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Hello, and welcome! I have a question for anyone using Seastar in EQ mode. Has anyone tried testing Seastar without making the fine-tuning adjustments after setting it to our current altitude and setting the polar alignment deviation? I'm really curious about the outcome if you skip the fine-tuning and just start shooting at objects like that. When I looked at the sky atlas, I noticed the field of view was tilted, which got me thinking. If we don’t fine-tune and use Seastar in EQ mode, how does it behave? Will it act like it’s in Alt-Az mode, with no fixed field rotation, or will it just overlook the lack of fine-tuning? What do you think will happen?
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I don't own one but if the refinement process improves the polar alignment then you should do it. If you are off the pole enough you'll have field rotation in your images.
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Tony Gondola: Im currently own a Skywatcher wedge, and all I can achieve is to get the altitude right, but for some reason im really struggling to get both altitude and azimuth right to set them to 0. The first time I tried to set the seastar to Polar aligned, it was successful, don't ask how, because I'm just going with a guess, but now im really struggling to do this. So you're saying if at least the altitude is right when it wants you to set it to your altitude, I don't really need to fine-tune it? Or is it really necessary to do? |
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What I'm saying is that if the polar alignment isn't accurate you'll have problems with long imaging runs.
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Tony Gondola: Oh, so like no matter what, the azimuth and altitude fine-tuning is really necessary, cause if you don't do this, it won't affect the functionality of the telescope, or don't change anything, I'm assuming? |
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I would think it would be beneficial.
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I have an S30 and a SkyWatcher wedge and it takes all of 30 seconds or so to tweak the RA and Dec well enough that the app is happy with it. Just practise, and you'll get it right. It *will* help with better quality images.
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I have an S30 and a SkyWatcher wedge, and it takes all of 30 seconds or so to tweak the RA and Dec well enough that the app is happy with it. Just practise, and you'll get it right. It *will* help with better quality images. .The altitude adjuster knob for the wedge could be designed more reliably. While I don't have issues with the wedge itself, the tiny piece that secures the altitude knob is quite time-consuming to manage. If you look closely at each side of the knob, you’ll understand what I mean. That small part is essential for securing the knob, and if it gets lost, the wedge becomes unusable, which feels like a waste of money unless you can replace the knob. Aside from that, it works well; it was the only wedge I could find that met my needs. |
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Szijártó Áron:I have an S30 and a SkyWatcher wedge, and it takes all of 30 seconds or so to tweak the RA and Dec well enough that the app is happy with it. Just practise, and you'll get it right. It *will* help with better quality images. I think understand now, you're concerned about that tiny black screw that keeps the altitude knob in place? is it getting loosened on it's own? |
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Oscar:Szijártó Áron:I have an S30 and a SkyWatcher wedge, and it takes all of 30 seconds or so to tweak the RA and Dec well enough that the app is happy with it. Just practise, and you'll get it right. It *will* help with better quality images. .If I over-rotate the knob, that small piece might fall out of its slot at the metal end, which is frustrating because it’s so tiny. If it comes loose, you have to feel around with your fingers to screw it back in the correct direction. Additionally, I find the adjustment process confusing. When I rotate the knob forward to zero, the numbers decrease, but when I continue turning it forward, the numbers start to grow again, and I'm not sure how that works. I realize you need to rotate it carefully, or essentially rotate everything, but setting up this device tends to be more time-consuming for me than I would like. |
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I'm pretty sure that screw is one of these, it wont fall out if you've tightened it enough. If it ever does fall out, just use a magnet to find it. Szijártó Áron: You were probably confusing the altitude numbers with the azimuth; just happened to me 2 nights ago (it was just a momentary brain fart); if it's not that, you're clearly doing something else wrong, since that other S50 user can set it up within 30 seconds. I don't know what else to say. I hope someone here can help. |
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When I rotate the knob forward to zero, the numbers decrease, but when I continue turning it forward, the numbers start to grow again, and I'm not sure how that works. Are you colour blind at all? The colour of the numbers changes from green to red (or vice versa) if you go past the zero point but there is no other indication of north/south or up/down. If your alignment is within about 1 degree, a green check mark will show up after a few seconds and that is close enough. I'm not sure if we have the same skywatcher wedge, mine has no grub screws as far as I can tell. Just a few knobs to help adjust it. Mine is this one - https://www.astroshop.eu/equatorial-wedges/skywatcher-polar-wedge-star-adventurer/p,45120 The only problem I had is that the knob that tightens the little dovetail hits the reset button as the seestar rotates (but that might be an S30 specific problem) and resets it to factory defaults. Easily fixed though with a thin metal washer or two between the seestar and the wedge, to add a bit of space. |
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Oscar: The only one I can at least get right is the altitude; the one I'm struggling with is the azimuth setting, though. Which, in my opinion, is the most exhausting thing to set up, especially with the SkyWatcher wedge. If ZWO had made their own wedge, well, only for the Seastar, a smaller one, and had more controls that would make my job easier. Although don't ask how I did it the first time, right, because I just went with a guess and still have no idea how it was successful. |
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Idézet As for you information no im not blind. Just wasn't really smart enough to figure it out which one to rotate in which direction. I know that you need to reach 0 at both. The first time I was successful achived it disregarding the fact that the first time wasn't really turns out right. At The second and third nights times well im only can achive the altitude to be around zero which means im halfway stuck with the azimuth settings. And its thanks to the wedge cause if u hit the standing point on the wedge 0 you cant rotate it further so u need to tilt it forward however if u tilting it you getting more numbers. Which is a really bad thing cause theres no way how you can not let the other settings to not change much. |
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Were you making sure to setup your Seestar facing north? That part is important because if you setup facing east or west, your azimuth knobs might not be able to turn your Seestar north That could've been happening to you. The easy fix would have been to nudge the tripod with your foot (or hand) more right/left depending on the app's directions, but you maybe didn't know this at the time (?) EDIT: I am assuming the Seestar does a typical PA, using the angular distance to Polaris, but I could be wrong (because I don't own a Seestar). |
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Oscar: A view of the celestial pole is not needed at all. It takes three measurements around zenith to caculate where it's pointing and then does continuous 1 second exposures so it can display how far off you are as you move it. |
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Oscar: It can be a bit confusing sometimes when I'm setting up the equipment outside. I know where the North Pole is, but when I'm placing the tripod, I usually face it toward the garden gate, which is in front of me. When I do this, I typically manage to get the desired deviation. However, if I position the tripod to face my house, which is behind me, I usually don’t get the deviation I’m looking for. |
