drift aligning the G11

h0ughy (David) · #1 15-03-2010, 11:16 PM

for some reason i cannot get this blasted machine to drift align properly. when i get really close all of a sudden it goes all over the place. its so frustrating. if i had the eq6 on there it would be done by now - no worries. i am beginning to think it is the motors?

i created several drift files, where i kept the star within the view of the toucam through a 10" meade with a f6.3 reducer in K3CCTOOLS screen. i made small adjustemnts (1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time) how can this vary so much?

[1ponders] (Paul) · #2 15-03-2010, 11:28 PM

Dave do yourself a favour and take the Meade off and put an ED80 on. Lets try to reduce the possibility of flexure and movement.

AlexN · #3 15-03-2010, 11:30 PM

Quite the conundrum indeed Houghy..

I've never experienced any difference in drift aligning between different mounts.. EQ6's, HEQ5's, Losmandy mounts... its always worked exactly as it was supposed to, keep on adjusting until 0 drift is detected, if drift goes in the opposite direction, you've adjusted too far, go the other way etc...

Have you tried doing it the old fashioned way with a reticule EP? I've on occasion had K3 give me some weird results due to poor seeing etc....

Also, make sure you have the telescope settings setup right in K3CCDTools.. One time I had it set up for my 80/480, and I was trying to drift align a mates 152mm F/8 refractor setup. K3 was reporting HUGE errors like 30arc min per second drift, but the star was staying put on the screen as if the polar alignment was very good...

Other than that mate, I'm stumped...

I got $5 that says Mr. Ponders knows whats wrong and how to fix it...

haha..

edit : See... Mr. Ponders got in before I even finished typing my post... Gimme my $5!!

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 15-03-2010, 11:44 PM

LOLOLOLOL Oh I think I doooo Alex. LOLOLOL If I'm wrong I'll eat humble pie. But if I'm right I'll keep it til astrofest LOLOLOLOL

AlexN · #5 15-03-2010, 11:48 PM

Nice avatar pic Paul.. Lovin the glowy antennae!

[1ponders] (Paul) · #6 15-03-2010, 11:50 PM

Next time I want them coming out my eyes. LOL

[1ponders] (Paul) · #7 15-03-2010, 11:51 PM

Sorry h0ughy. Back OT.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 16-03-2010, 02:15 AM

Did you get it sorted Dave?
The seeing was so bad up my way that K3 was having hysterics.

h0ughy (David) · #9 16-03-2010, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Sorry h0ughy. Back OT.

um whats back OT?

h0ughy (David) · #10 16-03-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Dave do yourself a favour and take the Meade off and put an ED80 on. Lets try to reduce the possibility of flexure and movement.

ok i will do that - have to put on the 127ED as i dont have any D plates for the ed80?

[1ponders] (Paul) · #11 16-03-2010, 07:27 AM

OT - off topic

h0ughy (David) · #12 16-03-2010, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

LOLOLOLOL Oh I think I doooo Alex. LOLOLOL If I'm wrong I'll eat humble pie. But if I'm right I'll keep it til astrofest LOLOLOLOL

whats the flavour of the pie.....

Before you go off thinking that i was looking only at the RA - it was DEC all the waylooking east and to zenith. I can get the eq6 done in about 20-30 minutes, this thing has taken me a lot longer. the star was twinkling a little but not as bad as the first night i did the drift. originally i did the drift to the east, then went to zenith, got it absolutely smack on there and then went back to the east to check. It had moved slightly as i had adjusted the mount at zenith. Going back to the east the cloud got me so had to pack it in. then last night i started the process again, but i never left the east. Cloud came back in last night to help save my sanity - but this is really frustraiting me

h0ughy (David) · #13 16-03-2010, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Quite the conundrum indeed Houghy..

I've never experienced any difference in drift aligning between different mounts.. EQ6's, HEQ5's, Losmandy mounts... its always worked exactly as it was supposed to, keep on adjusting until 0 drift is detected, if drift goes in the opposite direction, you've adjusted too far, go the other way etc...

Have you tried doing it the old fashioned way with a reticule EP? I've on occasion had K3 give me some weird results due to poor seeing etc....

Also, make sure you have the telescope settings setup right in K3CCDTools.. One time I had it set up for my 80/480, and I was trying to drift align a mates 152mm F/8 refractor setup. K3 was reporting HUGE errors like 30arc min per second drift, but the star was staying put on the screen as if the polar alignment was very good...

Other than that mate, I'm stumped...

I got $5 that says Mr. Ponders knows whats wrong and how to fix it...

haha..

edit : See... Mr. Ponders got in before I even finished typing my post... Gimme my $5!!

ok i havent played with the scope settings - didn't think that would be an issue, but i will change it tonight

h0ughy (David) · #14 16-03-2010, 11:20 PM

ok just did a few things tonight. with the current setup i couldnt get the mount to drift properly - i was getting flexure with the weight on top - so i drastically pulled the lot down, and then only installed the ed80.

big big improvement - 10 minutes i had it done - fully drift aligned.

then i did a test guide for 40 minutes - everything worked well. now i need to work out what i will be using in there. There will be a Meade 10" for sale soon i think. I only kept it for this mount and setup - now i am bitterly disappointed

AlexN · #15 16-03-2010, 11:26 PM

Thats a real shame mate, I would have thought the G11 would easily handle the Meade 10", My EQ6 Pro used to sling a C11 around no worries....

Good to hear your alignment is all done and dusted though...

Are you sure your problems with drift aligning using the SCT wasnt to do with mirror movement rather than flexture? I wouldn't be too list the 10" up for sale..

[1ponders] (Paul) · #16 16-03-2010, 11:53 PM

don't give it up yet Dave. Lets have a look at it more closely once you are setup and running and achieving shots under a different configuration of equipment. I'm sure once your comfy with that, then its time to play with the 10" . In the meantime you can test the 10" on the EQ6 and see if it has the same issue

h0ughy (David) · #17 17-03-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Thats a real shame mate, I would have thought the G11 would easily handle the Meade 10", My EQ6 Pro used to sling a C11 around no worries....

Good to hear your alignment is all done and dusted though...

Are you sure your problems with drift aligning using the SCT wasnt to do with mirror movement rather than flexture? I wouldn't be too list the 10" up for sale..

it will sit in the corner gathering dust.......until i can bear to pick it up

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

don't give it up yet Dave. Lets have a look at it more closely once you are setup and running and achieving shots under a different configuration of equipment. I'm sure once your comfy with that, then its time to play with the 10" . In the meantime you can test the 10" on the EQ6 and see if it has the same issue

will do

[1ponders] (Paul) · #18 18-03-2010, 07:59 AM

Get any imaging done last night with the newly installed setup Dave?

rat156 · #19 18-03-2010, 08:09 AM

Hi Houghy,

I also have had a few difficulties drift aligning the mount when it's loaded up. I use the drift align tool in CCDInspector, it helped me as I could never remember the directions. What I found was that until I removed the PE, the drift aligning wouldn't work properly because of the 76 second error that crops up in the original Losmandy worm setup. Once I installed the Ovision worm, things settled down.

HTH

Cheers
Stuart

h0ughy (David) · #20 18-03-2010, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Get any imaging done last night with the newly installed setup Dave?

um no i followed the company policy last night.............