I'd be better off picking my eye out with a hat pin

[MartinB]

This isn't how a fun hobby is supposed to be.

Last week, quick 1st go with ED120, brill. 1st chance to sort out guiding with SS2K and GPDX after much tweaking of backlash. Run calibration routine in Maxim - <5 pixels in X,Y axis. Increase guide speed and try again <5 pixels in X,Y axis. Increase calibration move time <5 pixels in X,Y axis. Do a manual move via guide settings - zilch. Scope not connecting with guider. Change from camera and guider relays to serial port to RS232 change guide via telescope <5 pixels in X,Y axis then via shoestring via ascom and more <5 pixels in X,Y axis.AAAAGGGGGG!!!!

Eventually discover 2 days later that Skysensor needs and adaptor to work with the SXV guider lead. £15 from Ian King

Forecast last night - maybe cloud maybe clear. Have just down loaded a one month trial of maxpoint. This works with Starry Night Pro etc to model the behaviour of the mount and give really accurate goto, but, of more relevance it tells you how far off your polar alignment is. With a camera and linked in with maxim it will run an alignment sequence automatically then you just make the appropriate alt az adjustment and you have an immaculate polar alignment.

Lined scope up with compass, went in for tea and waited for it to get dark. A few hazy stars. Keep it simple, just use starry night with max point. Plug in lead to serial port on laptop and connect to RS232 on Skysensor2000 PC. Boot up Max point and starry night. Configure for Skysensor and connect to scope (worked perfectly during dry run last weekend) "connection to com port not found". Check connectors, double check - "connection to com port not found". Try connecting to scope with Maxim "connection to com port not found" Reboot and try again "connection to com port not found" AAAAGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Bloke arrives to talk about some work we're having done. Natters on as sky gets clearer and clearer. Eventually leaves and the sky is looking good. So try the new adaptor. Focus CCD, focus guider. Set guider exposure. Run calibration routine - it connects!!! <5 pixels in Yaxis. Change speed of guiding in skysensor and it calibrates but the track is hopeless. Too much backlash, I'd spent hours sorting that. OK calm. Compensate in maxim, bit better. Try it anyway. 3 mins M81 - big corrections cos mount not tightly polar aligned. Trailing all over the place. Fiddle and fiddle and fiddle. Eventually get stars to look like little starfish rather than motorway white lines. I was at worked all night before and so starting to fall asleep. Give up and pack away. A whole load of play in RA - the retaining nut for the worm gear had worked its way loose (if I tighten it up too much the setting for the worm is messed up and it starts binding). Doh!

Every step in this stupid game is a battle, nothing ever works as it's supposed to and once you've sorted it you've forgotten how you did it the next time you manage to get out 1 month later. :) :D angry9:

Oh well, at some indeterminate point in the future I might have an image of M81 taken with an ED120 and SXVH9 captured and guided using Maxim. But not for a while yet

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

That's a very accurate description of imaging as we know it Martin.

I hope you get sorted soon.

Captain Chaos

[CELESCOPE]

Heavens above Martin heheheheh if that dont put anyone off , what will ehehehheheh , but seriously , i know its hard and i can really understand, it gets ya some times does this hobby , but and a big but!!! if ya want the super images , ya have to have the pain , i,m still a lazy """"", as u know i always take the easy route , hanging back till this guiding is sorted, but until then ,just play around ,try a few new things ,before the serious stuff starts. i,m hoping that once a pier is fixed and time spent of drift aligning ,guiding etc , i wont have to fiddle about anymore , but we will see . keep at it , it will all come good in the end .

Rog

[MartinB]

Don't worry Rog, I'm not giving up. Hope there won't be too much grief for you getting everything in that dome of yours sorted Rog. I predict tears, wailing and gnashing of teeth though. It's the normal astroimaging state as CC says

[barkis]

All this pain and hassle MB, no doubt everything will come to fruition in time. Probably many intangibles were coming into play that you could never possibly have foreseen. The more they cropped up, the more frustrated you were getting. You demonstrated that very well in your descriprion of the process. It will all get sorted, and you will be as happy as Larry ("I don't know the guy either") I know one thing for certain, when you get a permanently mounted equatorial head in your new observatory, it will all become too easy. Rog. will be the first to endorse that when he gets his domed Ob. fully functional. In the meantime, a cool head must prevail.

Best of luck.

Ron.

[lunator]

Martin

Hang in there, we all have nights like that. :insects1:

It'll all be worth it when the pics start coming through

This week is the clouds payback for 2 clear spells for the events last week. I've had beautiful blue sky all day then as dusk falls in rolls the cloud

[Caz]

I'd be better off picking my eye out with a hat pin

Well doing a silly thing like that, would certainly be the end of the imaging... Well almost.

I won't say chin up, but I will say, good things come to those who wait. (patiently)

Caz

[Astroman]

Just like playing the Blues, ya gotta pay yer dues! Hang in there, you'll get it.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I know one thing for certain, when you get a permanently mounted equatorial head in your new observatory, it will all become too easy.

It does help Ron., but you still need the clouds to go away to get the practise in.

The big advantage of the fixed head is that you can plan in advance what you are going to miss and load up the kit in advance of the rain and clouds. By the time the clouds (several days later) have gone you then have to take off the Newt. and put the ED on and rebalance it, mount the guide 'scope, align the thing, focus, frame the target, test the exposure, swear at the new clouds and put it all to bed. Great fun.

Too easy is perhaps not the way I'd describe it.

Captain Chaos

[MartinB]

OK spleen vented. Suppose I'd better carry on then