Getting back into imaging after a long break

[JamesF]

3m might give you more room for stretching the data though.  Probably worth looking at the histograms for each.

I've just called it a night.  Just warming up before I go to bed now.

James

[Gina]

I might do the same - something seems to have gone wrong with the mount.

[Gina]

Seems to be the same problem as the other night when I had a long run - some limitation on the mount movement.  When parking the mount does not go back to the proper position - RA is a couple of hours out.

[Gina]

Night all...

[Gina]

HAH!!!  Been out to the observatory with the W7 laptop and tested the mount with imaging rig.  Found the problem - needs a meridian flip to give enough mount movement!!  Actually, the meridian flip could be done before starting with a starting time of 10pm.  If the rig had started on the other side there wouldn't have been a problem.

[Gina]

I need to get more familiar with KStars/Ekos.   I reckon there should be a way of getting the mount to slew the other way.  Maybe invert the reference image.

[alacant]

15 hours ago, Gina said:

RA is a couple of hours out.

Be sure to reset the mount model after the flip:

HTH

[JamesF]

Would this help?  https://indilib.org/forum/wish-list/3996-force-meridian-flip.html#30443

James

[Gina]

It might do.  But now I seem to have another problem.  Ran Ekos and all devices connected.  Then tried the solve and slew to object and mount reported connection failure.

[JamesF]

Loose cable?  (Power or EQMOD.)

If the device isn't there any more that suggests the USB connection has gone away for some reason.

James

[Gina]

I'll have to go out and check (again).

[Gina]

All connections seemed fine but I've plugged the mount into another USB port.  See if that works.  The mount had moved.

[Gina]

Doesn't like that USB port - I'll put it back!

[Gina]

That's better - mount is working again.

[Gina]

Amazingly, the sky is clearing!

[JamesF]

50-50 here at the moment, which is just as well as I have to do some work this evening, starting about now.

The forecast is clear for a couple of hours after midnight, with an option on a bit more clear sky at 10pm, but I shan't be able to make the latter.

James

[DaveS]

CO has improved slightly for two hours, showing orange rather than red.

Not really trying to image, rather dummy runs to sort out a software cussedness with ASA Sequence (Not to be confused with SGP).

[Gina]

Still solid red here!

[Gina]

A great big bank of black cloud has come over from the west and about to obscure the sky here so I have closed the roof and given up for tonight.

[DaveS]

O'oh, I'd better keep an eye out as you're to the west of me. It's still clear enough here to run a test of Sequence, though I suspect not good enough for actual imaging.

[Gina]

The sky has cleared again but I think I'm too tired to do any messing about tonight.

[DaveS]

Sequence is still playing silly whatsits but the sky is too good to waste, so I've scheduled 3 hours RGB on Stephan and Deer.

[Gina]

CO is no longer showing clear sky for tomorrow night.  I might just set up for some SII subs but I won't be having another late night.

[JamesF]

Tomorrow night has closed down a lot for me, too, but it's also showing clear on Saturday night.

Still some clear sky here tonight after midnight, but I'm still working and I think I might have had enough for today by then.

James

[Gina]

SII doesn't seem as good as last night.  This is a 3 minute exposure at maximum gain and temp of -20C.  Stretched in GIMP.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Gina