Go-To Mount lost my target. - Forums

Topic starter

Aug 9, 2023 · Edited: Aug 9, 2023

Hi all!
I went out shooting last night and started out with no problems at all. I polar aligned, did my star alignment, and slewed to my target. However, after about an hour of shooting, I went outside to do a check, and I found that my mount was no longer pointed up at my target, the Trifid nebula.
Attached are the three final images taken when my mount was pointed at my target at a random spot in the sky. I'm not exactly sure how this happened.
I'm hoping to get some insight as to what went wrong and how I can prevent it next time. I currently use an Ioptron Gem28 mount and a DSLR. Thanks in advance!

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Kaoru_Requiem

Aug 9, 2023 · Edited: Aug 9, 2023

Don’t you have forget to setup zero position on your Gem28 between balancing and polar alignement ?

Aumarina

Topic starter

Aug 9, 2023

Don’t you have forget to setup zero position on your Gem28 between balancing and polar alignement ?

Its very possible that I forgot that step last night. Would that really throw it off though?

Kaoru_Requiem

Aug 9, 2023

Yes I suppose if your mount is not exactly at the same zero position than before or if you move it.
It’s happened to me at the beginning with my old GEM28 and it was the reason.

You must setup zero position every time you reengage clutch (after balancing for exemple) and before polar alignement.

Alejandro Eluchans

Aug 9, 2023

Probably you mount got stock by pulling a wire. Take a look at your wire management

star-watcher.ch

Aug 9, 2023

Hi

I've similar problems from time to time on my GEM28 but in my case I suspect autoguiding by ST-4 is the cause.

Do you autoguide? Did you have star trail images during that session?

CS
Karol

Aumarina

Topic starter

Aug 9, 2023

Hi

I've similar problems from time to time on my GEM28 but in my case I suspect autoguiding by ST-4 is the cause.

Do you autoguide? Did you have star trail images during that session?

CS
Karol

Hello!
No auto-guiding as of yet. No star trails either, as IPolar had me in perfect alignment. I'm going to try what a couple others were kind enough to mention in this thread and see what happens!
CS

Rob

Aug 9, 2023

Did the target pass over the meridian during your session? For example, your telescope was on the 'west' side of the tripod to start, and on the 'east' side when you came out to see it not on the right target.

After the mount flips to continue tracking across the meridian, the target is almost always 'lost' in my experience. I have to center the object and synchronize the mount to continue tracking.

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Alejandro Eluchans

Aug 9, 2023

If you are not doing plate solving to find your target, then meridian flip will loose the target most of the time

Aumarina

Topic starter

Aug 10, 2023

I'm thinking the meridian flip was the issue. Thank you all for the replies!

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star-watcher.ch

Aug 10, 2023

Hi

I've similar problems from time to time on my GEM28 but in my case I suspect autoguiding by ST-4 is the cause.

Do you autoguide? Did you have star trail images during that session?

CS
Karol

Hello!
No auto-guiding as of yet. No star trails either, as IPolar had me in perfect alignment. I'm going to try what a couple others were kind enough to mention in this thread and see what happens!
CS

Hi, even if my polar alignment was ok, i had such types of images, once my GEM28 starts to "make problems". But since you're not guiding I don't think we've the same issue.

CS
Karol

Jaume Zapata

Aug 10, 2023 · Edited: Aug 10, 2023

Hi,

I use NINA and as they have told you, it is highly recommended to indicate the HOME position at the beginning (once the coordinates and time have been indicated), and in your case, as they have told you, it was most likely the meridian flip. M20 does not rise much and now (at least from my latitude, Spain, 25º), at 10:41 p.m. it already the meridian flip, very soon… If you don't have to re-center the objective and make a plate solving, surely after that hour it lost the objective.

CS,
Jaume

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