Tag: ZWO Asiair

Fixing the dome

So today I decided to take a look at the Pulsar dome and its rotation problem. It transpired that the spring had stretched and was unusable that pulls the encoder wheel against the dome. I had to buy a 7mm spanner and I found a replacement spring in my workshop and fitted to fix the issue.

New spring on the encoder wheel

I then set about setting up the dome within TheSkyX (TSX)that I am now going to use only to run the dome. The way I have arranged this, as TSX does not have any connection to the ASIAIR, is that TSX connect to a simulator telescope and then to the dome. I then point the simulated telescope to the same object I am imaging with the ASIAIR and then the dome slews to the correct Azimuth. My home parked position is an Azimuth of 124º.

Dome geometry set in TSX

I set the dome geometry removing the settings I use to have for the 12″ scope Paramount MEII that use to be in the dome, replacing with the single figure that was needed for the AM7 with the Esprit 150, which was much simpler. A figure of 100, mm in my case. for the Xt value showing the offset from the centre of the AM7 axis to the optical centre. This seems to give me a good rotation so far. Over the coming nights I will test the accuracy and tweak if needed.

Viewing Report 10th December 2022

23:00 – 00:20

So it’s about time I tried to find a replacement for SGPro, given the continued problems with it, it’s less than intuitive design and find something that does not cause friction in my desire to capture more photons from the distant universe! So after looking at NINA briefly earlier this year, I have gone for it this evening to see if I can indeed capture some images.

The problem that set me back once before with NINA was the lack of connection to the FLI focuser. I just simply got an ASCOM error (I really dislike ASCOM). So after some educated guessing I got it connected. Instead of connecting to the FLI focuser directly I actually went through ASCOM which bizarrely cured the error.

With that done. I could now run autofocus, and only the 2nd time in my life this astronomy programme focused on the first go. The only other piece of software that good is the ZWO ASIAIR that I really enjoy because it just works.

I have now connected NINA to PHD2, also to TSX and left TSX to control the dome. I may change this later, however it works just fine and has not caused any problems. The only reason may be to further automate the dome for closing and reporting on status if that is a feature of NINA, something to look into later.

NINA at work

Managed to take 5 or 6 Ha images of 600s this evening before the cloud rolled in. I can use the flats from yesterday. A good evening testing given conditions including the almost full but waining Moon.