New observatory - Page 21

xelasnave · #**401** 19-04-2023, 02:11 AM

The new Askar 130 arrived early yesterday but I was not too flash yesterday and was not able to muster the strength to open it up until late in the day...sure is a pretty thing...and smaller than I imagined which suits me fine.

So very happy that I woke up one day and decided to put in another pier and buy the Askar ...in case you have not figured it out ..it is not about getting another pier and scope but just biting off more than I can chew simply to have to keep chewing...buying the RASA was only about that....and now I guess pier number five will happen as these things seem to be keeping me alive.

I did not have the presence of mind to take photos but will replace the eight inch with the Askar today if I am up for it and post a photo of what I saw in my minds eye only months ago.

Alex

xelasnave · #**402** 19-04-2023, 12:22 PM

Here it is..
Alex

Startrek (Martin) · #**403** 19-04-2023, 02:05 PM

Alex,
Always exciting to receive new gear especially a new scope
Looks great Alex , nice scope there !!
My new Carbon fibre 8” f5 Newt ( tube only ) has arrived in Australia from Germany after placing an order on the 7th January. Australia post advise its being delivered on Friday, I expect the week after with Aus Post
I’m using all the parts out my old 8” f5 Bintel metal tube Newt to build my new carbon fibre 8” Newt for Sydney. I just wanted a bit more reach with similar FOV and the 8” f5 fits the bill nicely. Also a huge reduction in weight will allow me to balance better and hopefully guide a little tighter too.
The old little trusty 6” Newt is being retired , I might keep it for posterity
Cheers
Martin

TrevorW · #**404** 19-04-2023, 04:38 PM

Very nice scope Alex, I just bit the bullet and ordered the AM% direct from ZWO

oska (John) · #**405** 20-04-2023, 12:40 AM

Fantastic Alex, I can see the reflection of your beaming smile in the plastic wrap

LonelySpoon (Neville) · #**406** 22-04-2023, 08:30 AM

Nice looking scope Alex.

Compact enough to handle and swing about by the looks of it.

Enjoy!

Neville
LSO

xelasnave · #**407** 01-05-2023, 08:49 AM

Thank you Martin, Trevor, John and Neville.

I am sorry to be so tardy with posting a reply but I have been resting

.
Anyways yesterday I decided enough laying around and took the Askar out of its case and sat it on the bench and added cameras, Asiar and EAF...I was not thinking so good and had a terrible time with the EAF but finally figured it out ... So happily this morning I woke up feeling rested and completed everything and set the scope on its mount...and although I have not connected stuff up I called it a day took a photo to show you how the set up looks.
You may notice that I am painting the ceiling yellow ...the black was too difficult to work with even in day time...made one feel rather odd...and as the ceiling rolls outside for imaging sessions the yellow makes more sense.

Thanks for your interest and taking the time to post your comments.

Martin...I will be very interested to see how your carbon fibre upgrade works out..unfortunately I think I will sideline my eight inch as I noticed the mirror has degraded plus to use it I need to put in another pier and I feel that four is already three to many.

Tanks again everyone.

Alex

xelasnave · #**408** 01-05-2023, 08:54 AM

Thank you Martin, Trevor, John and Neville.

I am sorry to be so tardy with posting a reply but I have been resting.
Anyways yesterday I decided enough laying around and took the Askar out of its case and sat it on the bench and added cameras, Asiar and EAF...I was not thinking so good and had a terrible time with the EAF but finally figured it out ... So happily this morning I woke up feeling rested and completed everything and set the scope on its mount...and although I have not connected stuff up I called it a day took a photo to show you how the set up looks.
You may notice that I am painting the ceiling yellow ...the black was too difficult to work with even in day time...made one feel rather odd...and as the ceiling rolls outside for imaging sessions the yellow makes more sense.

Thanks for your interest and taking the time to post your comments.

Martin...I will be very interested to see how your carbon fibre upgrade works out..unfortunately I think I will sideline my eight inch as I noticed the mirror has degraded plus to use it I need to put in another pier and I feel that four is already three to many.

Tanks again everyone.

Alex

xelasnave · #**409** 07-07-2023, 10:39 AM

Well apart from making everything now work, but perhaps not completing adjustments like back focus etc, everything has now been done and by that I mean I finally can control the four rigs from my van thanks to running cable between the van and the observatory for Ethernet....just now finished.

:thumb sup: each rig has an Asiar and I have emulation software on the desk top to run the Asiair app.

I used 40 metre cable length which is a little too long but 30 metre would have been just a little too short...the extra length meant that I can have the magic box on the desk and did not have to drill holes in the wall by just running it around and thru the front door.

To get the cable thru the conduit was troublesome...I saw a video on the Net saying you tie a bit of plastic bag to string and suck the string thru with the vacuum cleaner...easier said than done because I had to tie various lengths of string together and those knots provided just enough resistance to cause headaches...so the conduit got cut here and there but the staggering around with my walker really took it out of me...back and forth so many times but I was not going to give up ... I wish I had in retrospect as now I just can not stand for more than a minute...so resting and YouTube for the rest of the day...hopefully ok for tonight.

I do hope to get a run tonight and test control from the desk top.

I always knew I would make it...and everyone around me thought I was mad for building this set up but it has kept me going...even when in hospital recovering from this or that I could drift off imagining how it would turn out and my next step...and now it's done...and I really think doing this has kept me alive somehow.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and encouraged me.

alex

LonelySpoon (Neville) · #**410** 08-07-2023, 09:02 AM

That's great to hear, Alex!

Looking forward to seeing some photos- updates and astros.

Cheers,

Neville
LSO

xelasnave · #**411** 12-07-2023, 09:51 AM

Well nothing is clear sailing for me due to old age, infirmity and ignorance.

Seem to have screwed up on cable lengths from the magic box to each scope such that the magic box needed to be moved from the desk to the middle of the room so at least three cables reached a scope/mount ... anyways at the moment I can only get one rig to appear on my tablet...I am using the tablet because I realise I need something in the observatory as well as in the van...AND lots of mucking about just to get to control on set up via Ethernet...however it hints at a better future...

I was able to lay on my bed with the tablet and run Asiar and also use it to monitor my two security cameras which turned out very useful on the first meridian flip because I had not figured the correct length of Ethernet cable and things foulded up however the security cameras have audio so I could hear the "beep" signaling problems and then able to shut down proceedings via Asiair ...of course I needed to go down and give the cable attention which I did but very satisfying to be able to shut things down and not be in a rush to get there.

In this cold weather I drive down in my little white car with the heater which makes things better.

I have been trying to get data via the Askar on the Dragons but I just don't seem to have any luck ...I could make a list but it is too depressing for publication...I am starting to find fault with my images rather than just being happy to have got something...however looking on the bright side the ethernet system is working to produce the result I wanted and no doubt in time I will get correct lengths of cable and have it exactly the way I expect it to be and will have all scopes running and controlling things via the desk top computer and examine incoming images on a large screen.

The work instead of diminishing seems to be growing ...the RASA needs the sensor cleaned..again..the camera cable needs attention, the 115 mm still needs back focus sorted, the eighty needs a belt drive, and the wonderful power supply and cables to supply all dew heaters (6) seems to draw too much power and so some testing is in order before I use it again..and cables and leads everywhere...also I took all the ceiling panels out to paint them yellow ( the black did not work) and have to put them back..a huge job...

But I must look at what has been done rather than what remains to be done.

Thanks for listening.

alex

glend (Glen) · #**412** 12-07-2023, 07:42 PM

Alex, an observatory of such complexity must need a permanent tech to attend to such problems.. while the owner gets to relax and enjoy the show.

The_bluester (Paul) · #**413** 18-07-2023, 12:20 PM

That is sort of what is happening to me. I am building the obs but will be more or less on site support for my friends gear too. We have the automation thing going pretty well but if it all goes pear shaped then I can at least go out there to sort it out.

xelasnave · #**414** 18-07-2023, 02:09 PM

The place is a mess with cables and leads everywhere.

Today the longer cables arrived so hopefully I will get everything in place... but the Askar is ethernet connected and so I can monitor and control it from the van via the tablet but not yet via the desk top..in time it will happen.

Made the mistake of pulling apart the reducer on the 115 mm and not recording things..cant do that NOW that I have so many things on my mind ..anyways I got it wrong so I hope the second pull down sees it back the right way...clouds prevent testing.

Second pull down of the OSC camera to clean sensor..again..and still have to put the ceiling back in...it is great to have things to do...

Alex

The_bluester (Paul) · #**415** 18-07-2023, 03:23 PM

Alex, I hope when I get a few years on me I have half your grit!

xelasnave · #**416** 18-07-2023, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_bluester

Alex, I hope when I get a few years on me I have half your grit!

Don't be fooled I just act tuff

. I am really a sook by my standards... not like my grandfather who could take out his bad tooth with a pen knife....

Well I will say it here just for my friends...another scan today and doctor says I am stable which is about as good as it gets in my world...as I have said many times I am just so very lucky...I know it comes down to doctors and meds etc but I am lucky that all that is working for me.

Anyways I only got back from doctors and scan so installing the new cables can wait until tomorrow seeing I now have some tomorrows it seems.

alex

xelasnave · #**417** 19-07-2023, 04:08 PM

I have been doing a tidy up look at the photo so you can imagine just how bad it was before.

The cables are sortta all laid out but I am dead beat and need to rest..a nap even as it looks good for tonight.

alex

xelasnave · #**418** 28-07-2023, 08:55 AM

I removed the 80mm rig and will relocate it close to the van.

I relocated the RASA to where the 80mm lived.

This means I only need to open the roof half way ... for some reason it plays up when openned all the way so hopefully I will have fewer issues with the roof.

The Ethernet is near finished (again) but heck it is taking more effort than I expected...I had to buy two longer cables but subject to fastening them for tidyness all is good.

Ran the RASA in its new spot last night and very happy as I realised it will be able to get M31 whereas it could not in its old spot.

Alex

JA · #**419** 28-07-2023, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I removed the 80mm rig and will relocate it close to the van.

I relocated the RASA to where the 80mm lived.

This means I only need to open the roof half way ... for some reason it plays up when openned all the way so hopefully I will have fewer issues with the roof.

With that evidence, I would look at the straightness and parallelism of the roof tracks as well as any rust/debris of course.

Best
JA

xelasnave · #**420** 28-07-2023, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JA

With that evidence, I would look at the straightness and parallelism of the roof tracks as well as any rust/debris of course.

Best
JA

Your are correct JA however it is beyond fixing unfortunately...well it can be fixed but I have looked into the matter and the whole thing needs to be rebuilt and made exact as it does not take much to upset the system.....the gate motor system really needs things to be spot on because deviation from square manifests in the gear not meshing with the track...thanks for your input and you have inspired me to clean the tracks and lubricate the wheels.

alex