Autoguiding

[TrevorW]

Thought I try out my Orion autoguider for the first time last night for over an hour taking multiple exposures of M8. ED80 as guidescope Pentax k100d camera with 300mm lens mounted on top.

Seeing was crap and a strong easterly was blowing but I thought everything was guidng nicely (as PHD said it was guidng) on my 20 x 100 second and 2 x 3 minute exposures plus darks.

Checked the results absolutely full of noise and movement.

Then re-read the guiders instructions and I'd forgotten to click the little icon that says connect to mount so I had no idea what it thought it was guiding.

Has this happened to anyone else, surely it should throw an error up if you forget to do a step in the process. Also does it matter if the handset for the mount is connected etc.

Cheers

[h0ughy (David)]

yep been there and have done that one - 30 minutes "unguided" until i realised LOL

[TrevorW]

Got my autoguiding sorted then half way through my imaging session last night tripped over a cord and pulled the plugs out of the computer.

The pains and tribulations of not having a permanent set up.

[leon]

Your not alone Trevor, I have done similar things, the joys of astronomy.

Leon

[Ian Robinson]

The fun I can look forward to when I get my act together and finish my new 10" OTA and set up the scope on it's new Atlux, and try autoguiding my other new toy (once I sort out if I will put a permanent pier in the back yard for the Atlux to go onto, or just settle for FLAT concrete slab in a strategy location in the yard to set up on .... polar aligning is pain in the neck ... a pier will be better and cheaper (maybe).

[Phil]

30mins guiding go out to check if everything is OK 25mins into the exposure bend over to get into the observatory and hit my head on the weight bar stuff the hole shot up. Not the first time i have stuff the guiding up.
Phil

[TrevorW]

Bet a few choice words were said xxxx????####