All Sky Camera Revisited

[Gina]

Lost the image now - just black.  Off out to look...

[CedricTheBrave]

Gina the the board only needs to move a fraction on the mounting screws to make a difference.

i have experienced the same with mine loosened the screws move the board slightly and tightened

 

 

[Gina]

Out in the obsy I couldn't see anything wrong.  Still perched on the guttering but I've brought it indoors as I wasn't happy to leave it with all this wind.  It's working fine back indoors.  Before it went black it went to red only.  Strange.

[Gina]

9 minutes ago, CedricTheBrave said:

Gina the the board only needs to move a fraction on the mounting screws to make a difference.

i have experienced the same with mine loosened the screws move the board slightly and tightened

By Jove you're right.  Took the top off, loosened the screws and moved the sensor up as far as it would go.  Tightened the screws, refitted the top and here's the result.

[Gina]

Just checked the ASC images in Blink and they're all there - it was just the KStars FITS Viewer that wasn't showing them.

At that time I had three instances of KStars/Ekos running at the same time - Ha, OIII and the ASC in colour.

[Gina]

ASC sitting on SE corner post of obsy.  East at the top.  32µs exposure.

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Gina

[Gina]

Level sat on east wall of obsy.

[DaveL59]

well done Gina, looking good!

 it's a pity they don't have precision tapers to sit the board onto to ensure good alignment but then I guess they aren't exactly expecting the end user to be dismantling, after all they'll have alignment jigs in the factory and expect it to remain undisturbed.

[Gina]

It's clouding up...

[DaveL59]

PAH!!! that's only a little bit Gina, here's my sky at the mo

it is heading west tho... be over your way eventually  

[Gina]

I've temporarily attached the camera to the corner post with the USB connection towards the north but viewing the display this puts north at the bottom of the image.  I want north at the top as is customary so I'll go back out and see if I can turn it round.

[Gina]

Cables were just barely long enough (power & USB) - comms is WiFi.  I'll know if I've got the orientation right tonight when I can see Polaris.

[DaveL59]

could you not have simply inverted the image? or I guess that may have switched E&W?

on mine the oak is approx S but its sort of offset to the left a little in the pic and the tree bottom right in the pic is W, but that's so I can max the FoV given it clips top/bottom of the circle.

[Gina]

The orientation of the sensor W.R.T. USB connector was opposite to what I thought so need a slight redesign of the layout in the box.

[Gina]

Rotating the image is possible of course but I think pointing the camera correctly is better.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Gina

[Gina]

Odd cloud pattern.

[DaveL59]

looks a bit like one of the old fossils that get dug up  

[Gina]

That sort of cloud is back again and now in sunshine.

[Gina]

Sunny with clouds today.  Nice weather - miles better than yesterday.

[Kev M]

Tonight is the last night of astronomical darkness up here ( or down here depending on where you are )….😭

Not dark again until August !....

Well OK 30th of July but I know it will be cloudy then anyway.....🙄

[Gina]

ASC is working well tonight with the low ambient temperature.  Sensor temperature of 9.5°C.  Haven't added cooling yet.  Milky Way showing nicely.  As is the LP from Honiton and (I think) Ilminster.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Gina

[Gina]

Milky  Way showing nicely now.

[Gina]

7 hours ago, Gina said:

Milky Way and ISS.

[Gina]

With no imaging for a day or two I'm expecting to get on with this project and put the camera and lens in its box with dome to keep the weather off the lens.  So far I've been using just the ASI178MC and fish-eye lens, with the camera mounted on the SE corner post of the observatory and I can only do this with the roof open.  I'm looking forward to having it in its permanent position with full weather protection.  This will be on an aluminium tube as mast with the ASC just above the observatory roof.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Gina

[Gina]

This project has just taken a step backwards - the RPi 3B+ has died!!   Another on order due Sunday.  I thought I had a spare but can't find it.

Doesn't stop my continuing with doing the other bits though.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Gina