Project:
EQ6 mount and 300 mm lens setup

Contents:

1. Introduction and first setup
2. Adjusting the extender width of guide lens
3. New powered USB Hub and power cables
4. Mounting bracket for motor focuser
5. Instrument for Volt and Ampere
6. Camera external 12 Volt power
7. Motor focus test and calibration
8. Preparing outdoor test
9. To be continued

Note:
I take no responsibility or liability for what are written here, you use the information on your own risk!

8: Preparing outdoor test

Today we had a nice weather with sunshine, maybe we get a clear sky tonight also ?

Checking the equipment:

A day when we can see the Sun, promising for a clear sky at night also ? I took the EQ6 mount out to the balcony to have it ready.

Adjust the angle of the main camera and the guide camera. Long side oriented along the R.A. Look what a lot of free space I have around the guest camera holder now.

I must also find the balance point of the camera system, left right, this is the direction of the dovetail. Attach a tape with a cross where I have the balance point. At the direction across the dovetail I can adjust the balance by moving the guide camera and its lens back and forth.

Overview of the camera system I use tonight if I get a clear sky. The dovetail with its equipment on the EQ6 mount, the mini PC and power supply on the ground will be installed in a protecting thermo box.

Temporary dew heaters:

The dew heaters I ordered are coming the following days, until then I use my home made dew heater and a lens heater. Nothing wrong with them more than they are a bit clumsy and too much power.

Current test without the EQ6 connected. PC running, both dew heater on. It take 2 Ampere, when focus motor running it reach 2.4 Ampere. Later with the mount running and the auto guiding maybe I will have a current of 3.2 Ampere, that's too much to have it battery operated.

No clear sky this night.

Meanwhile I waiting for a clear sky I got these cables and adaptors delivered. It's a mini USB 90 degree angle adapter and a cable with also a 90 degree angle mini USB. It will save my camera, the straight mini USB cable I had earlier, the white cable in middle, can destroy the circuit board inside the camera if it's hit by something.

The cable installed, now the risk to destroy the camera is much less, no protruding cable.

Tonight a clear sky is promised, I placed my computer in the thermo isolated box, normally I also have a car battery in this box, but not now when working at home at the balcony.

Mount the dovetail and the cameras on the mount. This 300 mm lens system has a weight of 4 kg, the EQ6 mount with balance weight 23 kg, battery box with computer 16 kg. All together 43 kg, no easy travel equipment. Working on it, with a HEQ5 mount, less power consumption and a smaller battery, maybe I can reduce it to 33 kg.

To this I also have to add a laptop or notepad.

The machine room out on the balcony. I could finish the installation of some extra software and drivers that were needed, polar align, calibrate focus point. Then I was ready to take the first astrophoto, what happen, clouds arrived, they where lurking on me behind the corner. But now I'm ready to start direct next night with a clear sky.

During the bad weather days my new dew heater band arrived. It's the upper thin one, it will fit my shorter camera lens better than the big one below that I have used earlier.

Included with the dew heater band was a power regulator. It has the 1/1, 1/2 and 1/4 power settings. It works with power on / off with some seconds delay between to get correct power.

Dew heaters installed on the lenses, much more compact. The cable clutter is only temporary. I hope it will be enough to set them in the 1/4 power mode. If I found that correct after some tests I will cut the cables and connect the two heating band in series, that will reduce the power for each to 1/4 without the need of the power regulator.

You can read more about the dew heaters here and how I have connected them in serial: Dew heaters.

This 300 mm project with a Canon 300 mm lens is put to halt, I have moved the dovetail with the lenses from the EQ6 mount to the new HEQ5 mount. I have also replaced the Canon 300 lens with the Pentax 300 mm lens. It continue as project: HEQ5 project. And the project: Pentax 300 mm lens.