If you have a Goto Dob for observing and and to dabble in a bit of Astrophotography....

[Smiller]

Hi Folks,

I know this is the observing section, but I expect folks that have Goto Dobs (From Orion and SkyWatcher for instance) are probably only doing observing.  

Just a note that I have an Orion XT12G Goto Dob for observing, which I love, but I kind of fell into doing astrophotography with it and I found that it wasn't really that hard and I'm really enjoying that aspect too.

So for those that are interested in possibly trying, I typed up a "How to guide" for that type of scope.   It's here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IrL9-wdy6783PtPPElcP5u4r0IP6PbxA/view

If you do take a look at the guide, let me know if it helped!

Title page below...

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Smiller
Typo

[happy-kat]

Definitely try things as you've done. You can also platesolve with ASTAP and sharpcap I use the pro flavour and ASCOM knits it together for me with a synscan dongle in my dob

[Smiller]

1 hour ago, happy-kat said:

Definitely try things as you've done. You can also platesolve with ASTAP and sharpcap I use the pro flavour and ASCOM knits it together for me with a synscan dongle in my dob

Yes, platesolving is awesome.   With NINA you can totally automate your Dobsonian and it will platesolve and slew to an object of your choice and it can keep the object centered in your camera for hours with the "Center after Drift" command in its capture script.  Very powerful.  I get it going in the evening shooting a target and can go to be and NINA does all the rest.  I know people that not only have it totally automated, but have the ZWO autofocuser it to, so it fine tunes focus every hour or so during a shooting session.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Smiller

[happy-kat]

Having started to read your shared document, lots there, I see you have mentioned a virtuoso gti in there I am using a virtuoso v1 with synscan wifi dongle and have sharpcap/ascom/astap/phd2/platesolving playing together but in ascom the tracking rates option of RA or Dec offset rate is not enabled. I am curious to know please with your dob in ascom  is this feature enabled and the send to telescope button active? 

[Smiller]

Yes, that is a new appendix I’m adding to try to address some of these other Goto Alt/Az systems.  I’m working with folks that have got them to work to see how they’ve done it to provide a few pointers, but it’s still early and I’m not sure what all is possible at this time.  I do know this:  People have used both the Wifi connection and a USB-to-Serial cable to connect physically to the scope and have used programs like sharpcap and Stellarium through ASCOM drivers.   I use NINA and NINA has a “Celestron Alt/Az” ASCOM driver I use but I’m unfamiliar with what drivers and settings these folks are using.  Celestron is owned by the same company that makes the Synscan systems so they are the same.   There is a current and very active tread on “cloudynights.com” in the Electronic Assisted Astronomy on using the Virtuoso for EAA.  That would be a great place to reach out to folks that are doing what you are attempting to do.

Edited March 12, 2023 by Smiller

[happy-kat]

Thanks for replying, I have seen that thread but it is the virtuoso gti and as far as I can see if uses a different motorboard based on skywatcher driver download support, I was only looking to see if other altaz mounts had the set RA rate override enabled or not.

Edited March 12, 2023 by happy-kat