Wasted time

[carastro]

Thanks Stuart.  Before I even look into this I really need to be able to get both mounts working on EQMOD and that is going to need some IT help.  I do most of my best images at astro camps and that's the mount that doesn't connect.  

Carole 

 

 

 

[geordie85]

4 hours ago, carastro said:

The trouble with plate solving is I think you need a degree in IT to install Astrotortilla, so I gave that one a wide berth.  

SGP I found it rather complex and couldn't get it to speak to my guidescope in PHD (even with help from an IT expert), so I abandoned that too and my trial period expired.  

I gather APT has plate solving and might take a look at that.  Trouble is I really love the capture software I use - Artemis, it is so simple and feel rather reluctant to change to something else.   I last used APT in the early days of CCD interface and I was a bit dubious about the reliability of the cooling, but that could have been fixed now.  But I would have to use EQMOD and whilst it works fine on my home observatory NEQ6 I cannot connect my HEQ5 which I take to camp as the software only makes 4 ports available and the HEQ5 is something like Com8.  I know you can delete com ports but can't remember where the instructions are to do this, but then am I going to mess up the com port for the permanent NEQ6 as I use the same computer for both?

This is why i like to keep things simple because my IT skills or not up to the job of complicated stuff.  

Carole 

I use artemis for image acquisition too but have to use APT along with Astro tortilla to plate solve. What I do is open artemis and begin cooling. Once I'm aty desired temperature (-20) I open APT and turn the cooler off in APT. This stops the cooling in artemis too so after a couple seconds I can resume cooling in artemis. Then it's just a simple task of opening Astro tortilla and letting it do its thing. Once I'm on target I close APT and Astro tortilla. 

This works 95% of the time.

[geordie85]

I've also found that instead of attempting a meridian flip at the meridian, which causese lots of problems, if I image around 10 mins after the meridian then attempt a flip that I get much better, and quicker results which severely decreases my wasted time