Hi Les,
Actually, no, I don't want to "turn it on and go back inside." LOL!
I like to stay with the mount until everything is running to my satisfaction, and no bugs have cropped up.
I tend to enjoy watching and listening to my mount as it follows along with the targets I give it.
When it is fully "Aligned" (sorry, dirty word I learned from my AVX), and on an object being photographed, then?I like to go inside, connect with Tight Vnc, and watch and control the mount from inside. (Warm and cozy)
All interested: (here I go a rambling)
This is probably sacrilege to many, But if I'm on something I want to build on like I was with "The Flaming Star Nebula", I don't just sit while it mundanely builds the image, I've found myself watching TV shows with the wife while the equipment works automatically. My Infinity camera faithfully runs along doing 2 minute (120s) images (or whatever time I choose) and stacks them. ;^)
But when I begin on an object, or slew to a new one using Stellarium, I will center up (with crosshairs), then start PHD2 (normally), and when I'm reasonably certain I have my image rolling in, sit back, do other things, fix a drink, get a beer, watch TV, or pester folks on the Internet.
But like last night, I was trying out something very new to me that Brian helped me set up called ASCOM and got rid of a wire, too. So everything talks through the one USB cable, and PHD2 and Stellarium are working together. Stellarium and the new Gemini hand controller were fighting each other. Brian got me around all that with a short chat on the telephone, and fixing some settings I did not understand. (Thank You, Brian!)
I've been trying to use Scott Losmandy's Model building, and it finally worked around 9 or 10 last night. But I have more to do in ASCOM because I think things are not quite ironed out yet.
But Windows unleashed yet another Update yesterday (read about it ). I think it has been causing me, at least, a lot of heartaches.
At one point my Atik Infinity camera went absolutely Bonkers, and my mount ran into its West RA limit and stopped. Fortunately, I had my limits set to prevent contact. Or it could have been disastrous.
But I think maybe ASCOM and my 64 bit computers might be at odds. But not sure. Lots of strange things going on.Does ASCOM care if the computer is 64 bit?
And the only way to center up my objects was with the HC at the mount.
--
SonnyE
(I suggest viewed in full screen)
