#21  
Old 31-01-2014, 12:06 PM
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Yeah saw that Ernie and Peter. I have noted that connect and not connected does make a difference to the PEC.


It could be wind Peter, but I have another curve that shows it one side and then the next cycle the other side.

Seeing was ok I think, not much movement from sub to sub and doing 0.5 sec subs too. I did 16 minutes of data collection, which is just over the recommended time frame to get 4-5 cycles.
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  #22  
Old 31-01-2014, 12:10 PM
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BTW I also noticed that I had to actually physically change it to MX despite being connected to the MX. Otherwise it would stay at ME.

I am going to check cam stop and a few other things too. Balance is a bit tricky because of the filter wheel being at 0 degrees puts the filter wheel hanging out to the left of the mount. Now that could be creating the problem with the guiding. I will need to check that too.
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  #23  
Old 31-01-2014, 01:13 PM
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The mount type selection in the Compute PEC Curve dialog is not sticky, but it should be correct if/when you're connected to the mount. They're replacing the whole PEC programming process with an easier more foolproof and more automated implementation to be released literally any moment now. Personally I think it's already trivially easy, but it could always get better. Doing away with that "West" checkbox for one thing.

I wish one of you guys down under would please contact Steve Bisque at Software Bisque and offer to beta test the new implementation "so as to ensure it works correctly in the Southern Hemisphere right out of the gate." I think they need one of you guys testing all things Southern Hemisphere related.
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  #24  
Old 01-02-2014, 02:32 AM
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Originally Posted by PRejto View Post
Hi Josh,

I take it, however, that you also couldn't do PEC with TSX and your ME until after the fix was posted?

Peter
The result before the fix wasnt as good as 0.7", it was more along the lines of 1.5" - 1.7" if memory serves me right. not to bad but not as good as i would have liked. Im very pleased with this result though.

Josh
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  #25  
Old 01-02-2014, 08:00 AM
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This is the latest curve. Taken at the zenith last night. Looks bad as far as I am concerned.

Thoughts?

I have contacted Bintel to request another worm.
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  #26  
Old 01-02-2014, 08:33 AM
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Hi Paul, despite the seemingly large amplitude of the curve, does it actually impact your guiding? The curve looks very smooth, which is all that should matter for guiding performance. It's usually only abrupt changes that cannot be guided out.
Of course if the mount is expected to have less PE then surely you'd want it fixed, but in the meantime I suppose your imaging would not be affected anyway given the smoothness of that curve )
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Old 01-02-2014, 08:59 AM
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Paul, please re-measure your raw PE with your scope pointed to near the intersection of the equator and meridian which as I understand it is where the instructions tell you to measure it...

(Edited to indicate "your scope" rather than yourself. :-)

Last edited by frolinmod; 01-02-2014 at 09:32 AM.
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  #28  
Old 01-02-2014, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by frolinmod View Post
Paul, please re-measure your raw PE with your scope pointed to near the intersection of the equator and meridian which as I understand it is where the instructions tell you to measure it...

(Edited to indicate "your scope" rather than yourself. :-)
This is where it was taken Ernie. Hence why I think this is a worm problem.
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  #29  
Old 01-02-2014, 09:45 AM
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Hi Paul, despite the seemingly large amplitude of the curve, does it actually impact your guiding? The curve looks very smooth, which is all that should matter for guiding performance. It's usually only abrupt changes that cannot be guided out.
Of course if the mount is expected to have less PE then surely you'd want it fixed, but in the meantime I suppose your imaging would not be affected anyway given the smoothness of that curve )
Actually the RA axis is a sine wave when guiding and it is impacting on the size of the stars and the sharpness of the detail.

I would be interested to see other PMX users guide graphs with long focal lengths just so I can get a gauge of what I should be looking at here.
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  #30  
Old 01-02-2014, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Paul Haese View Post
This is where it was taken Ernie. Hence why I think this is a worm problem.
Sorry Paul, you wrote that you collected the data with the scope pointing near the Zenith and for some reason it didn't occur to me that the celestial equator is at the Zenith for you there. Doh! I suffer from a lack of imagination. But can you get any closer to the equator? I mean if going from -20 to -8 made that much of a difference, what might going from -8 to 0 do?

The shape of your RAW PE curve looks good. Better than some I've seen. It's just the amplitude that looks bad. What's it look like after you've programmed the PEC?
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  #31  
Old 01-02-2014, 10:10 AM
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Sorry Paul, you wrote that you collected the data with the scope pointing near the Zenith and for some reason it didn't occur to me that the celestial equator is at the Zenith for you there. Doh! I suffer from a lack of imagination. But can you get any closer to the equator? I mean if going from -20 to -8 made that much of a difference, what might going from -8 to 0 do?

The shape of your RAW PE curve looks good. Better than some I've seen. It's just the amplitude that looks bad. What's it look like after you've programmed the PEC?

Its ok Ernie I understand. I did not check that last night but will tonight. I am expecting it to be not good. The amplitude is outside of spec now and would expect I am issued with another worm. Or else it is being crated up and shipped back forever to be replaced with a second hand PME or AP1100. Tired of bug testing and being a better tester for various companies to get their gear sorted. I want to get to remote imaging with this unit and right now it will not guide properly in RA. The Dec is ok, not fabulous but if the guiding for the RA was like the Dec I would be reasonably satisfied.
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  #32  
Old 01-02-2014, 11:05 AM
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This is the latest curve. Taken at the zenith last night. Looks bad as far as I am concerned.

Thoughts?

I have contacted Bintel to request another worm.
Paul you got a dud like so many of us. I can't believe SB are still putting out crap worms. This has been going on for years now.

They will however send you a new one when you ask them which is good. Often the replacement is more like +/- 3 arc secs.

The replacement I got was good. My original worm wasn't bad originally but developed a spike in the PE which resulted in double stars in every image. Perhaps from the gear slippage from the tension rods not being set properly from the factory.

There is a good video by Chris Venter that shows the replacement process and its worth watching first. Its not that hard. The 2 tension rods on either side of the cam pins should be closed and then reopened 2.25 to 2.5 turns. I found it required trial and error to get those tensioned right. I would adjust it, then do a practice slew to see how it was going. If too loose the mount will slip easily if too tight it will stall at some point. So trial and error so its firm without slippage but not so tight as to stall. Too loose and you can also get oscillating guiding back and forth from backlash.

I wonder if they assemble these mounts themselves or if they are done in Mexico or somewhere or the components are made in Mexico. That would explain the QC issues that seem to be ongoing.

However once sorted it does give round stars. I think it will need periodic maintenace though to tighten up the cam and the tension rods. Maybe the mount "breaks in." Last time I used mine I started to get oscillating guiding again and all I did was make sure there was a slight imbalance to the east and it was all good after that. But I notice its starting to slip again with imbalances and it didn't after the last adjustment.

Greg.
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  #33  
Old 01-02-2014, 07:02 PM
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Paul you got a dud like so many of us. I can't believe SB are still putting out crap worms. This has been going on for years now.

They will however send you a new one when you ask them which is good. Often the replacement is more like +/- 3 arc secs.

The replacement I got was good. My original worm wasn't bad originally but developed a spike in the PE which resulted in double stars in every image. Perhaps from the gear slippage from the tension rods not being set properly from the factory.

There is a good video by Chris Venter that shows the replacement process and its worth watching first. Its not that hard. The 2 tension rods on either side of the cam pins should be closed and then reopened 2.25 to 2.5 turns. I found it required trial and error to get those tensioned right. I would adjust it, then do a practice slew to see how it was going. If too loose the mount will slip easily if too tight it will stall at some point. So trial and error so its firm without slippage but not so tight as to stall. Too loose and you can also get oscillating guiding back and forth from backlash.

I wonder if they assemble these mounts themselves or if they are done in Mexico or somewhere or the components are made in Mexico. That would explain the QC issues that seem to be ongoing.

However once sorted it does give round stars. I think it will need periodic maintenace though to tighten up the cam and the tension rods. Maybe the mount "breaks in." Last time I used mine I started to get oscillating guiding again and all I did was make sure there was a slight imbalance to the east and it was all good after that. But I notice its starting to slip again with imbalances and it didn't after the last adjustment.

Greg.
Yep have seen Chris's great video on this and will be doing that once I get a new worm. I am now certain this is part of the problem with the guiding I am seeing.

Those tension rods are spring plunger assembly and I am very familiar with those from servicing my PME. It seems I will not become expert in the PMX too.
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  #34  
Old 01-02-2014, 07:10 PM
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Paul, you'll get a good worm. The Bisques won't let you down.

Quote:
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I wonder if they assemble these mounts themselves or if they are done in Mexico or somewhere or the components are made in Mexico. That would explain the QC issues that seem to be ongoing.
Mr. Bradley, these mounts were designed, machined, assembled and tested in the USA before being shipped worldwide. Please see here and here.

Last edited by frolinmod; 01-02-2014 at 09:06 PM.
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  #35  
Old 02-02-2014, 09:10 AM
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A few comments:

1. You "could" try a quick fix by swapping your RA and DEC worms as they are identical. The DEC worm might have a better spec, and the PE error in the RA worm won't matter at all in DEC.

2. You really need to measure PE as close as possible to dec=o because the measured error will decrease by the cosine of the dec angle as you move away from dec=0. That appears to be the case as your measurements got closer to dec=0. (That is, your measured PE got larger the closer to dec=0 you measured it)

3. You didn't specifically state what exactly the graph was that you last posted. Is it a measurement of RAW PE, or is it a measurement of corrected PE? I assume the former but I don't think you said which.

4. Be cautious of Chris Venter's video! It is great but missing an important step that has since been added to the written instructions about replacing the worm. Namely adjusting the 1/4-20s. That is an essential step and it really might be all that is necessary to do on the current worm. Not that hard to do! I would do it and remeasure raw PE at dec=0 before replacing. If you replace you will need to do it anyway so what's the harm?

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  #36  
Old 02-02-2014, 08:08 PM
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Paul, you'll get a good worm. The Bisques won't let you down.

Mr. Bradley, these mounts were designed, machined, assembled and tested in the USA before being shipped worldwide. Please see here and here.

That's good to know. Thanks for the link.

Greg.
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  #37  
Old 05-02-2014, 10:06 AM
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Good news.

Daniel has agreed this worm is out of spec and will be replaced. It ought to be on its way to me in the next week. In the mean time I will do further testing of the remote systems.
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  #38  
Old 05-02-2014, 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by frolinmod View Post
Paul, you'll get a good worm. The Bisques won't let you down.

Mr. Bradley, these mounts were designed, machined, assembled and tested in the USA before being shipped worldwide. Please see here and here.
Yep... much can happen during shipping.

I've seen handling that would make you weep ...... it's a long bow to assume the manufacturer is a fault.

Last edited by Peter Ward; 05-02-2014 at 08:12 PM. Reason: dammed ipad
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  #39  
Old 10-02-2014, 08:34 AM
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The new worm block should be delivered today. So I will be changing it over later this week. With any luck this will be a much better unit.
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