Good seeing in Sydney tonight - Page 5

multiweb (Marc) · #81 03-12-2018, 10:27 AM

It's clear again tonight all night. My body is telling me enough is enough but the little voice in my head is saying "c'mon... just one more...."

xelasnave · #82 03-12-2018, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

It's clear again tonight all night. My body is telling me enough is enough but the little voice in my head is saying "c'mon... just one more...."

If its clear you gotta be out there.
Take mini naps during exposue runs but get a decent sleep at work the next day.
Alex

multiweb (Marc) · #83 03-12-2018, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

If its clear you gotta be out there.
Take mini naps during exposue runs but get a decent sleep at work the next day.
Alex

Sleeping at work? I can do that.

I'll be out again tonight for sure. I need to check my DEC. That has me a little stumped. It is definitely mechanical backlash not software related but I can't feel anything with the clutch engaged. Unless the coupling slips but again I've tightened that. And it's not the gearbox backlash either.

multiweb (Marc) · #84 04-12-2018, 10:08 AM

Bit disappointing last night as it got windy quite early in the night which kept everything amazingly dry but it was a pain to guide in the open. I stayed on the tarantula and did 17x600s until 3:00am. I'm still having DEC issues. Took the worm out twice during the night, changed the gearbox, checked the coupling, meshing, etc... I still get a lot of backlash when changing direction. I've narrowed it down to the worm block because I have swapped the RA with the DEC block and RA is fine. So the only thing I can think of is that I can't think of anything right now actually.

I mean the coupling is tight, it doesn't slip. The meshing is as tight as it can be, there's minimal play in the gearbox (I've tried 3 different ones), the worm doesn't move in the blocks sideways, what else can it be?

An it's not software obviously. I get the same moving a star via the hand controller.

RickS (Rick) · #85 04-12-2018, 10:12 AM

Hope you get the mount sorted, Marc. Looks like clouds clouds, clouds here for new moon.

multiweb (Marc) · #86 04-12-2018, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

Hope you get the mount sorted, Marc. Looks like clouds clouds, clouds here for new moon.

Yes here too that's why I still did last night although I was tired. Now it doesn't look like we're going to get a clear night for a little while. Seeing was quite good as well last night but it was windy. QLD coped it with the fires all week and now there's a low offshore that might travel west and drench you. Extremes.

LewisM · #87 04-12-2018, 03:00 PM

Even though the FSQ has minimal "Sail effect", it was till too windy for my liking here in Cannotberra last night.

Tonight is looking patchy, so I decided to lay foundations for my second imaging spot today at high noon. Gives me MUCH more view E-NE, so Orion is feasible for a larger portion of the night. The poopy weather gives the cement time to harden nicely.

multiweb (Marc) · #88 04-12-2018, 09:02 PM

Thursday might be good. Some good seeing coming our way too so if it's clear happy days!

multiweb (Marc) · #89 07-12-2018, 04:34 PM

Looks like a clear night with good seeing in Sydney tonight if it's not too windy.

LewisM · #90 07-12-2018, 05:09 PM

300KM away from you it is unstable and not looking fantastic, so make the best of it.

multiweb (Marc) · #91 08-12-2018, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

300KM away from you it is unstable and not looking fantastic, so make the best of it.

Yeah the clouds rolled in around 23:30 from the SE.

I was plotting along on the HH. Only got 6x5min. Seeing was very good too.

Wavytone · #92 08-12-2018, 01:20 AM

Still clear here (1 am). But the wind (easterly sea-breeze) has been terrible and is only starting to drop now.

multiweb (Marc) · #93 08-12-2018, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wavytone

Still clear here (1 am). But the wind (easterly sea-breeze) has been terrible and is only starting to drop now.

It was clear when I got up in the morning but solid cloud cover after midnight. Sometime the forecast is spectacularly wrong. Both GFS and ACCESS agreed on a cloud free night.

RickS (Rick) · #94 09-12-2018, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Yeah the clouds rolled in around 23:30 from the SE.

I was plotting along on the HH. Only got 6x5min. Seeing was very good too.

Black horse on a dark night, Marc?

Is that at f/12 or with the reducer?

multiweb (Marc) · #95 09-12-2018, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

Black horse on a dark night, Marc?

Is that at f/12 or with the reducer?

Ha at F/12.4. It's like sucking cassoulet through a straw.
I haven't tried the reducer yet. The G11 has been keeping me busy. I try not to multi task.

LewisM · #96 09-12-2018, 09:15 PM

This obsession with cassoulet lately...you have a fart wish Marc

RickS (Rick) · #97 09-12-2018, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Ha at F/12.4. It's like sucking cassoulet through a straw.
I haven't tried the reducer yet. The G11 has been keeping me busy. I try not to multi task.

A little clear sky tonight and I'm trying the FSQ-85ED with the 0.73x reducer. Spacing is not quite right but promising results...

multiweb (Marc) · #98 09-12-2018, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

This obsession with cassoulet lately...you have a fart wish Marc

Love the stuff, fell in it when I was little.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

A little clear sky tonight and I'm trying the FSQ-85ED with the 0.73x reducer. Spacing is not quite right but promising results...

Cool.

I think that's it in Sydney for the next few days. Clouds and possibly some rain.

multiweb (Marc) · #99 16-12-2018, 02:54 PM

Going to attempt tonight and try to some long exposures on the HH in ha. Moon is still small and far enough from Orion. Weather wise the latest forecast shows decent seeing and no major surface wind. Looks like we're between two bands of rain and unsettled weather to the south and the north. What do you reckon? Cutting it too close?

xelasnave · #**100** 16-12-2018, 03:25 PM

Go out when dark...look at the sky and announce to the sky...does not look good I guess I will give it a miss tonight...casually walk back inside...wait fifteen minutes go out and you will find the sky is clear...casually say...oh well might just test mount control with the scope set up☺ setvup and pretend you are not interested in anything but the mount...do not look up for any reason...then announce I think I will go inside and watch tv...set camera running and casually walk away...by the time the clouds realise you are actually taking photos you should be done☺.
Alex