Stew57
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/03/09
Loc: Silsbee Texas
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: dmdouglass]
#5292033 - 06/27/12 06:34 PM
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Looking at your latitude and;
http://autostarsuite.net/forums/storage/19/4981/Field%20Rotation%20V3.pdf
The number of objects you can realistically shoot at 2 min (guidied or not) without a derotator (or wedge) is very small. remember those charts have a altitude component as the more elevated the object the more rotation.
If you would be so kind as to start a thread with pics showing how close to the NCP and elevation you can go and still get 2 min alt/az shots I would be grateful.
Found formula for computing max exposure in alt/az
Time (seconds)= (0.1xCos(Alt))/(0.004167xCos(Lat)xCos(Az))
where Alt is the altitude of the object, Az is the azimuth of the object, and Lat is the latitude of the observer. This figures max field rotation of .1 degrees
Yes alt/az is very limiting but possible
Edited by Stew57 (06/27/12 06:45 PM)
|
Starhawk
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/16/08
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: dmdouglass]
#5292063 - 06/27/12 06:51 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Nope, it's right. The entire point of equatorial mounting is getting accurate tracking.
You're mixing my posts with someone else's- read back and figure it out. Hint- I never said 15 seconds.
I've done alt-az astrophotgraphy. And after a while I noticed there was no way I was going to get very far doing that.
And yes as a cost cutting measure, there are $150 million telescopes on alt-az mounts. And they have an enineering team keeping their multiple axes coordinated.
Long story short, the only way you're going to get good results on an Amateur budget is equatorial.
Don't like that? All you have to do is SHOW ME.
How's that for the damnedest thing to say?
-Rich
|
Orionis91
sage
Reged: 03/01/10
Loc: Maryland USA
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: dmdouglass]
#5292072 - 06/27/12 06:59 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Imaging is doable in alt-az, but in EQ you can track and guide with only one motor, and according to the movement of the stars, with alt-az you have a stepping problem, but like dmgdouglass said, in exposures of 2-3 minutes, is very doable.
Let us try to respect other peoples opinions, and not get too rubbed when others don't understand.
Thanks, keep this thread healthy people.
Dave
|
dmdouglass
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/23/07
Loc: Tempe, AZ
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: Orionis91]
#5292140 - 06/27/12 08:07 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Rich...
I have read your "bio", and am impressed (really). Not sure if you are retired, but I am. I see you are in Tucson. I am in Tempe.
Do you know of anyone locally that either has an LX80 or might be receing one ?? If not, i have an offer.
You want some detailed measurements. Being an engineer, i am sure you have very specific things you would like to see and test. I will be in town for the next two weeks, but then my schedule changes.
As I have stated, I do have an LX80 with 6" SC OTA. I also have an 80mm ED-APO. My camera is an SBIG ST8300M. I also have a Meade DSI-2Pro (and C). The LX80 is computer controllable (confirmed), thus various programs that can talk to an LX200 will talk to it too.
If you are interested, I would extend an invitation to you to come up to Tempe for an evening or night of testing. I can't provide housing, but I can provide equipment.
If you are trully interested in doing controlled testing, send me an email, and we can discuss.
|
Starhawk
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/16/08
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: dmdouglass]
#5292267 - 06/27/12 09:29 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Nope- not retired. And I won't be for the foreseeable future.
Definitely an interesting idea. I just had knee surgery, yesterday, and am coming to you with my knee propped up with an ice pack. I'm being told 3 weeks for recovery. I know I'm being a little sharp- sorry about that.
However, you've got some really interesting pieces of gear. I have a few others. The combinations might be quite worth the trouble of playing with. We're stuck in the monsoon, now.
The SBIG-8300M definitely should be able to do something with enough exposure time. I would be tempted to set that up with the AP130 EDFGT and Mach 1, though.
It's probably something where we should see if we can get a little more of the CN gang together and find a spot with a little more altitude.
-Rich
|
frolinmod
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/06/10
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: rmollise]
#5292335 - 06/27/12 10:11 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
What dec tracking rate?
Just about any DEC rate. The higher the DEC rate, the steeper the angle of the track.
Quote:
In EQ mode, how are you going to get this mount to track in declination?
Not "this mount" I think. My apologies, I'm probably terribly off topic for this thread. It piqued my interest when someone mentioned offsetting the polar alignment to measure the PE. Setting the DEC tracking rate to a non-zero value does the same thing without messing up the polar alignment. So far as I know that works only in equatorial mode and only for a mount that can track equally well in both axes, which this mount probably can't do.
I personally plan to use this mount for solar outreach only and in ALT/AZ mode only as an alternative to an Atlas, so I don't actually care what the PE is. I'm bad!
|
greju
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/13/05
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: Starhawk]
#5292336 - 06/27/12 10:11 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Nope- not retired. And I won't be for the foreseeable future.
Definitely an interesting idea. I just had knee surgery, yesterday, and am coming to you with my knee propped up with an ice pack. I'm being told 3 weeks for recovery. I know I'm being a little sharp- sorry about that.
However, you've got some really interesting pieces of gear. I have a few others. The combinations might be quite worth the trouble of playing with. We're stuck in the monsoon, now.
The SBIG-8300M definitely should be able to do something with enough exposure time. I would be tempted to set that up with the AP130 EDFGT and Mach 1, though.
It's probably something where we should see if we can get a little more of the CN gang together and find a spot with a little more altitude.
-Rich
 Oh, and so far as the monsoon; http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/tucson-az/85716/weekend-weather/346936
|
Mkofski
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/19/11
Loc: Greenfield, Indiana, USA
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: usnscpo]
#5292404 - 06/27/12 10:39 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I think there are a lot more than 4 of us. I've had the mount only ordered since 11-11 but don't have anything to say yet... excpet I have 2 OTAs waiting on the LX80's arrival.
|
OzAndrewJ
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/30/10
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: frolinmod]
#5292435 - 06/27/12 10:53 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
In EQ mode, how are you going to get this mount to track in declination?
Not "this mount" I think. My apologies,
You probably can do this. 
If you only want to characterise the PE via startrailing
you should be able to start a controlled "guide" command in DEC whilst tracking in RA. If you use a patched handbox, there are also newer commands to allow a much finer control of individual axis rates ( ref LX200 :RA and :RE commands ).
As long as the move is activated by a serial slew command,
im pretty sure the system will let it run, even if Polar.
Andrew
|
Starhawk
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/16/08
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: Mkofski]
#5292438 - 06/27/12 10:54 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Already cloudy, here. Even had rain.
-Rich
|
dr.who
sage
Reged: 01/05/12
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: Starhawk]
#5293085 - 06/28/12 11:57 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
We aren't talking about producing arbitrary star trails- this is for a direct measurement of PE by using a poor polar alignment so stars will naturally drift in the north- south direction. And error in the drive shows up as waviness in the trail. Let the exposure run for at least two revolutions of the worm; three is better.
Leave the telescope in the same photographic configuration, polar align the scope and this will serve to derive the distance scale in the image so stars imaged in the PE images will give the distance scale for drive error.
-Rich
Ah! Got it! Will do this this weekend.
|
jpmoneystar
member
Reged: 05/26/12
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: jgraham]
#5297247 - 07/01/12 01:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Good job. I figured to modify the mount. I also have a nice celestron tripod, 93596 which I will build a holder for my Acer iconia a500 tablet. Great apps on android and it will be nice to have beside my mount. I had a good night with the mount and find it to be accurate and works great.
|
jpmoneystar
member
Reged: 05/26/12
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: EFT]
#5297276 - 07/01/12 02:31 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
The mount is solid. The tripod looks small in the pics but its not. The legs look and are strong and well made. The control panel has nice weight to it and with the handles on each side, it makes it easy to assemble. I have been itching to buy a 14" celestron ota for 2000 orange tube which weighs almost 40 lbs. On alt/azm with extra weight of course and maybe one where the eyepiece tray goes, then the tray with the screw, I believe it can handle it. I know its pushing it but it should be fine. The orange tube is lighter than the newer ones, I believe. Either way, ill find something to use the 14" if its a no go. Has anyone ever used skysafari pro 1.1.2 with any Meade mount? If you know a very good review let me know
The mount was pretty accurate. I'm fairly new to goto mounts from meade so to find true north was a challenge at first. The mount was way off until I figured it out with the help of the bubble level\compass that comes with it. It was pretty accurate on its own, I just centered the star in the eyepiece and then did it the second time and had no problem. If its a little off, you can unscrew the Dec clutch and unlock the RA clutch a center it that way. There is high precision mode which is 5 degrees and its about right. The only dissapointment is where I'm living for now. Too many lamp posts because its a college. Transporting it in pieces from your garage or house is no problem, especially with the handles. I have a Black suitcase with the wheels and handles I put the control panel and weight with bars. The tripod in my hockey bag and I carry it easily and roll away. I thought about athe hockey bags with the wheels which if necessary you could put a sheet of plywood. I leave the power tank in the car and I'm fine.
I find the mount to be nicely made. Solid both parts and even the vibrations when its bumped isn't a problem like the nextstar 8se. On that I added an extra weight in the same place where the eyepieces go. The weight hole is larger than my other Meade lxd500 gem which sucks. It comes with a dovetail receiver for the other ota option but no dovetail bar. Its not loud I find and have heard the lx75, cgem, cge, lx90 and find it to be smother and quieter than those.
I would love to control it with skysafari but never used it with a mount. The hand controller has an extra plug reciever with two auxiliary ports on the control panel. I have a rs to PC and figure on buying the PC reciever to USB. Anyone know if it could be plugged into my Acer tablet which has USB and skysafari. I also use astro tools which has an eyepiece fov option but don't know much about it.
I hope this helps you guys out a bit. Still studying and I will update again. Ask me questions, ill figure it out and let you know. There seems to be a little backlash but I think I can adjust it and its just me and my first time with Meade. Last thing. I really like how it looks and how it sits. I believe it can handle the weight. Take care and let me here some answers to the app questions
|
DuiA1
member
Reged: 05/07/12
Loc: Ontario, Canada
|
Re: LX80 Unboxing-1st thoughts
[Re: jpmoneystar]
#5297360 - 07/01/12 06:11 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Used it with my iPad with Skysafari and skyfi. Worked excellently. Highly recommended. There is a string here on cn titled programs and software that describes experiences on ss and skyfi. Also yahoo group for southern stars will help you.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
