EQ6 & SynScan guiding problem or am I being a tad thick?

[Robbie63]

Hi, After a 30 year break - family, business, you know the stuff -  I have decided to re visit Astronomy and buy a scope! My last scope was a 60mm Tasco, oh so simple! This time round I thought, oh well, I have worked hard so time to treat myself and get a nice scope so I decided on a Tak 130s & an EQ6 with SynScan. Ok...............but in 2014 it now seems I should have took a degree in quantum math before my purchase! Things moved on while I was away eh! 

My problem: I set the scope up, switch the mount on, get an object in sight only to find the scope not guiding................either (a) my drive is faulty ( I'm doing something wrong or © I'm much thicker than I thought!

It doesn't help that the SynScan manual is, well, pretty poor to say the least, anyone help?

I'm sure you're thinking the answer is © and this will be the first of many questions with no brainer answers! I concur!

Thanks, Rob

[valleyman]

It could be a number of simple things Robbie

If you could give details of exactly what your doing, plus what power supply you are using, What settings you have in the handset. Does the mount work once switched on without doing an alignment. ie switch it on and try the left /right

Up/down controls on the handset. As much info as possible will get you a quick answer on here.

Pat

[nucleardwarf]

Are you doing the alignment setup?

[Robbie63]

Hi Pat

thanks for reply. I'm using mains supply and the mount slews perfectly well in any direction with or without alignment. I just assumed once the mount is switched on it would track in the rate put into the controller, in this case sidereal rate?

Rob 

[Stargazer33]

Hi Rob, if you just turn your mount on and start using it without going through a set-up routine ie date, time location etc then the mount won't know where it is so although it will slew the tracking won't be turned on and hemisphere won't be selected. If you are not doing an alignment routine then you will need to go into your menu and scroll up/down to tracking, turn on sidereal or Luna tracking and then select Northern or Southern hemisphere so the mount knows which way to track.

HTH

[Robbie63]

yes, no problem there

[Robbie63]

Hi Bryan, I have the handset with me in stand alone mode - just plugged directly into mains but I cant find any of those options in the menu. Even when the SynScan is set up in alignment mode with the scope, no tracking

[valleyman]

You will do alignment first Robbie as the mount does not know where it is until you have setup the handset and done at least a one star alignment.

You need to put your Alt/ Dec into the handset, for Manchester that will be near to 53 north and 02 degrees west.

Then add the date in US format mm.dd.yyyy.

next add the time.

make sure the mount is level and the OTA balanced.

Do all this during the day, nothing worse than going out it the dark to try and rectify something. It can be done indoors.

If you have stellerium open it and switch it to night mode and put your location in as the same as the handset.

Now find a bright star in the and point the scope to it as best you can. Follow the instruction on the handset. Once you have done that it should say alirnment complete.

Press Enter on the hand set and you will be ready . Click on Solar on the handset and select sun, remember do this indoors, under no circumstance look at the sunn from outside.

The telescope should nor slew to roughly where the sun is. once there listen to the motors and you should here tham working.

Pat

[Robbie63]

Hi Bryan, found tracking and set to sidereal rate but I don't seem to have the option to select Northern/Southern hemisphere.  I will connect to scope now to see if it tracks

[Robbie63]

Thanks Pat, I have Stellarium, so will do a dry run now. I have however done the setup precisely as you describe, following the menu in Synscan and successfully aligned the scope, however, it doesn't seem to track. 

Rob

[valleyman]

You will not see it tracking unless you look through the EP. stick an ear on the motor and you should hear it turning if it is tracking.

Pat

[valleyman]

Also check the amperage of your power supply, it needs to be above 2 amps. Below 2 amps will operate the handset but not the motors. 

Pat

[Tinker1947]

The north south option is set when you put in you location there's no option just to tick north or south, the power needs to be 11v - 15v there's a option in the handset to check this, the power LED should remain stable when you slew the mount if it flickers the voltage may be dropping to low, one of these PSU will do the job, with a long low voltage extension lead so the PSU remains in your house away from the damp.......

Maplins sell these as well as FLO

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/power-accessories/maplins-xm21x-7a-138v-regulated-mains-power-supply.html

[Owmuchonomy]

How do you know it is not tracking? That may help us perform the diagnosis. Have you observed your target for several minutes for example?

[Robbie63]

Ok guys, clearly I was having a blonde moment and the mount is now tracking fine thanks to all your useful input - I simply did not go into the tracking menu - couldn't find it at first. Trauma over! Thanks all so very much! Really helpful group

[valleyman]

Glad to help Robbie

Pat

[Robbie63]

Ok, that sorted thanks again all............few more points I need help with. The scope I bought came with a few extras I'm not sure of: looking on the net I think I have a Deep Sky Imager, this is the link showing the item I have:            http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/howto-ccd2.htm

I'm looking to get into astrophotography and realise I will need a guide scope and perhaps utilise the Autoguider on the EQ6.

Also I attached my camera to the Tak 130s which has a 2.7" focuser and noticed what I think is called vignetting. I am using a Canon 100D with a T mount with a 1.25 eyepiece adaptor. Looking at Tak's 130 manual it would appear I need a field flattener and wide T mount adaptor - I assume the wide T mount would avoid vignetting?

[Tinker1947]

You will need the Tak 130 T Mount i suspect as for the field flattener other's will say yes or no .........