EEVA Set up query

[Bobby1970]

I am considering purchasing an additional Az GTi mount, leaving it Alt/Az and combining with a small scope and camera, possibly something like a ZWO 120MC.

 

My inital "inspiriation" was this video:

 

 

However, i already have an old laptop i am happy to leave outside and possibly access remotely from another laptop inside the house. The old laptop has Sharpcap and APT on it also as i have dabbled in EEVA previously.

So i have around £500 budget maximum. 

I was wondering about using a semi decent 60mm guidescope along with a ZWO 120MC as i satated above.

I think i can probably do this for £500 if i get some stuff used.

 

Yes, i currently have an ASI Air pro based rig with 72mm scope and guide scope. But the time required to gather sufficient data is a bit limiting for me, then theres the processing, which i am certainly not very good at.

So, looking into an EEVA rig to re-ignite my interest, still remotely view, and gather some snaps of the things i have seen without the need for lots and lots of time consuming and mind bending processing also.

 

I also have a canon Eos 450d which is modded, the same guy in the video has done another using just camera and lens, so this could be an option and i might then be able to stretch to a Raspberry Pi and use stellarmate??? 

I may ultimately end up selling the ASI Air Pro set up, but i do not want to do t his just yet.

One other option is a Dwarf II. But i realise they have their limits.

Thoughts and advice very welcome.

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Bobby1970

[happy-kat]

Some where I thought I'd read about canon DSLR and sharpcap via ascom driver. If you have the 60mm already why not give it a go, if it hangs together might need to think about a FF for the scope I guess. Good luck

[Bobby1970]

13 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Some where I thought I'd read about canon DSLR and sharpcap via ascom driver. If you have the 60mm already why not give it a go, if it hangs together might need to think about a FF for the scope I guess. Good luck

Yeah. I'm sure the Canon DSLR works with Sharpcap and APT. I also have a few lenses I could use with it and a dummy battery DC adaptor thing. Just need another AZGti or AzGte and to get remote desktop to work between my old windows 7 laptop and my indoor (windows 10) laptop. It's not happening at the moment. 😕

[happy-kat]

Interesting minimal setup, not sure if how he was using it to comment whether the rig needed the encoder flavour of the mount or not. 

 

[M40]

Have you considered using your 72ED with the asiair as an eeva setup? If it gives you some good results, you could always move the pro on and get the plus for the remote aspect.

As a different option, something I am playing around with is using a canon lens with zwo camera. There is an adaptor that can link the two. Hardest part is mounting the adaptor and getting it aligned. All the best.

[Bobby1970]

21 minutes ago, M40 said:

Have you considered using your 72ED with the asiair as an eeva setup? If it gives you some good results, you could always move the pro on and get the plus for the remote aspect.

As a different option, something I am playing around with is using a canon lens with zwo camera. There is an adaptor that can link the two. Hardest part is mounting the adaptor and getting it aligned. All the best.

Maybe it's just me, not having enough consistent clear nights and time. 

I have the 72ed, on an AZGti in EQ mode, hooked up to my asi air pro. Once polar aligned I retreat indoors and usually select a target, platesolve etc from indoors. 

Usually I'm limited to maybe 2-3hrs tops of gathering subs. Then as I say I don't get enough clear nights to carry on adding data, so it's left me a bit frustrated tbh, that's before I get to trying to process anything. Lol. 

Maybe I just stick with what I have and do 15 mins of short live stacked exposures on multiple targets in one night? That counts as eeva, right? 

I was Considering re setting the AzGti to Alt/Az but heard the asi air has issues with it not tracking when in alt Az mode, and either way there's some sort of alignment to do, either polar or some sort of star alignment if in alt/az. 

I made a peltier cooler for my 178mc which does help reduce noise too. So maybe ramp up the gain and go with short exposures for some livestscked eeva images. 

Really need some inspiration or get up and go. Lol. 

Either way another AzGti would be useful for my Mak as a lunar or planetary set up maybe. Can I do EEVA with a 127mak too? 

Save swapping over scopes on one AzGti 

[Bobby1970]

I've just been looking at YouTube videos of the Skywatcher 150p Virtuoso GTi. 

I think this might be something I explore. 

One thing. I assume I will be able to use a laptop with Sharpcap etc, maybe APT with it? 

Looks a good option for EEVA,??

[happy-kat]

ASIstudio has live stacking, I've not used a asair thingmy bob but I assume asostudo works with it and that has a Windows and Android version of the app so use everything as is just using live stacking 

Could even just try  in azgti altaz mode too 

Edited December 29, 2022 by happy-kat

[Bobby1970]

13 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

ASIstudio has live stacking, I've not used a asair thingmy bob but I assume asostudo works with it and that has a Windows and Android version of the app so use everything as is just using live stacking 

Could even just try  in azgti altaz mode too 

Ultimately I would like to be inside, controling the scope for platesolving, goto and livestacking once an initial alignment is done. The Asi Air has issues from what I have read, when used with the AZGti in Alt az mode. 😕

[happy-kat]

What about plate solve with astap and ascom to sync back to the mount using synscan and then asistudio to live stack all inside after plonking mount outside

[Bobby1970]

5 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

What about plate solve with astap and ascom to sync back to the mount using synscan and then asistudio to live stack all inside after plonking mount outside

Something like that would work. Or maybe using Sharpcap along with All sky plate solver for live stacking and platesolving. 

Its been a while so I can't recall. If I leave a laptop outside running synscan, Sharpcap etc, I should be able to control it via another laptop indoors using remote desktop or TeamViewer, correct? 

Can't remember how the synscan mount connects to the laptop as I need both laptops to be on same network I think??

[happy-kat]

If you have the wifi range on azgti leave the laptop inside

Synscan windows app

Edited December 29, 2022 by happy-kat

[Bobby1970]

3 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

If you have the wifi range on azgti leave the laptop inside

Synscan windows app

So. If the range on something like the virtuoso GTi was good enough. I can use a laptop Indoors with the laptop having Sharpcap, platesolving etc on it? 

Sorry, it's been a while lol. 

[happy-kat]

The only thing I can see to use a second laptop outside is if that's the only way to hoover the images from the camera. I'm going to be quiet now and not muddy the puddle.

 

[Bobby1970]

Just now, happy-kat said:

The only thing I can see to use a second laptop outside is if that's the only way to hoover the images from the camera. I'm going to be quiet now and not muddy the puddle.

 

Yeah. I just thought this. The camera needs to be connected to a laptop. Lol. I'm sure some solution will become apparent. I could probably get a raspberry pi and stellar mate. If I can't make what I already have work with it. 

[Bobby1970]

Well. I've gone all in. 😁

Ordered a Skywatcher 150p Virtuoso GTi and raspberry pi4 starter kit. 

Just need stellamate once everything arrives. Should be an interesting little project if nothing else. Lol. 

After watching loads of videos by this guy, I was hooked 

https://youtu.be/r0YbWyATAsA

 

 

[happy-kat]

I hope it works great for you and the virtuoso is a nice tidy unit, I'll look out for your updates and also watch some more of that video above with the pi solution.