开云体育

So, I revamped my guide scope to a true Piggy-backed with my main telescope. I always wanted to do that, and with Brian's advice it was easy enough.
So first night out,
Just a fresh start. And re-entered all the Quick Start perimeters, and I use GPS coordinates from my phone that are most accurate. Better than city or town designations.
Time is accurate, too.

Sighting in the guide scope to my main was nice and easy, as was my RED DOT finder, and my Laser Pointer. I used Polaris as my aim point, and made any small adjustments as I was centering thing.
Adjusting in the guide scope with the mounted to a upside down on my .

But here is my problem, and I can usually bumble my way through these sorts of things, but not this time.
When I go looking for my first star for my Model building, it's usually off by a bit or a lot. Not unexpected. So I go to pains of finding it with Stellarium, and generally looking for the bright star closest to the point of aim.
My Gemini 2 has been very reliable before the changes, so I always had a great deal of confidence in it.
But now... I can't seem to get even close, and it's getting frustrating.

So since browsing through Jeff's finding Stars post, I think tonight I'm going to try starting with a Bright Star from the list for my first star, then work from there.
Because things are not working like they use to for me currently. I can't even seem to build a model anymore. ;^}

Any other suggestions for this bumblefart?



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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

Hi SonnyE,

One thing to check, since you’ve done a full reset, is that the correct mount is selected in Gemini. I believe you have a G811, so make sure that’s what’s selected. The default setting of G11 will produce gotos that will be away from the desired destination.

Regards,

? ?-Paul

Hi Sonny,
I sometimes have problems identifying which of the 20 stars I can see from my urban SoCal skies, is the right alignment star, so during the summer when I start model building, I start out by pressing (I think it's the East button (the one on the left)) repeatedly until Albiero is selected ant use that as my first goto. I have mistaken other stars before, but the colorful double is hard to mistake, except when I'm seeing double, of course ;).?

Since adopting that precedure, my confidence level that I properly located the correct alignment star goes to 100%.

Astronut Tim

Thanks Paul, yep, right mount. I normally do the quick start anyway, just to check I have the correct mount, right Lon/Lat, time and time zone (-7 for my location). That leads me into a cold start, then modeling.

Hi Tim, well I'll give Alberio a shot. Most of the minor players are hard to see here as well. But I'm pretty sure I'm seeing more than 20 out here on the Northern edge of L. A. County (Saugus).

I keep coming up a long way off of the targeted stars. Stellarium shows I'm right on, or close enough I should see these giants like Vega, and big Arcturus, or Deneb in my Guide Scope image in PHD2. But I don't. I have to hunt around even when my course aiming devices are on target.

Then it hit me.... I'm using an Orion 50 mm guide scope with the helical focuser. That is in fairly sharp focus. But when I disassembled it to remove the 3 screw O-ring mount, I recall screwing the front on quite deeply.
So I'm wondering if that may have effected the FOV of that little telescope. As in Narrowing it, so it isn't showing me the area it use to. 8^0
I think I'll look into that tonight. Because the FOV of the guide scope seems very narrow now.
Worth a tinker, anyway. Haven't found anything online about it. I think it was a course focus in the instructions.

The odd part is everything appears to be right. Except what I'm seeing.
Well, coffee-ing up for this evening. Almost time for the stars to come out here.
Sonny was a busy boy today. So Sonny is going to have a busy night. ;^)

When I'm seeing double, Tim, I'm usually almost ready for bed.... LOL!

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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

Hi Sonny,

Is your pointing off in just one direction, such as RA only or Dec only?? If so, check that your Oldham couplers aren't slipping on the worm shafts. That happens to me every couple of years.

Another idea is that some of your software may be set to sending J2000 coordinates to the mount when it is expecting JNow, or vise versa.? I managed to mis-configure my Gemini driver that way once, although the error should only be minutes of arc, not degrees.

Good luck,
-Joe

Hi Joe,
Thanks for the heads up. I'll check that everything is JNow, now that I know.
I did adjust the lens outward on the front of my Orion 50 mm guide scope last night, and lo and Behold the stars (of course) got fuzzy, but then dialed them back in with the Helical focuser.
But they appeared brighter, and the FOV (field of view) got broader.
Then, when building a model, I was able to bring the target stars to center much easier.

I do almost all of this without the aid of ASTAP or other Plate solvers. I wish I could use them, but my Infinity camera is not Plate Solver friendly, yet. Another problem to sort out.
So I bumble along, using the hand controller and get my model built.
Getting on my object was not happening for me currently, so more to sort out.
But dialing in the guide scope was a big win last night.

Always something. But my GM811G HD is working great.
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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)