tips for setting up on site

[Nova2000]

hello

not sure if this is the right place for this topic.?

wanted some advice on how to set up equipment fast in the dark sky sites.

colimation, polar alignment, mounting up etc

takes a long time to do all these things ?

the things we have are polarmaster, neq6 , 250mm gso f4 newtonian reflector, dslr and laptop

we take a car battery to power up stuff .

some things we do are aligning the finder scope and guideing scope in advance.

[Fieldsy]

Hi nova 

im new to this myself and every night even on cloudy ones I go into my garden and do a complete set up including laptop and cameras just so I get used to doing it ,so when we do finally get a clear night I know how it all goes and how long it should take even with cold fingers. In other words practice makes perfect .

happy hunting 

[RolandKol]

2 hours ago, Nova2000 said:

hello

not sure if this is the right place for this topic.?

wanted some advice on how to set up equipment fast in the dark sky sites.

colimation, polar alignment, mounting up etc

takes a long time to do all these things ?

the things we have are polarmaster, neq6 , 250mm gso f4 newtonian reflector, dslr and laptop

we take a car battery to power up stuff .

some things we do are aligning the finder scope and guideing scope in advance.

My fast setup routine:

1) Turn on Smart-phone with compass app 5min before and keep it on in the pocket (to allow sensors to adjust themselves while moving around);

2) Once all toys are brought to the site, use smart-phone app to setup tripod roughly North, - leveling after.

3) Lazer collimator In, to check primary mirror collimation.

4) Cables and "toys" on top, - balancing

5) SharpCap On, - bathtinov aid to focus.

6) SharpCap - Polar Alignment routine as initial.

7) PHD2 drift alignment to pinpoint PA.

8 ) PHD2 Calibration.

9 ) SGP On - shooting.

[daz]

Absolutely right Fieldsy!!

Make sure you have software and drivers on a backup HDD, spare cables, etc.

KNOW you gear and don't use anything you haven't practiced with before.

Set it all up before you go, and take pictures of where you run wires and place things...

 

[RolandKol]

And yes... it was enough one cable to go off and I was in a deep "something"

Now I do have some extra USB cables (from previous "toys" and etc) and one extra power cable for mount and ASI camera.

And even set of keys/tools, plus plaster and etc

[Nova2000]

3 hours ago, RolandKol said:

My fast setup routine:

1) Turn on Smart-phone with compass app 5min before and keep it on in the pocket (to allow sensors to adjust themselves while moving around);

2) Once all toys are brought to the site, use smart-phone app to setup tripod roughly North, - leveling after.

3) Lazer collimator In, to check primary mirror collimation.

4) Cables and "toys" on top, - balancing

5) SharpCap On, - bathtinov aid to focus.

6) SharpCap - Polar Alignment routine as initial.

7) PHD2 drift alignment to pinpoint PA.

8 ) PHD2 Calibration.

9 ) SGP On - shooting.

thanks RolandKol.

i think i used to waste time mounting first and then colimating 

3 hours ago, RolandKol said:

And yes... it was enough one cable to go off and I was in a deep "something"

Now I do have some extra USB cables (from previous "toys" and etc) and one extra power cable for mount and ASI camera.

And even set of keys/tools, plus plaster and etc

will surely do .last time my power converter to power laptop shot up and the whole clear night was waste?

 

 

[Gfamily]

Practice stripping down as well - when you're cold and tired, you're more likely to make mistakes and drop things, lose things, knock things together, and loosen the wrong screws before taking the weight. 

So do practice stripping down. 

[noah4x4]

I use a 'tool box' like this to help speed up getting Scope + Camera + Autofocusser connected to my indoor 'Mission Control'.

Inside a regular (£10) 'Stanley' plastic toolbox I have built a wooden cradle to which I affixed a power source (Tracer 22Ah); my auto-focuser controller; Intel NUC computer etc. Three cables then run from my Intel NUC up to my OTA inside the white cable wrap (e.g. Camera power; Camera USB3 and Focuser's USB2 cable).  The Intel NUC depicted is also connected to my scope using a SkyPortal External WiFi accessory.  I control scope using Celestron CPWI for Windows PCs. Then, using a second (USB external) wireless adapter plugged into my scope side NUC, I control this 'Tool Box' and its devices within from indoors using Windows Remote Desktop over a wireless network.

Whilst my set up is 'end to end' wireless embracing 4K UHD over 12 metres remote control distance, the 'Tool Box' basic design concept is possibly also of help to those that travel to Dark Sky sites and have need of a similar highly portable pre-assembled 'gadget box'.  It could contain merely your power sources and any other loose bits you need to transport. What is perhaps its most neat feature is that the spaghetti of cables connecting my power source, with focuser and computer is pre-assembled and neatly hidden inside the wooden cradle inside the 'Tool Box' below the devices.  I could easily run an autoguider cable from it too. Previously I had an obsession to hang everything off my scope and nearly hanged myself as I had so many trailing cables.  Then the 'penny' dropped as regards how best to do this. But there was an interim alternative that I post  details below as it too might be of assistance...

Below is an earlier prototype where I had instead affixed the (then three sided) wooden 'cradle' to the tripod legs.  This photograph highlights how easy it is for the cabling to the OTA to be neatly managed in the cable tidy wrap. But this affixed to scope design merely added weight to the Tripd/Mount, and as I wanted to revert to my wedge, that overall weight became more prohibitive. This was how I came up with the 'device cradle in a toolbox' idea. But both concepts have some merit, notably cable management.

 

 

 

[Fraunhoffer]

That's given me some ideas - thank you.

I have a 'darker than here anyway' site about an hour away that Im eager to try out.