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  #301  
Old 15-10-2010, 10:00 AM
gary
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Argo Navis External DC Power

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemy View Post
Taken some more time to read through the manual, just working on the section on encoder timing, I have a predilection to always wanting to use gadgets to their highest resolution, couple of issues come to mind , that of the batteries..... Now being in an observatory with a 12 v deep cycle battery at hand the extra cable seems a handy accessory, I cant see me going mobile as such. So how many of you have gone down the path of permanent power?
The information that came with the unit had quite some warnings about misuse of this aspect, my use would see it permanently connected ..... (Although not on all the time), so I cant see a big issue with disconnection, which has one terminal to be removed first. The documentation suggests it is connected to the battery terminals, would it be a problem if a cigarette lighter end was attached as I have my battery in a box with a bunch of those mounted on the outside, again I'm wondering if the order of disconnecting would be a problem as both would be at same time should it be removed. ( that question might be one gary might best advise perhaps).

Thanks Clive
Hi Clive,

Thanks for the post.

Argo Navis can accept an external power source anywhere between 8V and 16V DC.
As you are aware, Argo Navis can also be powered from a set of four alkaline
AA cells internal to the unit. Argo Navis always selects the power source that
has the highest voltage at any given instant.

Installations where Argo Navis is powered from a 12V battery, such as a sealed
lead acid battery (SLA), are ubiquitous. For example, a popular combination on
Dobsonian mounts is an Argo Navis and a ServoCAT slew and track servo
controller. Most users of this combination power both the Argo Navis and
ServoCAT from an external DC source. Likewise, many Argo Navis owners
who own fixed observatories also power their units from an external DC source.

There is no problem in powering the unit from a 12V battery that then feeds
a power distribution panel with cigarette lighter outlets. You can simply insert
or remove the plug at will.

Always run a dedicated power and ground pair to the unit from the power
distribution panel to the unit. The positive lead in pair should be fused with its own
dedicated 315mA inline fuse.

The warnings that come with the unit with regards 12V power distribution
provide good generic advice for powering equipment on telescopes.
In the world of mains power in homes and offices, the installations are performed
by licensed electricians and there are dedicated fixed ground returns behind the walls.

However, on telescopes using 12V power distribution, users are often masters
of their own fate and may not necessarily be conscious of the potential implications
of a wiring topology they implement. In particular, one needs to be mindful of
the implications of a wiring topology where multiple pieces of equipment are sharing
the same ground return. If the ground return cable should become open circuit,
the return currents may make their way back to the power source via some
unsuspected path, for example through the interface cable of a CCD camera
and then back through a laptop. If the shared equipment has a high power demand,
such as fans and dew heaters, the return currents that pass back through the
camera interface and laptop may also be very large. This may result in damage
to the connected equipment. As stated, this advice is entirely independent of
Argo Navis.

Telescope owners should also be mindful that 12V power sources such as lead
acid batteries can deliver very high currents in very short amounts of time.
If a short should occur in the cabling and no fuse is provided, the cabling may actually
dissipate enough energy that it can melt or start a fire. Always use current limiting
protection such as fuses.

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
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  #302  
Old 15-10-2010, 10:41 AM
Alchemy (Clive)
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Quote:
But I have just ordered the encoder kit for my Televue Telepod mount so I will be powering it up by cable when I use the AN unit there. AN directing a set of 10x50 binos! Did I hear anyone say "Overkill!"?)
Awesome.

Thanks for the replies, I will get the factory cable.... That way I cant stuff up the polarity.
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  #303  
Old 21-10-2010, 09:11 PM
Alchemy (Clive)
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Back again.
Well the sky was clear enough.... Almost full moon, but bright stars are available. Set the encoder direction easily enough, time for a one star alignment as I had selected German equatorial exact....... Seems mine isn't so exact as although I had things in the finder it wasn't what I hoped. Now given I have pulled bits apart and tinkered with it during the instalation that isn't suprising, so I figured let's go for the rough align ( too bright to use polar scope with the moon).....

So here's where I get stuck, it's me so I apologize, but I can't figure where to point the scope for the fix alt ref. if I have the scope pointed to the south celestial pole, where do I go from there....

I got confused with turn north as I couldn't make any sense as everywhere is north from south.

The diagram of the fork seemed to be pointing to the SCP ?

So if I am standing behind my scope looking at the SCP do I turn it 90deg to the left in dec axis (east) and leave he RA unchanged, should the mount be running. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to talk in non technical terms
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  #304  
Old 21-10-2010, 11:21 PM
gary
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Argo Navis on a GEM - A primer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemy View Post
Back again.
Well the sky was clear enough.... Almost full moon, but bright stars are available. Set the encoder direction easily enough, time for a one star alignment as I had selected German equatorial exact....... Seems mine isn't so exact as although I had things in the finder it wasn't what I hoped. Now given I have pulled bits apart and tinkered with it during the instalation that isn't suprising, so I figured let's go for the rough align ( too bright to use polar scope with the moon).....

So here's where I get stuck, it's me so I apologize, but I can't figure where to point the scope for the fix alt ref. if I have the scope pointed to the south celestial pole, where do I go from there....

I got confused with turn north as I couldn't make any sense as everywhere is north from south.

The diagram of the fork seemed to be pointing to the SCP ?

So if I am standing behind my scope looking at the SCP do I turn it 90deg to the left in dec axis (east) and leave he RA unchanged, should the mount be running. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to talk in non technical terms
Hi Clive,

Thanks for the post.

Right now, you will be just getting familiar with things and the GEM ROUGH ALIGN
setting, which really means the scope is not polar aligned at all, combined with a
FIX ALT REF step and two star alignment will be the most expedient approach for you.

In the long term, which means in a few more observing sessions once you become
familiar with things, I recommend migrating to the GEM EXACT ALIGN setting
but combining it with what we call a "short TPAS run". That probably won't
mean much to you now, but in a future thread we can explain what we mean by that.

Let's talk about the FIX ALT REF step and two-star alignment process on a GEM
first.

By way of background, the optical encoders fitted on your mount are of a type
called an "incremental encoder". When they power on, they have no inherent
zero reference point. As it transpires, you only need to establish the reference
point for the Dec (i.e. ALT) encoder and this is the job of the FIX ALT REF step.

One can actually set the ALT REF point to any convenient value, but typically
on a GEM, one might either use the 90 degree point or the zero degree point.
Let us stick with the zero degree point. If you look at the Dec axis on the mount,
it will have a mechanical setting circle on the Dec axis. The zero degree point
corresponds to the orientation of the OTA that results in the mechanical circle
reading zero degrees. If the mount were polar aligned, and in this instance it need
not be, that would correspond to the OTA pointing to a Declination of zero in the
sky, which is the Celestial Equator.

Part of the first time setup is establishing what are called the encoder direction
sense signs which are the +/- signs in SETUP ALT STEPS and SETUP AZ STEPS.
Let us run through that process now.

The drive motor need not be running to do this process, but feel free to switch
it on if you wish, as it helps if the mount tracks whilst you do a star alignment.

Picture if you will a line that runs across the sky from the SCP, through
the zenith and heads due north. That line is the meridian.
The stars are rising in the East, crossing the meridian and setting in the West.
Start by having your mount roughly polar aligned. Position the OTA in RA so that it is
on the East side of the meridian. Now rotate the OTA so that the mechanical
setting circle shows it is pointing at a Declination of zero degrees. Since the OTA
is roughly polar aligned, it will be roughly pointing to somewhere along the
celestial equator. Power on the Argo Navis. MODE FIX ALT REF will appear.
Press ENTER. Dial up ALT REF=0 AUTO ADJUST OFF. Press ENTER.
ALT REF=OK will appear for two seconds. Press EXIT and dial up MODE
ENCODER and press ENTER. Whilst watching the right-hand displayed
value, slowly rotate the OTA to point toward due north, If the numbers increase,
i.e. +0, +1, +2, etc. all is well. If they decrease, go to SETUP ALT STEPS and
reverse the +/- sign and repeat the above procedure by repositioning the
OTA to point to the Dec=0 mechanical mark, performing the FIX ALT REF step
and the doing the check for increasing ALT angles in MODE ENCODER.

Once you have established the Dec (ALT) sign, keep the tube so that it is on the
East side of the meridian but try and identify a bright star on the west of the
meridian. Do not choose any star that is between the SCP and the southern horizon.
Argo Navis has a convenient list of bright alignment stars in MODE ALIGN STAR
but using a combination of MODE CATALOG and MODE ALIGN, one can actually
align on any two objects. For now, say you choose FOMALHAUT. Now dial
up MODE ALIGN STAR, ALIGN FOMALHAUT and center it in the FOV.
Press ENTER. Argo Navis will briefly display what is known as a WARP factor.
Now pick a second star. In so doing, try and pick one that has a different
elevation to the first and that is at least 30 degrees away or more. You are
now free to flip the OTA over the meridian if you need to. Say you pick ALDEBARAN.
Perform the MODE ALIGN STAR procedure and align on it.

Now dial up MODE RA DEC and press ENTER. Point the scope somewhere
roughly along the celestial equator in the western half of the sky and sweep in the
RA axis only from West to East. As you so so, watch the left-hand displayed value.
RA should increase as you sweep from West to East. If not, reverse the SETUP
AZ STEPS sign and repeat this procedure including the FIX ALT REF step
and two star alignment.

Once you have determined the direction senses, performing a real alignment using
a FIX ALT REF step and two star alignment uses the same steps as just described.

When performing the FIX ALT REF step and aligning on the very first star,
one can have the OTA on the East and picking an alignment star in the West
that is not between the SCP and horizon or one can have the OTA on the West
and pick a star in the East that is not between the SCP and the horizon.
However, if you established the SETUP ALT STEPS +/- sign with a procedure
that started with the OTA on the East and on a subsequent observing session
wish to start with the OTA on the West, then you need to reverse the SETUP
ALT STEPS sign.

The reason for this is because when the OTA is flipped across the meridian,
the apparent direction sense of the Dec (ALT) encoder reverses. This is an
attribute of spatial geometry rather than some caveat of Argo Navis.

As mentioned earlier, after some familiarization, we recommend to begin to
use the GEM EXACT ALIGN setting combined with sampling the positions
of at least four stars in a short TPAS run. This has several advantages.
Firstly, one need not perform the FIX ALT REF step. Secondly, even if
the mount is only within a degree of the pole, the TPAS feature will
compensate for any polar misalignment. Thirdly, you can add additional
mount error modeling terms which can often dramatically improve the pointing
performance of many GEM's, such as a G-11. But that can be the topic
of a future thread.

Please do not hesitate to ask for any clarification on the above, either by
a post here or by emailing sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au or feel free
to give us a call on 02 9457 9049 here in Sydney during normal business hours.

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
wildcard@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au
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  #305  
Old 23-10-2010, 08:37 PM
Alchemy (Clive)
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Thankyou Gary for the detailed reply, I've had a read and feel we can do this, I will just need some time under a clear sky.
Have had a read in the manual RE the TPAS pointing system.
Once the moon has gone I will realign the mount, and go with the exact align method, and give the TPAS system a try...... Will no doubt return here for some further advice.
The biggest problem with the G11 for me is the locking nuts on the latitude setting angle slip somewhat, I have not used those crimped type washers as it will mark the mount, subsequently it does need checking prior to each imaging run. My initial reading of the TPAS would indicate I would need to redo it prior to imaging , as if the mount has moved slightly the analysis would have changed also........ Will follow up later once I have become more proficient in the use of your product.

Many thanks
Clive
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  #306  
Old 24-10-2010, 09:05 PM
Alchemy (Clive)
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I guess that's required given the thread name

I gave it an align as the moons only just coming up now, it was definitely out as expected, I did an initial alignment of one star on Achenar, then slipped it into catalog mode ........ Formalhaut within the centre section of the chip, over to Jupiter also within the centre section of the chip, put it into RA DEC mode to roll around to stars within this area....... too easy. What a superb product, given I predominately image, to be able to align on the nearest bright star, then slew straight to my intended target and having the object plop straight into the middle half of the chip is sensational......

Marvelous product.
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  #307  
Old 25-10-2010, 02:05 PM
gary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemy View Post


I guess that's required given the thread name

I gave it an align as the moons only just coming up now, it was definitely out as expected, I did an initial alignment of one star on Achenar, then slipped it into catalog mode ........ Formalhaut within the centre section of the chip, over to Jupiter also within the centre section of the chip, put it into RA DEC mode to roll around to stars within this area....... too easy. What a superb product, given I predominately image, to be able to align on the nearest bright star, then slew straight to my intended target and having the object plop straight into the middle half of the chip is sensational......

Marvelous product.
Hi Clive,

Thanks for the post and great to hear!

After a few more sessions, or any time at your lesiure, we would be happy to
assist you with some more background on TPAS as well. The User Manual
starting on page 115 has a section called SETUP MNT ERRORS that
has a discussion of this advanced feature.

The method you are currently using of simply re-aligning on a bright nearby
star is also a strategy that many users simply do.

Sounds like you had better luck with the weather than most of the rest of the
East Coast.

Thanks again for the post and enjoy!

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
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  #308  
Old 26-10-2010, 09:59 PM
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Lismore Bloke (Paul)
Ad astra per aspera

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The Argo Works!

After weeks of cloud and rain, finally a couple of precious dark hours before moonrise to test the AN. After sorting out the "direction sense", it was into tour mode and away.

Most of the objects were somewhere neat the field of view, but not all. Perhaps some fine tuning to be done. Read ze book!!!

Suffice it to say I found 4 times as many objects in that time than I usually find. A great gadget, and familiarity will only make it better.
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  #309  
Old 28-10-2010, 07:51 PM
gary
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Argo Navis AUTO ADJUST ON feature

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lismore Bloke View Post
After weeks of cloud and rain, finally a couple of precious dark hours before moonrise to test the AN. After sorting out the "direction sense", it was into tour mode and away.

Most of the objects were somewhere neat the field of view, but not all. Perhaps some fine tuning to be done. Read ze book!!!

Suffice it to say I found 4 times as many objects in that time than I usually find. A great gadget, and familiarity will only make it better.
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the post and you were indeed lucky to get a brief observing run
given the interminable cloud of late.

Now that you have determined the encoder direction senses, we recommend
you begin to use a feature called AUTO ADJUST ON if you are not
doing so already. Please see this post on how to set it up and use it -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...47&postcount=3

The AUTO ADJUST ON feature can help refine the Alt encoder reference point
and thus very often improves the pointing performance.

Beyond that, Argo Navis has the in-built Telescope Pointing Analysis System - TPAS
which can help analyse and potentially compensate for certain systematic errors
within the mount. However, before reaching for the "heavy guns" that TPAS provides,
using AUTO ADJUST ON when you perform the FIX ALT REF step is what we always
recommend at the point you are now.

Pages 57-60 of Edition 10 of the Argo Navis User's Manual has more detail about AUTO
ADJUST ON in the section on FIX ALT REF.
See http://www.wildcard-innovations.com..../argoman10.pdf

If you should ever need any help, please do not hesitate to drop me a line
or to give me a call. Thanks again for the post and great to hear you are finding
more stuff than in the past.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Phone +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au
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  #310  
Old 29-10-2010, 08:20 AM
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Lismore Bloke (Paul)
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Thanks for that advice Gary. I was wondering about that feature. One or my problems is the lack of alignment stars visible at this time of year. Ron (astroron) suggested using a combination of stars and planets. That would be handy because the planets are nearly always visible above the roof. Anything much further north than that is pretty much blocked from view. Cheers, Paul.
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  #311  
Old 29-10-2010, 04:38 PM
gary
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Argo Navis aribtrary object alignment feature tips

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lismore Bloke View Post
Thanks for that advice Gary. I was wondering about that feature. One or my problems is the lack of alignment stars visible at this time of year. Ron (astroron) suggested using a combination of stars and planets. That would be handy because the planets are nearly always visible above the roof. Anything much further north than that is pretty much blocked from view. Cheers, Paul.
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the post.

Argo Navis allows you to align on any object, including during the very first initial alignment.

For example, to align on JUPITER, dial up MODE CATALOG, PLANETS/SUN,
JUPITER and then press EXIT. Then dial up MODE ALIGN and when you enter
the menu, it will display ALIGN JUPITER. Center JUPITER in the eyepiece
and press ENTER.

Likewise, one might, for example, select a suitable star from the thousands
of selections available in the BRIGHT STAR catalog, EXIT out of MODE CATALOG
and then use MODE ALIGN to align on it.

Perfect when the views of the sky are limited.

So in a nutshell, the last object that was accessed in MODE CATALOG or MODE
IDENTIFY or MODE TOUR becomes the "current object" and subsequently
entering MODE ALIGN allows you to align on it.

For example, say you have performed a two star alignment but weren't completely
happy with the first star you aligned on because it was partly obscured by the
leaves of a tree. You therefore have an alignment in place, but it may not be the
best. You then spy another bright star between the trees, but without being
able to see it within the context of other stars, are not sure what it is.
Dial up MODE IDENTIFY, STARS, MAG 3, say, ANY CONSTEL and then
point the scope to it. Argo Navis will then identify it. If you EXIT out of
MODE IDENTIFY and enter into MODE ALIGN, you can then center this
newly identified star and align on it.

Whenever you perform an alignment, Argo Navis will always align on the
object you just aligned on and the one previous to it.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Phone +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au
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  #312  
Old 03-11-2010, 06:04 AM
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GrahamL
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Hi Gary

I'd be very gratefull for your thoughts on a problem thats surfaced
recently with my unit.

Its been so wet this year I can honestly say I've become a little
dusty on using the argo unit maybe. as well.

Ok , so I power up and fix the alt ref as always no problems
go to aligna stars, warp factor both come up as zero as I recollect they always do ?...Move on to find object and its nowhere near the right bit of sky .

Start over .. fix alt ref.. move on to check encoders
as far as I can tell through all movements things appear normal
and alt movement is always parking back at 90 or very close .
After alignment I check the encoders and alt can be reading maybe 110 or more.

any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong ?


grub screw on alt encoder does appear tight

many thanks graham
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  #313  
Old 03-11-2010, 07:22 AM
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erick (Eric)
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Let me ask the obvious question where I have sometimes failed "Argo Navis for Dummies" - Are you certain of the identity of your alignment stars?
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  #314  
Old 03-11-2010, 10:19 AM
gary
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Argo Navis encoder direction sense signs on A Dob

Quote:
Originally Posted by nightstalker View Post
Hi Gary

Ok , so I power up and fix the alt ref as always no problems
go to aligna stars, warp factor both come up as zero as I recollect they always do ?...Move on to find object and its nowhere near the right bit of sky .

Start over .. fix alt ref.. move on to check encoders
as far as I can tell through all movements things appear normal
and alt movement is always parking back at 90 or very close .
After alignment I check the encoders and alt can be reading maybe 110 or more.
Hi Graham,

It could simply be that one of your encoder direction sense signs is reversed.

The encoder direction sense signs are the +/- signs in front of the
encoder step counts in SETUP ALT STEPS and SETUP AZ STEPS.

It may well be your Az sign, but here is a procedure to check both.

To determine the Alt sign, power the unit ON and push the Dob
to its vertical stop. When the MODE FIX ALT REF menu appears,
press ENTER and dial up a value of ALT REF=+90 AUTO ADJUST OFF.
Press ENTER to establish the point.

Now EXIT out of that menu and dial up MODE ENCODER and press ENTER.

Observe the right-hand displayed value.
Initially, it should be +90. As you move the OTA down in Alt
only toward the horizon, it should decrease, +89, +88, ... +1, +0.
If it increases, i.e. +91, +92, then reverse the SETUP ALT STEPS sign and
repeat the procedure.

To determine the Az sign, dial up MODE ENCODER and rotate the scope
clockwise in Az from the perspective of looking down at the scope from above.
The left hand Az value in MODE ENCODER should increase, if not reverse
the SETUP AZ STEPS signs and repeat the tests.

Once the signs have been determined, enter a value of +090.00 into
the MODE SETUP, SETUP ALT REF menu. Then next time you perform the
MODE FIX ALT REF step, use a value of +090.00 AUTO ADJUST ON.

Since the AUTO ADJUST ON setting adjusts your ALT REF point based on
your two star alignment, if the alignment is wrong, for whatever reason, the
ALT REF point will not be correctly determined. In the absence of any mechanical
problem such as a slippage, a misidentified star or an incorrect encoder direction
sense sign combined with AUTO ADJUST ON would best account for why your
ALT REF point changed so much after the alignment.

Please don't hesitate to email or phone should you require further assistance.

Best Regards

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

Last edited by gary; 03-11-2010 at 09:07 PM.
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  #315  
Old 10-11-2010, 06:27 PM
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GrahamL
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Hi Gary
thanks for the feedback

Ok so I went through those and heres what I got

everthing did seem right on the settings
But when I checked the alt encoder direction the first time
it would read 90 - 94 -90 -94 all the way down

I checked the alt encoder pin mount screw as I've done before and it seems to have a good seat with the grub screw. I moved the pin in a little anyway and retightened.

I split the R4 plugs from the coupler at the bottom of my mounting pole and blew them out a little and clicked them back in .

Re did all the above checks and it seems to be stepping drown through
and returning to 90 (or very close)now .

The 90 /94 thing is something I havn't found before , though I have been looking for something amiss but hadn't been able to catch it out yet.

So i'll move on to an alignment later and see if its still happening..cheers I'll let you know how it goes
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  #316  
Old 10-11-2010, 06:42 PM
gary
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Argo Navis A & B encoder channels

Quote:
Originally Posted by nightstalker View Post
The 90 /94 thing is something I havn't found before , though I have been looking for something amiss but hadn't been able to catch it out yet.
Hi Graham,

By way of background, the encoders have two output channels known as A & B.
As the encoder rotates, these two output channels change state in a very specific way.
If one of the two channels, either A or B, had an open circuit, you may see the
display alternate between just two values. Re-seating the plugs or blowing out
any debris in the coupling receptacle may have been enough to do the trick.

If you need further help, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place
Mount Kuring-Gai NSW 2080
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  #317  
Old 10-11-2010, 08:58 PM
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GrahamL
pro lumen

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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ballina
Posts: 3,263
Thanks Gary

It seems to be working fine now .

I was hopefull that the connecters were the problem as I'd figured them as a culprit once before with my az encoder acting up and sorted it out .

this time was strange in that everything appeared as it should , no matter how much I moved it this way or that , or left it alone , I coulldn't get it to fault , try to start a tour and my alt enc angle fell away every time .

thanks again
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  #318  
Old 17-11-2010, 11:29 AM
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erick (Eric)
Starcatcher

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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,532
Quote:
Originally Posted by erick View Post
....... I have just ordered the encoder kit for my Televue Telepod mount so I will be powering it up by cable when I use the AN unit there. AN directing a set of 10x50 binos! Did I hear anyone say "Overkill!"?)
Done! Using 5,000 step encoders. And installed including a cradle for the AN unit that is connected to one of the eyepiece caddies. Piccies sometime, maybe, if I get around to it.

Tried it out last night with 12x60 binos. Not bad - just have to be careful to 1) not to kick the leg of the tripod and 2) have the binoculars securely mounted so they don't move relative to the aligned mount. Plenty of Moon and in an urban setting but I could put 47 Tuc close to the centre of the field of view. Going to be a very useful addition to this quite robust mount which also takes my 4" short focal length refractor easily. (I have a bit more work to do to get the Alt motion as smooth as I would like - I'm going to have to get into the bearings and see what is happening.)
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  #319  
Old 17-11-2010, 06:29 PM
adman (Adam)
Seriously Amateur

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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,279
go figure

well - argo navis delivered this morning (thanks Gary!). All hooked up to the G11 nicely, and wall to wall cloud with skippy saying its going to be like that till monday next week at the earliest...

I have aligned it with some 'imaginary stars' inside - but there is only limited satisfaction in that.

come to think of it I may be responsible for most of the cloud on the eastern seaboard. my recent purchases:

1. GM8
2. G11
3. Acer N550 netbook
4. QHY5
5. Argo Navis
6. Moonlite focuser
7. MPCC

plus a few bits and bobs. Yep that cloud's definitely mine...
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  #320  
Old 17-11-2010, 08:43 PM
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xstream (John)
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: "Where ever the wind blows".
Posts: 5,693
Thanks for your help over the phone the other day Gary. After the Comm port reassignment it worked a treat.
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