Outbuilding change of use?

[Patbloke]

Ok not sure it's in the right forum but I've recently refurbished the brick built outbuilding at my partners house. New racking/shelving, new floor, repainted internally and pretty much new for old fittings.  

Can you see what I've done here? - in that I suddenly have a dry clean new store for my Astro equipment ? (also making her happy at the same time thinking I'm a hero for helping out and making a difference!)

Now a very well known and loved participant on this forum keeps giving me ideas for new purchases and his latest offer/idea was a Celestron SkyPortal WiFi link for my AVX Mount! Great he says, you can operate the mount using ya tablet and the SkyPortal gives great audible descriptions of some objects in the night sky (in fairness so does my handset, not audible but I can read) That got me thinking as I'm looking at a ZWO camera for a venture into Astro imaging. How about combining the two and getting myself a nice small worktop and chair for that outbuilding for those really cold nights observing. 

A couple of questions re this - not new idea

1. Would a camera ZWO or similar give me decent views in a live feed from the scope or are the images fuzzy until processed/stacked

2. Would I need the WiFi SkyPortal to operate the scope or is there another way (cable or magic) 

Rather pleased with this little remote observatory plan so I suggested it to another mate who said - If you are going to do that, why dont you then sit in your partners lounge on the sofa in the warm and remotely operate your scope... Does he not get the idea of the Man Shed outside living the dream!!!!

Anyway, I thought it might make a subject for discussion on what looks like it's gonna be a damp old day!

 

[RayD]

Sounds like a great plan.  Either way will work a treat as the AVX can be connected to a computer if you want, so once this has been achieved you can log on to that from anywhere.

I have an obsy which I log on to remotely and sometimes pop my AVX outside with a small OTA on during testing/making videos etc.  It's ideal to have somewhere warm to sit when the OTA is outside getting cold.

The views from the ZWO are fine but will tend so go good/bad/good/bad etc. as seeing changes and the stacking process picks out only the good ones, so you will still see what you are imaging.

I'd say it sounds like a no brainer as most of the work is already done so go for it.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I'd say that this is something you have to try in order to find how it works in practice.?

I have found that getting the image onto the sensor of a planetary type camera is a major faff even if you are at the telescope, and I would not even try doing it remotely. I find GoTo works well enough to drop an object into the field of a low power eyepiece, but definitely not well enough to put it on a small sensor.  Maybe if you do widefield you will get results that please you.

[Stub Mandrel]

11 hours ago, Patbloke said:

Would a camera ZWO or similar give me decent views in a live feed from the scope or are the images fuzzy until processed/stacked

I use a ZWO ASI120MC, the entry level camera, for guiding and planetary.

The live views of planets are as good as visual, IMHO, and easier to watch. Even when guiding at 2-second exposures I have seen globular clusters (as fuzzies) and the ring nebula (M57) as a blue doughnut. For longer exposures you need to take darks, but I am sure that with 10-20 second exposures or on-the-fly stacking it would work well for EAA (electronically assisted astronomy).

[Patbloke]

23 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Even when guiding at 2-second exposures I have seen globular clusters (as fuzzies) and the ring nebula (M57) as a blue doughnut. For longer exposures you need to take darks, but I am sure that with 10-20 second exposures or on-the-fly stacking it would work well for EAA (electronically assisted astronomy).

On the fly stacking? so basically locate an object start the process of taking images and 'stacking' and the object builds and becomes clearer..? Will it look clear to start with when you find the object? for instance a nice colourful double star or a bit of lunar?

[Patbloke]

46 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

EAA (electronically assisted astronomy).

EAA... I'd never heard of that but a quick google and Boom!!! I've just read a great Q&A article featuring Jim Thompson from Ottawa Canada... 

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/articles/an-introduction-to-electronically-assisted-astronomy-eaa.77/

I'm not the sharpest tool in box re: this stuff but I have actually been witnessing some folk - including #Hilodon on the Night Skies Network actually doing this EAA magic...

I'm going to give it a go I reckon. I'll probably order the ZWO ASI120MC S and by chance my superb 'Drone business' laptop has many USB 3 ports.... Now the only question is can I run to buying the WiFi Sky Portal or shall I go hard wire for now.

Reckon this'll be an exciting journey... what have I got to lose the cameras always sell pretty quick used ? if it all goes wrong... Watch this space (see what I did there?)

I'll do a bit more research on my AVX sounds like I made a good purchase there... Oh you can see how this will go, if it works I'll be wanting another scope blah blah blah... Love this hobby now all we need is a clear night