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HEQ5PRO drift


Swoop1

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When I am doing image runs on the HEQ5PRO, particularly when tracking in Lunar and Solar modes, I often find that after a few minutes of satisfactory tracking, the mount starts to drift. This continues until I hit one of the slew buttons and correct it. A while later, off it goes again. 

I can leave the set up in a capture run (C6 SCT and ASI290MC camera) to pop to the loo or something and on my return, the target is completely out of the FOV.

Sidereal seems to be quite stable.

Any ideas what the cause and solution is?

Generally I am connected via Green Swamp Server and Cartes du Ciel.

Thanks.

Matt.

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2 hours ago, michael8554 said:

Hi Matt

When you image galaxies, nebulae etc, with the mount set to Sidereal, there is no drift ?

With the same image scale ie same camera, the sun drifts when the mount is set to Solar rate, same with the moon on Lunar rate ?

Michael

Michael, 

Yes, that is how it appears at the moment.

Regards,

Matt.

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Sounds like simple polar-alignment to me , or lack of it to a degree.

With even a basic 'point North and level' set up my HEQ5 Pro needs little more than a small nudge at Rate 1 to recentre after shooting 120 DSLR frames .

And that's with the disc pretty much filling the frame .

2038682284_test600.png.323b94d6b1c8fced744ca3f83b3a83ca.png

 

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8 hours ago, Steve Ward said:

Sounds like simple polar-alignment to me , or lack of it to a degree.

With even a basic 'point North and level' set up my HEQ5 Pro needs little more than a small nudge at Rate 1 to recentre after shooting 120 DSLR frames .

And that's with the disc pretty much filling the frame .

2038682284_test600.png.323b94d6b1c8fced744ca3f83b3a83ca.png

 

Alignment could be an issue Steve but it doesn't seem to manifest itself in deep sky runs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not had chance to try returning to the handset to see if it is GSS related yet but, there is no/ negligible drift for long portions of a run as the target (Moon, Jupiter/ Saturn etc.) stays nailed in the centre of the FOV but, after a while, the target sets off towards the right side of the screen and disappears.

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  • 1 month later...

Finally got the chance to try some imaging using the handset as controller instead of the laptop. 
The session involved no sudden departures from the chosen target so I guess the issues must be related to the software (GSS and CdC)?

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It's more likely GSS than CdC IMO but could be wrong.   As suggested above, does the mount behave the same way if you use EQMOD rather than GSS ?  If there is no change and it still drifts then install another planetarium application and see if that affects the tracking.  If it still drifts after trying two planetarium applications and two mount drivers but works fine with the handset then it clearly points to something software related, but exactly what I have no idea.

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Your not using PEC correction in GSS are you? When I tried it it was great for a while but then my mount started doing strange things. Would randomly start drifting off in the wrong direction despite input from PHD. When I switched PEC off it behaved normally so I haven't used it since. Still use GSS though and it's behaved each time with PEC left alone.

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