Finally my luck may be changing! After 3 months struggling with polar alignment rather than imaging I switched the mount to unaligned polar mode, with only 2 stars calibrated yesterday - and a feeling polar alignment is getting close now. Well I am not yet sure if its the switch to polar unaligned mode - or all the polar alignment with PEMPro, but things are looking up!
I came home switched on the mount and camera and executed a slew to M42 - dead on target. Then I did a slew to Acrux and without adjusting aim at all I did some 10 minute unguided shots with PEC off and no guiding and no changes to focus for a fortnight. Here is an example of the end result.
I can see the scope needs a bit better colimination - hopefully I'll get BinTel to do that soon and swap in Bob's knobs to boot!
Next I'll drift align just a tad more - as I do see slight drift at 15 minute unguided shots - but as of now I am so pleased!
So for this shot all I have done is in Photoshop CS2 levels to darken the sky glow - no more processing than that to evaluate tracking on a 2,350 mm OTA!
Vixen Atlux with SkySensor2000-PC V2.10 - mounting a C9.25 Carbon Fibre (hence almost no re-focusing) a 127mm MAK and a 80mm Refractor - on a combination of Losmandy Side Saddle and piggy back dovetail bars!
Oh Well
Back to plan A.
Waiting for reticule eyepiece to arrive from My AstroShop and then a serious drift alignment session and hopefully a permanent arrangement.
Dreams are good friends.
