Celestron Advanced VX mount

[Thalestris24]

Hiya

Oh ok. Too high then My heq5 tripod is 82cm vertical height to the top of the tripod. I was half hoping the vx minimum would be lower.

Thanks for checking for me!

Cheers

Louise.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Hiya

Oh ok. Too high then My heq5 tripod is 82cm vertical height to the top of the tripod. I was half hoping the vx minimum would be lower.

Thanks for checking for me!

Cheers

Louise.

You mean the HEQ5's minimum height is only 82 cm from the Mount sadle plate (stationary position) to the ground?

I guess that might be related to the thickness of the steel legs between the tripods. 1.25" versus 2". Causing a minimum height difference.

But did you messure your HEQ5 tripod minimum height itself, without the mount? I am now curious if there is such a huge difference in minimum height of the tripod itself.

EDIT: I think you misread my post.

The 2inch tripods minimum vertical height is 73,5cm. So it is actually lower.

I checked some comparison Pictures between HEQ5 and EQ6 and you can see that the tripod of the HEQ5 in minimum position is indeed higher than the EQ6.

So as the CG5-GT (which I had myself before) and now the Advanced VX have these same 2 inch tripods as the EQ6, just black instead of white. It should be same height of 73,5 cm.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Here in this topic on Astronomyshed (you have to log in to see the post with Picture) you can see a side by side comparison of the 2inch tripod (Celestron, NEQ6) and the 1.25inch tripod (HEQ5):

http://www.astronomyshed.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=8414

You can clearly see the HEQ5 tripod minimum height is quite a bit higher.

[Thalestris24]

You mean the HEQ5's minimum height is only 82 cm from the Mount sadle plate (stationary position) to the ground?

I guess that might be related to the thickness of the steel legs between the tripods. 1.25" versus 2". Causing a minimum height difference.

But did you messure your HEQ5 tripod minimum height itself, without the mount? I am now curious if there is such a huge difference in minimum height of the tripod itself.

EDIT: I think you misread my post.

The 2inch tripods minimum vertical height is 73,5cm. So it is actually lower.

I checked some comparison Pictures between HEQ5 and EQ6 and you can see that the tripod of the HEQ5 in minimum position is indeed higher than the EQ6.

So as the CG5-GT (which I had myself before) and now the Advanced VX have these same 2 inch tripods as the EQ6, just black instead of white. It should be same height of 73,5 cm.

Hiya

It's 82cm from the floor to the top of the tripod with the legs out. The mount adds about another 37cm to the mid-point of the dovetail mounting. This makes the scope too high for my window which is why I've ordered the pedestal mount. I've been murmuring to myself about getting a second mount so I could take images in the west I can't really afford it but well, it's only money, lol. But a second mount will have similar height problems as the heq5 so I thought maybe a vx would be a possible option if it were shorter. I suppose it might be possible to get a pedestal for it but if one is available it would probably add another £200 to the cost . I could get a hutech lp filter for that!

Will try my luck with the lottery at the weekend

Louise

[Thalestris24]

ps

Just to clarify - I meant with the legs splayed out but at minimum extension. The heq5 syntrek legs are 4cm in diameter (quick measure with a ruler), that's just over 1 1/2" for non-metric people!

Even if the VX mount has a slightly lower minimum height it probably won't help. It's all wishful thinking!

Louise

[knobby]

How about taking the inner section of the leg out all together...

[Thalestris24]

How about taking the inner section of the leg out all together...

Hi

Not sure what you mean? As far as I can tell the (heq5) inner legs only poke out the length of the feet and the feet are needed really. So taking them out altogether wouldn't help much.

Louise

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Hiya

It's 82cm from the floor to the top of the tripod with the legs out. The mount adds about another 37cm to the mid-point of the dovetail mounting. This makes the scope too high for my window which is why I've ordered the pedestal mount. I've been murmuring to myself about getting a second mount so I could take images in the west I can't really afford it but well, it's only money, lol. But a second mount will have similar height problems as the heq5 so I thought maybe a vx would be a possible option if it were shorter. I suppose it might be possible to get a pedestal for it but if one is available it would probably add another £200 to the cost . I could get a hutech lp filter for that!

Will try my luck with the lottery at the weekend

Louise

That's what I messured. Not sure what you mean Louise? Ofcourse I messured with the legs splayed out, otherwise it would be even lower in height.

The 2 inch tripod of celestron and NEQ6 is 73cm minimum height from middle to ground, with legs splayed out. That is 9 cm lower than the 1 1/5 inch tripod of the HEQ5 With legs played out.

PS. Have you checked here: http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/cat/c80_Mount-Acc----Tripods-and-Piers.html

TS is selling piers for EQ Mounts, from which the smallest is only 35 cm in height!

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2464_Pier-350mm-height-with-beams--for-GP---EQ-mounts.html

[knobby]

Just thought it might knock an inch off... Every little helps.

If you're imaging from indoors you could cut tennis balls up for feet to stop damaging your floor and reduce vibration

[Thalestris24]

That's what I messured. Not sure what you mean Louise? Ofcourse I messured with the legs splayed out, otherwise it would be even lower in height.

The 2 inch tripod of celestron and NEQ6 is 73cm minimum height from middle to ground, with legs splayed out. That is 9 cm lower than the 1 1/5 inch tripod of the HEQ5 With legs played out.

PS. Have you checked here: http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/cat/c80_Mount-Acc----Tripods-and-Piers.html

TS is selling piers for EQ Mounts, from which the smallest is only 35 cm in height!

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2464_Pier-350mm-height-with-beams--for-GP---EQ-mounts.html

Sorry - getting you confused! I was hoping that the vx tripod might be quite a lot lower at min height. I think I knew deep down that it wouldn't be! Yeah, those pedestals look identical to the Orion Optics one that I've ordered - the 55cm one. About the same price - if you just make euros pounds!

Cheers

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Just thought it might knock an inch off... Every little helps.

If you're imaging from indoors you could cut tennis balls up for feet to stop damaging your floor and reduce vibration

Thanks for the thought! I have a foam mat: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DL3WUIS/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 though don't get vibration as such.

Cheers

Louise

[coopman827]

What happens when the mount is slewing and the OTA contacts a tripod leg? Will the motors be damaged?

[knobby]

What happens when the mount is slewing and the OTA contacts a tripod leg? Will the motors be damaged?

Not sure I could see it hitting a tripod leg? If it did somehow contort that way then the clutches that you open / close to allow free movement should slip, rather than damage the gears

[Kirscovitch]

I have had the RA clutch loosen on me a couple of times since I've had it. Right in the middle of a slew. Had to shut down and re-align. Not a major issue but an inconvenience. All in all I am liking the mount more and more as I use it. Had some issues back in April but after following some of the tips and tricks provided by the fine folks here on SGL, I'm back up and running with confidence. Sunday night was managing 190 second subs unguided. Didn't know that was possible with just the ASPA. Now I need to try some drift alignment. 

[Jan Berg]

Lodestar X2 Autoguider & VX Mount 

 

Getting nuts. So close but so far away. Firstly do you have Lodestar X2 Autoguider and VX mount Maybe it does't matter which guider you have?

 

Probably because of world cup, summer fever, sure due to my impatience, can’t get my X2 Autoguider communicating with my VX mount. They really do not like each other. Stripes on my 30+ exposures made me mad and OPT (US) recommended the X2 which I got from them, only to discover it’s made in the UK – over the Irish sea – I’m located in Wicklow, Ireland.

 

Think I have the right set-up, but obviously I do not. Got picture on the screen from the X2 cam, but that’s all. 10k possibilities of wrong wiring, wrong software, wrong whatever. Maybe someone have it all worked out and can reveal how it s supposed to be done.

 

Software: Got both PHD and Lodestar software installed. Can see the X2 cam in both programs , but no VX mount  communication. PHD asks me about serial port….but I only USB on my laptop. Do I need to use some serial port adapter? See photo.

 

Also downloaded a lot from ASCOM. Seems to be a “platform” I need to download? And then some Celestron specific software on top of that from same site. But no instruction manual dictates such download but the name of mount selection in guiding software…. I may have made a conflict so that it will never work?

 

Then the wiring. So the USB from the X2 to the computer. Telephone wire (well look like it – it surely has some more advance name) from the X2 to the starguide port on the VX.

 

Read that some has used the port in the hand controller itself. Can't be right? Other alternatives are the auxiliary ones. Maybe it doesn't work as I have the starsense hand controller and not the original one? Or maybedirectly form the computer?

 

Maybe someone can just tell me how they did it which I can copy

 

My setup is

 

VX Mount

SC 8”

Mak 4” with the X2

Celestron Starsense

 

Regards

Jan

[Droogie 2001]

I have been looking for a new mount for my tube (Celestron 8SE) and I have pretty much decided on the AVX mount.

How long of subs (unguided at the moment) could I expect with the Celestron 8SE and a Focal F6.3 reducer?

I have recently read that the longer your focal length the less time you have for unguided subs?

On another Forum someone said they can get 30 secs unguided with a 2000m focal length which is no different than my stock Alt Azimuth mount? I guess my focal length is being reduced by the focal reducer but 30 secs does not sound like much of an improvement. I appreciate that the mount will far more stable and I will have less throw aways as I do tend to have to bin a lot of 30secs exposures with the Alt Azi.

I was hoping for something like 90 seconds?...

Thanks
 

[Jan Berg]

Droggle in Surrey, 

If you go to my gallery you will see my M81/M82 shot. One minute and the best polar alignment I can do with the VX. (which possibly could have been done better - Irish weather window necessitates speed) Used 0.63 reducer and Canon 600. Got stipes and  at 2 minutes didn't look good. Why I got my autoguider which I cannot get working. Ref my posting. Desperate.  

Jan

[Droogie 2001]

Thanks Jan Berg. Is that a RAW 1 minute single shot?
Looks nice but yes I can see some star trailing. Hope you get your guiding issue sorted will be very interested to see the results.

[Jan Berg]

Correct one minute raw. Gave a call to a local "pro" just now. He said that the software I try to use PHD and  Lodestar may be my problem. Couldn't find any fault in my setup and told me to get MaximDL and PEMPro. So there is my weekend work. 

To be continued... 

Jan

[Droogie 2001]

Ok. Do you have a bunch of RAW images to stack or are you just testing at the moment.? I would be interested to see what the mount can do with a stacked 1 minute exposure as I am sure there is a fair amount of detail to come out from that shot.

Though I appreciate you are probably more concerned and interested in getting your guide scope issue resolved though than messing around with the unguided shots.

[Jan Berg]

Both, but in investigating modus. The stacking / processing is an art form in its own right. Got a few books and programs. Jezus it's time consuming. (when one hasn't done it before) Didn't see much different in the stacking I did but probably because I didn't have the many shots to stack? The playing with the other noise reduction and RB wherever-it-is--called  diagrams had greater impacts. The MAXIMDL seems to have all the function one needs. Free testing for a month on their website. 

[Droogie 2001]

Having just received my new AVX mount yesterday and successfully running some test alignments indoors I am now intending to try it outside tonight.

I have a couple of quick questions.

I want to try and run a Two Star Alignment and add 4 calibration stars, then perform an ASPA.
The manual and other forums have suggested that you should then repeat this all over again to give you a more accurate alignment, even if your Align Data is displaying perfect zeros across the board. Does anyone on this thread feel that this is required or worthwhile?

Secondly if it is worthwhile is there a better way of re-aligning other than just switching the mount on and off? I thought there was a re-align option but this may not have the same purpose as a complete re-alignment.

Thanks

[Kirscovitch]

I try to do the whole process at least 3 times. Lets say that you get everything setup and do the 2+4 alignment and calibration and you then do the ASPA and get zeros across the board. You power down and just do the 2+4 and then without doing the ASPA go to the alignment screen and check your error. 9 out of 10 times there will still be an error. Each time you do the 2+4 the amount of error will decrease. My understanding is that if you do it 3 or 4 or even 5 times the error will keep reducing until you can just do the alignment and it will read all zeros. I usually do it 3 times and call it good. Best time I had with it was able to do 190 subs. It is a bit time consuming but you can get good results with it.

[Kirscovitch]

And you will notice a difference each time you start the alignment process on how far off the finder is from the alignment star. Gives you a sense that "hey it's working".

[Droogie 2001]

Thanks Kirscovitch for those tips.

Well I went out last night and put the scope through some test alignments.

Bearing in mind I do not have an illuminated reticule and my strongest lens is an 8mm I was probably not starting off from a ideal position.

I initially went for a Two star & 3 calibration stars, which went well. Once I completed I slewed nicely around and the targets were pretty much in the centre of the eyepiece I say pretty much because controlling the direction buttons on the HC now it is on a EQ mount is weird! 

I now realise you can have changed the direction of the buttons on the hand controller. The manual suggests this depending on which side you scope is on. This will be interesting as obviously aligning the OTA it will switch sides fairly regularly so unless you want to change the direction buttons  each time I guess it is a case of getting use to it...

Anyway I decided to then go for an ASPA. Having previously worked out which star I was going to Polar Align to (Sadr) All was well until I had to use the Azimuth and Altitude bolts to move the star into the centre of the eye piece. Azimuth was ok but I needed to increase the altitude a little bit. When I turn the rear bolt it skewed the alignment completely off to the side,. I kept trying and finally got to where I thought was ok. I then updated the Star alignment by performing 'Unsych' from the Polar Alignment star and replacing my alignment and calibration stars. It was from here that things became a little confusing and my alignments were subsequently out. I have been thinking about why the altitude bolts skewed, perhaps I forgot to tighten the central column to the mount fully. I had tighten it enough on the tripod setup to ensure it would not fall off but forgot to go back to this.

Just as a test I then added my DSLR on to the mount (performed a recalibrate) Took a 30 second images of M15 and was pleasantly surprised at how round the stars were compared to my old mount. However subsequent 30 sec exposures all showed star trailing. I guess this is because I have missed or carried out something incorrectly, namely my iffy ASPA alignment

After this I ran out of time as it was getting late so no chance to realign or give the 'Pointing at polaris' method a go.

All in all I was pleased with how things went. I do however realise that I need an illuminate reticule and my stock red dot finder is either not up to the job or I need to spend more time on calibrating this. Previously I have found the red dot to be sufficient but as there is a requirement for more accurate aligning and calibrating on this mount it is starting to show its short comings.

One last question. Kirscovitch do you perform the 'Updating Star alignment' steps after an ASPA as described in the manual. I understand the need for it but it just seemed to confuse things and made my tracking go off. Or do you finish the ASPA and them simply power off and repeat the alignment/calibrate again several times and each time leaving off the ASPA?

Thanks