My first time setting up the telescope outside, I decided to make it an observation session with any imaging done using the Samsung note 20 Ultra and Deep Sky Camera Beta.  I had some trees cleared a few weeks back freeing up some sky so I have a decent swath to explore.  Sunset is at 20:08 and moon rise at 21:06.  It’s a full moon with a few clouds and 0% chance of rain according to the forecast.  I’ve decided to start things off simple, no computer control, just the Go To capabilities of the mount.  The mount was rough polar aligned at 16:30, compass indicating due north and the bubble level on the mount level. The mount is the SkyWatcher EQ-6R Pro and the scope is the Sky Watcher ED 80 APO.  I should have an unobstructed view of Polaris and be able accomplish a more precise polar alignment once the sun goes down.  Eyepieces in use will be a 1.25” 25mm and a 5mm LE along with a 2x shorty Barlow.

Sitting down with telescope, I made a configuration change from the 90 degree 2 inch diagonal that came with the telescope to the Orion correct view 1.25” 45 degree diagonal, less interference from the finder scope.  Removed the guide scope and repositioned the finder to its spot.  Now I can sit and look in the eyepiece without much effort, now waiting for as dark as its going to get in my Bortel class 4 backyard with some neighbor’s security lights causing some pollution and the bright full moon.  I know I will need to invest in a LP filter, that will be my next purchase.

The visual session was a bust.  My neighbor’s security light along with the full moon rising and some variable clouds completely blotted out the portion of the sky where Polaris hangs out at making a precise Polar alignment out of the question, at least until I learn how to drift align.  I don’t think that will be possible either because of the closeness of the tree line along the back of my property and then the house on the other side, I don’t get down far enough to the horizon, at least that is what I think without more research.  I would have gone with manual slew to pick out what few stars I could see with my eyeballs but the manual slew on the SynScan controller for whatever reason wasn’t working.  It was working the last time I had the system up and running in the office.  I realized I forgot a crucial step in setting up the scope, I had forgotten to put on the counter weight and balance the scope.  I put the weight in the approximate place it was in the office but the mount still would not respond to the hand controller, at least not the manual slew arrows.  It was strange since during the 1 Star alignment process, it was slewing to the approximate location of the star I had chosen, so the slew was working, just not from the manual buttons, even during the alignment process when it said to use them to line up the star.  So, I broke everything down and set back up in the office.

The learning session continues, I rebalanced the scope and simulated a Polar alignment.  Every button the hand controller works except the manual slew arrows. Extremely frustrating night, I reset the hand controller to factory and the slewing keys started working again.  But the SynScan Pro app could not connect to the mount via its serial connection.  I’m done for the night, However, next Saturday promises to be a good observation night according to the forecast.  Light rain during the day with mostly clear skies at night, sunset at 20:04 and moon rise at 00:20.  Gives me the week to figure out what went wrong.