Argo Navis

[Solanum]

I'm interested in getting an Argo Navis at some point (not right now unfortunately - I don't think I'd get away with splashing that cash). I see universally good reports here and elsewhere of both the product and the support.

What I was wondering were three things:

One, how much will my ability to find stuff and navigate the sky suffer as a result of using it? I'm still learning to locate stuff, though I find that with Mag 8 charts I can usually find what I want (even if low mag stuff can take 15 minutes or more of matching views to charts!)?

Tow, more importantly, just how easy are they to set up on the night. When I plonk my dob in the back yard, how much work is the initial aligning etc. before you can start pushing the dob to something?

Finally, how accurate are they with my 10" GSO dob. When I can see a fuzzy through the finder, I can get it in the field of view of a 6 mm eyepiece. If I use the Argo-Navis to point to something I can't easily see in my finder how close will it (realistically and repeatably) align to the center of view in a dob (bearing in mind the speed with which things drift through the higher magnifications)?

[[1ponders]]

1. I find using a goto or Argo Navis (I have had both and am still using the AN on my Losmandy G11) has enhanced my ability to find things around the sky unaided.

2. Plonk your dob, align a star and away you go basically. Less than 5 min.

3. Depending on the eyepiece you are using, you should be able to get the object in the field of view of a 15- 20mm eyepiece everytime (assuming your alignment was accurate. I use a reticle to improve my alignment routine but most people don't go to that extreme.)

[astroron]

All as I do is fix altitude ref point , then two star alignment and go to catalogue dial in the object, and bingo I am observing the object.
At the most five minutes from start to observing.
I use a 16" truss dob and 9mm eyepiece to align, and the object is in the field every time.
Argo Navis is the best astronomy tool I have ever had.
As for your learning the sky it is up to you, but the more objects you observe the more proficiant you become.

[gary]

Hi Solanum,

Thanks for the post. Gary Kopff here from Wildcard Innovations, manufacturers
of the Argo Navis.



Argo Navis will help you locate more stuff and to locate it more rapidly.
I appreciate some people enjoy the challenge of memorizing where objects
are without any aids except a finder chart.

One neat thing about Argo Navis is that it can show you where the object is
in the first place and it can even help you identify nearby bright stars
should you choose to star hop there next time.



The alignment process takes typically less than a couple of minutes.
No need to level the mount or enter the date time or location.
Push the tube to its most vertical stop, press a button and then align on
any two objects you recogize - you can even align on a planet like Jupiter.



It is usually more correct to phrase the question the other way around.
What one should be asking is, "how are the mechanical geometric errors within
my mount likely to affect the scope's pointing performance when a telescope
computer is added?"

For something like a 10" GSO Dob, we would ship 10,000 step encoders
as standard. These have a resolution of about 2.1' per step. Argo Navis
allows you to perform a star pointing test and it can actually measure the
raw pointing performance of your mount/OTA. For example, if the Az
and Alt axes are not exactly orthogonal or the Alt axes and nominal pointing
axes are not exactly orthogonal, these will affect your pointing perfomance.
However, Argo Navis can analyze and potentially compensate for certain systematic
errors within the mount/OTA such as these.

Anecdotally, it is not un-common to be able to land the object within the
FOV of a medium powered eyepiece on a commercial Dob such as a GSO
even without pointing correction in place.


Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[circumpolar]

It really is as easy as one two three to set up and use.

My favorite feature is TOUR MODE.

[Solanum]

Thanks for the reply Gary. Further evidence of the good things I hear about you guys.

I did have a quick look at the manual on your website, but manuals are one thing and user comments are another!



Yeah, sorry. That was what I meant - I did realise that it's the scope set-up rather than the Argo Navis itself that governs the accuracy of pointing.

I think with these replies the Argo Navis has just bounced to no. 1 on my wish list. Have to see what Father Christmas thinks....

[gary]

Hi Solanum,

Thanks for the response.



Great to hear you grabbed a copy the Manual. There is also a User's Group
hosted on Yahoo at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/argo_navis_dtc/



As I mentioned, the good news is that Argo Navis can measure and report the
pointing performance of the scope both before and after mount error
correction is put into effect. Rather than the onus being on the user
to describe their scope's pointing performance in vague, hand-waving terms,
Argo Navis reports the performance in hard statistical numerical fact.



Great to hear! The good news is that Santa's production facility is right
here in Australia helping employ fellow Australians. What's more, because Santa
cares about people and the planet, he ensures Argo Navis is fabricated free
of harzardous materials including lead. For example, his state of the art
production facility employs lead-free solders comprising silver-copper-tin
alloys and his PCB's have gold plated finishes. Quality through and through!

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[Sentinel]

Gary,

I can sleep easier now, after driving to and from a dark sky site and burning fossil fuel, that at least my observing is as green as it gets.