Argo Navis prompt reply.

[DobDobDob]

Blimy talk about diligent, I sent off a fairly standard e-mail to the good folk who make Argo Navis and got a very comprehensive reply within an hour, and Gary (from Wildcard Innovations) was actually in Flagstaff, Arizona. I've got nothing to earn by saying this, but with that sort of prompt reply, I am filled with confidence and can't wait to purchase my own Argo Navis for when my new scope arrives.

[wavelandscott]

I agree...the folks at Wildcard are top notch!

The AN is a wonderful tool that has enhanced my pleasure in the hobby!

I can not imagine not having one...

[MortonH]

I posted a general query on IIS about using my TeleVue Sky Tour (like AN but older and less advanced) and Gary saw it and replied within a few hours. Not only that, he told me how to use AN encoders with my exising CPU, so that I could adapt my Sky Tour to any other telescope and only have to pay for the encoders. Fantastic service.

Morton

[DobDobDob]

Well I've never seen one in the flesh so to speak, but I did download a 288 page PDF manual and quickly scrolled through it, it looked very comprehensive and something that will take a complete weekend to read right through.

What I did glean from it is that it has a very large database of objects and I also noticed that you can name your own entries.

I won't be buying one until August when my telescope lands here, but I reckon by studying the manual before hand I should 'hopefully' not have too much of a learning curve using it.

[Starkler]

Same here.

I sent an email asking a question and I got a comprehensive reply within an hour on a Sunday no less!
Wildcard certainly win the Starkler award for superlative customer service :)

[Dave47tuc]

Number one in my book:thumbsup:

My sig sais it all :whistle:

[DobDobDob]

Hey Starkler I noticed in your sig, that you have a AN and a Dob, this is exactly where I'm heading in a couple of months, can you give me your honest opinion on how these two components compliment each other, and good tips or experiences you can share?

Edit: Make that same request of Dave47tuc, who was faster than me.

[taminga16]

Ron, tell us about the telescope that you are waiting on. Thanks Greg.

[Dave47tuc]

Ron,
The AN works very nicely indeed on my GSO. I can find any object in the sky with my 13 mm lvw, spot on every time.

I had a Meade LX200 GPS, and the AN on the GSO finds objects just as well, at well over half the cost!!

You can PM me if you like for any ?? Just a wonderful piece of equipment

[DobDobDob]

It's a 16" Export Dob (GSO) that Andrews is landing here in August, it has a few nice specs and will sell for $2,495.00 which is $500.00 cheaper than a comparable scope from another leading outlet.

[Starkler]

As Daves sig says, its the single best thing you can do to improve the amenity of your scope. You can find everything the guys with their goto scopes can, and get there faster too ;)

If you like dso viewing, you'll view many more in a night using AN than by starhopping. Want to view some galaxies? set the AN to take you on a tour of galaxies visible at that time and work your through the list it generates as points you to each target.

There is a bit of a learning curve at first and getting it fitted and ironing out the initial hardware fitting bugs, but it doesnt take long to get the hang of it.

Some baulk at the cost of fitting a $1k system to a $700 dob, but what scope for $1700 can catch a 10" dob with AN for dso viewing?
None :P

[DobDobDob]

Thanks Dave, nice images too, I was wondering about how to mount it :P

It looks like it just sits nicely at the rear of the scope.

[DobDobDob]

Wow, you've really got me going now, and I still have a full two months to go :P Thanks for your help and especially for your enthusiasm, now I know for sure I'm on the right track. I might even buy the AN before the scope arrives, to just get the feel of it and make sure I get all the accessory cables etc. Being over prepared has got to be better than under prepared :thumbsup:

[taminga16]

Ron, just had quick look at the GSO site, the 'scope looks the goods, how much does it weigh?, I really like the idea of track roller bearings. Greg.

[Dave47tuc]

A couple of months ago at a local viewing night, I was able to let a friend take control of my scope. I trusted him and gave a quick lesson on how to use the AN.
He had never seen let alone used the AN before. I sat back in a chair and over the next hour while I had a cuppa or two, my friend used the AN to great affect.
He had never seen 2 Galaxy’s in the same field before and observed over 20 or so objects he had never seen before.
He could not get over how easy the AN was to use and how accurate it was in finding objects.
I star hopped for 20 or more years, but no more the AN lets me enjoy my limited observing time.
Enjoy your new scope and AN you will never regret the purchase.:D

I could not rate the Argo Navis highly enough.:thumbsup:

[DobDobDob]

Hi Greg,

I just went back over my correspondence with Lee Andrews but could not see a reference to the actual weight. I have a description of a 16" GSO Dob taken directly from their website, whether or not the Export scope differs in anyway I don't really know.

16" DobsonainThe GSO Dobsonian line is particular model serves a very clear purpose, to offer a large aperture and an excellent image quality at reasonable cost. Set-up is as easy as you can imagine very simple assembly with the rocker box and put it on the ground, insert the telescope tube and put the springs in position and you're ready to go to navigates through the night sky by simply moving the tube up or down, or side to side, by hand.


All GSO dobsonian use optical quality BK7 glass, cooling fans built into the rear cell to decrease cooling times, also all dobs use a roller bearing on the azimuth surface providing dozens of support points for smooth swivel motion. The deluxe model comes with 2" Micro 10:1 Crayford style focuser and 1.25" adapter.


Specification:

* 16" Parabolic primary mirror 1/12wave
* Focal length: 1800mm, F/4.5
* 2" Precision Micro 10:1 Crayford style focuser
* 27 points mirror cell w/ 4.7" cooling fan.
* Roller bearing wood base

Standard accessories:

* 8x 50mm fully multi-coated achromatic Finder
* Premium Plossl 9mm (1.25")
* Premium SuperView 30mm (2")
* Moon filter included
* 2" Eyepieces tray

[DobDobDob]

Sincere thanks Dave, your words have reassured me and I sense you are speaking straight up from the heart. I really appreciate the honest and frank feedback. Cheers :thumbsup:

[Dave47tuc]

No problems. Cheers. :)

[MortonH]

There's a picture of the GSO 16" in Andrews' shop. Interestingly, while the Meade LB has three V-shaped truss supports, the GSO model uses three solid tripod legs. Not sure if this means it may be slightly heavier than the LB, but I'm guessing they might be slightly less likely to flex, depending on how well they are fixed at each end.

Ron, I think you have made a very wise choice. I just don't know how you can wait till August!!!

Morton

[RB]

For the benefit of others looking for info on the Argo Navis I've moved this thread into the "Equipment Discussion Forum".

Ron, the AN is the best accessory you'll ever buy for your scope.
A dob (or any other scope) becomes an awesome setup once equipped with such an amazing device.
The unit looks fantastic, it's smart and sleek and the service you'll receive from Gary and Mai is second to non !

Enjoy !

:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Ron,

If it is the same roller bearing device that came with the 12" dob you'll soon be hurling it over the fence!!!

I took mine out and replaced it with super-sliders. Vast improvement. The roller bearings will make the scope turn in the slightest breeze.

My GS roller bearing now spins my Binocular chair base :thumbsup:

[gary]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for your kind comments which I appreciate.

It's 6:59AM here in Flagstaff, then I am off with Andrew Murrell
to have a look at the Grand Canyon, then back to Flagstaff,
fly to Phoenix and then fly to Ontario City in California and then
drive to Big Bear City which should get me there around 1am.
Then up early tomorrow morning to attend RTMC. Wildcard
Innovations will have a booth there in the main vendor's area.
It is Memorial Day weekend so it should be quite a crowd.

Despite it is only a week or so to go to summer here, yesterday
we experienced 32F (that's zero degrees C for you and me) and
snowing here in Arizona.

Once again, thanks for your kind comments.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
Currently in Flagstaff Arizona

[dwyman]

Gary along with Andrew Murrell and John Bambury, were just at the Texas Star Party here in the States. I imagine they are doing some sightseeing before heading back to Oz.

Two years ago we came to Oz for a week of observing in Coonabarabran. About a week before leaving, I asked Gary to bring me a cable for my new ArgoNavis when he joined us there. Instead it was waiting for me in my hotel room in Sydney. Now that's service. When I got to Coona, Gary taught me how to use the Argo and helped cook a meal on the barbie with Andy. Can't wait to see them again in October.

[DobDobDob]

Hi Gary,

Let me clean the slate here so everyone can appreciate the facts. Firstly I don't know Gary from a bar of soap, and the rapid response to my e-mail was true as can be verified by the avalanche of other testimonials from other people I have never met.

The bottom line is, these comments appearing within this thread are genuine, and not put up jobs which is refreshing.

Last night I tried to describe the Argo Navis to my very non-technical, non-astronomical and non-interested wife which I am very careful to do, because I have learned over 32 years when it's best to just shut up :P

I was actually so excited about it, I gave her a virtual tour of the universe and showed her via my words, how to use the AN and I'll be dammed if she didn't get it, go figure :thumbsup:

I honestly can't tell you how excited I am about getting the AN and as I keep repeating, it's at least two months away. This forum really works from the point of peer review, because I have seen forum members tear stuff apart if it doesn't stack up and on the flip side compliment products that are truly worth it.

I have no hesitation whatsoever parting with the dollars for two reasons, as follows:

[1] From the reviews and comments on this thread I honestly believe the product is good and will deliver what I expect.

[2] I absolutely believe in the after sales support based on that initial prompt e-mail reply. The fact (which I didn't know at the time) that the man was in another country, the day before a major trade show and still found time to give me a lengthy reply (a full page), screams of the integrity of the people behind the product, which as far as I'm concerned is the more important of the two points.

As I said right back on the first post, there is no kickback, I'm not related (Heaven forbid on Gary's behalf :P ), this is just a legit statement of the facts as I see them, and to all the members who truly assisted me in understanding the value of the NA, thank you.

This is forum power in action :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[DobDobDob]

Hi Ken,

Lee Andrews replied already (he is really prompt also), and can't actually tell me the weight at this time. He did say quite a lot which basically boiled down to a type of Deluxe package of accessories and arrangement for the 16" Dob.

Probably in about a month, I will get all the specifications and when I do I'll pass them on through the forum.

I don't know what super sliders are, do you have any info on them or images?

[erick]

Super Sliders - This appears to be the relevant thread, Ron:-

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=1959

[DobDobDob]

Many thanks Eric, only 44 posts in that thread :P I'll start reading now :thumbsup:

Edit: Okay I read that other thread and it's a beauty, thanks to the lads who have been so helpful.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

My timeline to buy the Argo Navis system was July this year, but after reading through this thread a couple of times, I cracked, lost control, and have just placed my order.

As you have said, Gary's reply was very prompt and informative.

Cheers

GeoffW1

[DobDobDob]

I am so positive about it, I'm tempted to write to Gary again and ask him if there is any point to buying one now and mucking around with it, without a telescope, just to get used to it, if nothing else to be forced to read the 288 page manual :P

What do you all think, is it something I could just use to look up the interesting data on without actually using it for the purpose it is designed for?

[DobDobDob]

Actually, I have done a little more research and it would be better if I wait till I get my actual telescope, because the base may or may not be along the usual lines therefore some mods to attaching it may be required. :P

[erick]

Ron, if you are that enthusiastic, you can download the manual from their site right now. I'm trying hard not to look at it - it will be some time before I have a spare $1k available. :whistle:

[DobDobDob]

Mate I got the manual last week in PDF format, but reading the 288 pages without the actual device in your hands is probably a little daft, then again, that's probably a good description of me :P

[erick]

Duh! Oops - post #4. I should have remembered. Well I downloaded it tonight and thought "Fantastic!" then I thought "Don't look....must resist....."

[Tannehill]

We Northern Hemisphere natives really need an Argo, because - unlike the southern sky - most of our DSOs are small and faint and we NEED help finding them.

From other products and postings here and on other forums, I poached the idea and design and improvised a mounting pole for my Argo on my GSO dob. Actually, I hammered out the description as an article and submitted it -with a few pics- as an article a few days back...it might be appearing on the Articles section this week, I dunno, maybe longer b/c my formatting was probably amateurish.

Bunnings near my home had some gear that conveniently needed very little modifications to make it work. Some Al tubing, etc. Had some Teflon pads left over (and the stock pads removed from my GSO dob) and made a rotating top for the pole for the Argo with those and some bolts and lock nut. That, and duct tape, and it wasn't that hard even for (all-thumbs) me, and I'm not kidding about being all thumbs...:P

It is really nice to have a non-tube mounted place for the Argo. On the tube, however you mount it, the angle kept changing and I'd have to tilt my head to read the display, or move the Argo. I always fret about it falling and breaking...the thing is as expensive as a nice telescope, after all.

But the Argo is a work of art. I was intimidated by that manual, too, but after learning the setup and troubleshooting common issues, really, you need to reference the manual only rarely. Plus, Gary K at Wildcard is a saint when it comes to customer service, and if he's out of touch (rarely) you can get all your answers at the argo_navis Yahoo group...

Scott

[Tannehill]

We Northern Hemisphere natives really need an Argo, because - unlike the southern sky - most of our DSOs are small and faint and we NEED help finding them.

From other products and postings here and on other forums, I poached the idea and design and improvised a mounting pole for my Argo on my GSO dob. Actually, I hammered out the description as an article and submitted it -with a few pics- as an article a few days back...it might be appearing on the Articles section this week, I dunno, maybe longer b/c my formatting was probably amateurish.

Bunnings near my home had some gear that conveniently needed very little modifications to make it work. Some Al tubing, etc. Had some Teflon pads left over (and the stock pads removed from my GSO dob) and made a rotating top for the pole for the Argo with those and some bolts and lock nut. That, and duct tape, and it wasn't that hard even for (all-thumbs) me, and I'm not kidding about being all thumbs...:P

It is really nice to have a non-tube mounted place for the Argo. On the tube, however you mount it, the angle kept changing and I'd have to tilt my head to read the display, or move the Argo. I always fret about it falling and breaking...the thing is as expensive as a nice telescope, after all.

But the Argo is a work of art. I was intimidated by that manual, too, but after learning the setup and troubleshooting common issues, really, you need to reference the manual only rarely. Plus, Gary K at Wildcard is a saint when it comes to customer service, and if he's out of touch (rarely) you can get all your answers at the argo_navis Yahoo group...

Scott

[DobDobDob]

Well Scott, if you are all thumbs, I am limbless, I am the worst person when it comes to making things that perhaps ever lived, I guess this is counteracted somewhat by my incredible wit and charm, but that's doesn't help much when it comes to assembling stuff :P

So, I'm going to take my Dob when it arrives over to Gary personally, I'll take 2 large Pizza's, plus a cold 6 pack of VB and I'm not leaving till he throws his kit on my scope and gets it working ;)

Fortunately I don't live to far away from him, so it's a blessing for me, but you folk in other states, from what I'm told, the kits almost put themselves together, if you have just a tiny amount of ability (unlike me) :thumbsup:

[Tannehill]

If I read this thread right, you are getting the new 16" GSO dob? Cool.

The encoder kit installs well on the GSO, yes. Gary does good work. The kit is - obviously - dedicated to the GSO model in question. Since the 16" is a new scope, there may be nuances to the design that require a mod to the encoder kit (thicker ground board, etc) but Gary can use your scope and figure that out!

Gary's encoder kit for the GSO has a very nice high quality center azimuth bolt with a large flange on the underside and the encoder bearing well drilled out. That flange makes it very easy to install the bolt perpendicular to the ground board, but the plastic laminate on the particle board - as you screw in the mounting screws for the flange - wants to worm up and interpose itself between the flange and the board's surface. Unless you pre-drill and also ensure all that plastic laminate debris is all removed before securing the flange, it can lead to non-perpendicular insertion and subsequent precession of the bolt-encoder assembly: the tangent arm will grab.

But Gary knows all about that...he wrote the book, after all.

Yep, having him do it would be worth more than a few pizzas and 6packs.

If you can get him out at night with it, have him build your TPAS model, too. He could probably do that in about 10 minutes, while eating pizza with one hand and drinking beer with the other. Then every object in the known universe will be dead on in your high power EP FOV when you dial it in...

...but then again, perhaps one shouldn't drink and drive...

Scott

[DobDobDob]

Thanks Scott, a very informative post. Yes the scope arrives in late July and will be available for sale from the 1st August (Horses Birthday, I hope that's not an omen of some sort :P ), I'm getting it through Lee Andrews.

I am offering it up to Gary to work on it, so that he can make any modifications as you suggested, seeing it will be a totally new scope. Once Gary sorts mine out, he will then add it to his long string of credits and as the telescope becomes popular (due to it's very reasonable price $2,495.00), he will be able to workout a kit for it easily if it in fact does need a few minor modifications.

So now the agonizing wait continues :whistle: come on August :thumbsup:

[DobDobDob]

Hi :P

I've just been going through the AN manual and realised that despite it being very large, you really can get it going on just the first 31 pages, so don't be put off by the size of it. I must admit I was a bit intimidated when I downloaded it, but once I realised I did not have to read every single page, I was relieved :whistle: