Guiding conversion project for 200p and EQ5

[Quatermass]

One step closer

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[Hawkeye]

Looking forward to seeing your results good luck

Well the mod all went ok, spent a while getting all the software working right, and managed to get some 5 minutes shots without any noticeable star trailing so all in all really pleased.

Just need to moon to disappear again now

Cheers

Paul

[Quatermass]

Nice one Paul, yes mr blobby is rather bright at the moment but soon be in the depth of the winter season coping with freezing cold and ice on the telescope ah the memory's

[Hawkeye]

soon be in the depth of the winter season coping with freezing cold and ice on the telescope ah the memory's

I can't wait !

[Gina]

Got dew heaters on my scopes and 200mm lens now Hopefully another problem solved.

[Quatermass]

I must get myself sorted out with some dew heaters as well. And try to rig up an extention to get in my shed its gonna be cold.

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[Hawkeye]

great minds..... I have just been looking at a 10m active USB extension so I can get myself and the laptop into the garage so at least I will be warm (ish).

Mark, I am having trouple getting APT to control my scope (for simple movement as I know it won't be a goto).. All I get is an error message saying unable to move mount... I have tried using the POTH USB and the Shoestring USB settings..... Any ideas? (GPUSBCheck works fine)

Cheers

Paul

[Quatermass]

If its not moving your dual axis motors you must check all your setting and also check that when you press phd buttons to move the motors that the led is changing to red as the pulse is sent also check that you have the right drivers. I use the programme from shoe string to move the axis with.

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[Aenima]

Same one cropped with less aggressive processing.

Woah, thats a great Mars, well captured!

As you might have spotted in my signature you almost have the same set-up as I do though I didn't capture Mars anywhere near as good as the one above, but I'm hoping you wouldn't mind if I asked you about how you use your set-up, and maybe advice as to which step to take regarding the best use of my kit or a piece of equipment I may badly need. ? .

My tech skill is minimal, but with rough alignment and a bit of luck I have occasionally surprised myself with a reasonable image here and there. Got a long way before I will get the hang of the more dificult aspects of AP - hence me looking through this thread.

Only just started looking at guiding, and its scary ! So I'm gonna be grateful for any advice in this area.

Many thanks

Regards

Aenima

[pixueto]

Hi Aenima, I have recently upgraded the mount to a HEQ5Pro (I must change my signature). Most people in the forum might find this hard to believe but believe it or not, I was getting better accuracy with my old EQ5 than with the current one. For me the key was doing guided subs and using an CLS clip filter for light pollution. The other great thing about my setup is not really my setup: I live in an area where windy nights are rare and I think that makes all the difference.

For guiding I just use a webcam and plan my sessions with a bright enough star no further away than 4 degrees from the target. Finding, centering and locking the guiding star in the finder is the most frustrating task of all and the one that usually takes me longer but once it's done, it's all plain sailing with the subs and the PHD guiding software. When that is done I can go inside to relax, keeping an eye on the whole thing only occasionally. The best DSO picture I got so far is attached here (the Horsehead nebula). I used the HEQ5 Pro but, from 20 six minute guided subs, I had to discard 5. With my old EQ5, I'm pretty sure I would've been able to keep them all. Also the picture of the Veil nebula was made with the EQ5 mainly 10 minutes subs.

Nevertheless, there are really talented people in this forum, capable of astonishing pictures without even guiding (have a look a QM website). However, I think they will tell you that you need a pretty dark sky for that. You must consider how is the light pollution in your area.

For planets it's very different; you don't need any guiding but a relatively good barlow will make all the difference. People in this forum using powermate 5X barlows are obtaining astonishing results and one of those is in my wishing list. Notice that the picture of Mars was done at the time it was closest to Earth; that won't happen until next year. I took another one of the red planet just a couple of months prior to the one you mention and it looked tiny without any visible surface features. It may also be a case of good seeing during that particular night.

Edited December 24, 2012 by pixueto

[Quatermass]

ditto on the importance of a good dark site pix it makes a massive diff in your imaging sessions. Unbeliveably bad weather for imaging the last few months but my blasted dual axis controller has died again so no imaging for me right now.

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[Aenima]

Many thanks pixueto

Helpful stuff, nice1.

Yeah, I honestly have the worst Nrby LP ever....3 Lamposts in a triangle in front of me - so this has been a major problem.

Another is tracking errors, I only manage a rough Polaralignment each set-up, and luck is a good part of it. As startrails and stars at the edge looking like bullets are present it seems as though both refining my optics and working on guiding and correcting errors in tracking needs a look.

I am hoping of making a finderguider and learn a bit about the software - this is my worst subject (that and maths).

As it is I am just managing to get occasionally a 50sec with little or no obvious trails, and the rest are about 30sec - during lucky shots maybe 65-70sec and with an unmodded 300D thats not a lot of light reaching the images, especially ha or red emmision type, but I've seen enough to make me hopeful.

Thanks BTW

Regards

Aenima

[pixueto]

ditto on the importance of a good dark site pix it makes a massive diff in your imaging sessions. Unbeliveably bad weather for imaging the last few months but my blasted dual axis controller has died again so no imaging for me right now.

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I'm sorry to hear that QM! I saw a thread in the DIY section about making your own controller. It might be worth having a look at it.

[Astro_Baby]

It seems to me the controller cant cope with the mods made to it. Probably because under manual control the unit expects the odd ush of the buttons for corrections, an auto guider is probably constantly on the chip with a load ofup a bit, left a bit, down a bit and the chip probably just blows out.

Thats always the danger with home brew type stuff.....and ai speak as someone who has had a fair few projects in ETI go blam back in the day including an amp that was chronically unstable.

Given you have blown up four controllers it might have been better to have but the bullet and bought a synscan upgrade. Thats not smug more a warning on the dangers for orhers it cash, and more importantly time. I know just how frustrating unreliable hardware can be especially when good nights for observing are so few and far between.

[Quatermass]

Your dead right getting an Eq5 is a better option but when it worked it worked well for me just a shame they are not more robust. The one I modded was fine till it got wet but all the others just blew any way so there still poorly made units. If I was good at electrics I would make my own its about time astrophotographers had a more reliable system that did not cost the earth. Any happy Christmas every one hope we get some clear skies soon.

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[Aenima]

I have a question regarding the difference between the EQ5 with dual axis motors and the EQ5 with synscan kit added.

As a 200p/EQ5 user weight is always an issue, i'm really hoping to improve my tracking by using a finderscope guider - as my synscan box has the 'autoguider' input i'm a little confused as to how my set-up will connect to a finder/guider.

Also what i'd need to do, and/or buy, in order to make a guidescope from the 9x50mm finder and a webcam, and whether I can use something like Ascom to increase things like tracking and polaralign accuracy?

Basically, I have the goto and want to try guiding with lightweight/inexpensive finderguider - can anyone help?

Regards

Aenima

[Quatermass]

I never used synscan so cant help with that sorry but if you bought an autoguider your also going to need a good guide scope and guide camera but be carefull about adding more weight to that set up as your close to its limit. What we really need is some clear skies

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[RikM]

I have a question regarding the difference between the EQ5 with dual axis motors and the EQ5 with synscan kit added.

As a 200p/EQ5 user weight is always an issue, i'm really hoping to improve my tracking by using a finderscope guider - as my synscan box has the 'autoguider' input i'm a little confused as to how my set-up will connect to a finder/guider.

Also what i'd need to do, and/or buy, in order to make a guidescope from the 9x50mm finder and a webcam, and whether I can use something like Ascom to increase things like tracking and polaralign accuracy?

Basically, I have the goto and want to try guiding with lightweight/inexpensive finderguider - can anyone help?

Regards

Aenima

If you have a 9x50 straight through finder you just need a guide camera with an ST4 output, an adaptor to connect the camera to the finder, ST4 and USB cables. ST4 to go between camera and mount and USB between camera and laptop, then something like PHD running on the laptop. This controls the guide cam and sends the guide corrections to the mount.

[Aenima]

Thank you Rik,

Very helpful cheers

I will check the links out asap. Though my knowledge-gaps might require a follow-up question or two

Am I slightly mistaken when I assume the 9x50 / spc900nc combination will work with the synscan port - possibly with a few extra bits and a bit of DIY?

This has been what I have envisioned when the term 'finderguider' is used, but also I assumed the DIY was mostly needed for the eqmod/type dual axis motor version of the EQ5, (to run it with laptop/planetarium etc) and the synscan kit-plus-software combo could be used more or less directly with a 'finderguider' - another assumption here, sorry - as the goto is already in place and the 'autoguider' socket allows a cam/finderscope(or ST80/cam) connection?

Maybe the term 'auto' in autoguider is giving me the dumb, as well as the simplicity of the finder-guider mod - i'm getting the feeling it isnt as easy as it sounds. - or as cheap! nearly 200 quid for a guidecam is a little harsh on the budget.

Apologies if the above is a bit convoluted, i'm sure my confusion kinda shows in the wording....

Thank you for the links and advice - much appreciated.

Regards

Aenima

Edited December 31, 2012 by Aenima

[badgerchap]

Well I've been coming back to this thread ever since it was started and am finally about to take the EQ5 guiding plunge! Have ordered a smaller newt though - a TS 6", to cut down the weight, which I am then reallocating to a wo66 as a guidescope. I'm going to be well on the limits of weight, but from what I've seen, you guys have managed with the 200P and that's about 8kg without bits and bobs. The TS and WO with DSLR and rings etc will come to about 7.8kg, so I reckon I might just be alright.

Will be using the GPUSB and an as yet undecided camera. I'm actually thinking of returning the GPUSB and getting a QHY5, or trying the QHY5 with PHD and the GPUSB and comparing that with the QHY5 by itself. I like the idea of using PHD or wxAstroCapture, nice simple interfaces by the look of things, although I couldn't get PHD to work with the rubbish ASDA cam that I have. For anyone interested in the asda cam, I know there are a few out there, don't try to use it as a guide, it's rubbish. I could only get Sirius and Jupiter on it, anything else was too faint. Tried Aldebarran which was bright enough to see on screen but wx couldn't lock on to it.

Took the slack out of the worm gears last night - there's still a tiny bit of play, but nothing too severe. I can't help wondering QM if you'd known to take out the slack earlier, might this have helped with your LVI? You may have tried this, but after reading the first 17 or so pages of this thread this morning, I must say I skipped to the end .

Anyway, excellent thread QM, must say it's nice to see such a large thread that stays so well on topic and has so much useful info. Think I'd have suffered in silence until I could afford an EQ6 in the distant future if it wasn't for this. At least this way I can have some fun tinkering!

[Quatermass]

Glad you have found this thread useful, I am surprised just how many people have found it helpful and pleased that it has encouraged others to have a go. I have been doing hardly any imaging due to the weather and the fact that my dual axis controller has died on me, hoping to get it replaced soon though. I did sort out my worm gear later on but the main issue with the auto guider LVI was that it could not operate on the low gear ratios of the eq5 mount and this was the same issue for all other auto-guiders. However using PHD software and the GPUSB adapter as Stan had done I was able to overcome this problem.

I think the main issues for me where the webcam and focusing on a bright enough star so that phd could lock on and start guiding and also keeping everything dew free was another issue. Once it was all working it did a good job but it took some time fiddling around to get it up and running and many nights you found yourself taking an hour to get it all set up and running, then those blasted clouds would come in and it was game over, very frustrating. For that reason I would only use this set up on those nights that were perfect and cloud free and as you know they are very rare these days.

I still enjoy doing a session using short subs of 70 to 80 seconds long and taking about 80 of these along with 80 dark's flats and bias shots for the final stacking in deep sky stacker. This combo often produces very good results on a variety of subjects including stuff like the Helix Nebula that was very faint to image. I should also point out that where I live after the street lights go out at midnight I have very good dark skies and this is a major point to consider in getting better images and good data to process.

The processing is the other important factor, I think I spend longer on the processing then capturing the data and its taken me over 2 years to learn to do this and get reasonable results. I posted a load of photo-shop tutorials that cover pretty much all the things I do when processing in photo-shop on my YouTube channel boodlewoodle so do check those out if your getting stuck. Hope all goes well and that you enjoy the night sky as much as I have done the last 2 years.

QM

[badgerchap]

Cheers QM, your knowledge and insight is as useful as ever. I will definitely have a look as your Photoshop videos, as I have CS6 but have never got my head around it for astro.

My GBPUSB and st4 conversion kit turned up this morning so I've soldered up and she's working like a dream so far. Currently using GPUSBcheck to track some ducks down the river.

[Quatermass]

he he i used it to track my chickens running around

[badgerchap]

good to see that all this high tech and expensive equipment is being put to good use

[Aenima]

Not sure if my lack of knowledge or experience makes some of the questions i'm asking seem stoopid or if by asking them i'm coming across as a tad irritating, but honestly I'm trying not to.

I know the set-up is capable of doing much better, but without knowing the right way to go about getting the most from it, i'm likely to waste time and money by making all kinds of mistakes, hopefully avoidable ones.

Sorry to keep highjacking the thread, it just seems the most relevant to my current issues.

Thanks

Aenima

Edited January 9, 2013 by Aenima