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crashtestdummy

By crashtestdummy
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Astronomer69

Astronomer69

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I would've tried a little viewing last night but I'd got my girls so had a quiet evening in.

I've read the beacons are good so maybe look into going down there Kieran and the more the merrier.

If the weather stays good today I'm going to try and get out later just to look at Saturn again and maybe try picking up Jupiter mercury and Venus but probably impossible from my back garden.

What auto guiding equipment did you get Kieran?

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Astronomer69

Astronomer69

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I got the Orion SSAG same one as Soupy, Damian and I am having so many problems getting it guiding its becoming a real struggle but just gonna keep trying.

Keep me posted on when your thinking of going somewhere will see what I can do with work and making time to go.

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I wonder how soupy is going on with his and whether or not he's tried it as yet Kieran? Have you had it guiding at all? are all the connections good?

It may be good Thursday by the looks but the moon is still up! weekend and next week looking better but they are long range forecasts and subject to being very inaccurate.

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Yeah it is at times crash, but that's when it doesn't go well.Like all things electronics they can have an off day and I should know working with the Italian rubbish I do!

The simplest solutions are often the best and dobs can't get much simpler or easier.

Sometimes the getting something to work is better than the actual thing it does! Well for me anyway.

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Astronomer69

Astronomer69

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No not had it guiding yet Damian I'm connecting it through laptop with software and I think it's down to getting all right setting for my mount and then there's the thing of getting the balance and polar align to perfect I've been getting advice on twitter but not been able to get it going as yet.

As for this weekend don't think I'm able to do much as I've got my kids for the full weekend.

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Meant to say are you running the standard software that comes with it or something like EQMOD?

Guessing its the standard software Keiran?, i'll download the destruction manual if i can and have a read through it see if i can come up with anything?

I had my two last weekend but the moon was up so wasn't a good weekend for viewing.

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Astronomer69

Astronomer69

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Yeah just running the standard software but been told that just need to figure out right setting that work best with the mount am using and then it should start going ok, as I run the setup after doing callibration just can't keep a smooth graph it's just making too many corrections I'm now wondering if I'm actually getting a good polar alignment as doing the all star align in the handset I'm thinking of getting a polarscope and trying to align with that see if that helps.

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Sammyb

Sammyb

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Yeah just running the standard software but been told that just need to figure out right setting that work best with the mount am using and then it should start going ok, as I run the setup after doing callibration just can't keep a smooth graph it's just making too many corrections I'm now wondering if I'm actually getting a good polar alignment as doing the all star align in the handset I'm thinking of getting a polarscope and trying to align with that see if that helps.

I went down this route and eventually got so frustrated as I found on the few clear nights we get I would waste it spending it messing about looking at a laptop in the freezing cold tripping over cables in the dark and something would always go wrong. It would take me hours to get set up. When I first started I got 5 minute subs no problem buth then it went down hill from there and never worked properly again. I really struggled with the calibration on PHD and my graph would start out looking OK but would eventually drift. I think it was all down to the backlash in the mount. I got some pics but then went towards planetary imaging.

I then sold my 200P and EQ5 as I didn't like the equatorial mount for observing. If I get a cash windfall I may try again with a different scope/mount set up.

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Had a look at the instruction manual Keiran and the polar alignment must be near as damn it bang on for the mount to track o.k. for starters. Reading on you can alter the duration of the pulses to the RA and DEC movements in the advanced settings.

It is actually sending the pulses to the RA and DEC? if not could be a faulty cable?

In the manual Page 14 (Advanced Auto guider settings) has a Calibration Step for guide pulse duration and also Time Lapse for a delay between each correction? if its going too fast by the sounds you can slow it down a little. Without having a hands on play its the only thing i can see from the manual for now?

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Soupy

Soupy

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Got mine set up last week but clouds rolled in soon after so didn't even get it calibrated! If its good tomorrow night will get along to Winscarr and bring it with me see if it works. Just want to get some decent long exposure subs see if it guides well. All the stuff I have read on Internet about the SSAG seems very positive, just a matter of getting it working with the scope you have.

oh I have also just about finished power tank as well. Attached 4 new cig sockets, put in switch you soldered the other week Damian and also mounted the voltmeter, just now need some advice on wiring it all up if you are available Damian/Paul :smiley: and with new battery I should be good to go for hours on end.

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Astronomer69

Astronomer69

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Yeah your right soupy it just needs to get right setting for that mount also I've just been reading up on drift alignment which sounds like if I can work out how to do it should work well so gonna invest in a reticle eyepiece and have a go at this drift align and see if this solves the problem a bit it's just with these short dark nights and finding time to get it all setup correctly, just gonna keep at it.

Also it doesn't help with the long focal length I have it just means I've gotta make sure that my polar align and balance are perfect but with resetting up my mount everytime I'm out means I'm gonna be spending most of the night doing that. :(

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I'll make one for winscarr soupy and bring some tools up to sort it out.Should be plenty warm enough for the soldering iron to work better this time if needed, oh and light enough to work too!

I'll be happy just to view a few dso if the moon isn't as bright! Winscarr was like a flood lit football ground when me and nick were up there!

Just been giving my eye pieces a clean with that baader wonder fluid and cloth.Great stuff can highly recommend it, smells like acetone to me?

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Soupy

Soupy

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Drift aligning sounds great and is supposed to be one of the best ways but you have to wait for the star to move along the reticle both north to south and then east to west so to get a good alignment will take poss 10 mins each way and with setting up on target star etc I recon this would take the best part of half an hour to get right. But it may well be worth it.

I'll bring my partly completed tank for your expert eye to look over as well cheers Damian. :smiley: Let's hope for clear skies.

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Can be used for either sammy, but getting an accurate polar alignment with the polar scope especially on an GEQ mount is the best way so the SSAG says:-

"A good polar alignment of your EQ mount is of critical importance for longexposure

imaging. Inaccurate polar alignment leads to field rotation, even with the

autoguider tracking. If your equatorial mount uses a polar axis finder scope, we

highly recommend utilizing it for polar alignment. If not, a technique known as the

“drift method” of polar alignment has been used for many years, and can achieve

an extremely accurate polar alignment. Unfortunately it is very time consuming,

since the drift of a star over time must be observed."

Belt and braces is good but i can imagine some frustration coming in after a couple of hours?

I think with the inaccuracy/wear of the gears, cone error and software settings to contend with its gonna be a long night :huh:

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