What an idiot

[kippford]

10 hours ago, carastro said:

Set up last night after bringing everything in from the campervan (after being at Astro camp).  

I have tried to do the Witch head from Astrocamp but it's just too big for my Mono cameras, so I thought I would give it a go with my DSLR which I haven't used for donkey's years apart from the odd widefield and special event.

It's probably too faint from SE London  and a DSLR but thought I'd give it a go.
Also testing out my SW130PDS which I have had a lot of trouble re-collimating after it got itself way out.

Also using EQMod which I don't use on a regular basis.

PA went OK with Polemaster. 

EQMod would not load properly so spent ages trying different com ports only to realise I hadn't switched the mount on Duh!  USER ERROR NUMBER 1.

Tree in the way, so was darting around between branches trying to find my alignment star and get it in focus.  Gave up on close star to my target, and went to another constellation.  But can't get focus with DSLR, coma corrector and correct spacer.  Ended up having to remove the spacer, so that's going to do wonders to the corners of the image = NOT!!!

I shall have to try this again with my small refractor, will get more in the FOV anyway, but one step at a time and no problems getting focus with that.

OK, so I get focus, find my target, which has now left the trees, start guiding and start to image.  

Take a note of Teamviewer code and retire indoors.

Can't access the Obsy laptop because it's got a different version of TV on it. (why can't they make TV backwardly compatible).  Spent ages trying to find an older version of TV as even the one on the laptop in the obsy is an older version.

Finally get it downloaded only to find the mount had reached the meridian and had stopped slewing.  Duh!  (I didn't set any limits on EQMOd so must be by default).

Stop guiding, go back to park, re slew to target from opposite side of meridian, but can't see anything.  Hmmm, cameras are now behind the dome so I have got to go out there anyway and move the dome. !!!!

Back to indoors, and re-find target (had to slew around as there is cone error).  Start it up again but find the DSLR is not downloading the images I planned but only 5 second images.  

Errrr!!  Been so long since I did any DSLR imaging, that I had set the exposure length to be the interval length, and vice versa no flippin wonder USER ERROR NUMBER 2   So changed that and seems to be working OK now.

FINALLY!!!!

Only managed just over an hour and then it clouded up.  Looked at the guide screen and I can see the tops of trees so its time to pack up anyway.

Love this hobby.

Carole 
 

 

Better luck next time.

[PaulR1]

hmm lets see

Scope cap left on ... check

Cap left on guider ... check

Cant see polaris because of dec ... check

Forgot to power mount then spend 10 minutes checking EQ mod and Device setup in windows..... check

Forgot to set sidereal rate in EQmod .... check

Bhatinov mask left on .... Nope not done this yet

What we need is a big button that does all this for us lol

Missus knows when something is wrong when I start running in and out the house multiple times, im sure I have spotted multiple eyebrow raises and rolling of eyes.

[PaulR1]

Got a new one .

Messed up my APT plan and inputed 180 in exposure time and ISO , so it dropped to ISO 100 . So 3 hours of a very dark horsehead the other night DOH !

 

[PaulR1]

ok so I did it .

Left bhatinov mask on for 4 blasted hours . well there goes tonight lol

live and learn , wont forget that again