Tracking errors

[Tweedledee]

I want to get a rough ball park idea of the threshold focal length where guiding becomes necessary on the AZEQ5 mount.

If I am imaging at 50mm focal length with the Hypercam, one of its 2.4 micron pixels will cover 10 arcseconds on the sky. Hopefully the errors in the tracking would be less than 10 arcseconds so guiding would not be required.

Perhaps someone can provide a rough idea of what tracking errors, in arcseconds, I might expect from this mount, so I can then calculate the threshold focal length below which guiding is not required.

I'm sure I can test all this and establish the actual tracking errors using PHD. But I don't have the mount yet and enjoy playing with the numbers in advance.

[+Graham]

I forsee you ending up like so many people doing imaging. 

Frustrated and disillusioned because the numbers do not equate to reality. 

A million and one things can effect the tracking of a mount.

From simple changes in temperature to changes in humidity. 

Polar alignment can be effected by different seeing conditions. 

Even when you achieve perfect polar alignment it will change with the passing of time. 

Basically what I am saying is imaging is a constantly changing fluid of parameters 

The only way I have found to keep my sanity from doing it is to just go with the flow so to speak. 

 

[Tweedledee]

Thanks Graham, I have just learned a bit more. ?

 

There are more factors than I thought that affect these things. ?

[+Bino-viewer]

Theres always a mount mod Pete if you want to raise the bar a bit higher with your AZ-EQ5 in the future.

 

https://www.darkframeoptics.com

[Tweedledee]

Thanks Rob, but I think I have enough of a bar in my way without raising it higher at the moment! ?

 

Worth bearing in mind for the future though. For now I have the guiding tackle and will get familiar with that. ?

[+Ibbo]

It also depends on what colour socks you have on and which foot you put the first sock on and I think the colour of undies comes into play as well.

 

In otherwords if it can go wrong it will at some stage.

 

one of the buiggest and best cures is the 3 pin reset

[Tweedledee]

7 minutes ago, Ibbo said:

It also depends on what colour socks you have on and which foot you put the first sock on and I think the colour of undies comes into play as well.

 

In otherwords if it can go wrong it will at some stage.

 

one of the buiggest and best cures is the 3 pin reset

I'm making notes Steve. ?

[Alec]

Agree with all of the above from my limited experience and add how well the scope is balanced. Polar alignment is key and I use polemaster which is a brilliant but expensive.

[+Ibbo]

For PA I use Sharpcap Pro and the finder guider.