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Post by fondofchips on Oct 3, 2015 17:06:56 GMT
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Oct 5, 2015 18:38:56 GMT
Sometimes with my ZWO ASI120MC and with my Mallincam DSm it wont be recognized and I realized that I forgot to put it thru the powered USB hub. That instantly solves the problem... PCs just dont have the juice!
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Post by Dragon Man on Oct 6, 2015 6:07:27 GMT
Sometimes with my ZWO ASI120MC and with my Mallincam DSm it wont be recognized and I realized that I forgot to put it thru the powered USB hub. That instantly solves the problem... PCs just dont have the juice! Yeah, PC's and laptops are supposed to put out 5 volts through USB ports, but the electronics to make a USB port pump out 5 volts instead of taking in data uses up a fraction of those 5 volts, dropping it to 4.9 volts. That is fine for almost all USB gadgets like fans, lights, coffee warmers, etc, but many delicate devices like Cameras need exactly 5 volts to operate properly. The old Meade DSI was well know for failing if not using a powered USB hub so it could get exactly 5 volts. At 4.9 volts the camera failed. A powered hub was essential.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Oct 6, 2015 13:35:17 GMT
The only way I can get 2 booster cables to work is with a powered hub.
Two boosters into the PC is just right on the edge and is not reliable and can even cut in and out.
Learned that the hard way one afternoon.
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Post by fondofchips on Oct 12, 2015 15:11:15 GMT
Well I had another faffing about/nothing concrete night. I had been faffing about with a Hitec Astro DC Focus 2 controller, it just refused to work. The Hitec Astro website isn't the tidiest, but I eventually worked out that I had installed the wrong driver and control software. The focuser motor is working OK on the 6 metre USB lead so I was able to install it permanently. During that malarkey I had managed to change the COM port numbers, so that CDC would not communicate with the mount & the Mallincam software was coming up with a COM port error, soon sorted though. New motorised focuser arrangement: - Drive pulley is 32 teeth and seems to be just right for the Skywatcher motor and Hitec Focus 2 controller. The belt grips the SW focuser knob well with no slip, and still comes off easily for bigger focusing movements, change of focal reducer/spacers for instance. www.motionco.co.uk/timing-pulleys-timing-pulleys-aluminium-c-25_35_48.htmlI started my night on M45 Pleiades/7 Sisters, trying to tease out some nebulosity, with no luck. Then I had a go at the Orion Nebula with the saved settings from my previous session but no joy there either. Moving on to Venus, not an easy visual target, but again could not cut the brightness down enough, same problem with Mars, either nearly white or too red. On to Jupiter and I could get the Moons in focus OK, but the planet was too bright no matter what I did. One good thing was that now I have a remote focuser I didn't spend as much time with the scope & mount than I did in previous sessions. One step forward at least, and the temperature dropped down to 4°C last night. I have been using a Star Diagonal with the Mallincam, but I removed it last night only to find that it would not focus correctly, so I will try a extension tube instead next time. Haven't got my head round the Mallincam's Focal Reducers/spacers yet, but I am tackling the learning curve slowly but surely. My VA start-up has all this lot in it:- ASCOM & EQMOD for mount control via CDC. ASCOM & Hitec Astro controller for the Focus Motor Mallincam camera software, also Miloslick, both take some learning. Startech Video grabber, didn't want to work with Mallincam software on the same computer. I use a second PC for the grabber. I had to change scope as both of my existing ones had too long a focal length. Mount is still not perfectly polar aligned. The sky will come to me soon though as my observing will soon be before midnight, not after it as it is now.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Oct 13, 2015 17:32:21 GMT
Harry,
I did the same thing - I moved away from using a diagonal to using an extension tube. Both aren't perfect - I wish that extension tube would hold on a bit tighter and that the screws could be a bit bigger.
I also have problems getting a good Jupiter + moons. Visually, I used to use an off-axis aperture mask on Jupiter but I haven't tried that yet with my VRC8 (1600mm+ in focal length).
--Rick
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Post by fondofchips on Oct 16, 2015 11:14:31 GMT
Another rookie question, instead of my 9 x 50 SW finderscope could I use an SW ST80 with a video camera to do the same job? I have the SW ST80 lying around anyway, but which camera would be suitable for wide field? Obviously something not too heavy as the ST80 focuser isn't very strong.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Oct 16, 2015 13:33:07 GMT
I've read about more people using a video camera as a guide camera than a finder camera, but I don't know why you couldnt. I'm pretty sure you'll need an extension tube with the ST80 too to get a camera in focus like the Mallincam Micro or AGc or a ZWO ASI120MC for example. Just remember that focal length x chip specifications will determine the field of view - and using a camera may give too small of a FOV.
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Post by fondofchips on Oct 16, 2015 15:52:03 GMT
Thanks Rick, there is always a snag......
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Post by davy on Oct 16, 2015 17:43:24 GMT
Hi harry. im looking at a guide finder scope from telescope express just over £90.... 50mm optics f 3.2 162mm long ..im going for that myself nice fov and pretty fast optics..i will stick my new qhy camera on it rigged to the new sharpcap..for video..of course it could be used for guiding on my eq3/2 mount.. fev options with it . 390500306616 ebay number
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Post by fondofchips on Oct 28, 2015 20:57:37 GMT
We have suffered a blow on the light pollution front here, the light is coming from a golf driving range: - Bad news, even worse for a nearby stargazer who does visual astronomy, that light is more due South for him, due to the difference in the street alignment compared with mine. I've not been troubled by it yet, they were not on Friday night when I went out at 10pm, but were on at 05.15am on Tuesday morning when I got up for work.
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Post by davy on Oct 28, 2015 22:22:01 GMT
Bummer harry..I know your pain , my flat windows point south into hills that are dark and no light pollution. .problem being in between that is a builders yard and an industrial estate with flood lights everywhere. . Absolutely no reason why places like these cant fit better lights. . They could save a fair bit of cash by not illuminating the sky and all around them.its that bright I dint need to put a living room on it's that bright in my flat.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Oct 29, 2015 15:34:17 GMT
Holy cow, that's bright; sorry to hear Harry. At least they don't keep them on overnight.
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Post by fondofchips on Feb 23, 2016 19:06:14 GMT
First night out for ages, I think I've only had 4/5 sessions since the lunar eclipse. I've temporarily reverted to visual astronomy as I had some bad sessions with the Mallincam and have forgotten some of the essential stuff for EQMOD as well. Will have to do an all day & night session to catch up with the technical side of things. Anyway Hi to you all, especially any new members who have joined this friendly bunch of people who look at strange things in the sky. Currently looking at the Orion Nebula, views good through all my eyepieces including the 2-4mm Nagler. Must go back before Uncle Ken points out that I'm not looking at Orion at all but typing on my computer!
Clear skies to all.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 24, 2016 2:05:16 GMT
Luv your member name ... fondofchips!
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Post by howie1 on Feb 24, 2016 2:08:41 GMT
Another rookie question, instead of my 9 x 50 SW finderscope could I use an SW ST80 with a video camera to do the same job? I have the SW ST80 lying around anyway, but which camera would be suitable for wide field? Obviously something not too heavy as the ST80 focuser isn't very strong. Hey Harry, Here's my finder ... www.flickr.com/photos/9440349@N08/albums/72157651639329816I have two old Canon zooms which are both f4'ish so quite fast and thus get fast exposures. The 18-55mm zoom with the Mallincam Micro yields 3x to 9x mag which is perfect for widefield finding (and M31!). The 55-250mm zoom on the other hand yields 9x to 41x mag. Very small footprint as the cam, adapter and lens all quite small. BTW 2nd hand on fleebay those zooms are cheap. The adapter was vello brand. C-mount to canon EOS fitment. As Rick says putting the small sensor in the ST80 not only is way too much mag for finder (but fine for guiding). Cheers, Howie_Oz
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Post by Dragon Man on Feb 24, 2016 12:32:58 GMT
. . . . Must go back before Uncle Ken points out that I'm not looking at Orion at all but typing on my computer! Clear skies to all. Hey Harry, Stop typing and go look at it
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Post by fondofchips on Feb 24, 2016 17:08:37 GMT
Another rookie question, instead of my 9 x 50 SW finderscope could I use an SW ST80 with a video camera to do the same job? I have the SW ST80 lying around anyway, but which camera would be suitable for wide field? Obviously something not too heavy as the ST80 focuser isn't very strong. Hey Harry, Here's my finder ... www.flickr.com/photos/9440349@N08/albums/72157651639329816I have two old Canon zooms which are both f4'ish so quite fast and thus get fast exposures. The 18-55mm zoom with the Mallincam Micro yields 3x to 9x mag which is perfect for widefield finding (and M31!). The 55-250mm zoom on the other hand yields 9x to 41x mag. Very small footprint as the cam, adapter and lens all quite small. BTW 2nd hand on fleebay those zooms are cheap. The adapter was vello brand. C-mount to canon EOS fitment. As Rick says putting the small sensor in the ST80 not only is way too much mag for finder (but fine for guiding). Cheers, Howie_Oz Thanks for that Howie_Oz, I will look into doing that, the standard EOS lenses are very cheap to buy.
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Post by fondofchips on Feb 24, 2016 17:11:52 GMT
. . . . Must go back before Uncle Ken points out that I'm not looking at Orion at all but typing on my computer! Clear skies to all. Hey Harry, Stop typing and go look at it Can't see it now Ken, it's daylight here and Orion is still below the horizon. To make matters worse it is also cloudy, hey ho 2 clear nights in a row is asking too much really. The man up here organising the weather is having a Giraffe! Nice to catch up with you all again.
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Post by Dragon Man on Feb 25, 2016 11:27:16 GMT
good to see back again Harry
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