Greetings :)

I decided on a significant upgrade and switched from my old Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi mount, which already had considerable mechanical play (backlash), to a new mount called the Ragdoll 17 Pro.

It is a so-called strainwave mount (utilizing harmonic drives). Unlike classic worm gears, thanks to this technology there is practically no backlash (mechanical play in the gearing), and combined with guiding, the setup achieves precise accuracy.

A big advantage is that the manufacturer provides a so-called saddle hub – essentially a USB and power hub integrated directly into the clamping plate (saddle) where the telescope is attached. Thanks to this improvement, I only need to run two cables to the telescope (power + data), and I connect the rest up top directly on the mount. This also forced me to redo my cable management, which I am now happy with. I consider this my final complete setup for quite some time :)

This is what the setup looked like after the first assembly and cable management adjustment:

As my first major target, I once again chose the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It is now high in the sky and can be imaged right from dusk.

The result pleased me – the stars are noticeably smaller and the image is sharper. The only issue I noticed is sensor tilt, so the stars in the corners aren't perfect spheres but resemble "donuts" more. I will try to solve this problem by the next session :)

Finally, I am attaching a timelapse from the whole night: https://youtube.com/shorts/WyZOWYkjr6Y

Acquisition:

• N.I.N.A – overall rig control
• PHD2 – guiding

Processing:

• PixInsight – WBPP, MSGC, SPCC, StarNet2, GHS