Astrophotography (AP) Annoyances

[JayTee]

It's time to make our list of grievances against this most difficult venue of amateur astronomy. Don't hold back, let it all out -- it's good for the soul! My bet is that this is going to a loooong list.

What are your greatest annoyances/impediments/frustrations that keep you from achieving your perfect AP image?
Here are mine in no particular order (but probably the most onerous ones are first)
CLOUDS/HAZE/TURBULENT AIR
Intermittent cables
Software updates
Unknown guiding parameters (PHD2 mystery settings)
Batteries
Flexure
No guide stars
Skills perish due to extended bad weather
Camera setting confusion (gain, offset)
No clue on how to effectively post-process

I didn't want to list them all so I'll leave some for you all.

I'm feeling better,
JT

[Gordon]

You covered them pretty well JT!

I guess my biggest is why is it that EVERYTHING works great one night, then the next night NOTHING seems to work....... :Think:

[OhNo]

We hadn't had any Forest Fire smoke here until I mentioned it somewhere here in a thread. Guess I should have stayed away from the keyboard!!!!

Chalk it all up to astmosphere.

[sdbodin]

Always a 7AM tee time the next day!!!

Like the list,
Steve

[bladekeeper]

I'm pretty new with AP stuff, but...

My biggest angst so far is the capture software flipping a switch on me that I do not catch and rendering a whole evening's images trash.

And post processing! Namely, the enjoyment of the software when I move a slider and the complete opposite of my intent occurs!

Maddening!

We could start a subforum for recovering astrophotographers...

[XCalRocketMan]

The largest issue for me, besides the horrible weather patterns, is my mount. I have been forced to only image with my GT102 or use Hyperstar on my CGEM-DX as I can't get control of the RA swings (and DEC sometimes) at the full 2100mm or even with the 0.7x FR.

But I think JayTee's list captures most of the issues I've had as well.

[JayTee]

As Mike (xcalrocketman) alluded to above, this one hasn't been mentioned outright but is always out there ready to strike and usually there's nothing you can do about it.

BACKLASH!!!

[bobharmony]

+1 on inconsistency from one night to the next. I have a 37 step checklist to make sure setup is the same each time out, but results don't reflect that.

Hmmm. Maybe next time I should take the list out with me and follow it

And don't get me started on the mystical art of post processing!

Bob

[UlteriorModem]

Sattelites and daylight savings times.

That and spending a half hour processing an image only to realize at the end it is crap and you start all over. Rinse repeat. Sometimes the data just aint all that

[bobharmony]

Did we mention cables snagging/dragging while slewing or guiding? Just one more thing to destroy an evening session.

Bob

[UlteriorModem]

Cable management is key

Note how the cable bundle is secured to the pier at the bottom, and where it passes through the mounting saddle, with a nice bit of slack in between the two.

[SkyHiker]

Aside from the weather, for me it's setting up. Hauling all the gear outside, doing polar alignment, calibrating the mount, finding and framing the target and calibrating the autoguider easily takes me an hour. I wish I had a semi-permanent setup on my driveway, that would take a half hour or more off my setup routine. Marking the position of the feet helps a bit but the number of clear nights are so rare that the sun burnt off the duct tape by the time the next opportunity arises.

Everybody mentions incomprehensible inconsistency. I was just looking at Bryan's images for instance, his M81 had perfectly round stars with 2 minute unguided exposures but the next target M57, taken the same night, had oblong stars - why is that? If we had tools to nail the cause, that would help a great deal. Polar misalignment, imbalance, cables, PE, play in the mount axes, focuser slop, they all have position dependent impact and I would like to have a tool that tells me what's wrong. The most sensitive tool I have is an autoguider, if anyone knows autoguider-based diagnostics software please let me know.

One diagnostic that I use as part of my polar alignment is to slew around RA with the scope aimed near Polaris while taking a 30 second image. If I see non-round tracks or a different center slewing one way vs. the other then I know that something is not tight enough. I suspect that just releasing the clutches affects the results already unfortunately but how would I know.

I don't have software update issues because I try to minimize software complications and the hassle of having a big old laptop around. On the downside this requires mastering the skills of setting up with mechanical tools only (except for the autoguider). This is partly self inflicted by my decision to get the goto-less G11S but once I understand all the mechanical aspects including cone error these problems should go away. There just never seems to be enough time to learn this, or is it because I don't want to set up on Moonlit nights just to practice... that's what I should be doing more of.

Ok enough rambling but it would be good to hear what tricks people use to identify what could be wrong with the setup.

[UlteriorModem]

Indeed being able to leave the rig set up is an absolute bonus! Realstically it takes me about 10 minutes to get everything installed and connected. The longest part is waiting for dark. Then a quick solve and sync, start the sequence, and if all is good it's off and running. Of course I did not include the time spent setting up the sequence itself.

I rarely even bother with PA since it 'should' still be set from the last time I did a drift align. Unless phd is all over the place.

20171006_175636 by Tom Whit, on Flickr

[OhNo]

JT mentioned backlash. I had issues with DEC backlash on my secondhand CGEM. Found a internet site I trusted with the right way to physically adjust it. But I made sure I re-read the provided reference material that came with the scope. There was little to no instructions (other than send it 2/3 the way across the continent) for adjusting the mount or maintenance. I discovered a battery under the removable switch plate... saw the motors and found a way to re-lube the gears.

So if they only provide 1/2 the story, I wonder what else I have to discover on my own!!!

[Lokifish]

A $0.30 piece of hardware from the hardware store costing $10 on an astro site.

[Aidi]

As well as everyone elses comments....Technical Understanding, especially CMOS cameras.

Gain
Offsets
Dynamic Range
Quantum Efficiency
Clipping

Just a few of the things i would like to understand more, but most posts on the subjects just blow my mind!

[UlteriorModem]

A $0.30 piece of hardware from the hardware store costing $10 on an astro site.

Boy that's the truth. Adaptor rings come to mind.

[Ozypic]

I can see how all the above problems are anoying but for me , home is just all about light polution, but when I get away in our motorhome its all about other people. Getting all the gear out of the bus is fine except for the fact that I'm rocking the bus, ( I have put a block of wood under the step) but Im still letting the cold and the insects in each time I open the door ,50 odd times. But still we get through all that with a little wine and a good meal , then its all about making noise for nearby campers and their lighting and inquisitive animals ,torches etc etc .... then comes the biggy , packing it all away at midnight after the boss and everyone else has gone to sleep... sigh... Don't get me wrong ,my wife is very understanding but its still annoying haha
Phill

[JayTee]

Nice one Phill. How did it take this long to get around to LP. :flame:

JT

[XCalRocketMan]

This one hasn't been mentioned but is always out there ready to strike and usually there's nothing you can do about it.

BACKLASH!!!

Yeah, basically that is what I was referring to in my post about the CGEM.