Time for some new kit

[Fay]

so do you use that as your guidescope Mike?

[Mike]

I will be yes, once these bloody clouds go away!!!   

[bern]

The QHY5 was a bit of a pig to set up. Took several goes of installing and reinstalling different types of drivers before it was recognised by PHD. Got there in the end.

I'm surprised to hear that, the drivers on the CD normally work first time.
I'd like to make using these cams as easy as possible so:
Was this a fresh install, ie no previous drivers?
Did you follow the instructions, or just go for it?

bern

[mickw]

Having bought my QHY5 secondhand I have no experience of the CD

When searching for suitable drivers on various forums, I don't  recall anyone saying "this is what you need, works first time"

QHY do not seem to make life easy

[The Thing]

I got the latest drivers and firmware update from the QHY website recently. Uninstalled the previous installation and re-installed no problem. Don't know what all the fuss is about! I use the "ASCOM v5 Camera" option in PHD 1.12.3.

Note: if you are using a USB hub, power it. The QHY5 seems to like it's milliamps fresh.

[Mike]

Went out last night, of course, to test the new kit.

Setting up was nice and easy and took half the time it used to with the EQ6 and SXV-H9. The use of the finder-scope as a guide scope makes life a lot easier and also makes the rig a lot lighter. Was up and running in 15 mins.

GoTo worked first time and was spot on. Well impressed.

Guiding was also spot on. PHD worked first time using the default settings. Also well impressed.



This is a 5 minute test shot for guiding. There is some slight distortion at the corner. The camera was obviously not inserted into the scope straight enough. The crap rear end of the ED80 might be to blame for that. Will have to replace it with a compression focuser. Still , it shows guiding was spot on.



Using the camera was easy enough. I tried both MaximDSLR and DSLR Rremote Pro. Noisy images but then that is to be expected compared to using the SXV-H9. I will now have to get used to doing bias, dark and flat frames.

It was a terrible night for imaging with the full moon and also a lot of moisture, but great for testing and I am well chuffed with the new gear.  

[mickw]

Excellent results Mike, looks like it's coming together well

[Carole]

Blimey Mike

up and running in 15 mins

I don't even manage that with an obsy.

and even when my guiding is working, I've never seen a graph that looks as smooth at that, even on forums where every-one is comparing their graphs. 

Carole

[Fay]

Well done Mike, nice to see you getting going again

[Mike]

Carole,

Do you force a calibration routine before your guiding session?

Also, is your camera oriented correctly, i.e. with the light at the top (presuming you use a QHY5 also) ?

[Carole]

Do you force a calibration routine before your guiding session?

What do you mean by force a calibration routine?

I go throught the normal calibration routine before it will guide.  I have picked up some tips from the Stark labs website though on problems with Dec calibration failure which seems to be a common problem, and I did increase the calibration steps last night to 1200 from 500 which Craig Stark suggested and that made calibration work thanks goodness but the guiding was not too good.  The other idea he suggested was moving the mount Northwards before checking backlash had finished and before the N calibration started which apparently can often help.  

is your camera oriented correctly, i.e. with the light at the top (presuming you use a QHY5 also) ?

Yes I have a QHY5, can't remember where the light is, but I have it orientated vertically and horizontally with the handset up/down/left/right pad.  

Carole

[Rocket Pooch]

The guiding looks good Mike, I'm not sure compression rings are any good at all, they allways seems to move the attachments about, but I guess if there a good back for the scope then why not.

I'm assuming your not using an ED80 flattener to the camera, if not then you will not get round stars, if you do you will not need compression rings, the flattener crews onto the back of the draw tube and the flattener comes with an EOS adaptor, a perfect solutioin.

Chris

[Mike]

Yes I have a SkyWatcher field flattener and a low profile EOS adaptor.

[RobertM]

Looking good Mike but something isn't square in your imaging train.  The stars are more squiffy towards the bottom left.

Robert

[MarkS]

Nice results.  I agree with earlier comments.

Also, do you think the finderscope will be held tightly enough to prevent flexure?

Put something in place to hold the USB lead tightly in the camera - if it falls out it can potentially wipe out the firmware - as I found, to my cost.

Mark