Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
that's a one-shot on horsehead/flame? wow, that is pretty spectacular
/g/Losmandy_users/photo/254767/3?p=Name,,,20,1,0,0
Made some progress this year.? Finally started controlling the mount from the computer, and figured out how to plate solve.? Also made some progress sorting out my cable mess:-). ? Got Pempro for Christmas and look forward to?learning how to use it.
This image of Alnitak is one I really like.? Taken with my AP 127 mm Starfire and 27tvph reducer.? ASI Zeiss 294pro with my Orion sky glow lp filter.? Mount was my G11T.? There are a few others in my photo gallery here. ?
happy new year everyone!?
jmd?
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
That is ZWO 294 pro, lol! ?Apparently Apple spell correction wants me to upgrade;-)
jmd
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
/g/Losmandy_users/photo/254767/3?p=Name,,,20,1,0,0
Made some progress this year. ?Finally started controlling the mount from the computer, and figured out how to plate solve. ?Also made some progress sorting out my cable mess:-). ? Got Pempro for Christmas and look forward to?learning how to use it.
This image of Alnitak is one I really like. ?Taken with my AP 127 mm Starfire and 27tvph reducer. ?ASI Zeiss 294pro with my Orion sky glow lp filter. ?Mount was my G11T. ?There are a few others in my photo gallery here. ?
happy new year everyone!?
jmd?
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
Hi!
Great, I've been playing with this some. ANd yes, it does seem
(not really systematic because there are too many clouds
interrupting my experiments tonight as well) that making the mount
less balanced makes the spikes smaller.
But they did not disappear. And guiding was not good.
Then.... I looked at PEC. PEC was turned on......
Turning PEC off again (it's been a long while since I created a
good PEC curve now) improved guding radically.
So, adding to my check-list:
- is PEC on?
- is the mount too well balanced?
:)
Thanks guys!!
Magnus
Den 2021-01-03 kl. 17:35, skrev Brian
Valente:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
>>>
?I also keep a small removable counterweight of approximately
0.5 kg that I can quickly? attach to either end if needed.
yes good suggestion. I did this too prior to the SLW.?
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 8:28 AM
William Neubert < neubertwj@...>
wrote:
I
fixed a typo in my earlier message "wound - > mount".
Magnus, yes, a few cm is enough for me.? When balancing the
mount, I rotate about the RA axis until the Dec axis is
horizontal.? I then balance it, but make one side heavier by
approximately 2 kg (4 pounds, estimated at the end of the
axis).? The high torque in the Losmandy motors can easily
accommodate this imbalance.? I also keep a small removable
counterweight of approximately 0.5 kg that I can quickly?
attach to either end if needed.
My old Celestron mount required better balancing, as its
motors could not deliver enough torque.? So, I need to
somewhat unlearn balancing.
-Bill N.
--
Brian?
Brian Valente
portfolio
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
Wow Arun! Just beautiful
the detail in the Crescent Nebula is amazing. I can never get good OIII from here
[Edited Message Follows]
Two of mine taken with Losmandy equipment (narrow band):
Crescent Nebula with Soap Bubble:??- I really love this image because it was the first one that showed me the benefit of long integrations (this one was 21 hours)
The Western Veil Nebula:??- just a gorgeous object, I think it is the ideal narrow band DSO
And this one which took a bit of time to prise out a hint of the tidal tail:??(needs more work, I think)
Arun
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: New to message board. Question: What camera(s) to use for Planetary and Deep space astrophotography
- CCD's:? ?been around a long time, more complex to make, uses more power, better light capture, less noise, better shutter and frame rate, expensive.?
- CMOS:? smaller pixels, uses less power, rolling shutter, more noise, less expensive
I am not a planetary imager, but do a considerable amount of DSO astrophotography. I'll say that CMOS technology has caught up and surpassed CCD. Modern CMOS cameras such as the ZWO ASI 2600 MC and 6200 MC and MM are based on back side illuminated CMOS sensors. These cameras have higher full well capacity, higher resolution, and lower noise than CCD cameras costing nearly three times as much or more. Your older Canon DSLR will work too but, depending on model, will have higher pattern noise and will be generally inferior to a dedicated astro camera. However, it is a great camera to start with and I think most of us get started using DSLR imaging until we outgrow it.
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
Two of mine taken with Losmandy equipment (narrow band):
Crescent Nebula with Soap Bubble:??- I really love this image because it was the first one that showed me the benefit of long integrations (this one was 21 hours)
The Western Veil Nebula:??- just a gorgeous object, I think it is the ideal narrow band DSO
And this one which took a bit of time to prise out a hint of the tidal tail:??(needs more work, I think)
Arun
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
Bill that's a great image - amazing detail even zoomed in!
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 8:35 AM William Neubert < neubertwj@...> wrote: Wow, I am motivated by the amazing images each of you have posted.
The image I am most please with this year is IC5146 the Cocoon Nebula:??
-Bill N.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
Wow, I am motivated by the amazing images each of you have posted.
The image I am most please with this year is IC5146 the Cocoon Nebula:??
-Bill N.
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
>>>
?I also keep a small removable counterweight of approximately 0.5 kg that I can quickly? attach to either end if needed.
yes good suggestion. I did this too prior to the SLW.?
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 8:28 AM William Neubert < neubertwj@...> wrote: I fixed a typo in my earlier message "wound - > mount".
Magnus, yes, a few cm is enough for me.? When balancing the mount, I rotate about the RA axis until the Dec axis is horizontal.? I then balance it, but make one side heavier by approximately 2 kg (4 pounds, estimated at the end of the axis).? The high torque in the Losmandy motors can easily accommodate this imbalance.? I also keep a small removable counterweight of approximately 0.5 kg that I can quickly? attach to either end if needed.
My old Celestron mount required better balancing, as its motors could not deliver enough torque.? So, I need to somewhat unlearn balancing.
-Bill N.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
|
Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
Hi Magnus
Happy new year to you
It would be better if you uploaded your guidelog
Someone else mentioned this but yes, having your mount too well balanced could cause this in certain circumstances if you do not have the spring-loaded worm
A few cm should to it for you, which is more than I'd normally recommend but you have the small weight closer in. Our recommendation on counterweight configuration is the opposite - to have the heavier weights closer to center of gravity and use the smaller weights further out the cw shaft for fine-tuning
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 12:48 AM Magnus Larsson < magnus@...> wrote: Hi!
I am very satisfied with my guiding on my G11. Except.... on and off, I
get strange spikes in RA. I had these a year ago, but then I got rid of
them. But now I have some of these again -? so maybe they are related to
cold weather. Attached is a screenshot from PHDlogviewer from a section
of last night (just below freezing). THe spikes are now in only one
direction, and that should be towards the west. I tried that by manually
gently pushing the mount and observe in which direction the spikes were.
So this seems be spikes that are in the direction of the tracking of the
mount (east -> west). Now, my first idea was that this was sticktion,
that I had tightened the RA axis too much. But in that case it should be
in the opposite direction, should it not?
And it is no cable snatches. Nothing like that. And as far as I can see,
it happens on both sides of pier (but I need a really clear night to be
able to run extensive tests, last night was too cloudy for that).
So, does anyone have any ideas what this could be? I can surely have a
close look at it all and adjust the worm and all, but I'd love to have a
serious hypothesis about what this could be. So I'm asking for ideas
about the mechanics of the system - what in the G11 could possibly cause
these kinds of spikes?
Best,
Magnus
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
I fixed a typo in my earlier message "wound - > mount".
Magnus, yes, a few cm is enough for me.? When balancing the mount, I rotate about the RA axis until the Dec axis is horizontal.? I then balance it, but make one side heavier by approximately 2 kg (4 pounds, estimated at the end of the axis).? The high torque in the Losmandy motors can easily accommodate this imbalance.? I also keep a small removable counterweight of approximately 0.5 kg that I can quickly? attach to either end if needed.
My old Celestron mount required better balancing, as its motors could not deliver enough torque.? So, I need to somewhat unlearn balancing.
-Bill N.
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Re: Stiff RA axis on brand new GM811G
"The RA never does swing completely freely as there is a fractional inward vector force of the downward weight of the mount pressing on the clutch. The wavy washer helps but does not eliminate it. This is normal."
I think that should be put somewhere in the Losmandy manual, when there is one!? ;-)? It's the most helpful and reasonable explanation I've heard, and helps reassure new owners.? I reached out to Brian because of the stiff RA and DEC with my G11G.? I was so used to a free-swinging hypertuned CGEM that it felt like there must be something wrong with the G11G.? It is harder to balance for that reason, but not impossible.? Mine doesn't seem as stiff as it showed in your video, neverfox.
For those who know the Gemini better than I do - isn't there a "balance" readout that you can see on the hand controller that measures electrical load when the mount is moving different directions?? If so, is it possible to use this as an alternative way to determine that the mount is balanced?
~~Aaron
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Re: New to message board. Question: What camera(s) to use for Planetary and Deep space astrophotography
For planetary imaging you need fast frame rates and fast file transfers.? Don't worry about cooling.? You'll find that CMOS cameras, specifically those made for planetary imaging, are going to be the best fit.? I have the ASI462MC and the ASI120MM. Both good cameras, but the 462 is more sensitive, a better, more modern camera. Also, while it is true that mono cameras are going to be technically better overall, many people get great results with OSC (one shot color).? For planetary, your target is rotating, so that puts a bit of a time crunch on acquiring images, and rotating through RGB filters.? Having done it both ways, I prefer OSC for planetary.
For DSO, you need low noise with long exposures.? CCDs excel, but CMOS is cheaper and is closing the gap.? Again, resolution with mono is going to be technically better than OSC, but you can get good results either way.? You'll definitely be buying filters with a mono camera, and possibly be buying a filter or two with OSC.? I use the ASI2600MC Pro.? It's cooled, very sensitive, and gives great pictures.? I'm using it with the Edge HD 11" and Hyperstar.? You can certainly spend more, and a mono is nice for DSOs for a number of reasons.? An alternative to the ASI2600MC Pro might be the ASI533MC Pro.?
For guide cameras, I have an ASI120MM (planetary repurposed for guiding) and ASI120MM-mini.? ?I don't use the ST4 port.? Instead, run the USB to the computer and let a program like PHD2 send the guide pulses to the mount.? In any case, your imaging camera can't usually be your guide camera at the same time.
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
Ah. I love this list.
Too WELL balanced. Never even crossed my mind. Or in other words,
there is a certain amount of backlash, probably greater when it is
cold, right?
This should be possible to experiment with!
How much would you say is appropriate unbalanced - if there is a
measure for that. I have two counterweights, the big one all the
way out, the smaller some 10 cm up on the counter weight shaft.
Moving it a few cm, would that be enough...?
Magnus
Den 2021-01-03 kl. 14:05, skrev Edward
Beshore via groups.io:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I agree with William. Note that the blips occur just after a
guiding pulse to take RA in the opposite direction. This could be
opening up backlash in the worm that has to be taken up
immediately afterword.
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
I agree with William. Note that the blips occur just after a guiding pulse to take RA in the opposite direction. This could be opening up backlash in the worm that has to be taken up immediately afterword.
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Re: Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
Magnus,
I get those spikes when my mount is too well balanced.? I can get rid of them by un-balancing a bit.? I particularly get them when my mount is not east-heavy, such as when my mount is changing orientation through the night or after a meridian flip.
-Bill N.
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Any ideas on RA spikes in PHD2-log?
Hi!
I am very satisfied with my guiding on my G11. Except.... on and off, I get strange spikes in RA. I had these a year ago, but then I got rid of them. But now I have some of these again -? so maybe they are related to cold weather. Attached is a screenshot from PHDlogviewer from a section of last night (just below freezing). THe spikes are now in only one direction, and that should be towards the west. I tried that by manually gently pushing the mount and observe in which direction the spikes were. So this seems be spikes that are in the direction of the tracking of the mount (east -> west). Now, my first idea was that this was sticktion, that I had tightened the RA axis too much. But in that case it should be in the opposite direction, should it not?
And it is no cable snatches. Nothing like that. And as far as I can see, it happens on both sides of pier (but I need a really clear night to be able to run extensive tests, last night was too cloudy for that).
So, does anyone have any ideas what this could be? I can surely have a close look at it all and adjust the worm and all, but I'd love to have a serious hypothesis about what this could be. So I'm asking for ideas about the mechanics of the system - what in the G11 could possibly cause these kinds of spikes?
Best,
Magnus
|
Re: End of Year - your best image(s)?
Indeed, the need for "isolation" allowed me to focus more on astrophotography.?
Hard to say which I like best, but here are a few candidates:
??? -- B72 (Snake) + more dark nebulae [taken on Titan mount]
??? -- M31 [taken on Titan mount]
??? -- Jupiter-Saturn conjunction [mostly on GM8, some on Titan mount]
Dave K.
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Re: Gemini2 HC touch screen problem
Brendan,
Thank you very much. I will send you an email.
Regards Hemant
Hemant
email me I may have a way forward to get an TFT....may....? As I said before they are really difficult if impossible to find....been searching for ages even have the OEM part number but they stopped making theses 2009'ish.? But I finally might have found a place or a few places....
A lot depends on the driver IC in-bilit in the display (you don't see it) getting the display with the wrong driver...won't work...or many were produced with capacitive touch not resistive....again won't work....
So you have to get the exact one....so email me I might have some ideas....
--
Brendan
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Aaron Lovett