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Alignment frustrations

Helen

By Helen
in The Astro Lounge

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Helen

Helen

Posted
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Just had a frustrating time trying to get the NS8 set up.. usually its a doddle, but tonight was a real pain, and in the end I failed. So no photos tonight :) The problem was that I was presented with only 4 options for alignment stars (under GPS align) and I couldn't actually see any of them (trees, houses etc). It didn't offer Vega and Deneb, even though I could see those... Tried two star align, but I think I was so slow that the lack of tracking scuppered it. I tried quick align and then replaced stars with vega and deneb, but the goto was still a way out, and the tracking rather wobbly. So no good for photos :lol:

Gave up after a couple of bits of visual - I do love the Double cluster :(

Anyone know any other way of aligning - it'll be like this for a few weeks for me

Thanks

Helen

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Greg

Greg

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Been there Helen...

My first night with my SN10, I was all tingly and excited. Waited weeks for a clear sky, got home from work and set everything up..

First 3 star alignment .... "Alignment successful" Wahey........Jupiter.. :) Scope points at patio :shock:

After 3 attempts the cloud rolled in..

TBH I havn't had a night's observing with that scope yet... :(

If you click "No" For alignment does it allow you to slew around and then track..??

The Skywatcher handset does (Same as the Celestron) But not sure about the GPS models...

Greg

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centroid

centroid

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I'm not familiar with Celestron's 'star alignment' menu, but it does seem very odd not to offer a wide selection of alternative stars, the Meade certainly does.

Especially strange, missing out Vega and Deneb :?

Is it perhaps that you to 'work' through a menu and select alternatives, as opposed to being prompted by the software?

Dave

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Zeffer

Zeffer

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There must be a better method than this but when it happened to me I just clicked align - pretending the stars were in the centre - and then slewed to objects like saturn and stars I knew, got those in the centre and pressed align to replace the ones that the scope had come up with.

Like I say - there must be a better way but it worked for me!

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Helen

Helen

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Thanks everyone.

Justin - I tried that approach, but when I tried to replace an alignment star I got alignment failed! :) It might have been OK for tracking visually though (I didn't really give it a chance!)

There must be a way I think of getting a wider set of alignment stars - and in the cold light of day I think that maybe trying to align using the CCD rather a wide field eyepiece was asking for trouble :(

I think I'll have to read the manual today..

Helen

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CELESCOPE

CELESCOPE

Posted
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Helen it is better to use the 2 star align and maybe forget GPS align, that way at least you have far more choice off stars,this will be good practise for WHEN YOU CHANGE TO an EQ mount ehehheehh , this will prob have to happen anyway very soon , as you are moving at a fair rate of knots,

Rog.

:)

ps, if you do the two star align, first check in the menu , as itwill hold your long/lat readout , that will be spot on then to input for two star manual.

EQ6PRO RULES!! :(

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Cloudwatcher

Cloudwatcher

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Some Goto systems handsets will not show,what to the viewer are obvious alignment stars, because the computer calculates that slewing to that object could cause contact between tube and tripod etc. Also, of course, if the date and time entries are not correct the GoTo will be 'expecting' stars to be in a different position.

Neither of the above account for the 'wobbly' tracking though, as far as I can see. :(

(That's not very helpful is it. Sorry! :))

CW

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Helen

Helen

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Very odd helen, I have the same issue at the moment with my synscan, I think we have been nobbled by the anti space alignment police. I love it when i am offered a star to align with and its below the ground.

So its giving you stars you can't see, and not giving me stars I can see - ODD! Could well be a conspiracy :(

Let's compare notes tomorrow!

Helen

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Helen

Helen

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Only had half an hour last night (had to be up early and fresh this morning) so thought I'd just fiddle with alignment and do a bit of visual.

Same problem with alignment stars (don't whether its because Deneb and Lyra are so high in the sky...). Could see one - Altair. So managed a workaround. I aligned on Altair twice. That got an align successful. And then I went to Deneb and replaced one of the Altair alignments. Seemed to work OK. The test will be whether the goto is then accurate enough for CCD...

Enjoyed my 15 minutes of cruising then - M13, M92 and then M27. I don't think I've looked at M27 through the NS8 before and I couldn't get over the image scale :shock: it nearly filled my 8mm eyepiece! Went to bed happy :)

Now just hoping it clears up tonight, bit cloudy at the moment :(

Helen

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gary1968

gary1968

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Howdy,

Just getting back to astronomy now that the nights are getting a bit darker. Just a thought on your alignment woes, I had what seemed similar problems last winter with my 130SLT. It turned out to be lack of power, it turns out that these things require loads of power. I bought a mains adaptor from Maplin for mine and that seemed to cure my troubles. Just a thought, you might already have covered that.

Clear skies,

GA

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