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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Sold the observatory content... awaiting new telescope...

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So today I've sold to a good friend the content of my observatory, as in the pier + HEQ5 pro mount + William Optics Megrez72 + lots of accessories so that he can be setup for visual and astrophotography.
I am keeping the observatory box :)

I already have the new mount a CEM25p , purchased a while ago.
Will be moving into a different league of telescope, a Takahashi 130D and a Zwo 183mm pro mono camera.
As clear nights are fewer and fewer, I want to be able to capture the maximum of light in the minimum of time, hence switching a f6/0 to a f3.3 Newtonian Astrograph Reflector.

Will post pictures whenever it arrives... it might take a while...
3 years 2 weeks ago #68365

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Very nice! Good luck with the new configuration.

Jim
3 years 2 weeks ago #68409

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Thanks, I will also be re-doing all the electronic, I bought yesterday an Odroid C4.

This organised mess will go into a compact electrical cabinet with din rail mounting power supply etc...
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3 years 2 weeks ago #68425
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Frustrating but exciting at same time waiting for a new toy.
Sounds interestng will be good to see how this pans out.
3 years 2 weeks ago #68446

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Hi,
I am currently in the process of a small obsy build, and want to use two similar electronic actuators on my roof, to the ones you use, so am looking for ideas for a simple way to operate them remotely, just a simple open and close system, open to full extent and close to the fully closed position....don’t really want to go down the route of having limit switches in the system, if I can help it....
I use a raspberry PI4..
Thanks in advance for any advice... :)
Last edit: 3 years 2 weeks ago by AstroNerd.
3 years 2 weeks ago #68451

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This is my driver github.com/Trigger-broom-289/odroid-indi-roof which I use to control the actuator.
3 years 2 weeks ago #68462

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Thanks
so will it work without limit switches, and just open and close fully..? Or are they needed....??
also what about wiring them up..??
3 years 2 weeks ago #68481

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I need to update my GitHub repo with the wiring info, I'll do it at the week-end if I have time and will let you know.
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3 years 2 weeks ago #68485

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That's really cool! I know you will not rest until you get the best of this new equipment (and what equipment, a Tak and a cem, wow!).

I (re)started astrophotography in 2015 in the same situation the person to whom you just sold your equipment was. And that was awesome too.

We'll start counting until you get a working remote setup ;) No flames allowed in the box!

-Eric
Last edit: 3 years 2 weeks ago by Eric.
3 years 2 weeks ago #68511

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My current observatory works fine, I just had zero time for it recently.
The meteostation also works, as in the hardware, it's just the software which is not python3 happy... and keeps crashing.

I wanted to build box version 3 but decided to keep version 2 as it works well and the current design is spot on.
The CEM25p, I've been doing quite some testing (torture...) with it in my room, and I must say I do like this mount a lot.

Such a fast telescope isn't for the faint hearted, especially remote... but I picked the Takahashi over the SharpStar 15028HNT due to the excellent quality of the Tak. I've read too many bad stuff about the SharpStar and didn't want to spend that much on a scope in needs of collimation every time you slew it about... lol
From what I read about the Tak collimation, you spend time doing it once, you drive a thousand miles with it on the back seat of your car, and you use it...


I was also about to get a new camera as my Atik 314 has never been a match for my Megrez72 anyway.
3 years 2 weeks ago #68554

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That's great. Wolfgang told us that focusing his Tak was quite tricky too, as it had to be done on the exterior ring of stars.

On my side I chose to upgrade my camera before upgrading the mount (a heq5). Well, now I am trying the belt mod to improve the limiting factor that is guiding. I always try to make the most out of the equipment, just because, but here I hope I am not losing too much time compared to buying a new model...

-Eric
3 years 2 weeks ago #68590

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The belt mod is a must for the HEQ5, and you may have seen that I did change all the bearings and done a complete take down and rebuild of the mount. I did buy the HEQ5 mount second hand many years ago, like the vast majority of my curent equipment, up to know...

And for anyone attempting remote observatories, if it's in your backyard then it's all fine, however when it's several 100's of miles away with almost 0 remote hands... be ready to be challenged...

And as I said, recently I had 0 time for my telescope, but this has now changed hence I'm back :)
3 years 2 weeks ago #68613

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