#301  
Old 21-06-2013, 04:00 PM
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Tandum (Robin)
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I drilled and taped a couple of 8mm allen bolts into the pier as bump stops and put it in a canvas bag. Now it's got handles
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  #302  
Old 21-06-2013, 04:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pmrid View Post
Chris, that link (the one Peter gave us) seems to be for a cable with USB at one end and a flat connector of some sort at the other. The one you need has an RJ45 connector at the mount end. Have a look at Shoestring Astronomy's site for their USB2EQ5 cable:
http://www.store.shoestringastronomy...roducts_eq.htm

Mine worked when I connected it yesterday in Win 7 (32 Bit). Can't vouch for other OSs.

Peter
Yes Peter - you will need to cut off the flat connector and attach an RJ45 connector as per the wiring on the EQMOD site. The link I posted is the 3.3V version of the FTDI USB-Serial TTL 5V cable most of us have been using with the EQ6. If you can attach the right connector you can make it for a little over $18. Dontronics is in Melbourne and very good to deal with in my experience.
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  #303  
Old 21-06-2013, 04:34 PM
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Based on the limited experience so far...
Is the EQ8 really a transportable mount - or one which is targeted for the observatory/ permanent slab?????
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  #304  
Old 21-06-2013, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by acropolite View Post
The TTL-232R-5V is what I ordered from Dontronics based on the EQmod site info, I guess I'll find out soon enough whether it will work.
Hi Phil,

The 5 volt one should be fine as the system is 5volt tolerant.

Cheers

Anthony
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  #305  
Old 21-06-2013, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Merlin66 View Post
Based on the limited experience so far...
Is the EQ8 really a transportable mount - or one which is targeted for the observatory/ permanent slab?????
of course its portable
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  #306  
Old 23-06-2013, 12:35 AM
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Tandum (Robin)
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Warning ...

If the scope is pointing west, be careful how far you engage the dec clutch lever. If you lower it too far and then go east it will foul on the motor/worm box.

Really horrible noises come out of it.

This is another design fault.
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  #307  
Old 23-06-2013, 12:48 AM
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Warning ...

If the scope is pointing west, be careful how far you engage the dec clutch lever. If you lower it too far and then go east it will foul on the motor/worm box.

Really horrible noises come out of it.

This is another design fault.
Is everything ok robin?
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  #308  
Old 23-06-2013, 12:52 AM
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It's still slewing but home is miles away from where it should be and you can't just move the scope to the approx point cos of the encoders.

Tomorrow is another day, I'll plug the handset in and see if it homes.

Damn cold out there tonight
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  #309  
Old 23-06-2013, 07:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
It's still slewing but home is miles away from where it should be and you can't just move the scope to the approx point cos of the encoders.

Tomorrow is another day, I'll plug the handset in and see if it homes.

Damn cold out there tonight
The Synscan has an auto-home sensing routine for the EQ8 that might be worth a try. Not sure how it works but it slews in both axes on both sides of the CWD position to establish the right position.

Peter
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  #310  
Old 23-06-2013, 08:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
Warning ...

If the scope is pointing west, be careful how far you engage the dec clutch lever. If you lower it too far and then go east it will foul on the motor/worm box.

Really horrible noises come out of it.

This is another design fault.

I'd agree with you there. I had to go and have a play though as it has been slewing without a hitch for me. I can't clamp mine down that far - maybe yours needs adjusting (Not an excuse - it should never be possible to hit). And dont forget that they only need to be lightly clamped, its better to let them slip in the event of tube strike or cable snag and with encoders you don't loose the alignment.

I had rather hoped that they programmed it like the Servocat on my dob which stops if the motors are turning but the encoders are not changing. I guess I'll have to tell them about that one...
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  #311  
Old 24-06-2013, 09:29 PM
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I am a plonker. I had my lat settings 20 mins out!

Ok, i fixed that, did a one star align and headed for saturn. Now we're talking. Good to less than 5 arc mins and despite that fact that i have not aligned the plate on the OTA yet.

Best bit is, that it slews to the same position every time after that.

So can it point? I say yup!
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  #312  
Old 24-06-2013, 09:34 PM
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16 pages and only one test shot.

Pull the lead out!
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  #313  
Old 24-06-2013, 09:46 PM
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16 pages and only one test shot.

Pull the lead out!
crud weather mate - so you will just have to wait - like the rest of us
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  #314  
Old 24-06-2013, 10:13 PM
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16 pages and only one test shot.

Pull the lead out!
And from the non-astrophotographer

Anyway, for those in suspense, four is the number of weights needed for a 14" OTA with guide scope. My extra two arrived today!
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  #315  
Old 24-06-2013, 10:55 PM
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And from the non-astrophotographer

Anyway, for those in suspense, four is the number of weights needed for a 14" OTA with guide scope. My extra two arrived today!
thats what i figured when i ordered mine , not that i have run it yet
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  #316  
Old 25-06-2013, 08:40 AM
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Hmmm
Hanging a 14" SCT from the EQ8 is certainly very impressive!!

Tandum - did you get the chance to do more testing?

Can't find an on-line manual but:
The EQ8 mount is equipped with auxiliary encoders on both the R.A. axis and Dec. axis. Therefore, the mount can keep tracking its current position even when a user unlocks the clutches and rotates the mount in R.A. axis and Dec. axis manually. With this feature, a user can manually operate the mount anytime without worrying about losing the mount’s alignment status. When the user wants to operate the mount with the SynScan hand control again, no alignment is required and all that is needed to be done is to re-lock the clutches.
This feature can be enabled or disabled on the SynScan hand controller.
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  #317  
Old 25-06-2013, 09:35 AM
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Going at last

Happy to say I fired mine up last night for the first time.
I'm using a Shoestring Astronomy USB2EQ5 cable to run from the PC via EQMOD and MaximDL. I have managed to fit a FLI focuser, Tak .73 reducer, Precise Parts adapter to get the right backfocus (72.2mm for that), a TrueTech FW and Apogee Alta U8300 within the available backfocus of my BabyQ - but ONLY just. Guiding by a piggyback modified finder scope with a QHY5.

I had a helluva time getting the rig balanced. It still is not balanced but it's a good as I can get it. The balance problem is caused by both RA and Dec motors, worms etc hanging off to the east side of the mount so unless you counter that weight somehow, it can never stay put in any location. Those east-side weights will always pull it out of whack. But I have gone down that counterbalance road by hanging my HitecAstro Mount Hub Pro on a short plate out to the right side. Not fixed but better.

The connection PC to mount is seamless. No issues in making a connection. Although for some reason, Maxim seemed to send a signal to EQMOD telling it to stop tracking after I stopped the guide scope to change targets. Odd but not fatal.

It calibrated fine and tracked fine too. After a few pulses to settle down, the graph was bouncing along at about .25 pixel above and below the line with 5 second subs. It held that well.

I didn't do the Synscan polar alignment routine. Instead I just did a drift alignment and the guiding results seem to say that this worked pretty well. Goto moves are good but not perfect. They all fell within 5-10 arcminutes of dead centre - all well within a plate-solving with Maxim and a quick re-center to get it bang in the crosshairs.

Too much moon last night for the LRGB filters I have on that FW so any serious imaging will have to wait a few nights but all indications so far are that the mount will be a good investment.

Peter
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  #318  
Old 25-06-2013, 11:33 AM
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I had a helluva time getting the rig balanced. It still is not balanced but it's a good as I can get it. The balance problem is caused by both RA and Dec motors, worms etc hanging off to the east side of the mount so unless you counter that weight somehow,...
Chris has the polar scope. I guess that it perfects the balance, waiting on his report!
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  #319  
Old 25-06-2013, 01:03 PM
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Chris has the polar scope. I guess that it perfects the balance, waiting on his report!
OK the polar scope weights about 0.9kg and given its dimensions one could deduce that it may be the weight offset?

also the polar scope does not have a illuminated reticle
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  #320  
Old 25-06-2013, 03:34 PM
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Here's those pics of the polar scope you wanted Dave. It came with the mount and indeed weighs 900 grams. The slight imbalance doesn't seem to worry guiding on the mount for me. I've added a pic of maxim guiding through an OAG at about 1.2 meters. I'm still chasing power and frosting issues here.

I just realised, there are no dust caps for this polar scope
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Last edited by Tandum; 25-06-2013 at 06:04 PM.
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