FireCapture with a Dobsonian with goto question?

[bluesilver]

Hi,  I am hoping someone mght be able to give me some advice or information in regards to FireCapture and using it with a Dobsonian with goto.

So i have a 16" Skywatcher Dobsonian that is on a goto mount

The camera that i have is the ASI224mc camera for planetary imaging.

I was thinking about using FireCapture and the Dobsonian for doing some planetary imaging when the planets come back around for us in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

Now i have been using FireCapture on a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 mount with another scope and works great as i drive everything via ascom and the laptop, so no hand held controller.

I just came up with the idea that i should really be using the Dobsonian for this planetary imaging as it would give much better results hopefully.

 

So the question is,  can FireCapture be used with the Dobsonian goto mount?

Generally FireCapture slightly moves the mount to keep track of the image of so i think when using the AZ-EQ6 mount.

I realize that FireCapture has the option in the menus to keep the object centered inside the box ( ROI ) this is what i always have been using,  i was just interested to know if this will all work with a goto mount as FireCapture has no way of controlling the mount at all?

 

I will be using a 5X barlow to get the ideal f- number up to around f20

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

 

[happy-kat]

You can use firecapture to just capture as your altaz goto mount will track. You'll need to watch video length due to field rotation, though winjuno I think can derotate a planet capture video to various success. That's a light bucket have a look at the No 'EQ' DSO Challenge thread for examples of what DSO images other members are getting with similar setup.

[CraigT82]

Are you using the guiding feature in firecapture? The one that uses contrast detection to monitor the position of the planet in the FoV and sends commands to the mount to keep it centred?

Theoretically that should work with the dob? As long as you can get forecapture talking to it, can you connect the dob to the laptop via eqascom?

[bluesilver]

Thanks for the replies, appreciated.

That is the issue with the Skywatcher goto setup,  I don't think you can get ascom to work with it as it is only designed for mounts like the AZ-EQ6 type mounts,  not the straight up and down, left right mounts like the goto

It would be great if it could,  that is what i generally use with the AZ-EQ6 mount,  but now want to use FireCapture with the goto mount and Dobsonian.

I figure i should get way better images from the Dobsonian especially being 16"

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[happy-kat]

I'm not sure on your telescope but x5 barlow seems very strong. For the planets I would have thought your mount would track ok to capture though you might want more free space so to speak around the target. The avi creates so many frames and avi processing deals with aligning I'm not sure if you do need the precision you get of the target tracking using the other mount.

[bluesilver]

Yes,  i fist did think that a 5X barlow would be a tad extream,  but i may very well be wrong here and most possibly are,

But from what i have read,  they say that the best f-number for imaging planets is around f 20,  dose this sound correct?

As my 16" Skywatcher Dobsonian is rated at f 4.4 

Camera is ASI224mc

Any advice would be appreciated.

[happy-kat]

I'm a fan of having a go with what equipment already have. As to the theory of what f number to aim for with planets I can't offer the explanation to the theory.

[Space Cowboy]

On 20/05/2021 at 04:07, bluesilver said:

Hi,  I am hoping someone mght be able to give me some advice or information in regards to FireCapture and using it with a Dobsonian with goto.

So i have a 16" Skywatcher Dobsonian that is on a goto mount

The camera that i have is the ASI224mc camera for planetary imaging.

I was thinking about using FireCapture and the Dobsonian for doing some planetary imaging when the planets come back around for us in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

Now i have been using FireCapture on a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 mount with another scope and works great as i drive everything via ascom and the laptop, so no hand held controller.

I just came up with the idea that i should really be using the Dobsonian for this planetary imaging as it would give much better results hopefully.

 

So the question is,  can FireCapture be used with the Dobsonian goto mount?

Generally FireCapture slightly moves the mount to keep track of the image of so i think when using the AZ-EQ6 mount.

I realize that FireCapture has the option in the menus to keep the object centered inside the box ( ROI ) this is what i always have been using,  i was just interested to know if this will all work with a goto mount as FireCapture has no way of controlling the mount at all?

 

I will be using a 5X barlow to get the ideal f- number up to around f20

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

 

Did you ever get firecapture guiding working with your DOB? I've just ordered the WiFi adapter for my SW Flextube DOB and am wondering if this can work with firecapture to improve tracking while imaging a planet