First Ever Meridian Flip!

[simondodd]

Probably not much to brag about for most here but I just completed my first ever meridian flip!

I didn't even think about it when I started and had to google how to do it!

Paused the imaging session, paused the guiding, hit enter on the synscan, raclibrated the guiding, restarted the imaging, SORTED!

Pretty happy, Should have about 4 hours of the leo triplet at 5 minute exposures!  

[Demonperformer]

When you do one of those and it lands in precisely the right place, that shows that your mount is really well set up.

I think that everything you succeed in doing for the first time is worth celebrating. It is the first step along the road to it just becoming "just part of the routine".

[rwilkey]

Well done Simon, I remember my first one on an unguided mount (EQ5), but now I have exchanged this for an AZ since a stroke partially disabled me.  Would love to see your Leo Triplet if it comes out OK.  Good luck!

[kirkster501]

Well done.  Always a major hurdle to overcome the flip.  What with the mount, cables, software, cameras, potential peer strikes -  you have overcome a major milestone.  Then again, for no apparent reason you can have problems later as well so try and take something away from WHY it is working now too so you can debug out of problems if you get them later.

[sloz1664]

It's amazing that even now after countless meridian flips I still get slightly nervous and like to observe the moving mount. Albeit, via video and from the comfort of my lounge

Steve

[simondodd]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

Another night of clear skies tonight as well! The Leo Triplet is now in the editing desk, got nearly 4 hours of images from it last night so fingers crossed I can get a good final result!

Tonight is horsehead to start and then the Mankurian's Chain I think.

I will definitely be standing next to the mount for the flip again though.

 

[simondodd]

And now I've added another step, APT is fully connected to my mount! Now All I have to do is turn everything on and go inside to control it all!  Now if only I had a motorized focusser and a way to rotate my camera haha