Lost my motivation

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

6th course of antibiotic since Sept 2015.

>ouch<

SIX! You have my sympathy.

I had one in January and one in February (the second lot were brutal ones). It's taken six weeks for my guts to settle back down.

[colin2007]

33 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

>ouch<

SIX! You have my sympathy.

I had one in January and one in February (the second lot were brutal ones). It's taken six weeks for my guts to settle back down.

Same here, you have my sympathy too. I have had 3 lots since January on top of other medical problems. Only now am I starting to feel like I'm getting back on my feet.

In the past three months I have not done no astronomy at all, just been too ill to even go there. But this morning I finally went out and did some observing and it did feel good!

Daily life can sometimes stop you from finding time for astronomy,but when you're ill it can really drag you down and finding the motivation can be even harder

[Gina]

I too sympathise with those with medical problems

[Garethr]

Keeping the medical theme running here I decided to have a go the other night partly after reading this forum again and because I had a large abscess keeping me well awake. 

Having got the bug again after fitting a extra 2 monitors allowing me to have all applications open and visable as well as review subs as they come in all was set. 

Blimey I had forgotten how complex everything is.  

Switch on mount and PC 

open all programmes,  astroeq,CDC,apt,PHD,eqmod and canon for reviewing subs

connect everything to everything else and ensure they are all talking and happy

finally roll back roof.

take another load of painkillers for toothache

right time to check alignment .  Find it way off.  Slew to m51 and ask for plate solve to do its stuff.  Fail, fail,and fail again. 

Ask the goto++ to have go only to be told camera need to be in bulb mode and I  was too distracted to work this one out.

take another couple of subs then realise focus is miles out and I had forgotten to set this at the beginning.  Arrrrrrgh .

SET FOCUS

again ask plate sole to have a look then realise my alignment is so far out it's not gonna happen.

take eos of the scope plonk on the zwo.

manually slew to jupiter and start an imaging run.

sit watching jupiter bouncing all over the screen due to poor seeing.

run a couple of different shots using various barlows 2x 2.5x then 3 x

ask registax to have a look at the first run.  Registax crashes.

have another look at the data collected decide focus slightly off. Seeing conditions really poor.

shut everything down close roof. Swear a lot. Go to bed

have I still lost my mojo?

actually it seemed to help a little knowing I still have the ability to screw up at any stage of the process not just the one.  

Looking forward to another attempt as soon as the weather and work permits.

Strange how a rubbish session which achieved nothing seems to have got me ready  to go again

 

Gareth  

[Stub Mandrel]

Elsewhere someone commented that the frustration of having so few nights, that you can't 'waste' any tryi8ng out different ideas & equipment or just 'practising' and getting to know your gear better.

[Gina]

That's just about my experience too Gareth, except that I haven't yet tried Jupiter.  Nearly did Thursday night which was clear but I'd had such a busy day that I was just too tired   I'm planning to try a bit of visual when I can get motivated...  hmm... At least visual needs less equipment (that doesn't work).  Jupiter is nice and bright and shouldn't take too much finding, particularly with different eyepieces or maybe the zoom one.

[Stu]

3 hours ago, Garethr said:

Keeping the medical theme running here I decided to have a go the other night partly after reading this forum again and because I had a large abscess keeping me well awake. 

Having got the bug again after fitting a extra 2 monitors allowing me to have all applications open and visable as well as review subs as they come in all was set. 

Blimey I had forgotten how complex everything is.  

Switch on mount and PC 

open all programmes,  astroeq,CDC,apt,PHD,eqmod and canon for reviewing subs

connect everything to everything else and ensure they are all talking and happy

finally roll back roof.

take another load of painkillers for toothache

right time to check alignment .  Find it way off.  Slew to m51 and ask for plate solve to do its stuff.  Fail, fail,and fail again. 

Ask the goto++ to have go only to be told camera need to be in bulb mode and I  was too distracted to work this one out.

take another couple of subs then realise focus is miles out and I had forgotten to set this at the beginning.  Arrrrrrgh .

SET FOCUS

again ask plate sole to have a look then realise my alignment is so far out it's not gonna happen.

take eos of the scope plonk on the zwo.

manually slew to jupiter and start an imaging run.

sit watching jupiter bouncing all over the screen due to poor seeing.

run a couple of different shots using various barlows 2x 2.5x then 3 x

ask registax to have a look at the first run.  Registax crashes.

have another look at the data collected decide focus slightly off. Seeing conditions really poor.

shut everything down close roof. Swear a lot. Go to bed

have I still lost my mojo?

actually it seemed to help a little knowing I still have the ability to screw up at any stage of the process not just the one.  

Looking forward to another attempt as soon as the weather and work permits.

Strange how a rubbish session which achieved nothing seems to have got me ready  to go again

 

Gareth  

That just reminds me precisely why I do visual only??

[DaveS]

Spent the last week (Thu to Thu) on La Palma. Think it would be clear? Ha ha, cloud most nights on one I was surrounded by cloud.

However....

On Wed the sky cleared! Although not very dark (Bortle 4.5 perhaps) I was able to glimpse the Running Man and a hint of The Rosette through my 7 x 50s. I also saw Canopus for the first time.

Now have my mojo back and am thinking of Markarian's Chain tonight.

 

Edit: This where I was. Zoom out to see the LP. http://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=18&lat=3322135.1285&lon=-1990345.00033&layers=0BTFFFTTT

[Garethr]

Just spent a pleasant few hours in the obsy sorting out the software ensuring all settings are now correct (dithering,apt talking to phd ect)

Printing out an idiots check list to set up an imaging run as the brain seems to be a tad forgetful sometimes  

will get this laminated at work this week and a dry-wipe marker hanging on a piece of string to tick items off as I go.

Seems a bit playschool I know but because all my kit is "cobbled together" I find its easy to miss something in the rush to grab that space between the clouds and get to bed at a reasonable time for work the next day.

Although its 50 items, it walks the person through walking into the obsy right through to closing up as my wife likes to dabble in the dark arts as well.

published below and if you spot any howlers please let me know before i go to print  

 

Gareth 

 

1. POWER ON TO MOUNT AND MAIN LIGHT ON
2. LIGHT ON TO WARM ROOM
3. TURN ON EXTENSION,HUB,MONITORS
4. HEATER ON
5. PC ON
6. SWITCH ON LOWER 2 MONITORS
7. START APT.
8. TURN ON CAMERA
9. ENSURE APT CONNECTS TO CAMERA,MOUNT AND FOCUS CONTROLLER
10. UN-PARK SCOPE
11. START CDC
12. CONNECT CDC TO TELESCOPE
13. START PHD
14. CONNECT GUIDE CAMERA  USING SETTING TO PUT GAIN @ 75% AND MOUNT IN PHD
15. REMOVE SCOPE COVER AND GUIDE CAM COVER
16. OPEN ROOF
17. MAIN LIGHT OFF
18. POWER ON TO XBOX CONTROLLER
19. SLEW TO BRIGHT STAR AND FIT FOCUS MASK USE TELERAD IF REQUIRED
20. OPEN DIGITAL PHOTO PROFESSIONAL (DPP)
21. SET SUBS FOR 20 SECONDS
22. WARM ROOM LIGHT OFF
23. SET FOCUS IN DPP
24. REMOVE FOCUS MASK
25. SELECT TARGET
26. SLEW TO TARGET
27. USE APT PLATE SOLVE OR GOTO++
28. START LOOPING GUIDE CAM IN PHD
29. SELECT GUIDE STAR 
30. START GUIDING
31. SET SUB LENGTH FOR TARGET IN LIGHTS PLAN IN APT
32. REVIEW IN DPP
33. CHECK SCOPE CLEARANCE FOR IMAGING RUN
34. SELECT DOWNLOAD DESTINATION FOLDER FOR IMAGES OR CREATE IN APT
35. START IMAGING RUN AND CROSS FINGERS POSSIBLY UP TO 2 HOURS
36. MONITOR SCOPE/GUIDING/WEATHER.
37. WHEN FINISHED STOP GUIDING
38. PARK SCOPE
39. SET SUB FOLDERS FOR FLATS AND DARKS
40. TAKE FLATS AND DARKS POSSIBLY UP TO 1 HOUR
41. FIT COVERS 
42. CLOSE ROOF AND SECURE 
43. DISCONNECT SCOPE FROM ALL SOFTWARE 
44. DISCONNECT CAMERA AND FOCUSER
45. SWITCH OF CAMERA, TELERAD IF USED 
46. POWER OFF TO MOUNT
47. CLOSE ALL SOFTWARE
48. SHUTDOWN PC AND SWITCH OFF MONITORS AND ALL POWER
49. HEATER OFF
50. CHECK ALL SWITCHED OFF 
51. CHECK ROOF SECURE
52. LIGHTS OFF AND LOCK UP 

 

[Garethr]

Must have my mojo back just booked a mod for the 1100D

 

Gareth 

 

[bomberbaz]

 Think we all lose our mojo from time to time. I lost mine a couple of years back, any number of reasons could have caused it h9wever it returned and in the last 6 months had returned with a vengeance.

I think one of my issues was trying to do too much ( web camming, video, solar, diy this and that) and a return to the basics certainly helped me regain my interest. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

18 hours ago, Garethr said:

Just spent a pleasant few hours in the obsy sorting out the software ensuring all settings are now correct (dithering,apt talking to phd ect)

Printing out an idiots check list to set up an imaging run as the brain seems to be a tad forgetful sometimes  

will get this laminated at work this week and a dry-wipe marker hanging on a piece of string to tick items off as I go.

Seems a bit playschool I know but because all my kit is "cobbled together" I find its easy to miss something in the rush to grab that space between the clouds and get to bed at a reasonable time for work the next day.

Although its 50 items, it walks the person through walking into the obsy right through to closing up as my wife likes to dabble in the dark arts as well.

published below and if you spot any howlers please let me know before i go to print  

 

Gareth 

 

1. POWER ON TO MOUNT AND MAIN LIGHT ON
2. LIGHT ON TO WARM ROOM
3. TURN ON EXTENSION,HUB,MONITORS
4. HEATER ON
5. PC ON
6. SWITCH ON LOWER 2 MONITORS
7. START APT.
8. TURN ON CAMERA
9. ENSURE APT CONNECTS TO CAMERA,MOUNT AND FOCUS CONTROLLER
10. UN-PARK SCOPE
11. START CDC
12. CONNECT CDC TO TELESCOPE
13. START PHD
14. CONNECT GUIDE CAMERA  USING SETTING TO PUT GAIN @ 75% AND MOUNT IN PHD
15. REMOVE SCOPE COVER AND GUIDE CAM COVER
16. OPEN ROOF
17. MAIN LIGHT OFF
18. POWER ON TO XBOX CONTROLLER
19. SLEW TO BRIGHT STAR AND FIT FOCUS MASK USE TELERAD IF REQUIRED
20. OPEN DIGITAL PHOTO PROFESSIONAL (DPP)
21. SET SUBS FOR 20 SECONDS
22. WARM ROOM LIGHT OFF
23. SET FOCUS IN DPP
24. REMOVE FOCUS MASK
25. SELECT TARGET
26. SLEW TO TARGET
27. USE APT PLATE SOLVE OR GOTO++
28. START LOOPING GUIDE CAM IN PHD
29. SELECT GUIDE STAR 
30. START GUIDING
31. SET SUB LENGTH FOR TARGET IN LIGHTS PLAN IN APT
32. REVIEW IN DPP
33. CHECK SCOPE CLEARANCE FOR IMAGING RUN
34. SELECT DOWNLOAD DESTINATION FOLDER FOR IMAGES OR CREATE IN APT
35. START IMAGING RUN AND CROSS FINGERS POSSIBLY UP TO 2 HOURS
36. MONITOR SCOPE/GUIDING/WEATHER.
37. WHEN FINISHED STOP GUIDING
38. PARK SCOPE
39. SET SUB FOLDERS FOR FLATS AND DARKS
40. TAKE FLATS AND DARKS POSSIBLY UP TO 1 HOUR
41. FIT COVERS 
42. CLOSE ROOF AND SECURE 
43. DISCONNECT SCOPE FROM ALL SOFTWARE 
44. DISCONNECT CAMERA AND FOCUSER
45. SWITCH OF CAMERA, TELERAD IF USED 
46. POWER OFF TO MOUNT
47. CLOSE ALL SOFTWARE
48. SHUTDOWN PC AND SWITCH OFF MONITORS AND ALL POWER
49. HEATER OFF
50. CHECK ALL SWITCHED OFF 
51. CHECK ROOF SECURE
52. LIGHTS OFF AND LOCK UP 

 

I need a nap after reading that list.

[Garethr]

Paul,

 

Normally have a nap after no 35

That's why I need the list when I wake up and wonder what the heck's going on         

Gareth 

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

1 hour ago, Garethr said:

Paul,

 

Normally have a nap after no 35

That's why I need the list when I wake up and wonder what the heck's going on         

Gareth 

 

Thank goodness ive never turned to the dark side. I wouldnt have the stamina (or cash). Give me a a long piece of tubing with a lens on each end and im good to go. I do admire what you imaging folk do though.

[Garethr]

Paul,

 

That list does not allow for error messages either 

 

[Gina]

With some clear skies forecast for tonight and following a nice sunny day which bucked me up, I thought I'd set up for visual of Jupiter.  HUH!!  Managed to open up and move the roof back when I caught the middle finger of my left hand causing excruciating pain for several minutes   So I left the obsy, shutting the door behind me so that the goat didn't get in and retreated indoors!  The pain has eased off now, thankfully.  But it looks like the gods are not in favour of my resuming astronomy in any form. 

[DaveS]

Starting a modest run on M101, just 1 hour of Ha in 10 min subs with the 130 PDS, as there's too much stray light to do a Lum sequence, and I don't want to be up too late.

I'll have to change the LP filter, as the IDAS P2 isn't as good on my LP as the Astronomik CLS. I also need to work on the focuser as the roller isn't making any kind of good contact with the barrel.

[Stub Mandrel]

Very hazy here, and important meeting early tomorrow so must get sleep!

[Gina]

Clouded up completely here.

[DaveS]

Holding clear so far, fingers crossed. It started out very hazy with high cloud and contrails so i was only trying to get focus and alignment, but then it cleared so I started the run.

BTW Gina, how's the finger? Hope it's getting better.

[Gina]

It's fine now thank you - just a trifle tender to touch.  Thought I might have lost the nail but it's fine.  Amazing how much it hurt at the time though

[Garethr]

Oh dear I didn't mean to cause any other members any pain (hope your finger is ok Gina)

Had another go tonight and all seemed to work ok but that's where this hobby trips us up, confidence is a killer.  Took about 40 subs of M 51 and will do darks and flats tomorrow as temp should not be a problem. nice to be back in the obsy  having a go again.

Thanks all for the encouragement  

Gareth.

 

. 

[Gina]

Thank you Gareth, finger back to normal this morning

[JB80]

I'm just starting to get back in the swing of things now, had a few day and night sessions this week. I'm incredibly rusty as always but it is nice to get some data again. Now I just have to break the habit of sleeping after dinner and get out again a bit later. I think it is the winter that gets me down and now the warmer weather is starting to warm me through, my energy levels are picking up again.

[Gina]

Been checking the Baader Hyperion zoom lens on my MN190 scope and it needs an extension tube to get focus so I've designed one in SketchUp and now 3D printing it.  The idea is to get things set up in daylight and then I should be ready for observing on the next clear night.  Nice sunny afternoon ATM but cloud and rain forcast for later.  I'm hoping to get out into the observatory after the extension tube is finished and get things set up.