Go Back   IceInSpace > Equipment > Equipment Discussions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #41  
Old 16-11-2018, 05:44 AM
DaveNZ's Avatar
DaveNZ (Dave)
Registered User

DaveNZ is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Dunedin, NZ
Posts: 217
Thant's great news Mike. Cant wait for your first report on the mount.

Not sure if my other half would approve on me spending that sort of coin on a mount let alone absolute encoders :-)

Dave
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 17-11-2018, 08:12 AM
stevous67 (Steve M)
Registered User

stevous67 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 633
Hey Mike,

This is wonderful news! The mechanical aspect of these mounts is just first class with minimal maintenance requirements. Performance will be terrific, but just watch out for new driver releases and only move if there is a good reason to upgrade, like a relevant fix or new feature that's pertinent.

The AP control is so good, and does what it is instructed to do. It will be just magical.

Congratulations

Regards
Steve
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 18-11-2018, 01:16 AM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
I'm lookng forward getting her, bit exciting waiting for new toys

Do you use APCC WITH your AP900?

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 25-11-2018, 07:22 PM
Geoff45's Avatar
Geoff45 (Geoff)
PI rules

Geoff45 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,631
Good purchase Mike. Hard to go wrong with an AP.
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 25-11-2018, 07:38 PM
gregbradley's Avatar
gregbradley
Registered User

gregbradley is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 17,877
Just read tis. Congrats Mike. AP1600 GTO woohooo. That's what I have my CDK mounted on.

Very ruggedly built.

I use a power supply I got from Jaycar so it gets enough grunt.

Quite easy to use. Its probably a bit more accurate in tracking than my PME but relatively similar.


Are you getting the latest control box? Is this a new mount or a 2nd hand?


I could upgrade my control unit for around at one stage US$1100 and I think that allowed a home position which is the main thing I would want I miss from the PME. A home position is very handy.


I also use the AP timer and also a free little program that monitors the mount and won't let it hit the pole. If it does hit the pole it simply shuts the motor off.


I run the AP1600 through the Sky X and have a PE curve I made using Pempro (very easy to upload). Its a very rugged piece of gear that is even more rugged than the PME. The shaft for example is 1.5 inches thick as opposed to 1 inch thick of the PME or something similar.


It will carry your gear with you standing on it and it will still give under 3 arc seconds tracking!!!! The motors are very strong.

Closed loop slews are handy. What that is is the scope slews to where the object should be then takes a photo and plate solves it and in one correction you have the object in the middle of the image. Saves a lot of time.

Using Sky X will probably be a big time saver long term. You just have to get used to the setting up of Tpoint (I find TPoint the best polar alignment tool so far, a bit awkward to setup but once it works its reliable).

The mount comes preloaded with a PE curve. That's also handy.

Greg.
Reply With Quote
  #46  
Old 25-11-2018, 09:20 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
Just read tis. Congrats Mike. AP1600 GTO woohooo. That's what I have my CDK mounted on.

Very ruggedly built.

I use a power supply I got from Jaycar so it gets enough grunt.

Quite easy to use. Its probably a bit more accurate in tracking than my PME but relatively similar.


Are you getting the latest control box? Is this a new mount or a 2nd hand?


I could upgrade my control unit for around at one stage US$1100 and I think that allowed a home position which is the main thing I would want I miss from the PME. A home position is very handy.


I also use the AP timer and also a free little program that monitors the mount and won't let it hit the pole. If it does hit the pole it simply shuts the motor off.


I run the AP1600 through the Sky X and have a PE curve I made using Pempro (very easy to upload). Its a very rugged piece of gear that is even more rugged than the PME. The shaft for example is 1.5 inches thick as opposed to 1 inch thick of the PME or something similar.


It will carry your gear with you standing on it and it will still give under 3 arc seconds tracking!!!! The motors are very strong.

Closed loop slews are handy. What that is is the scope slews to where the object should be then takes a photo and plate solves it and in one correction you have the object in the middle of the image. Saves a lot of time.

Using Sky X will probably be a big time saver long term. You just have to get used to the setting up of Tpoint (I find TPoint the best polar alignment tool so far, a bit awkward to setup but once it works its reliable).

The mount comes preloaded with a PE curve. That's also handy.

Greg.
Thanks Greg

Yes she is a new baby

My NJP tracks pretty incredibly raw and autoguides like a laser , as you know, so I am not reeeeally expecting any amazing improvement in that department, although perhaps with PEC now I will be able to see some improvement in raw tracking? It is just the greater load carrying capacity, to give the NJP a break and allow future upgrades in equipment plus the modern fang dangle computerised based options that attracted me...aaaand just to have an AP mount ...will have to mount the StarfireEDF on her just for a photo

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #47  
Old 25-11-2018, 10:18 PM
DJT (David)
Registered User

DJT is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,452
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
Thanks Greg

Yes she is a new baby

..aaaand just to have an AP mount ...will have to mount the StarfireEDF on her just for a photo

Mike
Mate, you are likely to go blind ...AP P?!#.. nothing better.
Reply With Quote
  #48  
Old 26-11-2018, 07:54 AM
RickS's Avatar
RickS (Rick)
PI cult recruiter

RickS is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 10,584
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
It is just the greater load carrying capacity
Planning for a ginormous scope one day, eh Mikey?
Reply With Quote
  #49  
Old 26-11-2018, 09:42 AM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickS View Post
Planning for a ginormous scope one day, eh Mikey?
He he yeah who knows..?

Be good to be able to load on something like you are commissioning at the moment and perhaps also the Starfire..?.. although I was thinking of putting that on the NJP and having a separate system setup outside the dome ..aaah too many telescopes!...see? I wanna have as many scopes as you do but just not spread all over the World

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #50  
Old 26-11-2018, 11:34 AM
RickS's Avatar
RickS (Rick)
PI cult recruiter

RickS is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 10,584
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
aaah too many telescopes!
What a strange idea
Reply With Quote
  #51  
Old 26-11-2018, 01:28 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickS View Post
What a strange idea
I think I may be heading towards something like this in the future...AG12 + Starfire 152EDF + FSQ106EDX4 (maybe throw a camera lens based system on there too..?) ....probably finally too much for the poor'ol NJP me thinks

Mike
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (My new mount2.jpg)
120.7 KB93 views
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old 26-11-2018, 01:41 PM
multiweb's Avatar
multiweb (Marc)
ze frogginator

multiweb is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 22,060
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (My-new-mount2.jpg)
153.2 KB45 views
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old 26-11-2018, 01:42 PM
RickS's Avatar
RickS (Rick)
PI cult recruiter

RickS is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 10,584
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
I think I may be heading towards something like this in the future...AG12 + Starfire 152EDF + FSQ106EDX4 (maybe throw a camera lens based system on there too..?) ....probably finally too much for the poor'ol NJP me thinks
Nice! Balance might be interesting...
Reply With Quote
  #54  
Old 26-11-2018, 02:02 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickS View Post
Nice! Balance might be interesting...
Meah, should be pretty close to what I have now really, but rather than this collection of galvanized bars, ankle weights and washers held together with gaffa tape...I'd use a telescope This setup is quite well balanced BTW.
Reply With Quote
  #55  
Old 06-12-2018, 12:39 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
It's on its waaaaaay
Reply With Quote
  #56  
Old 06-12-2018, 03:19 PM
Slawomir's Avatar
Slawomir (Suavi)
Registered User

Slawomir is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: North Queensland
Posts: 3,240
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
It's on its waaaaaay

Happy days, and even happier nights ahead!
Reply With Quote
  #57  
Old 06-12-2018, 04:29 PM
LewisM's Avatar
LewisM
Novichok test rabbit

LewisM is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in the cosmos...
Posts: 10,388
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
It's on its waaaaaay
If there is no photo of you clean and jerking it Mike, it didn't happen.
Reply With Quote
  #58  
Old 06-12-2018, 07:32 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Hope so Suavi and ha ha ha...you're on Lewis...I think 🤔
Reply With Quote
  #59  
Old 09-12-2018, 06:26 PM
Slawomir's Avatar
Slawomir (Suavi)
Registered User

Slawomir is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: North Queensland
Posts: 3,240
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
It's on its waaaaaay
Has the baby landed in Oz yet?
Reply With Quote
  #60  
Old 09-12-2018, 07:30 PM
strongmanmike's Avatar
strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slawomir View Post
Has the baby landed in Oz yet?
Yep, in Botany, expected delivery Wednesday this week

Mike
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 10:23 AM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement
Testar
Advertisement