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Showing results for tags 'synscan'.
Found 55 results
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Hi guys, With new mount and upgraded scope features, now looking to venture into imaging. Before I start, I'm not looking to get feedback on polar alignment, mono guidecam, better imaging cameras, etc; this is more a 'dummies guide' setup discussion! I'm not expecting to get great images at this stage, just more the options available, getting over some issues, so that I can jump outside on a clear night with an ideal, foolproof(!), setup for either imaging or visual as time would permit and what may work best for me. As you may guess from the topic name, I'm a mac user (Macbook Pro) and would rather keep to this if possible (whilst I do have Windows (and Ubuntu) via parallels, I'd rather not use these). I've got a setup which has worked well for visual, and obviously want to have a couple of 'staple' setups that I can use depending on expectations of night observing or imaging. So far, the best one for me has been the Skywatcher Wifi Synscan controller, which has worked a treat with my Android phone - I use the Synscan app to complete alignment and GOTO stars/planets/DSO etc, or Stellarium_plus after completing alignment. This removes the need for the Synscan Handset and any USB cables to the mount altogether. But I don't know if this will work for guiding. That then brings me to my issue on mac - connecting USB(A) between Macbook and Handset, I've attempted to control the mount through Stellarium. Trying each of the available connections (/dev/tty.usbsetial-1420, /dev/cu.usbsetial-1420, and just for sake of it, the /dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port and /dev/cu.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port) in the dropdown menu under DeviceSettings/SerialPort, I cannot get the mount to connect (well, more like selecting the telescope and clicking the "Start" on the TelescopeControl just results in the spinning icon and I have to Force-Quit Stellarium and start again with the same result each time. Annoyingly (for fellow mac users!), Parallels/Windows/Stellarium connects and controls the mount fine! As the mount is the newer "pro" type, I also have a USB connection directly under the hand-controller RJ45 and AutoGuider ST4 sockets, but using this still results in the same issue. Another issue I have seen is that when I unplug the USB from the computer when connected to the handset, the date on the controller jumps significantly - for example, last night at ~23:30, I was transported through the local wormhole galaxy to Jan 2048 according to Synscan! Obviously unplugging isn't going to happen during a genuine session, but just wondering if this is a possible issue somewhere?! Any other mac users connecting USB directly to the SW 'Pro' mounts? Software wise, would folks generally suggest steering away from Stellarium towards KStars or SkySafari(Plus) for controlling the mount? Can the Wifi dongle be used for controlling mount from computer (any OS) or do I need to go USB either to handset or directly to mount? Is there an issue in using Mac USB to the telescope compared to 'straight' Windows (i.e. PC/laptop with Windows instead of virtual)? Anyway, back to topic... I've a Nikon DSLR to use for primary camera at this stage, which would be triggered independently from guiding software. PHD2 is my hopeful choice of guiding software (is EKOS with KStars similar?), with T7C guide-camera on 240mm f/4 guidescope, and at this stage, I can confirm PHD2 at least connects to the camera on OS-X. There is an ST4 port on the camera, but having read several topics, I think I want to pulse-guide directly - is this correct or is ST4 best for this setup? This sorta comes back to software and connections - my understanding is one of the following cable setups for guiding (as a minimum) : Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => USB(A) => SynscanHandset => AZEQ6 Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => USB(A) => AZEQ6 Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => Wifi => SynscaWifi Adapter on AZEQ6 [using ST4: ST4_on_AZEQ6 => Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2] (no additional connections needed if ST4 is used) Additionally, I'd like to use an observatory package, say Stellarium/KStars/SkySafari, to select objects and drive the mount, then use guiding software to keep good 'tracking'. Where in this train does EQMac fit in, or when is it used? What about the 2019 addition to EQMod (ASCOM Alpaca)? Can this be used or is it already in other packages?! For Windows users, how does EQMod fit in (if I go down route of getting Windows laptop for controlling things, is the setup similar to above? There may be bits in the above that repeat, and for that, I'm sorry, just want to get across the message that I'm new to the guiding but haven't quite settled down into the software/hardware I'm expecting to use for 'goto' and 'guiding' TLDR: For a mac user, what setup and software are folks using for guiding and observatory softwares for the newer USB-on-mount 'AZEQ6/EQ6-R Pro' mounts from SW?
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Hi I am looking for help and advice on my SynScan EQ5 pro problem which i am struggling with. Everything was working fine and as expected. I have never updated the firmware and thought while i had everything connected i would update the Hand Controller and the skywatcher WiFi dongle. Everything updated first time without issue and i was pleased to be up to date. However i loaded SynScan app on the pc which connected fine through the handset and USB/Serial adaptor cable. I clicked on the movement arrows and nothing happened, i then went in to a random 1 star alignment and again no response from the motors. I powered off again and instead of the PC i tried the hand controller, i tried a 1 star alignment and the hand controller was displaying the slewing but again no response from the motors. in panic i then did the same with the WiFi dongle and phone app, same thing the software is showing movement but the scope remains still. Knowing all was well prior to firmware updates i reverted back to the previous firmware version and no difference, i tried it again in Lo mode and still nothing. I then noticed a firmware update for the Motor Control so thought i had nothing to loose i updated the Motor Control firmware and again no sign of life from the Motors. I have swapped the cables around, checked that they are all inserted correctly, the power is from mains not battery and the power source is plugged in to a a Power Filter and Surge protector. I have little experience of circuit board electronics, i was struggling to find similar experiences online other than voltage issues due to batteries which is not the case. I have opened it up and no obvious loose cables of solder loose, but this was straight after the firmware update which seemed to have installed and updated very smoothly no crashes etc. Any help would be really appreciated.
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Hello all, First post since my initial hello message due to a lot of cloudy nights and a small wait until I could afford my very entry level camera. I would like to apologise straight away for my lack of knowledge and the poor quality of my images. The framing is terrible and they're out of focus, but I'm also completely over the moon with them. I'm very eager for you guys to rip them apart and tell me all the ways I went wrong but I will always love these 4 images as they are the very first successful AP images I've taken My equipment is as follows skywatcher 150pds on a eq3-2 pro synscan mount Polar scope Canon 2000d Super coma corrector I have tuned the motor drives for the mount but haven't stripped down and cleaned and greased the mount itself yet but plan to. Also plan to upgrade to a heq5 Pro asap. I have no guiding other then synscan. Again something else I hope to change as soon as I can but for now its an oppurtunity to learn. None of the images are stacked, they're single 30 sec exposures. I very slightly adjusted the raw files by placing a slight s curve on the linear channel but will leave any further processing if I bother until after a good nights sleep. I've included both the before and after image. The first image is just of vega, I took it while star aligning. A awful pic for many reasons, especially the flare coming from the star, but my first so will keep it for sentimental reasons. The second I was very happy to catch some light from the ring nebula, and was equally happy to catch the dumbell nebula a little. The fourth is the globular cluster. All really bad framing but was suprised to catch the nebula on just a 30 sec exp with my light pollution. Can't wait for your ideas,suggestions and criticisms. My apologies for a very long post but feel very hyped up even after such awful results. Many thanks and clear skies Matt
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Hello, Is anyone on here signed up for the SkySafari and SynScan beta testing to natively support IOS? If so how has it been going? https://support.simulationcurriculum.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360043282514-Beta-Testing-SkySafari-6-iOS-Only-SynScan-WiFi-Read-This-To-Participate-?page=2#community_comment_360012192693 Its 2020.
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I thought the recent email exchange between Skywatcher support and myself might be of interest, as there appears little information available on this feature. =========================================== Hi Gavin, Regarding "Alignment Sharing", please see the description below. ## Alignment Sharing Alignment data is stored in each individual app instance. This means if you performed alignment using one app instance, only it will have the newly created alignment data. If another app instance connects to the same mount, it will not have access to the new alignment data. The alignment sharing feature (**Utility > Alignment Sharing**) allows one app instance to send a copy of alignment data to another app instance. For it to work, the devices running the app instances must be on the same local area network (eg connect to the same Wi-Fi network). The sending instance turns on **Share my alignment**, while the receiving instance turns off this option. The receiving instance should then see the shared alignment data appear in a list. Loading alignment data overwrites the previous alignment data. You can use the Alignment Sharing to transfer the alignment data to another device after completing a Star Alignment. For example, you have done and successfully complete 2-Star alignment with your smartphone and then you can use the Alignment Sharing function to share the alignment data to the SynScan Pro App Windows program which is running on your PC. Then you don't have to do the alignment again to control the same AZ GOTO mount with the Windows SynScan App because it has the same alignment result as your smartphone has. If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know. Thank you. SynScan App Team On Wed, Jun 24, 2020 at 1:22 AM Gavin Cox wrote: Hello, I have just seen you have updated the Synscan app firmware to 1.19. I have this installed on a Win PC and Android phone and use it to control a AZ GOTO mount running the latest firmware using the Synscan Wifi Dongle. There looks to be some new functionality under the utility menu called 'alignment sharing', but I can't find any documentation in the help files on this? Please can you detail how it can be used? If both my phone and PC are connected to the SynScan WiFi hotspot and I perform an alignment on my phone will the app on the PC recognise this too (or vice versa)? Thank you, Gavin
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Sooo...I'm getting quote frustrated here. This spring I tested my HEQ5 with guiding. The synscan controller was connected to the computer trough the USB plug on the hand controller. This worked like a charm in my living room. On the new controllers you dont need the rs cable. But when I tried the whole thing with guide cameara for some live shooting, it just did not work. I get something wrong with the com port in decice manager, driver not working. I have tried 3 different drivers. The whole thing responded, connected and was guiding when i did a dummy test before the summer. So setup is pc-synscan via usb for pulse guiding. Can it be a problem with windows 10? What t h.... just happened? Where can I find a driver that works? And believe me it worked 5 months ago, argh. Thanks for any respons and support
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Hi, I have been attempting to update my SynScan V3 Hand Controller from V3.08 to latest version. Handset bootloader is V1.7. Unfortunately I just get the message “Can not connect to SynScan hand control”. I have looked at numerous forums and tried everything that has been suggested (including older versions of firmware installer), but getting nowhere. I am using a Skywatcher SynScan USB Adapter (purchased from Bristol Cameras) and installed the driver from the Skywatcher website. The adapter shows in the COM ports and says it is working properly. I have tried different computers (Win10 and XP) with no joy. Can anyone help, or is there anyone in North Aberdeenshire that has successfully updated their handset willing to give mine a go (once travel restrictions, etc ease)? Thanks
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Hello! I am trying to setup the Skywatcher MC 102/1300 SkyMax BD AZ-S GoTo telescope+mount. What I did: Start from parking mode. The telescope is aligned to north. Turned it on and aligned with 2 stars. During the alignment the tracking is turning on all the time and moving the telescope position. Then when I try to go to some star the north/south motion never ends. While the East/West motion stops at right location. This is really wild to me. Can someone help with understanding what is the problem ? Thanks, Gevorg. -
I'm trying to update my v3 handset prior to selling the mount. I need to update the bootloader from v1.0 to v1.7 before I can upgrade the firmware from 3.12 to the newest version. I've tried following the instructions in the bootloader download but the upgrade loader refuses to install anything. Before I realised I needed to update the bootloader, the synscan loader v3.3 just showed 255 255 255 where it should display the handset software, ie 3.12. Can anyone advise what I'm doing wrong? The handset won't run the mount probably because I had a replacement motor control board a few years ago., I'm guessing. It worked fine before that. I've been using eqMod for years. Thanks. Anne
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My Skywatcher HEQ5 came with the older V2 handset and runs Ver 2.05 of the Synscan Firmware - despite this aged version, it functions perfectly albeit without the ability to upgrade the firmware and some of the advantages of the newer V3 (PAE, Backlash Compensation and GPS support). Beside this the units looks superficially identical and there seems to be little information to compare and consider the under the hood differences. So what follows is a quick side by side comparison, with lots of pictures. On display are ; left - fully working V2 (ver 2.05) handset and right - a defunct V3 (ver n/k) handset that I'm hoping to resurrect. From the front view the units are identical, other than the different coloured Synscan logos, there are no differences between key layouts or connection ports or the backlit LCD displays. The units are also indentical from the rear view (other than stickers and velcro). There are 4 x No1 recessed cross point screws which are removed to gain access. Closer comparison of the two PCBs (Rear View). Here you will notice the changes in layout and updated components on the V3 handset - Although there is commonality of many of the board components, the processor, flash and RAM memory ICs are updated.. Fully exploded view of both Handsets (showing front view/ekypads of PCB): Other than the PCB differences there is full comonality of parts between these handsets. Close up comparison of front PCBs The V3 circuit board design shows significant design simplification corresponding with the layout changes to the rear of the board. There are some closer images of the PCBs in my gallery Both units were re-assembled and some minor soldering done to re-attach the LCD backlight on the V3 handset. V2 handset now working with less sticky keypad membrane and the V3 handset is still stubbornly refusing to give any sign of life, though a quick check with my multimeter revealed useful voltages at key points - seems likely that the main logic is dead! Hope this is of use for future reference
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Hi Guys, Wim has wisely persuaded me to go for an eqdir cable from my RPi to my SynScan controller. I currently have a usb:db9 + db9:st4 setup to the SynScan handset (ie 3 cables connected). Can I just change the db9 to st4 to a db9:Rj45 or similar? Eg: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201608325158 Plus an old ethernet cable? Ie does the pinout of an ethernet cable correspond to the pinout of the SynScan controller handset socket? Regards Steve.
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Hello I have a telescope -SkyWatcher Explorer-130P SupaTrak Newtonian Reflector auto Telescope and it has a heavy duty tracking device ( pic attached). I have had this scope for a few years and did pretty much basic with this and never understood how to use this device. I have the time now to spend with the scope during this social distancing time and I am totally unaware of how to efficiently use the tracking. I know how to move up, down, left and right. I don't think it has wifi and it looks very basic ...please can someone explain how to set this up. Pleaseeeeee can someone help .......I have searched everywhere but I can't find any material on this. Also , If i buy SynScan ( with wifi ) will it work with my scope? Thanks in advance xx
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For quite a while I've had an issue where the images I take have trails that show up when going higher then about 20 seconds exposure time. I do a rough polar alignment where you can still see the polaris in the scope as I live in the north of Sweden and the EQ3-2 mount doesn't allow for accurate adjustment above 64 degrees. I'm 100% sure that the locatation, time zone and time is correct, I've also parked the scope to the position with the scope facing polaris and the weights downwards. I did a 3 star alignment and after a 1 min exposure with my Olympus 420 the result was as the first image I attached. For 20 second exposures I get the second image attached but once in a while without having touched the scope (yes I am 100% sure of this, I stood perfectly still a good distance away from the scope and triggered the shutter with a remote control) I get results such as the third image. My guess is that the cogwheels are slipping somehow but I'm gonna ask here to be sure.
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Hey, I've been looking for a mount for my 8 inch skywatcher reflector for a while now and can't decide what mount to buy. The requirements i am looking for are the following: Goto system or synscan 10+ kg weight capacity Tripod My budget is around £500. I was wondering if anyone could suggest some good mounts or point me into the right direction. My goal is to get better at astrophotography, my previous mount was a dobson mount ( which came with the scope ) but does not have any features to track objects which doesn't help when doing astrophotography. Tnanks
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I have Skywatcher Synscan V3 working with my EQ6 without problem. I've lately flashed firmware v.3.39.05 and tried using it with my Skywatcher Virtuoso. I have problem with 2-star alignment. After manually move the mount to point to the first bright star, align; then choose the 2nd alignment star, the mount will slew to the sky very far away from the 2nd star. After I managed to complete the 2-star alignment successfully, the goto accuracy was very bad. It always placed my scope quite far away from the targets. I've tried the whole night and gave up. I then begin to wonder whether I have to flash the hand controller with the firmware for Allview mount (v.3.09.06) instead. Anyone can share your experience on this? Thank you.
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Selling the big stuff to make room for some small ! My 200PDS and HEQ5Pro have got to go, changes in shifts and clouds mean I have been out twice in the last 10 months with this kit. Time for a change.... 200PDS -HEQ5Pro Synscan, bahtinov mask, 3 counterweights, accessory tray and a new power adapter as the original one was sporadic in keeping connection, had been using tape to keep it secure. The OTA is in really good condition with just a few marks from the clamp ring screws, this doesn't affect it whatsover. I've blacked out the drawtube against reflections. The mount is in very good order, the handset still has it's original screen cover ! Have also put this up on Astroy BS for the same price, which is £650 for the lot Lee
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Hi, I've got one of the cheap Skywatcher SynScan AZ mounts (like this one: Synscan AZ (with Skyhawk 1145p) ) and the handset has a 'Synscan AZ' sticker on it (see pic.). It runs the v3 synscan firmware (an old version for now, until I can get a cable). I've seen a couple of the EQ 'Pro' mounts advertised without a handset (as they've been using EQDIR) and wondered whether this handset would work with those mounts? I know I will need to get get the appropriate connector for the mount end of the cable; (I think EQ5 uses RJ11 and EQ6 uses RJ45) I have read that all Synscan handsets should work with all Skywatcher EQ mounts, but as mine has an 'AZ' sticker, I thought I'd check and see whether anyone has actually done it with one of these... Thanks Ady -
I have severe red/green colour blindness, which prevents me from being able to read a Synscan controller in the dark or in red light even with the display at maximum brightness. When I'm on my own, I use a low-power, white light when reading the controller display and accept that it'll take me ten minutes or so before my eyes get back to dark adaptation. However, I'm taking my EQ5 Pro mount to a public star party next weekend and suspect that using a white light to read the display won't be welcomed. Hence I'd appreciate ideas on how I can get around this issue. TIA and clear skies, Geoff -
Greetings, This is my first post. I have a Saxon 8" with an HEQ5. I am mounting this on a peer in the garden and I am going to remote control everything from my hobby room. I am going to use USB/Ethernet/USB (USB to Ethernet on each end) for the video from the camera (ZWO ASI120MC) and the Shoestring remote focus. and I will put the Synscan down another Ethernet cable. I have tested this using only a 1 meter Ethernet cable and it works fine. If I try it on a very long Ethernet cable it won't work for either use. Just wondering if anyone else has done this and what sort of lengths it goes over. I need it to run over approximately 20m length but don't want to cut two lengths and then find it won't work. Thanks in advance Colin -
I've had the skywatcher 12" dob goto for a few years and I've dabbled with tuning up the bearings. I found the first year pointing was nice and accurate but the second year it went south. Adjusting the bearings fixed that up (they were slipping in both axis). I've been dabbling with photography using a DSLR and the results are often quite good with 20-30 second exposures but I keep getting an annoying jump in the altitude axis. What I can't figure out is the exact cause. This mount has two encoders on each axis - one on the motor and one on the scope. When the clutch slips the scope axis and motor encoders mismatch so the controller kicks the motor to try and get them closer together. I figure this is what is causing the jumping. What I'm not certain about is the cause. Do you think it more likely that the bearing is loose, letting the clutch slip or that the bearing is too tight, causing the clutch to slip until the controller gives the motor an extra shot, breaking free of the sticktion?
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I recently purchased a EQ5 mount with synscan. But rather then use the car adaptor running though a 3 pin convertor i bought a 12v 500mA DC power supply. The back of the manual states it requires 100mA (see image). So here i am thinking great this will do. Wrong. Its enough to start the hand controller and go through all the set up but it doesnt seem to move any motors. This being my first attempt i wasnt sure if i was doing something wrong. Did the brakes need releasing? - No. are the cables going to the right sockets? - Yes. After much head scratching i went back to to start and used the supplied 12v car style plus in a convertor i had. Sure enough it all worked perfectly. okay went back to my 500mA and nope nothing worked. After searching the house for a 12v 1A DC supply with the correct plug and trying that, Sure enough it all works fine. Have they simply missed a '0' off the manual or am i missing something else here? Tomorrow i'll probably go an exchange it for this 12V 1000mA Power supply. I'll let you know how i fair. And for anyone checking for power supplies (Like i did) your looking for a 5.5mm x 2.1mm power tip to for the unit.
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I am trying to understand why the declination position reported by my new EQ8 - Synscan 4 hand controller keeps changing. After starting my aligned scope from Park the declination reported by the hand set ( Utilities/Show Position/ "Dec/Ra" ) slowly increases ( around 7" / minute when I first measured it ). However, the rotation angle of the declination/altitude axis of the mount ( Utilities/Show Position/ "Ax1/Ax2" ) is reported as being constant ( as one would expect if the mount is not receiving an instruction to move ). That is, it would appear that the motor is not running and the encoders on the shaft are not detecting any rotation of the mount's altitude axis however the Sysnscan reports that the Celestial declination is slowly changing. Does anyone know if this is a bug or a feature? It did occur to me that maybe the Synscan is trying to compensate for the declination drift that would result from the Polar Alignment error as stored in the controller after alignment. To test this, I adjusted the Polar Alignment to try to reduce the error and see if it changed the drift rate. The initial results do not support this - after much tweaking of the alignment, and with an indicated polar alignment error of less than 15" in either axis, the rate of drift changed but was still around 5" / minute ( whereas it should be << 1 with so small a Polar Alignment error ). Has anyone else noticed this slow change in declination reported by the mount/Synscan when the mount is tracking in RA? ----- EQ8 MC Firmware version: 2.11.04 Synscan HW version: 4.16 Synscan firmware version: 4.39.04 -
With several clear nights over the past week, I've been playing with the Synscan Pro app (Android) in conjunction with a Synscan WiFi adapter on an EQ3Pro mount. I have to say I'm generally quite impressed. Much cheaper than buying a traditional handset. However, this evening I was trying to "creep up" on the Andromeda Galaxy by star hopping towards it via Mirach, Mu Andromedae and Nu Andromedae. Mirach was no problem but the other stars were not available for selection in the app. Am I missing something? I couldn't find any way to enter an SAO number or any other catalogue number to find the minor stars. Is this a limitation of the app? Or the adapter perhaps? Or is it me? Clear skies, Mark. -
Hi Folks, I have been happily using my new skywatcher skymax 127 on a synscan az goto mount and a question occured to me when going through the alignment procedure. Does the time between centering the first star in the eyepiece and aligning the second star matter. The reason that I ask is that sometimes the accuracy of the goto differs slightly and I am wondering could it be due to me being too slow to find the next star. I am good with constellation identifying but the star names I only know a few of the major ones such as vega, betelgeuse etc., so I have to rely on a star chart to pick a suitable star which takes maybe about an extra minute. I am wondering if the mount does not keep the 1st star centred due to setup not being fully complete at this point and obviously the earth is still rotating so the star will drift and then the reference point of this star is now not centered when aligning to the 2nd star. Everything else is always the same as I have already marked the ground where I put the tripod so it goes in the same place every time and levelled it with a spirit level. The power is supplied with a skywatcher powertank so I know its not a battery power problem and all the information is correct such as time/date, elevation, lat/long etc. It isnt massively out, so far everything I have requested has been in the FOV of my 25mm eyepiece but its just something that I wondered and also whether I could improve things. cheers
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In order to minimize noise in my data, I've gone the Tony Hallas way and started dithering between exposures. My setup is a simple one (EQ3 Pro with Pentax K20D, no guiding), and I try to keep everything as much standalone as possible, since I don't want to take my computer out in freezing cold or wet grass. Unfortunately this also means I have to do dithering by hand, i.e. pushing the Dec/RA buttons on the Synscan hand controller between exposures. Doing this for a few hours in a stretch at -10 C or colder, is definitely not my idea of having fun. So I started thinking of automating the dithering procedure. Searching the internet, I found no solutions for unguided dithering compatible with my setup, so I decided to build my own. The idea was quite simple: The RJ12 port of my Synscan hand controller controls the camera, working as an intervalometer. The Synscan mount controller has a guiding port, so all I had to do is find a way to send signals to the guider port in between exposures. So, I built a simple circuit around an Atmel ATtiny84 which takes the Synscan camera control as an input. It senses when an exposure ends and sends a signal to the guiding port. A counter keeps track of which command to send from a simple string: 214488222111444488..., where 2 means Dec+, 1 means RA+, 4 means Dec- and 8 means RA-. So here is a pictures of my solution. The ditherbox is the black box below the mount controller. It has three connections: input from the hand controller (RJ12), output to the camera (phono plug type) and output to the mount (ST4, RJ12) FYI, I put the code and a more detailed description on my Github page: https://github.com/wberlo/AutoDither I've tested it and it works like a charm. Unfortunately I have no images yet with this setup, because when I tested it, clouds moved in after just 5 exposures. I do have 20 dithered exposures of clouds.
