Alignment (or is it ¡°modeling¡±)
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What a convoluted way to align through the hand controller. Two clear nights wasted because it won¡¯t ¡°model¡±. I¡¯ve followed the YouTube videos and whatever else I can find on how to align. It just goes on and on and on star after star. Does it ever actually finish ¡°modeling¡±? I try to go to a catalog object, an easy one like M13 and it¡¯s off.?
ASIair has no problem when I do astrophotography. It can go all night. But when I want to observe and just poke around the sky¡?
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I have the polar scope. I know how to use that. I don¡¯t get it. I just don¡¯t.? |
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On Sat, Nov 2, 2024 at 09:21 PM, Dnorton wrote:
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It would help if you could describe how you are building the model. Step by step. Many others are able to build a pointing model that works for them, so there's likely something you're not doing right or something that isn't configured correctly. It's hard to guess what that might be without additional details.
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Generally 3-4 stars are sufficient to get a decent model on one side, plus add one more star on the other. Add more stars if you want better precision. Here are some pages that may help:
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On the hand controller: I set the time to Universal. Polar align through the polar scope (I know I can do that accurately because whenever I do the PA through ASIair I am within 15'). The Site is set down to the foot. Then I transcribed this list from the YouTube video (below). I follow this and it just keeps going and I never get to the "Save" part. For contrast, I have an older GM8 with encoders. I recently bought a vintage Celestron Advanced Astro Master. I can align on three stars and every object I find in the catalog is dead center. I know the concepts of alignment. Maybe I just don't understand what "building a model" is other than a plastic model airplane.?
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Four star alignment
Three stars West. One East. ?
Menu
Functions Modeling West ?
Goto (1st Star)
Center target Model Align Back ?
Goto (2nd Star)
Center Model Align Back ?
Goto (3rd Star)
Center target Model Align Back ?
East (4th Star)
Goto Center target Model Align Back Menu Align More Model Save |
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Thanks for the details. The process seems correct.?
A few more questions: 1. do you start with a Cold start, in CWD position? That¡¯s needed to clear out previous model and settings. ?
2. what mount and Gemini firmware version are you using?
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3. ?after 3 + 1 stars alignment, how far off are the Goto to another bright star?
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Regards,
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? ?-Paul
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On Sun, Nov 3, 2024 at 08:26 AM, Dnorton wrote:
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I have the latest firmware and at Level 6. I do a cold start. I tried doing a warm start once after creating a model from a previous session but that was a disaster. So last night I started with a cold start and started from scratch. After completing (but I never got to the ¡°save¡± portion of the model building) the alignment I did a catalog search for M13 and it was more than a FOV off. That¡¯s not going to help when hunting down faint PN in a C11.?
Doug?
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P.S. I appreciate the help. I was so frustrated last night when I came home. 1980 technology trumping 2024 technology doesn¡¯t seem right.
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After building a model, take a screenshot of the model parameters screen on the HC and post here:
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On Sun, Nov 3, 2024 at 11:30 AM, Dnorton wrote:
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On Sun, Nov 3, 2024 at 08:30 AM, Dnorton wrote:
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How did you not get to save the model?? AFAIK the guided model building routine just keeps going as long as you keep picking stars to "align" on.? LOL, the Gemini 2 is hardly 2024 technology, at it's core it's over 25 years old from the late 1990s as I recall.? ?
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware? Astrospheric - South Pasadena, CA? |
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On Sun, Nov 3, 2024 at 12:47 PM, <kevinwalsh324@...> wrote:
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Sorry for going sideways on this.?
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I have the same problem, no reliable Polaris access due to the trees.? Winter visual PA using the polar scope works well because there are no leaves!? But the rest of the year is blocked as the trees leaf in.? With the ASIAIR All-Sky PA works perfectly.? There are other automated methods but I have found that by doing the usual leveling of the Losmandy mount using the base bubble levels and using a smartphone with a free planetarium app called SkyEye I can get pretty good results for visual work.?
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This is what I have done in the past, I turn on the EQ grid lines in the SkyEye app then using the polar scope eyepiece or polar scope hole metal cap for a flat reference surface I hold the phone on it flat and adjust the AZ and elevation to center Polaris on the screen to get the scope pointed surprisingly well at Polaris.? Next I do a GOTO to an obvious Bright Star then use the mount AZ and elevation knobs to center the star.? I usually pick a bright star or two along the equator to the East repeating the same GOTO routine and manually adjusting.? Then I GOTO another bright star to the West and do the same thing.? Then do a GOTO to the first bright star and see where you are.? Use a moderate magnification and then using the HC controls center the star and do a SYNC.?
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From here on you should have decent GOTOs though you will want to then proceed with the PA correction routine if not close enough but I have never had to use that routine.? ?
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware? Astrospheric - South Pasadena, CA? |
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On Fri, Nov 8, 2024 at 06:46 AM, david hill wrote:
I use NINA for imaging sessions with my Gemini mount. It controls the camera and its cooling as well as monitoring guiding through phd2 with my guider camera. It has many useful software plug-ins. ?
I agree.? For folks using NINA the Three Star PA Plug-In works great!? ?But if you are just going visual and don't want to drag a laptop with you my method above works very well.?
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware? Astrospheric - South Pasadena, CA? |
Dnorton
Paul Kanevsky
Chip Louie