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Going at last
Happy to say I fired mine up last night for the first time.
I'm using a Shoestring Astronomy USB2EQ5 cable to run from the PC via EQMOD and MaximDL. I have managed to fit a FLI focuser, Tak .73 reducer, Precise Parts adapter to get the right backfocus (72.2mm for that), a TrueTech FW and Apogee Alta U8300 within the available backfocus of my BabyQ - but ONLY just. Guiding by a piggyback modified finder scope with a QHY5.
I had a helluva time getting the rig balanced. It still is not balanced but it's a good as I can get it. The balance problem is caused by both RA and Dec motors, worms etc hanging off to the east side of the mount so unless you counter that weight somehow, it can never stay put in any location. Those east-side weights will always pull it out of whack. But I have gone down that counterbalance road by hanging my HitecAstro Mount Hub Pro on a short plate out to the right side. Not fixed but better.
The connection PC to mount is seamless. No issues in making a connection. Although for some reason, Maxim seemed to send a signal to EQMOD telling it to stop tracking after I stopped the guide scope to change targets. Odd but not fatal.
It calibrated fine and tracked fine too. After a few pulses to settle down, the graph was bouncing along at about .25 pixel above and below the line with 5 second subs. It held that well.
I didn't do the Synscan polar alignment routine. Instead I just did a drift alignment and the guiding results seem to say that this worked pretty well. Goto moves are good but not perfect. They all fell within 5-10 arcminutes of dead centre - all well within a plate-solving with Maxim and a quick re-center to get it bang in the crosshairs.
Too much moon last night for the LRGB filters I have on that FW so any serious imaging will have to wait a few nights but all indications so far are that the mount will be a good investment.
Peter
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