#21  
Old 10-12-2017, 01:49 PM
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Originally Posted by codemonkey View Post
Just a bit :-) Here it is installed on the 8" ONTC with ASI 1600, ASI 174, TS OAG9, Nautilus EFW and Gerd Neumann camera tilting unit. Not quite sure if the spacing is right, will have to see how I go when I get some clear skies.
looking good Lee. Will be interested to see how you go.

I haven't used mine a great deal as yet due to the long twilight down here.

Dave
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  #22  
Old 24-12-2017, 08:50 AM
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Sadly the Lite Crawler is having issues and will no longer rack in/out. Rotating still works fine. I can hear the motor going while trying to re-home it, but no (in-out) movement is apparent. I'm in contact with Ron trying to resolve the issue. And here I was hoping to get some imaging done over Christmas
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  #23  
Old 24-12-2017, 11:22 AM
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Sorry about that Lee. I hope it is just a minor issue that will be resolved very quickly.
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  #24  
Old 24-12-2017, 11:37 AM
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Cheers Suavi. Sadly it looks like it has to go back to the US.
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  #25  
Old 24-12-2017, 01:35 PM
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Any ideas about what the problem is? Sounds mechanical?
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  #26  
Old 24-12-2017, 01:53 PM
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Sorry to hear about that Lee. But once sorted, you will have a very near imaging package. To cheer you up, I’m moving houses so can’t do imaging neither, but hopefully the change is for the better.
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  #27  
Old 24-12-2017, 03:19 PM
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Any ideas about what the problem is? Sounds mechanical?
Ron's stumped at the moment and I wouldn't hazard a guess if he's stumped :-) To be honest it wouldn't surprise me if a bug somehow got into it. Ron's speculating that it may be an issue with the motor but sounds skeptical since they're very good motors.

Seems like the information is getting to the motors. When I try to re-home it I can hear activity, but nothing moves. Turning the manual dial for the in-out movement doesn't change the step number reported on the screen nor cause any movement. Eh... I dunno

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slawomir View Post
Sorry to hear about that Lee. But once sorted, you will have a very near imaging package. To cheer you up, I’m moving houses so can’t do imaging neither, but hopefully the change is for the better.
Hope so, Suavi! Been nothing but trouble since I decided to go with the newt. Damned thing is, last night, *just* before the focuser crapped out I finally made some progress on my optics issues...

As for your new place, congrats! You've always produced amazing images from close to the CBD and I'm excited to see what you can do under dark skies.
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  #28  
Old 24-12-2017, 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by codemonkey View Post
Ron's stumped at the moment and I wouldn't hazard a guess if he's stumped :-) To be honest it wouldn't surprise me if a bug somehow got into it. Ron's speculating that it may be an issue with the motor but sounds skeptical since they're very good motors.

Seems like the information is getting to the motors. When I try to re-home it I can hear activity, but nothing moves. Turning the manual dial for the in-out movement doesn't change the step number reported on the screen nor cause any movement. Eh... I dunno
I'll be interested to hear how it turns out. I'm in the process of placing my order for one.
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  #29  
Old 25-12-2017, 07:58 AM
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I'll be interested to hear how it turns out. I'm in the process of placing my order for one.
I wouldn't let this put you off your order... even if it's a fault with the motor or something Ron's been very good, as anyone that's ever dealt with him would come to expect. He's also told me that even if it's a bug that got into the focuser somehow, or something like that, he'll fix it for free. Can't ask for better service than that!
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  #30  
Old 25-12-2017, 08:53 PM
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Ron's incredible. He'll look after you. I love my Moonlites and every time I've dealt with Ron his customer service has been above and beyond.
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  #31  
Old 25-12-2017, 08:56 PM
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Sorry your road is rocky at the moment Lee. Hope it smooths out as quickly as possible..
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  #32  
Old 26-12-2017, 09:02 AM
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Thanks Les :-) This hobby sure does teach one patience... or tries to.
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  #33  
Old 26-12-2017, 10:38 AM
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I'm sure it's a one off problem.
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  #34  
Old 26-12-2017, 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
For all the fun you’ve been having, I’d be selling up and getting a nice refractor...
Lee would still have attached the same LiteCrawler tho.
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  #35  
Old 26-12-2017, 06:37 PM
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Dunk's just having a dig at me because he knows I have a Skywatcher Esprit 120 that was doing an excellent job and "just worked". Sadly I got fungus on the objective after months in my uninsulated observatory which is why I moved to a newt -- mirrors are cheap, at least compared to triplet APO objectives.

I'm building a new observatory (at least in theory, right now I've just spent thousands on materials that are sitting in my garage) so I may well end up just keeping the Esprit....
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  #36  
Old 26-12-2017, 10:17 PM
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Dunk's just having a dig at me because he knows I have a Skywatcher Esprit 120 that was doing an excellent job and "just worked". Sadly I got fungus on the objective after months in my uninsulated observatory which is why I moved to a newt -- mirrors are cheap, at least compared to triplet APO objectives.

I'm building a new observatory (at least in theory, right now I've just spent thousands on materials that are sitting in my garage) so I may well end up just keeping the Esprit....
Awwww shame..!

I really hope you get that observatory built. I wish I had somewhere to put one. I spent an hour putting the Lunt LS60 into its box along with eyepieces into their box and the heq5 head into its box and the binoviewers into theirs etc so I could take off for two days and visit my mum. Has rained prolifically of course since arriving but did make me wish I never had to pack anything up again to take it anywhere.

Sorry bout your mould. Hope you get your troubles sorted and can be back to enjoying life.

Maybe reflectors actually are better..? Won't be telling my refractor that tho. Refractors are very pretty to look AT.
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  #37  
Old 27-12-2017, 10:47 AM
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I thought you’d already sacrificed the 120...

Have to say, it’s a lot less effort with a refractor, but a field rotator is still top of my wish list
Nah not yet... always meant to but never got around to it. I had sent it off to get cleaned but it came back exactly the same as I sent it off and figured no one would want to buy it as it was, even heavily discounted (if anyone does, PM me!).

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Originally Posted by sharpiel View Post
Awwww shame..!

I really hope you get that observatory built. I wish I had somewhere to put one. I spent an hour putting the Lunt LS60 into its box along with eyepieces into their box and the heq5 head into its box and the binoviewers into theirs etc so I could take off for two days and visit my mum. Has rained prolifically of course since arriving but did make me wish I never had to pack anything up again to take it anywhere.

Sorry bout your mould. Hope you get your troubles sorted and can be back to enjoying life.

Maybe reflectors actually are better..? Won't be telling my refractor that tho. Refractors are very pretty to look AT.
Yeah, tearing down / setting up would preclude me from doing any imaging at all. I don't get much active time these days with a 1yo daughter and having such a long commute.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
But Lee, it’s not like the mirror of a newt is disposable...



Sorry, just say “Bah Humbug” and I’ll go away
Nah you're right of course. At the time I made the decision I thought the fungus was between the lens elements on the Esprit (I've been assured otherwise by Tasco now)... I can't dismantle a triplet objective myself to clean myself (at least not if I want to use it again), but I can take out a mirror and clean it easily enough. Mirrors can also take a bit of a beating before significantly impacting imaging performance and if it ever came to it, resurfacing the mirror isn't terribly expensive and even replacing the mirror will be way cheaper than replacing a triplet objective.

In addition to the above, if I ever get the damned thing working, I should be able to get better resolution with the newt and it should be a lot better in terms of SNR - F5ish (with the Paracorr) vs F7.
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  #38  
Old 27-12-2017, 11:28 AM
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So much for the LiteCrawler thread. I'll start a new one for anyone interested in this new rotating focuser and how it performs.
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  #39  
Old 27-12-2017, 12:13 PM
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Apologies, Peter.

Back on topic: I took the Lite Crawler off the scope just now and had one last attempt at re-homing it before packing it up to send back to Moonlite.

Previously I'd noted that the step count would continue above the total number of steps the focuser has without actually racking the focuser in/out at all. I'd aborted it previously. This time I let it run its course... it continued on for some time, eventually flashing up a message which said "FAULT" with some other info but it disappeared too quickly for me to see what else it said. Looks like it's definitely going back to Ron today.

Looking again more closely at the construction of the focuser I also think it's unlikely that a bug found its way in... maybe possible, but pretty unlikely.
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  #40  
Old 31-12-2017, 06:56 AM
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Just an update of the Lite Crawler with SGP Pro.

The focuser is performing well. Nice symmetrical V curves in good seeing conditions. Also the HFR is very repeatable after moving the focuser all the way in and all the way out then back to the focus position. My previous moonlite focuser wasn't as repeatable as this.

Holds my QSI683 and guider with ease. There is no tilt introduced that I can detect.

I have only used it a few times as I'm waiting for the longer nights down here at 46 south.
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