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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.