Calibration, rosette part1 and crash!

[MartinB]

Got home at about 11.pm last night after a very convivial evening and saw that strange phenomenon - a clear sky. The moon was well up so I thought I would do a MaxPoint mount alignment. Ran through the auto routine which took a total of 62 exposures from different positions. I hope my goto will now have targets on the chip at 2000+mm f/l.

Still clear but moony so decided to do an Ha run on the Rosette as part of an narrowband project. Checked forecast - no rain overnight. Checked time of meridian crossing. Set scope to stop tracking 30mins after crossing meridian. Requested a load of 10min subs and went to bed.

About 50mins before it was due to stop things went haywire with long star trails. Got in the obsy and a mounting plate had crashed into the pier. I think the motor speed for the dome couldn't have been quite right, the guide scope got obstructed and started chasing a star. As a result the RA was going at nearly x2 sidereal. It doesn't look like there was any harm done. Motors were running smoothly this morning, I hope the gears are ok.

Anyway, I managed 14x10mins RA. QSI 532 and Tak FSQ106. Captured with maxim, combined and deconvolved in CCD stack and finished in PS.

Now for the SII and OIII

[Deneb]

Beautiful Rosette Nebula, it's that time of year again :-)

[ncjunk]

Lovely Rosette Nebula, I always leave my setup over night I am just waiting for the day I wake up and have snagged something somewhere!

Hope there was no damage.

Neil C

[moocher]

B E A utiful!!!!

Alan:)

[MikeD]

Fantastic smooth detail Martin, looking forward to the rest.

Mike.

[Beyond_Vision]

Thats looking really good already Martin, it has a real 3D quality to it.

I hope the kit is ok. I forgot to set my alarm clock running once and had the scope clashed into the mount. It been running fine since so I'm sure your kit will be ok.

Regards

Kevin

[MartinB]

Thanks everyone. Everything seems to be working ok. Just want a couple of clear nights for the other 2 channels, that'll be spring then.

[Ibbo!]

Very nice Martin

good luck finding another couple of clear nights

Good to see you Friday at Cas

Steve

[saturn5]

Super smooth detail.

[Catanonia]

I too hate it when you see tangled wires or a crash. The mounts tend to stop if they feel an obstruction for safety reasons thank god

Been a few times wires have gottten caught on tripod catches

Lovely picture, need to fire up Stellarium and see if this is visible to me

[barkis]

That's very nice indeed Martin.

I don't think I would get to sleep leaving the mount running over night. A question of faith I suppose.

Ron.

[RobH]

Lovely image Martin.

I'm with Ron, I can't bring myself to leave my gear unattended for too long!

One day I'll get a decent image of the Rosette I hope, but it does seem to be my nemesis

Cheers

Rob

[Roy]

That's really nice Martin,

I had to drive to Norfolk to image the Rosette but it was well worth it.

[adamsp123]

A Cracking pic lovely detail

[MartinB]

Thanks guys. I've left the kit running over night a good few times. Still trying to work out how it happened. I think I will go back to using a plug timer rather than software. Kit is too expensive not to leave it running overnight!

[Ant]

I too have left kit running over night on many occasions. I set the alarm for around the same timescales as martin (about half an hour after the meridien).

I've had a few software crashes, but no physical ones yet.

Lovely image Martin. Have a go at getting the OIII and using that for the G and B channels - I think it'll look lush.

Ant

[JCJC]

Awesome image Martin.... hope your equipment survived.

Jordan

[Whippy]

Thanks everyone. Everything seems to be working ok. Just want a couple of clear nights for the other 2 channels, that'll be spring 2014 then.

Fixed that for you Martin . Cracking image mate!

Tony..

[barkis]

Could someone describe the Meridian Flip. ie. the the path the scope takes when it happens. What happens to any Imaging sequences that are in effect. I can Imagine all sorts of problems apart from the scope colliding with something. Although I realise one would ensure objects were out of the way. But the movements need to be anticipated surely. I know it is a selection which can be of if required.

Better still, is there a demo video of it in action.

Ron.

[MartinB]

The RA swings through 180degrees - with the counterweight moving from being horizontal pointing east to horizontal pointing west. Looking from above the movement is anticlockwise. As it does this the scope is rotated 180 degrees in dec.

There is no risk of a pier crash, the problem is cables snagging on some mount projection or other e.g. clutch levers. You have to make sure the cables have enough slack to cope with the changes but keep clear of projections. So nice tidy cables and plenty of observed flips. Even so, it isn't something I feel that comfortable about.

[barkis]

Thanks Martin, I follow that OK.

What about the imaging sequence. Has that to be interrupted physically, or is that operation automatic, and if so what about the image on the sensor, will it's position not be reversed?.

Thinking about it, It wouldn't matter, as I guess stacking will take care of that. However, is the process so accurate as to place the image on the chip. After all, if one takes off for a nap, a problem will only be recognized long after the event. There again, preventing a flip happening is the answer to all my questions here I guess.

I have books which no doubt cover this issue. I really must do some reading.

Ron.

[Ibbo!]

I've do it loads of times

I must admit it was less worrisome with the fork mounted scope

but with a little bit of planing I (unusual I know for me) I do unattended imaging into the west

ie the scope on the east as I image in the west and make sure the cables are loose

Also set the software so it does not hunt too much for the guide star

I do also use a timer switch to kill the mount at about 6am

I have had some strange images when a passing and the guider has picked a new guide star while I am giving it some zzzzzzd's

Steve

[ollypenrice]

That's going to be gorgeous, Martin. Well it already is gorgeous but you know what I mean.

What you need is a place which provides a shivering night assstant to monitor the progress of the mount while you sit inside sipping red wine and nibbling cheese in front of the logburner....

Olly

[MartinB]

What you need is a place which provides a shivering night assstant to monitor the progress of the mount while you sit inside sipping red wine and nibbling cheese in front of the logburner....

Olly

Hmm, now where could that be

Ron, you really need some automation software if you are going to do meridian flips e.g. CCD autopilot or CCD commander. After the flip an image is plate solved and the scope is then moved to centre the target. A guide star has to be located and the software told that the meridian has been flipped so that the dec adjustments are reversed (saves having to recalibrate the guiding). I haven't gone this far yet!

[Tim]

Troubles aside, the Tak has done a lovely job as expected Martin, it has that lovely sharpness/crispness about it and great tone and definition. Lovely!