centroid

That sounds like a logical reason as to why I never experienced dewing problems during many years of using SX cameras. A case of "you get what you pay for I guess". The Altair Hypercam 294C Pro TEC camera that I recently bought, apparently has a heated window, and a guarantee of 2 years frost free operation, time will tell I guess. It also comes with a spare re-chargeable desiccant cartridge, with a note to say do not replace unless the need is confirmed by the dealer. It will be interesting to see what direction SX head in, now that Sony are ceasing the manufacture CCDs.

Interesting, perhaps its because I live in the dryest area of the UK, that not one of the five different SX cameras ever displayed any dew problems. Having only just returned to the hobby, after an 8 year break, and only a mile from my previous location, it will be interesting to see how this camera (294c CMOS), copes.

I have seen some discussions where people are having problems with CMOS based cameras dewing up. Having recently bought a CMOS based camera (294C), I am intrigued as to why this should be, as back in the day, I imaged for 12 years, with a variety of Starlight Xpress CCD cameras, and never experienced any dewing problems. Is it perhaps that CMOS cameras are of a different physical construction?

Problems now resolved. Excellent support from Fabio Cavicchio of MSB software. 👍

Are there any Astrort 8 (or 7) users here that might have an answer to this problem. I have a Hypercam 294C Pro TEC, and a GPCAM 130. I can connect either of them as a main camera, so the software both recognises, and communicates with them. The option to connect a second camera (guide) doesn't become available until the main camera is connected. I have downloaded, from the Astroart website, the two relevant dll's, d_ASCOM-dll, and g_ASCOM_dll and installed them in the Astroart folder (Programs x86) When I try to connect to the 130 (Camera 2, Guide) , the program 'Flags Up' "Unable to connect camera". I have to wonder if the problem might be that the GPCAM 130 does not have its own dedicated USB feed, but is 'Piggy Backed' off the 294C. I have posted the question on the Astroart user forum, but as yet, no solution Yes, I know I could use the ‘freebie’ sofware, but having bought Astroart 2, I would like to use it. It is designed to run both a main and guide cameras together. Back in the day, pre 2014, I used AA5 with an SX main camera, and an SX Lodestar guide camera, without any problems, albeit they did each have their own USB feed, and neither of them were ASCOM.

I tried every possible combination Michael, including your suggestion, without even getting near to success. As I said earlier, I used an OAG before, and getting it set right was straight forward. Thank you for your input, but I think I am going to be heading down the guide scope route. Unlike before, when I had an observatory and attached warm room, everything was close at hand. Now its pier in the garden, with every controlled from the summer house, via 5m cables. So instead or just opening the observatory, and switching everything on, I now have to attach the mount to the pier, and then add the scope etc.

Two potential candidates for a 60mm Guide Scope. The Altair at £139, or the SvBONY at £99. Both come with mounting rings, and probably from the same Chinese factory 🙂 Anyone used either of these, and if so how do you find them? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Svbony-Helical-Focuser-Astronomy-Telescope/dp/B07N1BDPL4/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=53680609416&dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzOqKBhAWEiwArQGwaGg-K1fLB-X6cxGnrO8Yo90aUECn97NtAZAsfVNFoxJAWCELFnbxQRoC5UgQAvD_BwE&hvadid=259009923519&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045050&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6489284136323683334&hvtargid=kwd-315665898231&hydadcr=3952_1711725&keywords=guide+scope&qid=1633340101&qsid=258-8932162-1151919&sr=8-4&sres=B08927JRBJ%2CB07N1BDPL4%2CB07NPF5PXM%2CB06X15NDTV%2CB0826NYCH1%2CB071J2TRP3%2CB00DEOM534%2CB0811JK7W4%2CB08LDKD8ST%2CB001TI9Y2M%2CB07RQT5CHV%2CB07CB14GZL%2CB01N3KODZ6%2CB00K0O1SJ8%2CB098FD8MGF%2CB093FQGVGZ https://www.altairastro.com/altair-60mm-guide-scope-kit-straight-thru-non-rotating-helical-focuser-no-eyepiece-76-p.asp

I spent the afternoon preparing my set up. for a first light session. First job, lining up the 50mm finder scope with the new 115 APO. Then Attached the 294C to the 115, and took an image of distant TV aerial, no problem. Second job done. Next I attached the GPCAM 130 to the OAG guide port. I then spent the rest of the afternoon, trying the focus an image via the prism, without success. Multiple prism positions tried, and multiple guide cam to prism positions tried, but zero success. In fact I couldn't even achieve an out a focus image. In the end, I gave up in despair. 🙄 Another try after dark, but another couple of hours wasted. ☹️ I am now seriously taking what to me is a retrograde step, and going down the guide scope route. The irony is, in my previous astro imaging days, I used an OAG with an SX Lodestar for several years, without any problems. I can't remember what make the OAG was, as it was 8 years ago, but this one I believe is an OVL one, which I recently purchases from FLO.

Although I was out of the hobby for 8 years, the "itch" was always there, and I did point a camera at the night sky 😀 A couple of Moon shots, taken a couple of years ago. Canon EOS 5d MklV + EF 100-400L Mkll + EF 1.4x TC Mklll. Focal length 560mm and a heavy crop from the Full Frame originals. Hopefully, now having bought new set of gear, I can get back into astro imaging. 🙂

I started out with V3 , then upgraded to V4, and then lastly V5. I then left the hobby, now returning after an 8 year break. Back in the day, I was never overly impressed with AA guiding, but used an early version of Maxim. Not considering Maxim this time, as imo its way ovepriced, and I'll be doing things on a much smaller scale this time around. Unlike last time around, I'm not going LRGB, but OSC as its much less time consuming , and I can get three times as many subs, in a given imaging session, especially with the limited number of clear nights in the UK. I'll give AA8's guiding ability a try, and see how it compares with AA5 as I remember it. I have PHD2 as a 'fall back'.

I now have V8, which I purchased as an upgrade to V5. just need the opportunity (aka clear sky) to evaluate it.

As I just said to DaveS, I will just go ahead and upgrade to V8, it is a 'leap' of three iterations.

Thanks Dave, I think I will "bite the bullet", and upgrade to V8 👍

Thank you, that is encouraging. I did attempt to download the Demo version, but Windows Defender didn't like it, and advised against the download. I e-mailed Fabio (MSB) to advise him, and he said it is because it is a very new app, and that is just Windows being cautious. Would you say that V8 has a lot more to offer than the V5 that I currently, or in other words, is it worth the upgrade?

As part of my return to Astro Imaging after a break of almost 8 years out of the hobby, apart installing a Pier, and buying equipment, I have been looking at current software. Back in the day I was using Astroart 5, which I still have. I also used a very early version of Maxim DL, which I never bothered to keep, when I left the hobby, and sold all of the equipment. The only weak point that I found with AA5, was its guiding ability, whereas Maxim was excellent. Just my personal preference of course, but I much prefer to use a single software package to capture, guide, and process. I have Sharpcap Pro on a first year free licence, and PHD2, but am still leaning towards all-in-one Astroart. Maxim DL is not even in the equation this time, as IMO, its price tag is way OTT. Since left the hobby, I see that Astroart has gone through 3 new iterations., 6, 7, and now 8. Has anyone used 7 (8 was only released very recently), and if so what are your thoughts. If you had used 5, has seven significantly moved on? Of course, if I were to upgrade now, it would be to 8, which would hopefully have moved up a level from 7. Looking back at an old post here, by Olly Penrice, where he reviewed 5, has there been a review for version 7 here on SGL?

I look forward to reading your assessment 👍

Thank you Peter, I will take a look. I did like AA5 for capture, but its weak point was guiding, hence back in the day, I invested in Maxim, which was superb at every thing it did, however its price is way OTT. If AA8 is now more comprensive than 5, I might invest in an upgrade, about £120 I think. I note that a functional demo is available for download, without the ability to 'save'. While I do have Sharpcap, Altair Capture, and PHD2, I do like everything in one package. Its just what I was used to. Processing wise, I have PixInsight, and CS6.

I'll give it a go with Sharpcap/PHD2, and AA5/PHD2, and see how it goes. Just awaiting the arrival of a T2 to 1.25" eyepiece adapter to enable me to attach the 1.25" nosepiece guide cam, to the OVL OAG. Dispatched from FLO, and should be here tomorrow. Pity we can't order clear skies 🙂

Things do seem to have gone backwards, instead of forward, which is unusual with software development. Pre 2014, I could run both an imaging camera, and a guide camera (both SX) in a single application. In my case, Maxim DL 4, or Astroart 5. Unfortunately, when I gave up imaging, I had no thoughts of returning to it, and along with all the gear, I got rid of the now quite aged software. I recently discovered among some old discs, that I still had a copy of AA5. The only problem is, that where it would work simultaneously with an SX Lodestar, and a variety of SX imaging cameras, each with its own unique driver, my current cameras are both ASCOM. It will work fine with either of them, but not together. Running two separate software applications, or two instances of one, seems a retrograde step. As I said, things have gone backwards.

As I am now over seven years out of date with astro software, having left the hobby in 2014, are any of the current software packages capable of running two ASCOM cameras (one imaging, and one guiding) from a single application. Back in the day, I used Maxim DL 4, to control a two SX camera simultaneously, but it seems that much of the software now, is single camera operable, and some folk are either using two instances of the same program, or capturing with one program., and guiding with another, such as PHD. Any thoughts?

All ready for my return to astro-imaging 🙂 Set up on the mount this morning, but just posed for a photo, so no cables. Cabling all ready to connect, then just need a clear dark sky for the Polar Alignment. Albeit, I will get close to it during daylight with a Polar Align app on the iPhone. Altair 115 Triplet APO, Skywatcher Motor Focus, Hypercam 294C Pro TEC, GP Cam 130, and an OVL Off Axis Guider, on an HEQ5 Pro. The trees are to the North but relatively clear E, S, and W. Note that rather that pay out for a Pier/Mount adapter, I simply removed the tripod legs from the SW mount base, drilled three 5.5mm holes in the mount base, and secured it to the pier plate with M5 stainless steel, countersunk machine screws, nuts and washer. An M10 stainless steel bolt secures the mount the pier adapter. All mounted on my homemade (apart from welding) steel pier.

Ok, I have opened up the SW hand controller to see what it comprises, and it is indeed very simple. Two push buttons, three fixed resistors (only two in this diagram), a small electrolytic capacitor, and an LM317 Voltage regulator. The LM317 is rated at 3V min, and 40V max input voltage, so more than capable of handling a 12V input voltage. If I use a 12V supply, I might have the change the R value, to get it to retain its current slowest speed. I could of course just buy a 9V regulated plug top PSU with enough current capability to deliver the full 9V to the motor over a long cable, but there is no challenge in that. 😀

Sounds like a goer to me then 🙂. I don't intend to run the SW unit at 13.8V, but a 12V from a regulated 1 Amp plug top supply. I checked the output with no load, and its bang on 12V, so definitely regulated. Just need to get a 5.5 x 2.1 panel mount socket to fit to the SW controller.

My thinking is, that I have no need to operate the focuser from near the mount/scope, but from the summer house/shed via at least 6m of cable, and 12V supply, would provide a little more 'oomph' than a PP3 battery. I tried the focuser indoors, via an 8m cable from a PP3 battery, and there was definitely a difference in torque, compared to using the short curly lead, that comes with the handset. Being operated from a fixed position within the summer house, adequate mains power points are not an issue. I'm sure that back in my previous imaging days (pre 2014), I used one of these SW units for a while, before upgrading to a stepper motor, and along with all of the 12V gear in the observatory, it ran off a 13.8 volt regulated linear PSU I will experiment, and see how it goes.

Yes, that is the one MaIcolm. I found a a picture of the inside of the SW hand controller, and it doesn't appear to contain any 'sold state' devices. Just two button switches, a couple of resistors, and a potentiometer, so pretty basic. I note that the £79 Hitech controller uses a nominal 12V (standard13.2V ) supply, and they state that the motor is rated for up to 18V. I found a comment on the Ice in Space forum, where one guy had ditched the 9V battery, and connected a 12V external supply, so it would seem to be ok to do this. I could buy a 9V regulated plug-top PSU, but I have a least three regulated 12V DC plug top power supplies, from old BT Broadband Home Hubs. It is quite surprising that on a forum of this size, that as yet, nobody with the very popular SW motor focuser, appears to have moved away from the 9V PP3 battery supply. 🤔