SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Looks like something fun to try. I think I have too much obstructions to the South for my locations.
Great shooting Craig.
Tonight I have a bunch of cloud cover moving West to East. So I'm hold up indoors for tonight.
But I had fun with the Sun today, so the AVX stayed greased tracking that.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Thank you very much Sonny I'm trying harder and getting slightly better results.
I need to stop being impatient and shot as long as it takes even if it's hours.
Craig

Oknoder Loc: Western North Dakota

Excellent capture Craig. I tried this image quite a while back before I learned to stack properly, should dig those up and see if I can make anything out of them. Well done on your single capture.

Matthew

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

If we can get all the software running right, you might be able to do it like I do.
The inside computer runs the imaging while Stellarium and the mount tracks outside on the laptop.
When I'm doing a long exposure (or several) I get the image started from inside, then go watch TV, and check things on a commercial break.
A Lazy Man's EAA Imagery. ;) :lol:
(Besides, the last time I sat out in the cold night air it took me hours and hours to warm back up.) ;)

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Matthew thank you very much it is a mag 10.9 and hard to pull in.
The antennas were next to impossible with the seeing I had.
Maybe next time I'm on the Mountain I'll give it another try.
Craig

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Watching TV will you're imaging that's crazy good Sonny.
Here at the house anything over 100 sec gets totally washed out.
So I only get 15-25 min to lolly-gag around before I have to go back out.
Just enough time to go check out the UHH Astro Forum. :lol: :lol:
Craig

Oknoder Loc: Western North Dakota

The thing I like to do most while imaging is sleep. I'll check on it if I wake up for whatever reason,mostly to check the sky is still clear and to make sure it properly did its Meridian flip, and recentered the object.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

I have not suffered a meridian flip yet we'll see what happens in that event.
Is there anything I should program into the Hand controller???
Craig

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I've been flipping while watching the Sun the last few times. But it misses.
So then I will use the virtual (NexRemote) and slew the mount to the sun, recenter, and it's usually OK.
So I think I still have a bug to work out in the Meridian Flip department.
A star the magnitude of the Sun shouldn't be missed. :hunf:

Oknoder Loc: Western North Dakota

I believe it's the imaging program that controls when the scope executes the flip. If you're out with the scope once the target is at or past the Meridian just relocate the same target, so that way the scope will flip to the opposite side of the mount. I label my images differently too, so I know to flip the images before stacking, so they all line up easier. I could be wrong but I think the Celestron mounts will track a target a few degrees past the Meridian, then just stop, so as to not strike the pier or tripod. I know you can set custom stops, in case you're using a long refractor or something, to help prevent a strike with a stationary object, or a cable gets snagged. This is one of the main reasons I only tighten the clutch just enough to limit its slipping, but not enough that it could burn out the motor or damage a gear if it get caught and the controller keeps applying power. I placed a 4amp fuse inline from my power box just for this reason, because if the motor jams it will attempt to draw more current until it's free, or the clutch slips. I guesstimated 5amp was the limit the controller would be able to handle, since it's Max draw is supposed to be 3.5, UL states it must accept an additional 20% so 5amp is a rough estimate.

HTH,
Matthew

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Well it is new territory for me. I have seen it go beyond the meridian, then check it later and it has done a flip but is off target. (It did that the other day.) I kinda thought maybe clutch slippage let it get out of sync or something.
Only once so far have I left it run and gone to bed. But I think it was already South of the meridian.
But this ain't the Hubble here... :lol: :lol: :lol: :roll:

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Thanks Matthew I think mine, the CGEM, is supposed to do the flip automatically and there is a
parameter in the Hand Controller to decide how far past the Meridian up to 20* to do the flip.
I do know it also has a shut-off point when it reaches the Horizon or the degree above the horizon you want it to stop.
Craig

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I should explore those setting.
All this flippin stuff is so flippin involved.

Oh well, with the weather coming in there will be a lot of time to do indoor space exploration of the mount... :lol:

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

My weather forecast is Clear Sun night and Mon morning.
That's a good thing and keep my fingers crossed.
It's predicted clear Mon Am for you Sonny.
Craig