Hi Patrick, here's some info, thanks! -- Joe
Hi Joe,
Refresh my memory, please. Could you describe your set up?
Specifically the scope,
Meade LX200, 12"
camera,
least expensive SBIG with camera filter wheel -- I think the ST402ME -- no separate guide chip
focal reducer (if any)
A variable one. I think it's a Meade that can go down to f/ 3.3, for CCD use only.
and does your setup allow the ability to guide your images? If yes to the latter are your pictures auto-guided, manually guided or unguided?
I use a refractor mounted on top, which is tied in to a Meade Deep Sky Imager that I use as an autoguider alone. But in this case, I think the telescope wasn't balanced right to accommodate the weight on top, and it wouldn't guide well. I need to work on balancing.
Also, how do you polar align (T-Point, drift method, etc.)?
I use the telescope's go-to method. I level and have the assembly generally pointing to the north star. Then I swing the tube around so it is in what Meade calls the "home" position and turn on the system. It makes a GPS reading then points toward Polaris. At that time I'm supposed to center Polaris by adjusting the wedge and alignment, not using the control keys. Then it swings around to some other bright star, almost always Arcturus, and tells me to center on it using the control pad. That's supposed to get the telescope properly aligned.
Patrick
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com