HHHHEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!

[simmo39]

Sorry for the title but I do need help. Went out last night to try and get M1, Well, where do I start? As some of you may be aware I have got hold of a SW synguider which Im struggling to get the hang of. Last night I finally got the magic words tracking and thought I was away, After about 7  2 min subs all trailing I went i and read the distructions again! still not clear, Any way out again and as M1 had started to get behind the house I went for M82. Set up the guider and finally, so I thought. got a 2 min sub without trailing, Yay! so I let the camera go on its merry way taking 10  2 mins subs only to find the first sub had no trailing but the rest had!. The pics below are from that sub. Now to the question. Im using a SW127 and I know its not the best scope for imaging but is this the cause of my problem? I have got a focal reducer fitted so the focal length is about 7, Is that still a bit on the long side? Any other pointers about the synguider would be welcome, Many thanks.

[graemlourens]

Are you on stable ground or not? (Maybe on grass where the mount is gradually sinking in?)

[simmo39]

Are you on stable ground or not? (Maybe on grass where the mount is gradually sinking in?)

Hi, No solid ground, thought it may be legs collapsing but checked them all night. Think its the synguider at heart but im open to other ideas. I have not seen what I can say is definitely seen a star on the screen of it, seen flashes through the noise with boxes around them which I assume are stars but it could be anything,lol.

[graemlourens]

It could be tracking a ufo then maybe

Ground could make quite a difference, drove me crazy last time and i lost all my subs

In my case it wasnt the legs, it was the legs slowly sinking into the grass under the load )))

Stupid questio/idea: Is that a cut out or a full frame? The stars look bloated as if it was from the edge of a large sensor behind a focal reducer that is not flattening enough, are all the stars on the whole image the same or only the outer edge ones?

[simmo39]

Hi, top image fall frame, but m82 was on the edge so it may explain bloated stars. Still learning.

[graemlourens]

Hmm i can not defitively see star trailing, it would be consistant over all stars.

Have you maybe got mor data? Example where it was good and one where it was bad, but from the same area a cutout?

Btw why didnt you go for m81 btw? right next to m82 but faaaaar more rewarding

[ollypenrice]

The focal length, you say, is 'about 7.' Do you mean that you've brought it down to a focal ratio of F7? In which case, what's the focal length?

The stellar anomilies look more optical in origin than arising from tracking, though I could easily be wrong on that. Is the focal reducer truly compatible and do you have the right distance between chip and reducer?

Olly

[simmo39]

The focal length, you say, is 'about 7.' Do you mean that you've brought it down to a focal ratio of F7? In which case, what's the focal length?

The stellar anomilies look more optical in origin than arising from tracking, though I could easily be wrong on that. Is the focal reducer truly compatible and do you have the right distance between chip and reducer?

Olly

Hi, Thats a good question that I have no idea on, I think the SW 127 mak has a focal lenght of 11.5 the focal reducer that im using is for celestron  and that brings there scope down to 7 ish so I am guessing that it would be the same for mine.

Hmm i can not defitively see star trailing, it would be consistant over all stars.

Have you maybe got mor data? Example where it was good and one where it was bad, but from the same area a cutout?

Btw why didnt you go for m81 btw? right next to m82 but faaaaar more rewarding

Hi will try and dig out the rest of the images and post a few to show you, M82 was the first thing that showed on the camera so stuck with it to try and get synguider to work. If we get another clear night I will try for a better composition.

Thanks for the help i need it! lol 

[Carina Lass]

The stars in your piccy show two things, one is a small amount of coma towards the bottom.

This is usually caused by the focal reducer not being at the right spacing for the sensor to focus correctly at the edges - or the wrong reducer for the telescope which sometimes happens

Further up there are triangular stars this appears to be a small vibration  - maybe caused by heavy feet or a caught cable.

If the stars are triangular, it could also be a pinched mirror - that is the edges of the cell are too tight and forcing the mirror into a slight distortion with three lobes - hence the triangle stars.

If you haven't been messing with the cell, I'd say vibration.

[lensman57]

Sorry for the title but I do need help. Went out last night to try and get M1, Well, where do I start? As some of you may be aware I have got hold of a SW synguider which Im struggling to get the hang of. Last night I finally got the magic words tracking and thought I was away, After about 7  2 min subs all trailing I went i and read the distructions again! still not clear, Any way out again and as M1 had started to get behind the house I went for M82. Set up the guider and finally, so I thought. got a 2 min sub without trailing, Yay! so I let the camera go on its merry way taking 10  2 mins subs only to find the first sub had no trailing but the rest had!. The pics below are from that sub. Now to the question. Im using a SW127 and I know its not the best scope for imaging but is this the cause of my problem? I have got a focal reducer fitted so the focal length is about 7, Is that still a bit on the long side? Any other pointers about the synguider would be welcome, Many thanks.

What is your set up? What is your guide scope, balance routine? A post of the stars with trailing may also be helpful.

A.G

[simmo39]

Hi all, thanks for the replys, well the set up is Heq5 mount with a SW 127 mak. the guide scope is a mini 50mm orion scope with a SW synguider auto guider ( which I cant say I got the hang of yet). below is one of the pics with trailing on. this is a 120 sec exposure at 1600 asi

The vibration thought could be good as I have had that problem in the past. Also the cables where tangled but I didnt want to mess as I seemed to have it guiding ( hah!)

[Astrosurf]

AP in soft ground is murder! People put blocks of wood with dimples or holes drilled for the tripod feet. I've got three small terracotta pot bases I've yet to drill. There are ready-made foot supports you can buy but they're silly expensive.

Alexxx