I haven't imaged in close to six months, partly because Seattle's winter weather was especially poor this year, and partly because on the few clear nights we had, I was struggling to get this to work. "This" being a dual rig: a TEC-140 and Sky-Watcher Esprit ED-80 riding on an A-P Mach1 mount. There was a long list of challenges. I upgraded the TEC to a Moonlite NiteCrawler focuser, and lost several exceedingly rare clear nights trying to adjust the spacer distance so it could focus (hint: use the thinnest possible adapter between the Moonlite and the TEC reducer). Once it was able to come into focus, though, it has performed like a champ.

The ED-80's focuser -- a Moonlite CFL -- was performing horribly and I was considering replacing it, but finally sat down with some calipers and studied what it was doing. The problem was (1) backlash and (2) an inappropriate speed setting in the focuser controller software. With that fixed, it also now performs like a champ, but that killed a couple more nights.

Next was balance: a new pair of 14-lb counterweights, plus a 14-lb and 9-lb counterweight I already had.

Then was alignment. An Optec Libra plate solved that problem -- it's really an excellent piece of gear -- but required me to do some surgery on the Esprit to remove the stock foot and plate and replace it some rings, so I could get rid of the weighty Vixen-to-Losmandy adapter I was using. The Libra adds a lot of weight, but again it is a very nicely made adjustable plate: smooth adjustments and it holds them night after night once set.

Software. I decided to figure out N.I.N.A. since it has some extra features to support dual rigs, especially with respect to dithering. So, with some help from my friend Brian Sweeney, I figured out how to connect the two N.I.N.A. instances (one for each scope) and have them coordinate through PhD2 in "experimental mode". It's a bit touchy, but as long as you don't look directly at it, it seems to work. One current limitation is that it only supports dithering with every frame. C'est la vie.

So then the last, somewhat self-induced, problem: voltage. In an effort to get rid of multiple power cables and cigarette lighter connectors, over the winter I built a little power box with a (allegedly) 30 amp converter and wired it to a few PowerPole outlets. It was much tidier, but when we finally got a prolonged clear spell in April, I noticed my Pegasus Powerbox complaining now and then of under-voltage. But things still worked ... until they didn't. One Saturday night, the Mach1 suddenly stopped with a motor stall, and nothing I did would get it moving again. At one in the morning, I opened up and checked the gear boxes: the RA gears turned smoothly and meshed well, but the DEC gears seemed completely seized. I was able to free them, but the motors immediately stalled again. I was in a full panic, worried that I'd seriously damaged the mount.

The next day, though, I started thinking about the low voltage report from the Pegasus software, hooked up the mount to its original 5 amp Pyramid power supply ... and lo and behold, it began to slew again. So, long story short, the mount is back on its tried and true 5 amp supply, the Pegasus power box is connected to a new Pyramid 12 amp supply, and with that I was able to get in a couple nights of dual-rig imaging with only user error occasionally getting in the way.

So, now what? Now it all gets crated up, and sent south, to sit on a permanent pier at 8,000 ft under dark skies. There are probably a couple more months of low imaging output to go, but I'm looking forward to getting back in the game this summer.

In the meantime, here is the finally functional dual rig in the middle of a drift alignment procedure in our little urban back yard.