TheSkySearchers-Welcome!

Hello fellow AVX brothers and sisters. Last Thursday I got set up with my AVX mount, David H Levy etc. in my usual spot. Using the PA scope when Polaris became visible and PSAlign Pro I zeroed in. Once it got dark enough I launched Sharcap Pro and did their method of PA, I was “fair” from the first method so I fine tuned PA. OK, next the usual two star alignment/four star calibrate and off I go. First stop was Crescent Nebula, almost dead center! Next was Eagle Nebula then Omega Nebula. At each DSO I did using ASILive 10-60 second exposures. Then on to Western Veil Nebula, dead center but after playing around with gain/exposures etc. I wasn’t satisfied so I moved on to another DSO,the Fireworks Galaxy. It slewed to a stop but nothing showed on the monitor. I’ve seen a few galaxies in the last month, I know some are small with my OTA but are still visible and was able to capture them so I did the “Prescise Goto” centered that star and hit enter. Still nothing....can AVX just loose it? It was getting late so I packed it up for another opportunity to go for Fireworks Galaxy.
Ever happen to you?

Hi Astroglide65,

Could be that the Fireworks Galaxy is a very dim target. I am not sure what scope you have (or camera), but I imaged the Fireworks once and it is pretty small in my fov with the ED102/Nikon.

Here is a 180 second light at iso 800 from that session. Can barely see the galaxy in the center.

Yeah that’s what I figured but then I’ve managed to “see” some small, dim objects with my Comet
Hunter Mak-Newton. I’ve been trying to get out and look again but the weather here’s terrible in the evenings.

Thanks again,
Dano

Could it have been a quick power glitch that erased your alignment. Sometimes when I accidentally graze my DC power plug it causes the power to very quickly cycle off and back on. This causes the alignment to get dumped. Is this a possibility?

Cheers,
JT

I remain wedded to my AVX even when it apparently misbehaves.
On several occasions on goto I have the seen and heard the mount slew in fast , go into REVERSE for a second or two and resume and STILL end up bang on! And it wasn't the usual end of slew slow approach. This was in full speed 9 goto. I felt sure the instantaneous reversal had damaged something or at least thrown off alignment, but no. Love my AVX.

JayTee wrote: ↑Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:48 am Could it have been a quick power glitch that erased your alignment. Sometimes when I accidentally graze my DC power plug it causes the power to very quickly cycle off and back on. This causes the alignment to get dumped. Is this a possibility?

Cheers,
JT

I don’t think so, the power supply is threaded into the conn. on the mount.

Thanks,
Dano