Go to and tracking issues!

[Rustang]

Firsty I'm still new to astrophotography but I have had a handful of sessions so far. I'm honestly banging my head against a wall as I'm getting constant issues, its just one thing after another. So I brought a second hand SW HEQ5 Pro mount a few weeks ago, it seemed to at first have no real 'go-to' issues and would star align ok,  I would only get slight movement  across the batch of photos of what I was imaging. So now to tonight's session, i noticed star e-longation and across a batch of 24 images there is a lot more movement so hasnt tracked well. I re checked everything, level, polar aliment etc then set to 3 star align again, now it wasnt doing a good job of hitting each star, but i corrected it and moved on to the next. When I finished the star alignment I then sent it off to M45 and it missed its tarket aswell so had to move the scope to frame it, I'm guessing this is an issue that's also causing the star elongation? The other thing is that the hand set is not giving me the full range of stars to choose from and keeps cycling through a small batch. I'm really starting to make the decision to give it all up as how hard can it really be.

[Rustang]

Just an update, there was a small improvement when shooting M42 and the horse head over M45 in regards to star e-longation. I really would appreciate any help on this as to not waste anymore clear nights!

[PeterCPC]

You have not provided enough information to be able to advise.

How did you polar align? Are you guiding? What telescope are you using? What camera are you using and what length exposures? Was it all balanced ok? Is the firmware up to date?

Peter

[Rustang]

31 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

You have not provided enough information to be able to advise.

How did you polar align? Are you guiding? What telescope are you using? What camera are you using and what length exposures? Was it all balanced ok? Is the firmware up to date?

Peter

Apologies, Scope:SW130pds, camera: Nikon D750. Balancing spot on, level as good as I could get it, polar alignment, probably not as good as it should be but as follows: mount placed North using a compus and the North star placed on the outer polar scope circle (not in the smaller circle as I never got my head around this!) No guiding and 30sec subs. I swear I never noticed any star e-longation when I first used this set up and the star alignment and go-to where much better! last night it was way off! Firmware is up to date. I checked everything was good with how the polar scope was set up/aligned etc when I got it and it was fine.

[PeterCPC]

From what you have said I would have expected 30 secs to be ok without any guiding. The PA may well be the issue. I don't know that mount but you could try doing a PA using Sharpcap or drift align (I use Polemaster). Have you considered guiding? You would be able to get longer exposures if you did.

Peter

[Rustang]

1 hour ago, PeterCPC said:

From what you have said I would have expected 30 secs to be ok without any guiding. The PA may well be the issue. I don't know that mount but you could try doing a PA using Sharpcap or drift align (I use Polemaster). Have you considered guiding? You would be able to get longer exposures if you did.

Peter

If its the PA then I'm not sure what to do, I was told how I'm doing it will be fine while I'm learning, I really couldn't get my head around setting up the mount with the date/time dials. Do you really need to place the pole star in the little circle every time to properly pola align or is it ok just being placed on the main circle!? as that's where I was finding it difficult!? The Latitude is set correctly on the mount via its latitual scale. I'm honestly sure I was having no issues when I was first doing what I'm doing. EDIT: Ok, so Ive Iust looked through my first sessions, there maybe some slight star elongation I just may never have noticed it, that still doesnt help that the go-to is definitely not as good as it was or maybe its still my PA!

[PeterCPC]

I can't advise on the Polarscope as I've never used one. As I say, you could do a PA using Sharpcap. Perhaps someone will come along who is using the same mount and offer more suggestions. Certainly star elongations suggest a PA issue if everything is balanced ok.

Peter

[Rustang]

3 hours ago, PeterCPC said:

I can't advise on the Polarscope as I've never used one. As I say, you could do a PA using Sharpcap. Perhaps someone will come along who is using the same mount and offer more suggestions. Certainly star elongations suggest a PA issue if everything is balanced ok.

Peter

Thanks for your help anyway.

[RolandKol]

3 hours ago, PeterCPC said:

I can't advise on the Polarscope as I've never used one. As I say, you could do a PA using Sharpcap. Perhaps someone will come along who is using the same mount and offer more suggestions. Certainly star elongations suggest a PA issue if everything is balanced ok.

Peter

I doubt SharpCap is able to recognize Nikon, and... in addition, -  PHD2 drift alignment is more precise than SharpCap anyway... Plus PHD2 is free.

@Rustang

My first question: there is the tripod placed? Grass? Concrete? If it's grass, legs may sink in during the period of time and shift your PA. Plus do not use the full length of the legs to make a tripod more sturdy. 

Balancing: even if you say it is spot on, I want to clarify how you do it: do you balance with Nikon on or without it? If without, -   do it again with Nikon ON and with all cables ON.

How Nikon is placed on the OTA, does it face 12 or 6 , - or maybe at  9 o'clock?

If it is at 9, balance is Not Spot ON, turn OTA in the rings  to place camera at 12 or 6. I prefer 6 as I have a piggyback imaging rig. 

Handset: you can download android (not sure about iphone) app which will show you all settings needed in your location, there are several versions, all start with name SynScan, - choose the one which fits you best.

Counterweights: is the shaft full out? if yes... it can be a bit wobbly, plus it is much more difficult to move long shaft... In my experience, the best guiding results were while my counterweight shaft is almost full in, but balanced of-course.

PA:

it is essential to have a very good PA, but for a LONG exposures only, - 30sec ones, should be OK even with a rough one. So check all again, I would start from Balancing and the Handset settings, 1 hour summer saving time ON or OFF and you miss the star by 1 hour. Also American date format, location  - are the settings there I did mistakes several times.

Handset 2: as you went imaging way, as soon as you ready,  move from the Handset towards EQMOD and Plate Solving, you will need a laptop and a special cable to connect your HEQ5 + plus learn a lot, but it worth it!

Guiding:... Another story

P.S.

My PA is very good, but not perfect. I drift align, use cameras and etc. However, my NEQ6 never hits the 1 star spot ON if I moved the mount and/or not used old star alignment data (EQMOD option).  Simply never  

The second is better, and almost perfect on the 3rd. As I use EQMOD, I create more then 3 star alignment, -  during the session I plate solve on the different targets and usually have more than 10 star aliments or even 50 and even so,

if I slew to the target on the different side of the meridian, it usually slightly misses, it is caused by cone error, but It does not bother me as Plate Solving recenter's all back if necessary, - fast and precise, involves 1 click or None.

 

[SamAndrew]

Tracking issues can be caused by low voltage from the power supply - what are you using? don't trust the indicator lights on power tanks, always recharge between sessions. Polar alignment shouldn't be an issue with such short subs. Can you post an example image?

[Rustang]

2 hours ago, RolandKol said:

I doubt SharpCap is able to recognize Nikon, and... in addition, -  PHD2 drift alignment is more precise than SharpCap anyway... Plus PHD2 is free.

@Rustang

My first question: there is the tripod placed? Grass? Concrete? If it's grass, legs may sink in during the period of time and shift your PA. Plus do not use the full length of the legs to make a tripod more sturdy. 

Balancing: even if you say it is spot on, I want to clarify how you do it: do you balance with Nikon on or without it? If without, -   do it again with Nikon ON and with all cables ON.

How Nikon is placed on the OTA, does it face 12 or 6 , - or maybe at  9 o'clock?

If it is at 9, balance is Not Spot ON, turn OTA in the rings  to place camera at 12 or 6. I prefer 6 as I have a piggyback imaging rig. 

Handset: you can download android (not sure about iphone) app which will show you all settings needed in your location, there are several versions, all start with name SynScan, - choose the one which fits you best.

Counterweights: is the shaft full out? if yes... it can be a bit wobbly, plus it is much more difficult to move long shaft... In my experience, the best guiding results were while my counterweight shaft is almost full in, but balanced of-course.

PA:

it is essential to have a very good PA, but for a LONG exposures only, - 30sec ones, should be OK even with a rough one. So check all again, I would start from Balancing and the Handset settings, 1 hour summer saving time ON or OFF and you miss the star by 1 hour. Also American date format, location  - are the settings there I did mistakes several times.

Handset 2: as you went imaging way, as soon as you ready,  move from the Handset towards EQMOD and Plate Solving, you will need a laptop and a special cable to connect your HEQ5 + plus learn a lot, but it worth it!

Guiding:... Another story

P.S.

My PA is very good, but not perfect. I drift align, use cameras and etc. However, my NEQ6 never hits the 1 star spot ON if I moved the mount and/or not used old star alignment data (EQMOD option).  Simply never  

The second is better, and almost perfect on the 3rd. As I use EQMOD, I create more then 3 star alignment, -  during the session I plate solve on the different targets and usually have more than 10 star aliments or even 50 and even so,

if I slew to the target on the different side of the meridian, it usually slightly misses, it is caused by cone error, but It does not bother me as Plate Solving recenter's all back if necessary, - fast and precise, involves 1 click or None.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, my camera is at 9 so I guess I need to change that right away. Its on grass as that's the only area I have so as you say it could be sinking., I'am happy to hear these things as hopefully its user error not equipment, I'm still very much a beginner. Shaft is fully out to get the correct balance but can look to alter this. I will consider all of your other advise i.e handset/equipment/software etc. Thanks again:)

[Rustang]

9 minutes ago, SamAndrew said:

Tracking issues can be caused by low voltage from the power supply - what are you using? don't trust the indicator lights on power tanks, always recharge between sessions. Polar alignment shouldn't be an issue with such short subs. Can you post an example image?

The power supply is a maplins 13.8v regulated at 5amp.

[RolandKol]

54 minutes ago, Rustang said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply, my camera is at 9 so I guess I need to change that right away. Its on grass as that's the only area I have so as you say it could be sinking., I'am happy to hear these things as hopefully its user error not equipment, I'm still very much a beginner. Shaft is fully out to get the correct balance but can look to alter this. I will consider all of your other advise i.e handset/equipment/software etc. Thanks again:)

Yep, I also used full shaft Out and one counterweight initially... Ended up with 2 counterweights and Full In. Performs better and takes less space

In your case, Full IN shaft will block PA scope, - keep it in mind