Dual TEC 140 - the plan.

[Davey-T]

1 minute ago, Petergoodhew said:

I've got 2 Optec FocusLynx focusers running ok, but Optec is limited to just 2.  As mine is a triple rig I'm using a Lakeside for the third focuser.

I've got 3 Lakesides but can't even get 2 with different drivers to run using 2 instances of Maxim. working on using SGP ATM if I can figure it out 

Dave

[ollypenrice]

5 hours ago, gorann said:

Looks like a dream team!

Ideally I assume you could add more counter weights so they do not have to be so far from the centre - but as we all know they are ridiculously expensive and your guiding is probably fine in any case.

 

I've just found another weight and a short C/W bar so this would be possible at some point. I thought I'd lent my only spare weight to Tom, but no.

4 hours ago, AstroFD said:

That looks like the perfect set-up. Hw do you mange in SGP the dual set-up in terms of dual camera, focusing, dithering etc... I thought SGPro was only set-up for single camera.

As Mrs Gnomus says in reply, we run in two PCs. This makes life easier and eliminates hubs or mini astro PCs which I would rather avoid. (They have not done well in our robotic sheds...) I'll still be running Artemis Capture for the Atik side and SGP for the Moravian as things stand.

4 hours ago, Petergoodhew said:

Watching this closely Olly as Alistair and I are hot on your heels with both of us getting our APM TMB 152 dual rigs going too.  We both tried using Optec Libras as we couldn't source a Cassady, but the Optecs just weren't man enough for our 152s - so had to resort to feeler gauge shims instead!  We're almost there now.  I'm getting differential flexure on the second scope and so I'm off back to Spain on Monday to fit extra tube rings fore and aft, bolted the tubes together with ADM Vixen dovetails in the hope that will fix it. The prospect of capturing 20+ hours each night has a certain appeal!

The Cassady T-GAD is a piece of kit made by the almighty for his own use. It was a shock to pay 600 euros second hand but I'm glad I did.

How do I address hot pixels? Very rudely! The C of C precludes a verbatim answer... Seriously, I just don't get any in the Atik 460. I don't know about the Moravian yet but I dare say I'll just use the hot pixel filter in AstroArt if I get any. (Even in the snowstorm of the Atik 11 meg I only subtract bias, use a defect map and run the hot pixel filter at an aggressive setting.  We don't dither and it doesn't seem to be a problem.

1 hour ago, Davey-T said:

I've found the same make ASCOM auto focusers don't like running on multiple rigs.

Wont bother Olly though as he doesn't believe in that new fangled stuff 

Dave

Still manual focus here but Tom was muttering about going robotic. Since we run separate PCs I presume we'd be OK?

1 hour ago, Davey-T said:

I've got 3 Lakesides but can't even get 2 with different drivers to run using 2 instances of Maxim. working on using SGP ATM if I can figure it out 

Dave

...which is why I like doing it manually. I really don't like faffing with obscure IT issues. 

Olly