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Wish I had GOTO


Peco4321

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I always find it amazing how it's possible to interface the latest smartphone technology with really quite old kit. I had a lovely Vixen Atlux mount with a SkySensor 2000 controller. Probably 25 plus year old technology, but very accurate Goto and worked brilliantly with SkyFi/SkySafari.

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I keep meaning to look into SkiFi/SkySafari etc. Trouble is, what I've got works!   There were also a lot of reports on the web of SkiSafari not working well with AZEQ6 mounts. I don't know if all that has been solved now. 

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1 hour ago, Fypunky said:

Thanks Doug will look into it for our mobile sessions.

It was a light bulb moment last night and didnt make it clear.

What i have is a 240v AC/ 12v DC 2 amp power supply from an old external hard drive see piccy.

20170427_074415.jpg

Be careful of the polarity, you need tip positive, get it wrong and you'll fry your circuit board. Also the unit you have says "indoor use only". A damp night with loads of dew may give you serious problems.

 

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I'm very much a map person as opposed to using a sat-nav. I like to know where I am, whats about me etc rather than how to get there and you have arrived. My view of  navigating the skies is very much the same. However I must confess there have been times a goto felt like a useful idea. A while back I went on a astro' weekend  and a guy had an Ioptron Cube goto and have to say i was impressed. I know this thread is more GOTO or NOT GOTO rather than which GOTO but I've not seen Ioptron goto systems mentioned much, is that because they are too expensive or other factors? This pure curiosity I am not in the market for a GOTO!

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2 hours ago, Astro Imp said:

Be careful of the polarity, you need tip positive, get it wrong and you'll fry your circuit board. Also the unit you have says "indoor use only". A damp night with loads of dew may give you serious problems.

 

Hi Alan, yes it is tip positive, checked that with the multi meter and also states on label. My only concern is if it is regulated but again I can check this, regarding outdoor it will be housed in an IP weatherproof box and it will be plugged into a RCD. 

Just wondered if anyone uses these devices in the gardens.

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Alfian, I used to think the same about maps and satnavs (I read maps really well), and used to not think that a satnav could ever beat me and and a map - until I ended up on list of big D statistics and started to drive alone and realised that balancing the map on the steering wheel couldn't be safe and got a Tomtom - best decision I ever made and properly pre-programmed it is brilliant.  I think this is why I am so open to the idea of the GoTo unit making sense.  Again though the active words are 'properly pre-programmed' with where you want to arrive at and how you want to get there (i.e. properly calibrated), otherwise, as with blindly following the TT, with the GoToyou can end up in the middle of no-where with no conception of how you got there or any idea of where you are!  This is why it helps to have some idea or where you expect the GoTo to get to :-D

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I'm a techie through and through. I like my gadgets but I don't have a GOTO. I was on a small budget so it wasn't really an option. I don't miss it as the challenge of finding targets is really part of the fun of it for me. M51 was the first really challenging target I went for and found. Even then I wasn't 100% certain that I had found it. Using Stellarium and pictures online I confirmed the sighting. Very satisfying. Couldn't see M101 last night but I know I was looking at it! I've since done some more research and will have another go at it soon. I suspect it may be as simple as needing some darker skies. The bad sessions when you're doing it manually can be disheartening but you normally learn something from them that will help you with your next session.

As has been said many times, it's really down to personal preference. If you're enjoying yourself then you're doing it right :)

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My frustration probably is compounded by nights being lighter, needing to be up at 0600 for work, cloudy nights at weekends when all that is not as important!!

last night was nice and clear but I only got set up after 21:30 as there was no point before. I tried to find M81 and M82 but as it's straight overhead, it's quite a struggle. I then set out for Cats eye Nebula again, to no avail so I tend to stick with the easy targets that I've found before like M13 and Whirlpool galaxy, so new targets are a bit of a struggle for me at the moment. 

I like finding and taking basic images of "new to me" objects but I'm stuck, the obvious ones to me at the moment are Jupiter, M13, M53, Whirlpool Pinwheel galaxies, going to try Sombrero again, Leo triplet, so I would welcome easy none GOTO not right overhead objects to help get my mojo back. 

Got some data to process later, so I may cheer up tonight ??

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1 hour ago, JOC said:

Alfian, I used to think the same about maps and satnavs (I read maps really well), and used to not think that a satnav could ever beat me and and a map - until I ended up on list of big D statistics and started to drive alone and realised that balancing the map on the steering wheel couldn't be safe and got a Tomtom - best decision I ever made and properly pre-programmed it is brilliant.  I think this is why I am so open to the idea of the GoTo unit making sense.  Again though the active words are 'properly pre-programmed' with where you want to arrive at and how you want to get there (i.e. properly calibrated), otherwise, as with blindly following the TT, with the GoToyou can end up in the middle of no-where with no conception of how you got there or any idea of where you are!  This is why it helps to have some idea or where you expect the GoTo to get to :-D

Slight deviation from the thread so sorry folks, but the best journey I ever had was coming home from Ayr in Scotland back to England again.  After pressing the home button on my Garmin sat nav I expected my sat nav to find a main road close by to get me back on the motorway for a quick journey home. Instead it took me through glens, valleys, small passes etc. As it was a wonderful sunny day though (rarity for Scotland I know! ;) ) it was the most exquisite drive, as there was no other traffic to get in the way. Good job as some of the lanes/tracks where very tight. I doubt I'd ever find the same route again even if I tried to look for it! 

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3 minutes ago, Peco4321 said:

help get my mojo back

Maybe you could go an early start instead. Saturn is up around 4am. I've read some other members getting up early and having successful views of it despite it's poor positioning.

I'm sure a good look at Saturn would lift your spirits!

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2 hours ago, Peco4321 said:

My frustration probably is compounded by nights being lighter, needing to be up at 0600 for work, cloudy nights at weekends when all that is not as important!!

last night was nice and clear but I only got set up after 21:30 as there was no point before. I tried to find M81 and M82 but as it's straight overhead, it's quite a struggle. I then set out for Cats eye Nebula again, to no avail so I tend to stick with the easy targets that I've found before like M13 and Whirlpool galaxy, so new targets are a bit of a struggle for me at the moment. 

I like finding and taking basic images of "new to me" objects but I'm stuck, the obvious ones to me at the moment are Jupiter, M13, M53, Whirlpool Pinwheel galaxies, going to try Sombrero again, Leo triplet, so I would welcome easy none GOTO not right overhead objects to help get my mojo back. 

Got some data to process later, so I may cheer up tonight ??

Bode's isn't the easiest of targets at present, as you say, it's so high up, the cat's eye is a tough one too.

Finding without GoTo definitely gets easier with practice, though our skies have not helped lately.  I've had GoTo's and now have a manual alt-az mount....GoTo does bring it's own hassles, power, alignment routines etc, but if you are pushed for time and / or working at high mag, then is useful. That said, the best help I've had has been with observing buddies at my local astro society, who have been able to show / point out how to find the various objects. Good luck

Chris

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2 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

I doubt I'd ever find the same route again even if I tried to look for it!

This is off-topic, apologies all, but Gus  my experience is somewhat the opposite after a fashion in as much that where I live (no through single track road) I frequently "discuss" satnavs with passers by who insist that the road goes to somewhere where it doesn't. The joys of rural life! Anyway back to the subject and to sympathise with Peter, when conditions are not ideal and you can't see objects that you know are where you are looking it is tempting to look at those you can see, might as well make use of what clear-ish nights we do get eh, but there is something to be said for the the satisfaction of finding an object you didn't expect to see. Perseverence is a skill I'm still working at!

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On 4/24/2017 at 19:29, Knighty2112 said:

What scope do you intend to use for the any Goto mount you get? I used a Celestron 4SE Mak on a Skywatcher Stardiscovery Goto mount which actually enabled me to see a lot more things, even if the view wasn't as bright as with any larger scopes. I think it actually helps in light polluted areas to be able to see some of the fainter DS0 which when star hoping you may not initially see. 

4" mak and star discovery mount sounds a good little combo and small enough to take camping to dark sites :icon_biggrin:

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After reading the opinions/advice from peeps here I had a chat with a mate who is in the alarm industry and he has now supplied me with a 12v 12ah sealed lead battery, this has improved the the goto massively and cant wait to get out there again with it, something that many suggest as a upgrade to the batteries. Having hooked it up and pretending to be observing inside I monitored to the voltage drop and after 3 hours of tracking, touring etc the battery went from 12.8v to 12.65v.

And the battery is just about light enough to take to the road for the  mobile sessions at dark sky sites (was going for 17ah but big for carrying around).

At the moment I am so pleased with it and unless we have issues I think it will be a great buy

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1 hour ago, Astro Imp said:

Sounds that's you sorted, well done. 

BTW From reading the forum one of the main problems with GOTO is not having a reliable power source.

Defo, from what I have read the AA battery pack is all but useless, even causing issues with alignment, first time I used the mount its was good but then you could see/ hear the motor starting to struggle on the second night and it struggled once aligned to hit the target,it appears (clear night will tell) a good power source and it is so much more reliable.

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