Astrophotography Askar FRA 400 Fitting ZWO EAF

[@AlexN-Astro]

100%.... I just built my first astrophotography rig since 2013 on Friday of last week... Have had 3hrs of reasonably clear sky since then, but we've had more rain in this week than we've had for the past 3 months... Typical! I did get ~3.5hrs of data from the new rig though - so at least I know it all works! My EAF will get here next week, so thanks for the little tutorial of installation and configuration! Love your double dovetail setup too! That's an awesome idea... In fact, So awesome I might even have to steal your idea!!! Well done!

[@SimonsAstro]

Hey Alex, sorry for the late reply! Shame about all the rain! Hope you get some clear skies soon mate and can get to enjoy your new rig! Glad you liked my double dovetail setup, steal away mate😀 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Clear skies!

[@AlexN-Astro]

@@SimonsAstro Did you have those riser blocks custom made or are the off the shelf items? PrimaLuceLabs make something similar which I can buy locally, so that might be my best bet.

[@AZ4Runner]

that Askar build looks very nice Simon nice and compact! Looks like you have the EAF install down. wishing you clear skies.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Jason, Please send us some clear skies mate😀 I really want to get into this rig and use it, but the skies are not good!! Clear skies to you!

[@OlliesSpace]

Very nice looking setup Simon especially sandwiching the gear between your two plates like that. Top job 👍CS.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Ollie, just really need some clear skies now! Had a lot of rain and cloud lately! Clear skies mate👍

[@avt_astro206]

Fantastic Work Simon, that's a Nice little setup!

[@SimonsAstro]

Hey thanks Avanteesh, much appreciated mate👍

[@AstroCrescent]

Very nice video. Clear instructions on setting the backlash.

[@SimonsAstro]

Many thanks, much appreciated, hope it helped someone! Clear skies

[@LogansAstro]

What a very nice looking and tidy setup. Great demo of setting up the EAF and sorting out backlash. Hope those clouds clear off soon.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Logan, it is a lovely little setup for sure, I just want to be able to use it!😬😬 This weather is a pain for sure, we all need some clear skies mate👍

[@richardmadley7455]

Great video simon.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks for watching Richard👍

[@Astrobloke]

Very nicely done Simon. Good clear instructions and a sweet set up.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Glenn, appreciated mate👍

[@stevenwilliams6258]

Nice way to mount the various parts. I 3D printed dove adapters for the Pegasus and PC to fit on the side of the Ashkar FRA400. Need shorter cables. It looks good too but your build keeps things neat and tucked away. I will have to look at doing this. I have a ZWO AM5 mount.

[@SimonsAstro]

@@stevenwilliams6258 Thanks Steven, the Askar scopes are really nice, and the cage design really helps to keep things tidy! Thanks for watching 👍 Clear skies!

[@jeremyhigginson9307]

Another great video, Simon! Learnt a lot from this one!!

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Jeremy 👍 You’ll see it in person tomorrow 😀

[@woody5109]

Great video Simon, appreciate the easy to follow detailed explanation, and at a perfect speed. We are finally in clear sky season here, hope things clear up for you, cheers.

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Woody, I can only dream of stars here!! Good luck with your clear skies mate👍

[@tullyfisher]

Cool video Simon...especially showing how to do the backlash settings etc. using the ASIair. 👍🏼 cs

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Tully, I thought that may come in handy for someone 👍 Clear skies mate!

[@tullyfisher]

@@SimonsAstro Definitely! :)

[@Tony-Elliott]

Nice video Simon, thanks for showing how you set up your EAF , looks like all you need now are some clear skies to give your new setup a run out . Ps I have the same problem with very small screws and not enough space to get my hands in , I think a set of ladies fingers is an essential part of the tool kit lol

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Tony, we have a lot of rain at present, so frustrating! You’re right about the ladies hands, they do come in very useful 🤣🤣 Clear skies mate!

[@CDigata]

just anufer ferty .. love that askar.. look forward to see how you get on with it

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Chris, it sure is a lovely little scope👍 Clear skies!

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Looking good mate one thing I will say about building up astrophotography rigs we seem to end up with a multitude of Allen keys lol, now please tell these clouds to do one as we need our astro fix.

[@SimonsAstro]

Hey thanks Tich, lol, those damn Allen keys are a pain mate, can never find the right one🤣 This weather is doing my head in, we need an Astro fix for sure! Clear skies mate!

[@davidwillis5396]

Realy nice Job Simon

[@SimonsAstro]

Many thanks David 👍

[@AstroStace]

Nice one Simon!

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks so much Stacey, I can’t wait for some clear skies!

[@Grumpydadwithtech]

Nice video, i got my backlash by putting a pencil mark on both focus knobs (normal and fine), told it to jump forward 200 then back 200 and then small steps until the 2 lines were lined up again, the number of steps is the backlash

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks very much! Great idea with the pencil marks! Whatever works is good👍Clear skies!

[@davidwoods7720]

Thank. had 18 cloudy nights on the trot since my eQuinox2 arrived

[@SimonsAstro]

That’s bad mate! Thanks for watching and I hope you get some clear skies soon👍

[@DSOImager]

Tidy look rig :) CS!

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks James, just need some clear skies!😀

[@walterhaase]

Looks fantastic Simon! Can you tell me where to get the vertical blocks that you used between the 2 losmandy mounts?

[@SimonsAstro]

Hi, thanks for watching! The riser blocks came from Altair Astro. They are 100mm X 60mm X 20mm. Hope that helps mate😀 Clear skies!

[@blackice5649]

Great video! Very helpful to see you actually putting this setup together. Just curious - if you are using the ASIAir - is it necessary to use the hand controller, temperature sensor, etc with the EAF?

[@SimonsAstro]

Thanks Matthew, I’ve never used my hand controller, I have the Pegasus power box advance which comes with a temperature censor, everything just works! That’s the beauty of the ASIAIR😀 Clear skies!

[@blackice5649]

@@SimonsAstro Hi Simon - I’m not familiar with Pegasus box. Is it strictly a power supply?

[@SimonsAstro]

@@blackice5649 It’s mainly a power distribution box but it also has two dew heater outputs which are controlled by the temperature censor

[@blackice5649]

@@SimonsAstro - Thanks for answering my questions - I have just one more - doesn't the ASIAir give you enough power? With your setup - how many 12v ports are you using?

[@SimonsAstro]

@@blackice5649 The ASIAIR Plus version will be fine, I use the Pegasus power box though mainly for my dew heater control, plus I like to power the mount separately from the Pegasus. In the Pro version, some people had slewing issues powering the mount from the ASIAIR. I’m sure the Plus version is better!

[@woody5109]

Is it realistic to expect under 1:00” tracking for the HEQ5?

[@SimonsAstro]

Yes, I often around .7 to .8 with mine, but don’t worry too much about it, it’ll be fine even at 1 or over. I’ve imaged over 1 and the stars were fine👍

[@woody5109]

I’m looking to purchase one….you want to sell one?

[@SimonsAstro]

@@woody5109 lol, keeping mine😀 The shipping would cost a fortune!!

[@johnkulczycki3021]

Who makes those green riser plates between the two Losmandy style plates?

[@SimonsAstro]

@@johnkulczycki3021 Altair Astro, look on website they are £49 pair👍 Thanks for watching!

[@woody5109]

Question sir; I’m looking at upgrading my mount from the EQM-35 to the HEQ5 without the hand controller, will it “go-to” okay with the ASIAIR plus?

[@SimonsAstro]

Hi Woody, short answer, Yes! That’s my second setup, I bought the Heq5 from Glenn and I don’t use the hand controller, it’s connected to the ASIAIR and it works a treat👍 Good luck with your new setup, just be prepared for clouds🤣

[@woody5109]

Thank you for getting back to me, that’s great news. I just installed my pier in the garden. A 6”x 6”x 6’ PEF fence post mounted in 240 kgs of concrete. I’m assuming post levelling is just standard building edict rather then for function. Anyway, I’m ordering my HEQ5.

[@SimonsAstro]

@@woody5109 Hi woody, that’s great, hope it goes well! Post levelling is, as you say a standard building practice, however, I would make sure you get it as upright as possible, and with all that concrete, it should be fine! The HEQ5 is a great little mount with a reasonable payload 👍 CS

[@woody5109]

I’m sure I’ll nail the levelling however I’ve run a couple of experiments on my EQM 35 and it doesn’t seem to matter on the go-to or tracking. I guess when you’re tracking in two axis it shouldn’t matter, as long as you’re polar aligned, it just visually looks better 😊

[@SimonsAstro]

@@woody5109 You’re right about the polar alignment, that’s important, you’ll be fine with it👍

[@AstroBoater]

Will the holes line up it the plates are a mirror image to each other? Ok, forget that 😆

[@SimonsAstro]

Hi Mark, thanks for watching! The holes didn’t line up either way🤣

[@AstroBoater]

Ok, we’ve both learnt something, always buy in pairs - 2 slices of bread 😆

[@woody5109]

Sorry to be a pest but can you power everything with one power cord, HEQ5 mount, 533 camera, ASIAIR?

[@SimonsAstro]

Yeah I use the Pegasus power box advance and a Jackery Explorer 500 battery on the Heq5 (portable rig) There is just one lead coming from the battery to the Pegasus power box, and that distributes power to everything 👍

[@woody5109]

Excellent, thank you Simon.

[@richardmadley7455]

can i ask you simon ,the riser blocks your using, can you give me the name and supplier you got them from ,many thanks. richard madley

[@SimonsAstro]

Hi Richard, the supplier was The Wide Screen Centre at the Kettering Practical Astronomy Show, the blocks are 60mm x 100mm. Unfortunately, there are no markings on the blocks, so I don’t know who makes them, and strangely, I can’t find them in The Wide Screen website! All I can say is, google riser blocks for Telescopes! Good luck and clear skies!

[@woody5109]

Ive officially fallen in the rabbit hole, today I bought an HEQ6 pro.

[@SimonsAstro]

That’s great news Woody, congrats and welcome to the club😀 You’ll love that little mount! It’s a big rabbit hole mate, I fell in a long while ago and still can’t find my way out!🤣

[@woody5109]

Sorry, EQ6-R pro, just received it today, wow, it’s huge

[@SimonsAstro]

@@woody5109 Lol, I thought you were getting the HEQ5, the EQ6R Pro is not a little mount!🤣 That’s what I have, it’s brilliant mate, you’ll love that👍