Star Adventure - First Light

[Thalestris24]

So, having sorted out the qhy5l-ii ST4 port functionality, I had a go at using the SA and with guiding last night. I can't say it was pleasant to use after being used to computer control, goto and platesolving... Finding targets was really difficult! I spent ages getting the Alt PA adjustment as best as I could only to find that when I moved the scope the PA got knocked out. So found myself adjusting DEC drift every time I moved it. Not good. It's possible it's a bit overloaded for imaging (ST80, 550d, 50mm finder guider) so I'll have to see if I can improve things. The RA guiding didn't seem very good either. Again, maybe because of overloading or maybe that's all you get. Here is a screen grab of PHD2 drift alignment (about 5mins worth):

The actual physical adjustment of PA was about typical for Synta... I so wish it was better! Of course, I'm pushing the SA's limits so I have to allow for that. It's probably fine for lighter loads and shorter fl.

Anyway, in between clouds, I eventually got two subs of NGC 1746 (2 x 180s, ISO800). I didn't do any calibration frames for this test.

The image is reduced to 22% of original size and only processed in DSS with a tweak in Paint.Net!! It's not too bad for only x2 subs, I suppose. Atmospheric conditions weren't great. A lot of field curvature from the ST80, as expected. Next time I'll try stopping down the lens. I've tried it before with the small lens cap removed and that minimises the field curvature but obviously slows it down a lot too. I'll have to try making a stopping down ring but with a bigger aperture.

Anyway, here's a crop from the centre of the above image:

(I'm expecting these images to look a lot worse on here than they do on my monitor!)

Finally, I grabbed a shot of Jupiter/Mars early this morning (single jpeg sub):

Shame about the CA but cool you can see Jupiter's moons!

Louise

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very nice report of your initial experiences. Nice result on Jupiter

[Davey-T]

Never tried guiding my SA, just got back from Sixpenny Handley star party and I left it running with Canon 24 / 105 set at 24 and it got round stars on over 1000 sec exposure 

The whole point of buying it as far as I was concerned was as a grab an go DSLR imaging solution, no PC involved using intervalometer and capturing to the camera.

I have used it for solar imaging with ST80 and Quark which works fine on the Sun tracking setting.

On the PA  subject I leave the illuminator permanently fitted and tweak it as I'm imaging ( have to file out the slot in the L dovetail to fit it ) you can do small adjustments without loosening the securing bolts, after a couple of tweaks you can get Polaris to track nicely round the polar scope circle, need to check it's aligned.

The first SA I received was running slow and getting left behind by the stars, the replacement I checked by putting a laser level in the dovetail and leaving it running for "24" hours and it ended up pretty spot on where it started

I can do 90sec subs with Canon 300mm lens so don't see the need to guide it

Dave

[Tinker1947]

I have only ever spent a few minutes do PA, get on the circle where it should be, then turn the SA so Polaris goes full circle, but stays in the circle all the way round, this and getting the balance perfect, give me pin point stars with a Modded 600d + 100mm F2 lens stopped down to F2.8 I use a NEQ6 tripod to makes it stable......

Single 180sec 800iso  part of Cygnus

Set-up

[Thalestris24]

Never tried guiding my SA, just got back from Sixpenny Handley star party and I left it running with Canon 24 / 105 set at 24 and it got round stars on over 1000 sec exposure 

The whole point of buying it as far as I was concerned was as a grab an go DSLR imaging solution, no PC involved using intervalometer and capturing to the camera.

I have used it for solar imaging with ST80 and Quark which works fine on the Sun tracking setting.

On the PA  subject I leave the illuminator permanently fitted and tweak it as I'm imaging ( have to file out the slot in the L dovetail to fit it ) you can do small adjustments without loosening the securing bolts, after a couple of tweaks you can get Polaris to track nicely round the polar scope circle, need to check it's aligned.

The first SA I received was running slow and getting left behind by the stars, the replacement I checked by putting a laser level in the dovetail and leaving it running for "24" hours and it ended up pretty spot on where it started

I can do 90sec subs with Canon 300mm lens so don't see the need to guide it

Dave

Hi Dave

I'm imaging from indoors at the moment so can't use the polarscope. I wanted a portable solution but preferably with a scope rather than just a lens. What I might try is swapping the ST80 for the TravelScope 70 which is much lighter, though something that was optically better would be nice. Trouble is better fracs are so expensive, even short ones! I have the cheap Canon 75-300mm but it's not very good for astro. The atmosphere here has generally always limited me to +/- 4 arc secs (RA and DEC). Really clear nights are very rare. My SA doesn't appear to run fast or slow (though haven't actually checked it!) but obviously an autoguider will always try to correct what it sees. Amoeboid stars -> inferior guiding... I go for longer guide star exposures when I can but still get a lot of distortion.

90 secs isn't really long enough for here - 180s is better, 360s tends to overexposure because of the city lp. All the above were taken with a cls-ccd clip filter. Just fitting that results in needing longer exposures. Can't win!

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Here's my setup:

Spaghetti junction on the floor, lol. There is a weight attached to the front of the ST80 though it's actually not quite enough to balance. I'll have to try some things

Louise

[Davey-T]

I think you've done really well to get those images with that setup.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

I think you've done really well to get those images with that setup.

Dave

I hope to improve it!

[Davey-T]

This is the one I took the other night, just left it running to see how it would do, single exposure 1020secs @ ISO1600 60Da Canon 24-105 @ 24.

Dave

[Davesellars]

This is probably a daft question, but why are you using a portable setup for imaging from indoors?  Do you do a similar thing with your HEQ5?

I'm stuck to imaging from a back room at the moment due to family commitments - doing a lengthy outdoor session is just not poissible! However, it's in  a pretty dark position though and since I'm just starting in AP it's allowed be in the last month to do around 20 sessions so far with being rather lucky with the weather so I feel I've progressed that much faster than I have if I would have had to setup up each time outside!   The results so far have been promising and having a heavy (NEQ6) mount means once installed it's not going to move so at least polar aligning is a one off.

[Thalestris24]

This is probably a daft question, but why are you using a portable setup for imaging from indoors?  Do you do a similar thing with your HEQ5?

I'm stuck to imaging from a back room at the moment due to family commitments - doing a lengthy outdoor session is just not poissible! However, it's in  a pretty dark position though and since I'm just starting in AP it's allowed be in the last month to do around 20 sessions so far with being rather lucky with the weather so I feel I've progressed that much faster than I have if I would have had to setup up each time outside!   The results so far have been promising and having a heavy (NEQ6) mount means once installed it's not going to move so at least polar aligning is a one off.

Hi

Because I want to go outdoors! I live in a second floor flat with no lift. So I'm trying to get a setup up and running that I can carry down the stairs and use outside.

Louise

[Ouroboros]

Interesting report, Louise. It'll be interesting to find out how well your set up works when you get it outside and can do a proper polar alignment.

[Thalestris24]

Interesting report, Louise. It'll be interesting to find out how well your set up works when you get it outside and can do a proper polar alignment.

Hi

Well the DEC drift alignment and RA guiding seem fine but the SA doesn't hold the alt adjustment at all. This may be just a weight issue so I might swap the ST80 for a TravelScope 70 which is much lighter. I currently use the latter as a guide scope on my 130pds and don't know if it will be any good for imaging with but is worth a try.

Louise

[Davey-T]

Have you weighed your setup Louise ? I've had my SA loaded with over 6kg and it tracks OK.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Have you weighed your setup Louise ? I've had my SA loaded with over 6kg and it tracks OK.

Dave

Hiya

That sounds a lot! What have you got on it? Does yours hold Alt adjustment ok? I have ST80 (1.7kg) + 550d (554g) + Finder guider (495g), say 2.8kg excluding counterweights (2kg) and the fine adjustment mounting bracket. I'm never sure if payload should include counterweights and bits. If I exclude the weights then I should be well within the payload capability. However, the payload for imaging might be a lot less?

Louise

[Tinker1947]

Hiya

That sounds a lot! What have you got on it? Does yours hold Alt adjustment ok? I have ST80 (1.7kg) + 550d (554g) + Finder guider (495g), say 2.8kg excluding counterweights (2kg) and the fine adjustment mounting bracket. I'm never sure if payload should include counterweights and bits. If I exclude the weights then I should be well within the payload capability. However, the payload for imaging might be a lot less?

Louise

I have never look at the mount limits, but as it primarily a imagine mount i would hope the weight shown is a imagine weight....bit of a con if not.....

[Stu]

Hiya

That sounds a lot! What have you got on it? Does yours hold Alt adjustment ok? I have ST80 (1.7kg) + 550d (554g) + Finder guider (495g), say 2.8kg excluding counterweights (2kg) and the fine adjustment mounting bracket. I'm never sure if payload should include counterweights and bits. If I exclude the weights then I should be well within the payload capability. However, the payload for imaging might be a lot less?

Louise

Payload normally excludes counterweights so I reckon you are well under.

[Davey-T]

Weight is excluding counterweights so you are well under, can't understand why yours moves in alt adjustment, once it's locked it shouldn't move, may be better once outside and you can polar align it using Polaris which is all I do.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Weight is excluding counterweights so you are well under, can't understand why yours moves in alt adjustment, once it's locked it shouldn't move, may be better once outside and you can polar align it using Polaris which is all I do.

Dave

Hi Dave

It does seem strange though the needed alt adjustment is very small... What do you have on yours that adds up to 6kg? How do you balance everything? What sort of value of DEC drift do you get? I'm using the RA clutch and the tightener on the fine tuning mounting assembly to move the scope in DEC - are you doing the same?? 

Thanks

Louise

[Davey-T]

I had the LS60DS plus extra counterweight although solar imaging it kept the Sun centred for hours so no obvious drift, haven't tried connecting it to PHD to measure actual drift.

Used it for imaging with ST80 and DSLR which it carried easily so your setup should be OK as far as weight is concerned.

One issue I did have was the two allen key screws holding the dovetail clamp to the wedge were slightly loose allowing it to move from side to side.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Never tried guiding my SA, just got back from Sixpenny Handley star party and I left it running with Canon 24 / 105 set at 24 and it got round stars on over 1000 sec exposure 

The whole point of buying it as far as I was concerned was as a grab an go DSLR imaging solution, no PC involved using intervalometer and capturing to the camera.

I have used it for solar imaging with ST80 and Quark which works fine on the Sun tracking setting.

On the PA  subject I leave the illuminator permanently fitted and tweak it as I'm imaging ( have to file out the slot in the L dovetail to fit it ) you can do small adjustments without loosening the securing bolts, after a couple of tweaks you can get Polaris to track nicely round the polar scope circle, need to check it's aligned.

The first SA I received was running slow and getting left behind by the stars, the replacement I checked by putting a laser level in the dovetail and leaving it running for "24" hours and it ended up pretty spot on where it started

I can do 90sec subs with Canon 300mm lens so don't see the need to guide it

Dave

I tried it again (briefly!) last night and could adjust Alt to get a reasonable DEC line (< +/- 4 arcsecs which is good for here!) but the guided RA was still zig-sagging. There does seem to be a lot of play in the RA axis... I've given the allen bolts a tighten though I wouldn't have called them loose. Anyway, have unloaded it and attached a laser and am giving it the '24 hour' test. Update to follow tomorrow!

Louise

[Tinker1947]

I power mine by way of a Tracer battery, with a cigarette (3 way) adapter connected, the power is taken via a USB car phone charger this gives the 5 volts by just using a USB lead plugged into the mount...

Something like this....

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/TRIXES-Socket-Cigarette-Lighter-Adaptor/dp/B0053X5TG4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1445852472&sr=8-4&keywords=cigarette+power+adapter

[Thalestris24]

I power mine by way of a Tracer battery, with a cigarette (3 way) adapter connected, the power is taken via a USB car phone charger this gives the 5 volts by just using a USB lead plugged into the mount...

Something like this....

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/TRIXES-Socket-Cigarette-Lighter-Adaptor/dp/B0053X5TG4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1445852472&sr=8-4&keywords=cigarette+power+adapter

Hiya

Mine's currently running via usb 5V so that should be ok. 24 hour test still running. I've marked 12hr and 18hr points. It will probably be ok at 24hrs. I think it might be play in the RA axis that might be the problem. Not sure what's adjustable... Dunno when I might get clear skies to test it again...

Louise

[Davey-T]

Result of my test, actually did a second one that got closer.

Dave

[Zakalwe]

Without knowing the distance between the two points and how far the SA is from the wall,  it's hard to offer a definitive viewpoint, but I would *think* that that looks pretty close. What was the SA mounted on? A tripod might have moved slightly (thermal expansion and contraction of the legs?).