azeq6 and eqmod

[msh1]

hi guys i have been meaning to ask this for 6 months or so but keep forgetting ,my mount etc is in an obsy drift aligned & i can go 30 min subs i use cdc & eqmod

      so i goto a star centre it sync it goto another  star & sync it etc i did build up quite a lot of sync points in eqmod but thats not the problem the problem is when i want to use the scope another night i tell it to goto a star and it out not by much but always north not much but enough just on the edge of the chip ( william optics z71 & atik 314l+ ) surly once you have sync it should be the same every night ,the lat and longtitude are right well according to my gps on phone ,time seems bang on , so what i do is now is goto star sync it then delete the rest of the sync points and carry on with a few sync point around the object i want to image its not a major problem it just seems the sync points drift 

hope this makes sense

mark

[msh1]

hi all does anyone know why this happens ??

mark

[continuum]

Just guessing but could it  be if you don't sync on Park?

I found the same on my HEQ5 but I always use AstroTortilla to get back to an object or to centre a new one so Ive not been concerned about it.

Ron (NLO)

[graemlourens]

I am wildly guessing here, but i have observed on my azeq6 that going 'home' doesn't always go perfectly home... 

Maybe its just my eyes squinting, but maybe somebody can confirm this, that the encoders are not absolutely perfect on the azeq6, as not a highend mount.

So maybe based on that, your sync data will be shifted in one direction.

But this will only really affect you if you're starhopping.

If you're on one target in any case, its pretty irrelevant, as the sync data is only for goto, PE is the important thing for imaging.

Regards, Graem

[graemlourens]

sry, i meant 'PA' is the important thing for imaging (not PE)

[msh1]

ah i wonder if the park position is the culprit i will find out tonight make a note of the numbers, i just cant see all thing being equal that it shifts its not a major problem just a pain & pointless in building lots of  sync point if they are out the next time i go out imaging 

mark

[Tinker1947]

You could on the first GoTo undo the clutches and recentre the star, this should bring all those sync points back in line, when i park my NEQ6 i set the indexes to zero then manually move the scope/mount so the roof can close, next time out place the mount/scope so the arrow point at the zero marks, and its as type GoTo realign the first star the rest are all good, I do know EQMod will do a User defined Park but the scope on occasions gets moved while diy or tiding up happens in day light...

[msh1]

what i have noticedis the ra/decnumbers change from park position when i connect to cdc 

mark

[Pompey Monkey]

You could on the first GoTo undo the clutches and recentre the star, this should bring all those sync points back in line, when i park my NEQ6 i set the indexes to zero then manually move the scope/mount so the roof can close, next time out place the mount/scope so the arrow point at the zero marks, and its as type GoTo realign the first star the rest are all good, I do know EQMod will do a User defined Park but the scope on occasions gets moved while diy or tiding up happens in day light...

I don't think that this works with the AZ-EQ6 because the encoders will tell EQOMD that the scope has moved.

Does anyone know if it's possible to turn off the encoders?

what i have noticedis the ra/decnumbers change from park position when i connect to cdc 

mark

I haven't noticed this because I have not been looking, but I've also noticed an alignment error when resuming from the parked position, so I'm watching this thread with interest. 

[Tinker1947]

I don't think that this works with the AZ-EQ6 because the encoders will tell EQOMD that the scope has moved.

Does anyone know if it's possible to turn off the encoders?

I haven't noticed this because I have not been looking, but I've also noticed an alignment error when resuming from the parked position, so I'm watching this thread with interest. 

THis thread mentions "Turn the Encoders off with the handset"

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/232866-sky-watcher-az-eq6-alignment-with-eqmod/?hl=%2Baz%26amp%3B%238208eq6+%2Bencoders#entry2519501

[Pompey Monkey]

THis thread mentions "Turn the Encoders off with the handset"

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/232866-sky-watcher-az-eq6-alignment-with-eqmod/?hl=%2Baz%26amp%3B%238208eq6+%2Bencoders#entry2519501

Thanks for that

[msh1]

Maybe Chris from eqmod could answer this if he sees it

Mark

[chrisshillito]

Maybe Chris from eqmod could answer this if he sees it

Mark

You are correct that in your original post that if you have a permanent sited mount you should be able to simple save your alignment points, park and on a subsequent occasion unpark and load your alignment points and gotos should be as accurate as before ( for the same regions of the sky). If however you unload your mount the alignment model may be invalidated - in such cases it is worth just slipping EQMOD alignment into Dialogue mode and performing a single star sync in an effort to "shift: the existing model to the new sync point - once you've done that you can put EQMOD back into "append mode" should you want to add more points to the model.

When it comes to the AZEQ6GT and its auto-home and hardware encoders I don't have any practical advice to offer as I've never used one myself. Some folks seem to manage with the hardware encoders enabled, others recommend disabling them. All I can say is NEQ6/HEQ5 owners don't have this choice and EQMOD manages to control those mounts well enough so they can't be essential.

Chris.

[msh1]

You are correct that in your original post that if you have a permanent sited mount you should be able to simple save your alignment points, park and on a subsequent occasion unpark and load your alignment points and gotos should be as accurate as before ( for the same regions of the sky). If however you unload your mount the alignment model may be invalidated - in such cases it is worth just slipping EQMOD alignment into Dialogue mode and performing a single star sync in an effort to "shift: the existing model to the new sync point - once you've done that you can put EQMOD back into "append mode" should you want to add more points to the model

Chris.

thanks chris i will do the dialogue mode and single star sync the problem i have noticed is the longer the mount gets unused the worse the drift becomes and you know what the weather is like in the uk lol

[msh1]

You are correct that in your original post that if you have a permanent sited mount you should be able to simple save your alignment points, park and on a subsequent occasion unpark and load your alignment points and gotos should be as accurate as before ( for the same regions of the sky). If however you unload your mount the alignment model may be invalidated - in such cases it is worth just slipping EQMOD alignment into Dialogue mode and performing a single star sync in an effort to "shift: the existing model to the new sync point - once you've done that you can put EQMOD back into "append mode" should you want to add more points to the model.

When it comes to the AZEQ6GT and its auto-home and hardware encoders I don't have any practical advice to offer as I've never used one myself. Some folks seem to manage with the hardware encoders enabled, others recommend disabling them. All I can say is NEQ6/HEQ5 owners don't have this choice and EQMOD manages to control those mounts well enough so they can't be essential.

Chris.

thanks chris the dialogue mode works perfectly saves me a bit of time cheers

mark