How to move forward ?

[kleanthise]

Hello guys,

I am currently using a skywatcher az-eq5 , celestron c6 @ f/2 using Hyperstar, ZWO eaf and ASI 290MC as my camera and all of these controlled by an asiairpro.

My main issue is that the mount needs to operate in equatorial mode since asiair does not support alt-az operation of this mount. I have tried a bit working all of these via Sharpcap but i was not able to plate solve and the mount was not properly slewing in alt-az mode. 

So to cut the story short. i am using asiair polar align and then sync to mount. After that i disconnect the camera and connect the usb to my computer and use sharpcap for live stacking for its rich histogram adjustments.

 

Could you please advice me on ways i can improve this setup ? i would like to make my life as simple as possible without wasting to much time to setup and start stargazing asap

 

Thanks

Kle

[Elp]

Need clarification here. With the asiair are you not using EQ mode?

Also if youre using the air have you used the live mode, it's designed for the EAA I believe you are doing.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Elp

[PeterC65]

I use SharpCap and don't have the ASIair.

SharpCap should be able to control your mount in AZ mode and should be able to plate solve, but both these things require quite a bit of software. When using SharpCap, I assume you are using a direct USB connection to the mount and camera (no ASIair) involved. My advice is to use the minimum kit possible (just USB) and test as much as possible in daylight. You can test the mount control for example, but not plate solving.

While I don't have the ASIair, many doing EAA do, and there is no disadvantage (actually some advantages) in using the mount in EQ mode. So unless you particularly want to use SharpCap (which is great for EAA) then I would try to get the ASIair working for EAA with the mount in EQ mode.

I'm very envious of your C6 plus Hyperstar by the way!

 

[kleanthise]

3 hours ago, Elp said:

Need clarification here. With the asiair are you not using EQ mode? 

Yes i am using the mount in EQ mode perfectly fine in EQ mode. I wanted to use it in alt-az so to speed up the setting up and alignment process as every night i disassemble everything and store the setup.

3 hours ago, Elp said:

Also if youre using the air have you used the live mode, it's designed for the EAA I believe you are doing. 

Yes it can be used in live mode but there is limited functionality regarding live color correction and image stretching

[kleanthise]

1 hour ago, PeterC65 said:

I use SharpCap and don't have the ASIair.

SharpCap should be able to control your mount in AZ mode and should be able to plate solve, but both these things require quite a bit of software. When using SharpCap, I assume you are using a direct USB connection to the mount and camera (no ASIair) involved. My advice is to use the minimum kit possible (just USB) and test as much as possible in daylight. You can test the mount control for example, but not plate solving.

While I don't have the ASIair, many doing EAA do, and there is no disadvantage (actually some advantages) in using the mount in EQ mode. So unless you particularly want to use SharpCap (which is great for EAA) then I would try to get the ASIair working for EAA with the mount in EQ mode.

I'm very envious of your C6 plus Hyperstar by the way!

 

I have tried with sharpcap to control the mount in AZ mode but it didnt slew correctly and tracking was not working properly. Yes i was using a direct usb connection from the mount to my laptop usb port. Whereas when i plug the asiair i am using an eqdir cable directly from the handcontroller port on the mount.

 

Yes mainly i would like to have an easy and quickly to set setup so i can start imaging as soon as possible and achieve the best eaa results with my setup. Thats why i was asking on how to move forward maybe changing a camera or maybe getting a starsense to solve this hassle ? 

[PeterC65]

It took me a while to get my setup to work reliably. I keep things as simple as possible with just a wired USB2 connection from the laptop to a powered hub at the mount, connected to the mount (Sky-Watcher, via the handset), the camera (Player One), and the electronic filter wheel (ZWO).

Even with this setup it took a few attempts to find a configuration that worked reliably, and I have a written setup procedure as I need to start things up in a certain order for it to remain reliable. When I upgraded laptops and moved from Windows 10 to 11 for example, I ended up using a slightly different setup as the old one would no longer work.

What I'm saying is that even a simple setup is quite fiddly.

Have you checked the mount control in AZ mode just using the ASCOM drivers? These are what SharpCap use to control the mount so the first step is to get them installed and working on their own.

 

[Elp]

3 hours ago, kleanthise said:

i would like to have an easy and quickly to set setup so i can start imaging as soon as possible

How long does it take you? I've found even with my gem28 which I have to lower in altitude and open it back up again so it fits into its case I can physically setup in around 20 minutes with everything disconnected and packed away. Having the mount pre altitude set on a tripod does speed up things somewhat (or have a permanent pier if your space allows). Same with the image train if you can keep it all setup and connected. I find setting up quite therapeutic oddly as it seems. It becomes a chore if doing more than one rig though, as you also have to pack them away afterwards.