Astronomy EAA - Telescope Alignment and Focusing with CPWI and SharpCap.

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 32

  • @EmeraldHillsSkies
    @EmeraldHillsSkies ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is great, Pete! Thanks for how well you organize everything!
    Doug

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks Doug.

  • @jamesianhampton108
    @jamesianhampton108 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks Pete - I’m learning a lot from your videos…

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks James.

  • @GRAHAMSWAN-vw7dn
    @GRAHAMSWAN-vw7dn 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hi Pete: I'm enjoying your presentations from the comfort of your/my home, thank you! Concerning focus backlash, my Celestron CGE Pro series manual recommends achieving final focus moving against gravity, which in my case is moving OUT. I note that in your case your focusing movement is IN. You also say that you think the backlash problem is in the focuser (add-on) or do you mean in the mirror movement device? It may be different for a CPC, I'm not sure?
    Graham

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hi Graham,
      Glad you are enjoying my rambling journey in EAA.
      I believe you're absolutely correct, and the final focus should be moving against gravity. However, I tried that on my CPC-800 and found I was getting inconsistent results. When I went in the opposite direction, my focusing problems went away. Hence, that's the method I use. It works consistently for my setup.
      The source of the backlash, I would guess, is the CPC-800's focusing mechanism. It doesn't really matter, as the overshoot focusing method takes care of the backlash in the entire system. I use a figure of 150 overshoot (Celestron Electronic Focuser). This might be a little high, but again, it provides consistent and repeatable results on my system.
      I would utilise the method (or direction in this case) that provides the best results for your setup.
      Have fun.
      Pete

    • @GRAHAMSWAN-vw7dn
      @GRAHAMSWAN-vw7dn 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@Xio2011 Very good. I will give both directions a go, but with a higher F-number than you I will likely have to increase the step size...

  • @donaldmacmillan1306
    @donaldmacmillan1306 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My focuser goes into an aux port as does the hand control (obviously) but CPWI will only recognise the focuser this goes for both the starscence and nectar hand controllers. The only way CPWI recognises everything is with the WiFi dongle well excluding the hand controllers. I have even tried running the auto focuser via a usb cable independent of the mount but still the same outcome. I have a CPC 800 XLT .

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      OK, disconnect everything (StarSense, Focuser & WiFi dongle), and only connect the handset. Does CPWI see the mount via the handset with nothing else connected?

  • @randallpatrickc
    @randallpatrickc 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This looks rather like what I need - can you still use the HC when everything is hooked up? I have a C9.25 on an Evolution mount with a flip mirror diagonal - I like to star hop around with the EP then flip to the camera for a spot of EAA on the target. (The star hopping is much easier with the HC as the buttons are much more tactile than the screen arrows)

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hi,
      Worth a try. If you connect CPWI via the handset then the handset is disabled. If you connect CPWI via the focuser and the handset is still plugged in then the buttons might work, I have never tried it. As CPWI is controlling your telescope, I'm not sure what it's going to make of the scope moving under its feet!
      Another solution is to use a joystick/gamepad through CPWI. Then you get the tactile control without the handset/CPWI having a fight.
      Have fun.
      Pete

  • @PinoAstro
    @PinoAstro 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Good video!

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks PinoAstro. Just checked out some of the videos on your channel, very nice. An Ultima 2000, now that is a blast from the past. Have fun. Pete

    • @PinoAstro
      @PinoAstro 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @Xio2011 I bought that Ultima for only $300 on CloudyNights, and it's Fastar (Hyperstar) enabled

  • @natty55555
    @natty55555 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The most frustrating thing with CPWI software is that if CPWI sometimes loses WIFI signal (the telescope usually goes on following the sky object), CPWI DEMANDS TO POINT YOUR TELESCOPE AT THE NORTH, before you can restore the (last) alignment. It is very uncomfortable when you had an excellent alignment and have to do it again :(

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That is a good point about CPWI. My wifi access point is around 3-4m from the scope laptop. I think that down to dumb luck, I can't remember losing the wifi connection and having to realign. I guess people with equatorial mounts could just park the mount and then restore the alignment? I use Alt/Az, so as you say, if it happened, I would be re-levelling and pointing North! Astronomy, such fun!

    • @natty55555
      @natty55555 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Xio2011 You can just disconnect manually (by switching off/on the router or via "disconnect" option in the CPWI menu) and try to restore the alignment. And you will see what the issue is. It is really troubles.. Probably, you live in country-side, where not so much WiFI activity is around. It would be great if I could resolve the problem by buying a better router

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @natty55555 You are right, I don't get much wifi interference on the 5Ghz band.
      You could try the 6Ghz band that might be pretty free for now (6e or Wifi 7). I power my CPC-800 from the mains supply. This allowed me to initially use ethernet power adapters. They worked well and gave around a 350 (700Mbps) connection. The wifi connection gives 866Mbps (wifi 5).
      I hope you solve your wifi problem.

    • @natty55555
      @natty55555 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Xio2011 I have CELESTRON Next Star Evolution 9.25". And I do not have an idea which band its WiFi module works on. I am afraid it is 2.4 Ghz only. Do you know how to find that out?

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @natty55555 You could use a wifi app on your phone. I use WiFi Overview 360 on my android. Like you, I would guess it is 2.4G.

  • @donaldmacmillan1306
    @donaldmacmillan1306 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    How did you manage to get CPWI to recognise your auto focuser and the telescope, I can only get it to recognise the auto focuser 😢

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hi, sorry to hear about your problem with CPWI.
      My connection to the PC is via the Celestron Focuser, the focuser attaches to the telescope base and hence CPWI can see and control both. The normal connection method is PC to handset and then to the focuser that is again plugged into the base of the telescope.
      My focuser connection is due to an internal problem in the telescope's electronics. This is overcome by removing the handset and connecting via the focuser instead. In both methods you're just daisy-chaining off one of the inputs.
      How is your setup configured?
      Pete

  • @dw6528
    @dw6528 ปีที่แล้ว

    Pete: At minute 2:49 you mention you are going to change a setting in SharpCap - which you call "Find and Frame"
    Can you explain what that is?
    Then at minute 11:33 just before you are going to update your camera focus - you make another setting change in SharpCap -
    Here you say "I'm going to switch to.....inaudible.....sharpcap which is a 2 second.....inaudible
    What are you doing there?
    Sincere thanks!

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  ปีที่แล้ว

      Hi,
      Good questions. This was the start of my journey to automate my EAA sessions. I created a script that changed the settings of SharpCap, to my preferred settings for locating a target. SharpCap allows you to create buttons on the toolbar via scripting and I hence I clicked the button to change the settings. A lot of what the script does can be done via a set of Sequencer actions today (though not all).
      At 11:33, I just selected a new capture profile. Sorry for the breakup in sound.
      Fast forward to today and I have a C# .NET app that controls AstroPlanner, TheSky Professional and SharpCap. Using scripts in all three apps. Make observing so much easier (especially at 2am in the morning). The most recent video shows the app in action but from now on it will live on my second monitor as the main point of EAA is observing.
      I hope that helps. Have fun.
      Pete

    • @dw6528
      @dw6528 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Xio2011 Thank you Pete!
      Do you still have the Celestron mount?
      The reason your video was of great interest to me is because I have the Celestron Nexstar C8 with the ZWO ASI294 camera and SharpCap pro
      I am investigating what software I should add - to incorporate plate-solving and auto-sync upon goto.
      You were using CWPI which caught my attention.
      Would you recommend your new software setup for someone with my equipment?
      Sincere thanks!

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Hi,
      Yes, the CPC-800 Alt-Az scope is still alive and kicking after 14+ years of visual and EA astronomy.
      If you have SharpCap Pro my guess is that you have downloaded ASTAP and/or All Sky Plate Solver to do plate solving? I guess you also have the F6.3 Focal Reducer? If not plate solving might be tricky at F10 (never tried it myself), if you manage it at F10 let me know. Not sure what you mean by "auto-sync"? A Celestron StarSense will automate the process of alignment, but that's hardware. My scope has to be setup each observing session so I just manually align, as shown in the video. There is software by a user called ButterFly on Cloudy Nights that is a software equivalent of StarSense it uses plate solving and CPWI to align your scope (CPWI Plate Align). CPWI is kind of essential, as I don't sit next to my scope.
      I would recommend CPWI and SharpCap Pro, along with ASCOM Alpaca of course (I operate remotely, well 5m away). After that I use TheSky Professional, Stellarium, Cartes du Ciel, Sky Safari and even Starry Night Pro 8 as a planetarium app (currently TheSky). For planning and logging AstroPlanner is pretty amazing (download the beta and give it a try).
      After that I integrate the applications together to suit my observing workflow. All of them support scripting and usually access via external applications (via HTTP/TCP).
      Your setup is more than suitable for EAA. I was a visual astronomer all my life until just over 3 years ago when I entered the world of EAA. Wow! I was blown away. Visual astronomy is dead, long live EAA :-)
      Have fun.
      Pete

    • @dw6528
      @dw6528 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Xio2011 Wonderful! Thank you so very much Pete! You are very kind! Yes I have ASTAP as a plate solver and I can install CPWI
      Yes - I do have the .63 reducer in the setup.
      What I have done so far is manually capture snapshots from SharpCap and then manually open ASTAP and get its platesolve result and then manually adjust the mount to get closer to the target.
      When I say "auto-sync" lets say I do a platesolve and discover that I am about 10 degrees below the target.
      The auto-sync feature is a feature which takes that plate-solving result and calculates what direction the mount needs to go in order to close-in on the target - and it sends a movement command to the mount to make that happen.
      Right now I'm doing everything manually.
      1) Perform 3 star alignment
      2) Select target of interest and goto
      3) Take a snapshot in SharpCap
      4) Open ASTAP and perform platesolve on that snapshot image
      5) Find out what direction I need to manually move the mount to make it closer
      6) Move the mount
      7) Take another snapshot for platesolve
      What I need is to have a software solution that will do the plate-solving and mount movement automatically.
      If I understand you - you are saying ASCOM might be the missing piece of my puzzle?

    • @Xio2011
      @Xio2011  ปีที่แล้ว

      @@dw6528 So, this is how I would do it. SharpCap is the key player here. SharpCap can use ASTAP to plate solve and it can then move your scope to the correct position because it can connect to your mount, focuser, rotator and filter wheel. I use CPWI, so I'm going to stick with that but you could connect to a Celestron driver. In SharpCap on the hardware setting tab setup your mount by selecting CPWI (I think that is the name). On the SharpCap Plate Solving tab select Astap. It usually finds its location on disk automatically (if not 'Enter Manually'). As I use CPWI I set the 'After solving from Telescope...' to 'Offset the mount position to center the target'. I also set the focal length of my telescope. Test the plate solver and your done.
      In the field. Start CPWI and connect to the scope, start SharpCap and connect to the hardware. Start the manual alignment procedure in CPWI and select your first star to align to (remember your scope must be pointing North and level). You arrive at the star location and nothing is there (most of the time), so click on the plate solve icon in the mount control panel in SharpCap and hopefully if the stars are pretty much in focus and there is enough of them, the field will plate solve and the telescope will slew to the correct location. Use the SharpCap reticule and telescope control to centre the star and click the CPWI button to confirm you are centred/aligned (sorry, doing this from memory). Then repeat process for as many stars as you like (generally 2 alignments in each East and West portions of the sky, though really, its up to you). Click on Finish in CPWI and you are now ready to explore the night sky.😀
      The video covers the alignment procedure in more detail but you need to setup the hardware and plate solving in SharpCap first. You may/will experience problems if there are not enough stars (increase exposure), the stars are out of focus, hot pixels, the sky is too bright or a satellite crosses the FOV as SharpCap takes an image for plate solving. This is the fun of plate solving. I have ASTAP and All Sky Plate Solving setup just in case. Most of the time ASTAP will work perfectly but sometimes I use ASPS (really Astrometry.net). I find (in a majority of cases) I only need to plate solve on the first alignment star. During observing I sometimes use plate solving on faint objects to make sure they are centred.
      My guess is that I may have left out some steps or pitfalls but I think that covers the process in general terms.
      Have fun.
      Pete