the same pixels by the way..... I know you didn't mention a 2600 but this whole reach thing is confusing, to me anyway

I can make varying different looking versions just by combining what you have but what are you looking for, what is it that you are not getting?

Assume no further joy with the fancy pants dynamic pixelmath stuff then?

I'd go 36mm for APS sensors plus just my opinion but I'd seriously consider 7 slots in your filter wheel for LRGBSHO even if you don't start off that way.

Ah I see what you mean, yes the database is installed locally but I must admit I had always assumed there was some comms up to the internet anyway but as I'm always connected it's never shown up as an issue or not. I'll try a test and see.... You learn something every day even though I have to say I'd not really actually given it much thought 🙂

Yes it is, I wasn't thinking straight.... Having said that I don't use astrometry.net I use astap and it's plenty fast enough to not need local solving. Has it just dawned on me that folk saying local solving is faster are not using ASTAP?????

No I don't but not for any premeditated reason just I never thought about it. I don't have any machines without a connection and don't image away from home so it's never cropped up. I have considered what I would do if I lost Internet connectivity during acquisition but I've not done anything about it although NINA has the offline cache for this very reason although I've not tested it really.

Lots of software out there from free to costly from not as complex to a bit more complex. Free - DSS, Siril Not expensive - Affinity Photo, Startools More Expensive APP, PIxInsight Plus probably loads of others too

At £3 per metre how many scaffold poles to create an equivalent 6-8" diameter steel tube pier, not £500 worth I'd guess? What about if you used formers and just had the outer "ring" of tubes with judicious welding. Couple of ideas there?

Latest quick image out of my GT81 albeit the latest MKIV version and the WO 0.8 FF/FR but I am more than happy with it

Thanks Vlaiv, appreciated as always!

I had that exact camera, filter and mount and used it with my WO GT81 but just moved to a mono QHY 294m so there's one option for you and won't break the bank either..... Having said that the recommendation would probably be for a focuser that doesn't use the fine focus knob anyway. It might be a bit harsh but there's probably a reason why they are sometimes known as the Sesto Slippo..... 🙂

I think he got fed up of waiting for a reply anyway 🤣 🤣

It might fall foul of your weight criteria but what about the Esprit 120? @vlaiv I'd be interested to see how that would that stack up numbers wise please......

@petevasey regarding an Esprit 150 on an EQ6 then it was @StuartT that had this combo before he bought his EQ8 and I'm pretty sure he had decent results so if you just want to use that combo for star parties I'm sure he'd give you the thumbs up....

There is a search bar at the top, just enter whatever it is you want and it'll bring up a list of conversations containing those terms. I think you'll then get a chance to go older etc etc

Yes that's all I do with mine, I have it set to do updates in the daytime, anything between 5pm and 7am is out of bounds as it were..... Having an internet connection is far more handy to me for plate solving, NINA updates etc etc than worrying about a random reboot or windows update that I can control anyway.

I think folk have used an Esprit 150 on an EQ6 with no issues so if it's just a worry for the odd star party why not just get the scope you want and "suffer" when you're out and about but know you have what you really, really want when in your observatory?

Looks to me like he has used the standard adapter that comes with the mono camera.

Funny how different folk see it isn't it as, for me, I find it way easier than trying to fathom the individual processes....

I hear what you're saying but just for info just in case you've not been keeping track but in the later releases of PI the ethos has changed such that WBPP is now the preferred way of preprocessing images. You may have noticed that the message that used to pop up that WBPP is suboptimal no longer appears. This is because the script has indeed been optimised and enhanced to (in theory) do a better job than going through the steps manually. That's not to say you should not do them manually or that you can't do a better job manually or that manually isn't quicker just that WBPP isn't the second rate option any longer 🙂