Giving up....

[FMA]

I’m writing this half angry, half sad. Bought the eqh5 and a 130 pds to have fun with the son and since then it’s been all problems.

Goto never goes to the star I want. In put Polaris in the middle of a 24 mm zoom and tell to align to Vega. It goes more or less the direction, but never in the eyepiece. Never. If don’t go to Vega, how's  gonna find any other thing!!
 

so I saw the Stellarmate in internet to help to align. Bought raspberry, paid for the stellarmate and a 120 zwo. Since then, I’m a programmer not an astronomer. It’s an unfinished world full of problems. Full. Since you get the raspberry it’s one problem after other. Always in forums, asking to solve problems. If you have one hour of clear skies, you lose it rebooting the bloody machine. WiFi problems, drivers.....still hasn’t plate solved anything.....and I’m talking using the iPad.Kstars and Ekos in Mac....ja! I gave up long time ago. Just impossible to make it work without being Bill Gates.

im sad. I’ve spent 1500 pound in the system and I’ve only seen the sun and the moon. Not sure  if is this system or it’s me. 
due job/kids I can’t go to any meeting to see if any advanced mate would help me.

im angry this morning. I don’t know what to do. It’s not just one problem, there are so many.....

this is not astronomy, this is engineering....

any support like “come on mate, you’ll do it” much appreciated 

Pd: turned on mount now, and synscan only turning on when plugged to stellarmate....oh, come on, another problem more?

 

 

 

 

[andrew s]

Sorry to hear about your problems . Not sure how you have been setting up your mount but in any case you should not use Polaris as a reference star. Because of the way  an eq mount works it cannot reliably point to the pole as the RA has a singularity at the pole I.e. it  is undefined.

Just like at the North pole all directions are South so which one is the one you want!

Regards Andrew 

Edited July 11, 2020 by andrew s

[bottletopburly]

Frustrating it can be at times you need to calm down and go back to basics , there are plenty of people on here that will help you ,so forget the stellarmate for now , post your setup , mount ,scope ,visual i assume so you really only need the synscan handset assuming you have a HEQ5 .

Firstly  you need to be able to setup the mount correctly and polar align, and be able to focus your eyepiece if you can do that then a more experienced visual  sgl member will be able to guide you step by step using the synscan handset to do a three star alignment  , maybe using a wider fov eyepiece will help too 30mm works quite well but someone will get you on a better footing and soon have you observing the delights of the heavens  Hold on in there  .

regards Dave  

[Freddie]

Sounds like you are over complicating things with all those additions. Best to stick to the hand set initially until you have got to grips with the basics.

If you talk through what you are doing to setup I’m sure SGL can talk you through things to get it sorted.

[Tenor Viol]

Telescope won't sort out where to point itself until you've done preferably a three star alignment after you've done polar alignment. PA is just the first step. That ensure you are at least set so that the polar axis is parallel to the Earth's axis - it doesn't do anything else. 

You need to do the next step of using ideally 3 stars so that the controlling system 'knows' where it is. These need to be widely spaced. When you 'goto' the first one, it won't be accurate. You then use the hand controls to get it centred. Head for the second star. That should be a bit of a nearer hit as the system now has some idea of where it is pointing and the 'error' in the system. When you then align to the third star, that should be better again. Once you've adjusted that, the system now has a set of data that it can use to calibrate how your mount is working. 

I would be very tempted to simplify. I am a computer systems designer... and it is much easier to build up in steps. Trying to bite it all in one go is going to be very challenging and almost certainly frustrating.

I would step back to using the mount on its own with no additional computers etc. Get it set-up and aligned with just the hand controller. So: polar align, put scope to 'home' position, then go through 3 star alignment - do NOT use Polaris as one of the 3 alignment stars use things like Deneb, Vega, Arcturus etc.

If you've got an astronomical society nearby - I'd get in touch and find out if there are people there who you can talk to etc. It's a lot to do from scratch and having experienced pair of hands can help a lot. 

My frustration is I have had a week of solid cloud including last night - no comet for me...

Keep going and there's plenty of help here.

PS You do need to input your latitude, longitude and time accurately to the controller.  

Edited July 11, 2020 by Tenor Viol

[Tenor Viol]

Another thought - problems shared etc.... there may be some experienced SGL members near enough to you to meet-up: worth an ask.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I sympthize to a degree - I upgraded to an EQ-5 Synscan a few months ago and an still not satisfied I have got it tamed.  But, with respect, I think you may be overcomplicating things and also may not have grasped how the mount works.

Polaris is not a good alignment star for an equatrial mount. Pick anything else. During a two or three star alignment, the mount slews itself to near the next alignment star. This is based on your initial polar alignment and start position, so inevitably it will be a bit off, but in finder field.  Your next task is to fine align it on the second alignment star.

For the moment, forget the Stellarmate and raspberry (whatever they are.)

[DeathWarpedUp]

Hi, you have the zoom at 24 mm. Do you have any others ep' maybe a 40mm that came with your scope?

With alignment, ideally it's easier with the largest mm/degree u have, zooms at 24 tend to narrow. And as others have said align against the brightest stars that initially show up at first light. Vega and arctacus are recommended. Use a phone app like sky safari to find these roughly, and know where to point your scope.

Alignment is one of those things that is a doddle once you get it nailed down.

Also check that the site location time dae and bst setting are correct. I live in the UK and my scope originally arrived set for california.

Finally if you haven't already, have a look around YouTube, there's probably guides to help. You're definitely not the 1st person stumped with goto, trust me.

oh and "come on mate you'll do it" 😉

Edited July 11, 2020 by DeathWarpedUp

[FMA]

It came with 28mm.

england is *1 gmt, isn’t it?

i begin from Polaris in middle of main scope( almost sure it is and polar alignment app says I’m right. Beginn alligement and tell to go to Vega which is easy to see from my garden and , it’s not even is the finder!!So if I’ve to begin to slew with the arrows I get lost in the intensity of the sky......id expect to go closer in a 1000 pound system!

thats why I got the stellarmate , to see if would help me. And I can say, he’s is NOT my mate.

can see the pigeons in the neighbours roof though.....it’s something......

 

 

 

[barkis]

You'll only feel worse if you give it up.  It is never easy for someone new to astronomy, who acquires a GoTo setup. It can be very frustrating initially, but slow down, and don't look for immediate success. You will come to terms with the equipment, if you are a programmer, then you will have the ability to decipher all the instructions provided to get on top of it all.   Most importantly, your Son is the important ingredient here, he wants you to master it, and you have to stick with it for his sake. 

Fortitude and Stickability is the way forward, and the day will come when you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.  Stay with it.             Best Wishes. 

Ron.

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by barkis

[bottletopburly]

 Step 1 How to polar align your mount 

 

 

 

 

[rnobleeddy]

I use a similar setup. Last night was a disaster for me too - EQMod on the Pi plate solved but then slewed off 90 degrees in the wrong direction! I tried to switch back to synscan to get some images but everything was covered in dew,  the stars I know had moved behind trees, and so I went to bed. Today I'm tired for no reason!

 

My advice

- Ditch the raspberry pi and the stellarmate for now. I code for a living but trying to solve problems at 1am in the dark isn't fun. You can do very well with just the handset, and I figure it'll be more palatable to try these things when it gets dark at 6pm.

- Take it one step at a time, which means

    - Sort out your polar alignment. Find a tutorial and make sure you're getting close to good PA. This is the fundamental step for an EQ mount and if you don't do it well everything else will be harder. This includes making sure your polar scope is aligned.

    - Don't expect star 1 of 3 start alignment to be accurate. The point is you're calibrating so future GOTOs will be accurate. If you're a long way out, remember you can loosen the clutches and move the scope by hand, although that would suggest you've got something wrong. Make sure the coordinates, time/offsets are correct (UK is +00:00 and day light savings in Synscan world, and the date format mixes up days and months for us in the UK, so be sure that's right)

 

    - GOTO to a bright easy to locate target, but probably not one of the ones you just used for calibration. I did the above on Monday this week, pointed at M13 and it was on the bottom edge of my image.

   

Take small steps. You're not going to work it all out in one night.

 

[DaveL59]

I've an EQ5 so older model setup but it seems to work ok for me. I've so far mainly use the polar align pro app and not used the polar scope and find that so long as the mount is level that works well enough for visual. I use the handset only and the SynScan Pro app to give the correctly formatted co-ords to enter, the date needs to be the backward yankee format and you should enter time as is and indicate if DST is in effect.

If a particular area of sky is of interest you could do a 2-star align in that area which should give reasonable accuracy when using GoTo in that region. You could just one-star align and then adjust using the arrows when it misses the target you select. Alternatively, unlock the clutches and manually swing the scope to the area of interest and then home in using the arrows and the scope should then track reasonably on the target. An expensive mount for that use but sometime getting some use is better than frustration when alignment isn't playing or the stars needed aren't so visible  

When aligning remember to end the arrow sequence with up+right before hitting enter and moving to the next target - a quirk in how the system works I believe. It can help to start with a low power eyepiece (20-30mm) and as you hone the aim switch to higher power (10mm) to get it better centered. A reticule can help here so you centre the target star to the same position in the view.

Edited July 11, 2020 by DaveL59

[DeathWarpedUp]

26 minutes ago, FMA said:

It came with 28mm.

england is *1 gmt, isn’t it?

i begin from Polaris in middle of main scope( almost sure it is and polar alignment app says I’m right. Beginn alligement and tell to go to Vega which is easy to see from my garden and , it’s not even is the finder!!So if I’ve to begin to slew with the arrows I get lost in the intensity of the sky......id expect to go closer in a 1000 pound system!

thats why I got the stellarmate , to see if would help me. And I can say, he’s is NOT my mate.

can see the pigeons in the neighbours roof though.....it’s something......

 

 

 

I'm 99% sure the 28mm will be easier than your zoom for alignment. Without mentioning the dreaded ££, Even a cheap 32mm 1.25 plossl from flo or the bay will make initial alignment even easier, as they allow you a bigger field of view.

Yes +1 summer right now. Have you also (before you get to searching the stars) aligned the finder with scope itself. This should be your 1st job. Find a chimney or Ariel on tree branch as far away as you can see in the finder, and then point the scope at it, does the view match? If it doesn't that's the 1st thing to do.sorry if you know some of this already.

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by DeathWarpedUp

[rnobleeddy]

30 minutes ago, FMA said:

It came with 28mm.

england is *1 gmt, isn’t it?

i begin from Polaris in middle of main scope( almost sure it is and polar alignment app says I’m right. Beginn alligement and tell to go to Vega which is easy to see from my garden and , it’s not even is the finder!!So if I’ve to begin to slew with the arrows I get lost in the intensity of the sky......id expect to go closer in a 1000 pound system!

thats why I got the stellarmate , to see if would help me. And I can say, he’s is NOT my mate.

can see the pigeons in the neighbours roof though.....it’s something......

 

 

 

For the UK use +00:00 as the offset. Use the time your watch says, and say yes to daylight savings time. I used this system for the first time on Monday night and if I used a +01:00 offset the first star on the alignment was miles away...

[PeterCPC]

KISS. Keep it simple stupid - my mantra really - always use the least kit possible so there is less to frustrate.

Peter

[Freddie]

Well that’s a shame. By the time of your reply you had 7 posts trying to help you but not even a simple “thanks” from you.

Good luck sorting your problems!

[Carbon Brush]

+1 for @PeterCPC

Just use the mount manually. Forget about goto and forget about specific targets.
Go for easy bright objects first. That will get your 'eye' in with the kit.

By all means use star charts (electronics or paper) to see what might be of interest before you go outside. Not necessarily today, look ahead.
See what phase the moon is going to be in a week or two. Whether to view the terminator (which gets my attention for ages) or to check what days the sky won't be washed out.
What time do you have to be around to see a bright planet and approximately where will it be?
Get a feel for what your horizon at home is. By that I mean hedges, trees, roof, etc that may be in the way.
There is no point planning unrealistic targets.

Set up your scope indoors, or outdoors in daylight.
Your star charts will tell you where stars are, though you won't see them.
You can approximately polar align the mount and tell it go and align on a star.
Just accept the alignment if it looks something like. By that I mean an accuracy like east-ish, at 45 degrees-ish.
That way you will get a feel for how to use the mount controls without the 'I'm going in soon' pressure.

There is a long list of people who have set the date incorrectly, failed to level the tripod, the list goes on.
If you do this in the light to practice, then doing it at night is second nature.

HTH,

David.

[wormix]

The thing I found with a synscan Mount when starting out is the starting position isn’t clearly pointed out in the manual. 
 

You have to ensure you are in the home position before doing anything else. 
 

cheers

[ian2]

3 hours ago, FMA said:

I’m writing this half angry, half sad. Bought the eqh5 and a 130 pds to have fun with the son and since then it’s been all problems.

Goto never goes to the star I want. In put Polaris in the middle of a 24 mm zoom and tell to align to Vega. It goes more or less the direction, but never in the eyepiece. Never. If don’t go to Vega, how's  gonna find any other thing!!
 

so I saw the Stellarmate in internet to help to align. Bought raspberry, paid for the stellarmate and a 120 zwo. Since then, I’m a programmer not an astronomer. It’s an unfinished world full of problems. Full. Since you get the raspberry it’s one problem after other. Always in forums, asking to solve problems. If you have one hour of clear skies, you lose it rebooting the bloody machine. WiFi problems, drivers.....still hasn’t plate solved anything.....and I’m talking using the iPad.Kstars and Ekos in Mac....ja! I gave up long time ago. Just impossible to make it work without being Bill Gates.

im sad. I’ve spent 1500 pound in the system and I’ve only seen the sun and the moon. Not sure  if is this system or it’s me. 
due job/kids I can’t go to any meeting to see if any advanced mate would help me.

im angry this morning. I don’t know what to do. It’s not just one problem, there are so many.....

this is not astronomy, this is engineering....

any support like “come on mate, you’ll do it” much appreciated 

Pd: turned on mount now, and synscan only turning on when plugged to stellarmate....oh, come on, another problem more?

 

 

 

 

If I were you I would purchase a good book, such as turn left at Orion to learn to identify the constellations. Go out without the scope for a few nights and find your way around. Unless there is something very wrong, goto will get you in the vicinity but you can sort that out at a later stage.

 

 

[happy-kat]

If you have a mobile phone use the free app syscaninit it will tell you what correct date format etc to use to setup synscan handset

Date format is MM DD YYYY

Take it in steps, good luck

[FMA]

Thank you all for you answers. Sorry I didn’t say thanks before. Fortunately I’ve kids at home that need some care....( happier Freddie?)

thanks again for all your answers. I’m going to forget about stellarmate and will focus in the mount. I’ll try gmt 0. See that I’ve been recommended 0 and +1 in same post......it’s difficult....

I’ll focus in the 28 mm and synscan first and see from there....

my mistake to think this things work out of the box

100000 thanks again.

 

 

 

 

[Tenor Viol]

Good points above - there are some very unobvious bear traps lurking - and one I had forgotten about was the US date format - that is a real face plant trip-up thing. Because the current date is 11-07-2020 (being an IT guy, I prefer 2020-07-11...) but unfortunately for reasons known only to them, the US format tends to have the rather illogical format of mm-dd-yyyy which means today's date goes in as 07-11-2020. If that is wrong, you will be all over the place. 

[Freddie]

Me, I’m always happy. Sorry, not having kids myself I didn’t realise they stop you from typing an additional 6 letters 🙂

[Paul M]

I'm an experienced observer and know my way round Goto and Synscan.

Earlier this year I had my first foray into imaging using my Canon DSLR. I'd decided to use Astrophotography Tool (APT) on my laptop to control the mount without the handset and operate the camera.

It just worked. My first experience of plate solving was very positive. My first images were very pleasing. APT just worked.

For a few weeks now I've been playing with Astroberry, a similar system to Stellarmate. I've just got some new ZWO cameras too.

I've found Astroberry to be very hard work to get running and keep running. As you say, WiFi connectivity problems and constant battles with software.

Last night I finally got some progress just before the clouds rolled in.

I know I'll get on top of this thing eventually but it will eat into my productivity. It certainly isn't a system for beginners!

My advice would be watch loads of YouTube content on setting up EQ mounts and synscan. Only when you have good goto's is it time to move on to imaging. And then I'd recommend APT. It just works...