Found the comet - how to uncomputerise my scope

I finally found Machholz in my scope tonight, after a couple of nights just
spotting it with bins.

In my polluted sky it's deeply unimpressive, just a smudge with a brightish
spot in there somewhere.

It raises again the point that I'm very unhappy with the Nexstar mount,as
it's so hard to point, but the scope seems pretty good, and to cut my
losses I would like to mount it on an equatorial tripod, with a better
spotter.

First I need to get it off the nexstar mount, without hurting it, and I
think it shouldn't be too hard, but it's not too easy to know where to
start, and a lump hammer's not an option.

Does anybody know, please - I could try another scope, but for the use I
can make of it I can't see that as an option; it's quite a nice size, and
all the weight is in the base, which is just an encumbrance.

Transport is a bit of a problem, I'dhave difficulty huming it around to
scope fixers, I think.

Any ides, please?

mike

You run the risk that if you remove it from the Nexstar mount that you may
not be able to get it back on if you wanted to sell it in the future. Maybe
selling your Nextar and getting a different scope is a better option.

You say that you have difficulty using the telescope, but have you
practisedusing it in the day time. Many people only ever use their scope at
night and then wonder why they can't get on with it because yey haven't
practised indoors first.

Lilian

"Lilian" wrote in
:

You run the risk that if you remove it from the Nexstar mount that you
may not be able to get it back on if you wanted to sell it in the
future. Maybe selling your Nextar and getting a different scope is a
better option.

I don't think I can cope with selling it - perhaps a swap, but I'd have to
say, being honest, why I can't get on with the mount

You say that you have difficulty using the telescope, but have you
practisedusing it in the day time. Many people only ever use their
scope at night and then wonder why they can't get on with it because
yey haven't practised indoors first.

Yes, and the red dot finder is a bad point, it's too bright and obscures
the sky behind it.

But the real problem is controlling it, and I've given up on that; I
thought the Goto would be a help for a newbie, but I don't think it is.

I feel I'd be better off with a reasonable equatorial mount and a better
spotter.

The spotter I can cope with, but I can't quite see how to disengage the
scope from the mount.

But I may have to try ( I'm not too stupid, mechanically...)

mike

Mike,

I am not a fan of red dot finders either. I really like the Telrad and stick
them on all my telescopes, so I would try that first. Why can't you get on
with the GOTO as in theory it should make things easier to find.

Lilian

"Lilian" wrote in
:

Mike,

I am not a fan of red dot finders either. I really like the Telrad and
stick them on all my telescopes, so I would try that first. Why can't
you get on with the GOTO as in theory it should make things easier to
find.

Lilian

Have you tried one; I thought I'd set it up, feed in the coordinates,
and whammy get an eyeful of the object.

It never quite gets there, so needs fine adjustment and the backlash
makes it very hard to control.

If you're only a bit out you have to slew fairly fast, or it takes
forever, when you go down to slow the slightest wobble, or backlash
appearing takes you miles away and you have to go up to high speed and
start again.

As it's altaz, it's hard to track manually, even more so through the
drives control, and to regain an object once lost.

The readout in the handset is very smeary, and there's no brightness
control, it is quite hard to make out.

I think that they may be OK for the more serious person (though I can't
think how), but I'm not, and I'm too old, live under too polluted skies,
too isolated, (haven't got a car, just a nice 650cc yellow shopping
trolley), to get serious about the subject.

But I do like to look at things, speacially special events, and I loke
the scope, I like the shape and size, and to look in the back end.

The best way to use it (for me) is to aim it as best I can with the star
pointer, and manually lug it round to the wanted object. What I can't do
is get it pointed at a known object accurately, then offset to where I
hope to be - it's all too rickety.

Hence the idea of remounting; I won't spend a fortune on a scope, but
I'd like to continue looking at the sky; I'm not really up to selling
things, so recycling seems to be an option, if I get another scope WTH
will I do with this one, me hovel's not all that big,

mike

In article ,
says...
Have you tried one; I thought I'd set it up, feed in the coordinates,
and whammy get an eyeful of the object.

It never quite gets there, so needs fine adjustment and the backlash
makes it very hard to control.

If you're only a bit out you have to slew fairly fast, or it takes
forever, when you go down to slow the slightest wobble, or backlash
appearing takes you miles away and you have to go up to high speed and
start again.

As it's altaz, it's hard to track manually, even more so through the
drives control, and to regain an object once lost.

The readout in the handset is very smeary, and there's no brightness
control, it is quite hard to make out.

I think that they may be OK for the more serious person (though I can't
think how), but I'm not, and I'm too old, live under too polluted skies,
too isolated, (haven't got a car, just a nice 650cc yellow shopping
trolley), to get serious about the subject.

But I do like to look at things, speacially special events, and I loke
the scope, I like the shape and size, and to look in the back end.

The best way to use it (for me) is to aim it as best I can with the star
pointer, and manually lug it round to the wanted object. What I can't do
is get it pointed at a known object accurately, then offset to where I
hope to be - it's all too rickety.

Hence the idea of remounting; I won't spend a fortune on a scope, but
I'd like to continue looking at the sky; I'm not really up to selling
things, so recycling seems to be an option, if I get another scope WTH
will I do with this one, me hovel's not all that big,

mike

You don't say which Nexstar you have.

I used to have a Nexstar 4 GT and found the Goto function excellent once
it was set up properly.

Have you calibrated it to compensate for the backlash? From memory the
Anti Backlash menu is a sub menu off the Utilities menu. Once you've
done this correctly it should be fine and it will track properly as
well.

I didn't have my Nexstar 4GT for long, the dealer swapped it for a Meade
ETX after I had problems controlling it via my computer, something I was
inspired to do via an article Lilian wrote for Astronomy Now.

There were problems with the early Nexstar controllers and their
software that meant computer control did not work as advertised.

As I'd specifically made this a requirement when I purchased it the
dealer was more than happy to replace it with the Meade ETX which can be
properly controlled via the computer.

--

Regards

Nick

Nick Mason wrote in
:


You don't say which Nexstar you have.

Nextar 5

I used to have a Nexstar 4 GT and found the Goto function excellent
once it was set up properly.

Have you calibrated it to compensate for the backlash?

Yes, and it will track nicely once I'm on, but the whole setup process is
too rough for a freezing night, and the hand control is still too smeary

There were problems with the early Nexstar controllers and their
software that meant computer control did not work as advertised.

I don't want computer control

I got the scope S/H and it turned out that the folks who said "get a TAL"
were right, but I didn't want a newtonian (though now I wonder, looking in
the wrong end may have it's points, but I could never work out where an
object was going, but it can't be tougher than the nexstar).

I was really wondering if I could cut my losses, and still be able to go
out looking for the odd comet, etc

mike

In article ,
says...


I was really wondering if I could cut my losses, and still be able to go
out looking for the odd comet, etc

Hmmm. Not something I do very often.

Queue advice from the comet chasers.

Hope you get it sorted to your satisfaction.
--

Regards

Nick