Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

I would suggest you get a 4x1 (maybe 6x1--see later) USB splitter dedicated to this operation. (Before you go shopping, read through this whole thing--you may need a USB-Serial converter and some connectors for the mount.)

Have one cable coming into your computer USB port, and run it out to your telescope/mount/camera. (That way you only have one cable going the longer distance.--less to get in the way.)

At that point, you have the splitter. You will need one cable to go to the camera. (You may need two depending on how old your camera is--one for shutter up to 30 seconds and downloads the other for exposures more than 30 seconds.) You will need another to go to your mount. You may need another coming in from the autoguider, and a fourth for a focuser. That makes at least four, and possibly five--that is why I said 4x or 6 x USB splitter.

From this point on, you need to go slowly. Turn your computer on.

Plug the main cable into the computer, with the splitter on the other end of that cable. It will probably come up ready to go. If not, follow whatever installation you need for your splitter.

Then, plug your camera cable(s) into the 4x1 port. Again, it should come up and recognize the connections. If not, you may need to run the configuration software you got with your camera.

Now do the same general thing for the autoguider and later the focuser.

Then look at your documentation for the mount. I would guess that it is a "Serial" connection, with an RJ-11 or something input. Get whatever you need to convert your USB to Serial (They make a converter that does just that.) and whatever connectors you need to convert the output from that to RJ-11, or whatever fits your mount. (THese often come with the mounts. If not, run down to your local electronics hardware supplier. Be sure you get one that matches your pin configurations (always an adventure!!!). If it is USB, things will be simpler since you do not have to make the USB-Serial conversion. At any rate, plug the serial converter into the back of your 4x1 port, and see if it comes up happy on your computer. If not, you will need to install/configure the drivers. And, of course, connect the rest of the cables from the converter to the telescope. (If you have a USB mount, things may either pop right up when you connect them plug and play, or you will need to install drivers, etc.) At any rate, when you turn your mount on, you should see some communication going on.

Now, start your software, Nebulosity first. I am not familiar with its procedures, but I think all you have to do is select the camera somehow. Same with DSLR Focus.

Then start the Sky, and go over to the telescope menu. Choose the type of mount you have.......Since you have an eight year old program, you may want to go to the Bisque website and update first, so you have the latest drivers (unless your mount is also old!). Choose the telescope from the sub menu. THen choose the communication protocol from the same sub menu.

then go back and wake up the autoguider.

And it will all work just like that--real easy. (No, it won't--you will actually be pulling your hair.)......

Now, the most important thing--label all your cables, tape the 4x1 port so that the cables coming into and out of it are always plugged into the same jacks!!! Always plug the main cable (the one coming from the 4x1 to the computer) into the same USB jack. ANd turn on your devices in the same order--Telescope, camera, focuser, etc.....Then go back and cable wrap your cables that are going up to the top of the telescope (camera, autoguider, focuser) so that you don't get spaghetti and more than you absolutely need to. Attach this now fairly thick bundle wrapped cable somehow to a solid point on the telescope (rings or something) so that there is no strain on the connectors at the camera, focuser, etc.)

Alex

George,

I share your observation that some of these objects in the H400 make one wonder why they were chosen. I think you just "had to be there" in St. Augustine, Florida however many years ago, and been around when they made the observations. Frankly, even with my 12.5 and dark skies, some of them are pretty difficult. Others just pop out.

But lets face it, with 400, undoubtedly there would be a few disagreements.

I have 130 to go, and none rise at a reasonable time until about December. My goal is to finish by next May---

It has been a great experience. Taught me a lot about observing and taking notes. I'm still not as good as I need to be, but I am better than I was before.

Alex

What is the focal length on this?

Did you crop?

It is very nice and captures the area well.

I give up.....have no idea why you would have a problem.

Alex

Cool, Frank. thanks for posting.

Alex

I've used several of the Stiletto products through the years. They are certainly good. They are a few steps up from manual focusing with the viewfinder in ease of use. (I am not convinced that they get a sharper picture, however.) They are not as easy as using a computer screen (assuming you are already using a computer to capture the images). Setting them up is a lot easier than setting up a computer. So, if you are remote or not planning on using a computer for some other reason in your capture, they have an advantage.

However, when you get down to it, there is a lot to be said about a simple Bahtinov mask. Much less expensive, and, coupled with live focus (I don't know if that is part of a 30D), a snap to use. Even without live focus, it is pretty easy, and appears to be a lot more accurate.

Alex

How will you mount your telescope....(i.e., will your pier go to the ground?)

I have never seen a successful arrangement where somebody has mounted a pier to a roof (or deck), without sinking a pier all the way to the ground and isolating it from the roof (or deck). There are all sorts of creaks, shimmies, wind gusts, footsteps, and whatever that you would never think about that show up real well when you are using a telescope at 100 power.

That sweeping generalization includes several acaddemic settings (U of Redlands, top of the Ohio States Physics building) where people thought they were doing it right until it went into practice.

Alex

Having your stuff all set up in an observatory--or even a fixed pier such that you do not have to polar align each time--greatly simplifies visits to the remote site. Simplified packing (maybe carry the tubes , eyepieces/camera, and computer as needed, to the fixed pier) means you can get to obseving a loty quicker.

But remember, that blue will not stay blue forever.....It will lighten. Of course, by the time it does, you own a piece of land in a place that is experienceing "growth."

It really depends on how much better the viewing conditions are in the two sites......And your intended purposes. If it is strictly visual on dark sky objects, then you need the darkest/clearest possible. If it is imaging, you can sacrifice some of that.

Alex

Dig out the base as much as you can, and as deep as you can. Our pier bases were 4x4' wide, x 18" then rising up in 18" sonotube column, steel reinforced, to ground level, where we planted bolts and steel piers.

Your "concrete" should be an inverted mushroom if you can do it. Big, deep, fat base, then a column coming up.

Remember when you are pouring that the concrete will flow--so do not try to just pour down the tube into a wide hole--the concrete will flow right out to the wide hole and won't come up the column.

Isolate the pier from the rest of hte floor.

We did not have to worry about frost--maybe somebody can advise you on that.

Alex

Try Don Rothman.

I do not know how to get a hold of him. He comes to RTMC every year with boxes of such stuff.

Could you post a picture of the damage. I'm having trouble figuring out what piece you are talking about.

Alex