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Old 18-02-2014, 08:36 PM
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Logieberra (Logan)
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Preparing for the arrival of an AP mount - any tips?

As the title states.

Any links to drivers, ASCOM stuff, power requirements for GTOCP3 etc?

Any other general, new starter advice to get up and running on arrival?

Cheers,

Logan
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Old 18-02-2014, 09:02 PM
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Lots of useful stuff here: http://www.astro-physics.com/index.h...t/tech_support

Also join up for the Yahoo ap-gto group.

Cheers,
Rick.
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  #3  
Old 18-02-2014, 09:50 PM
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Thanks Ric

I'm already with the group. Lots of 'Park 4-type' talk, and a bit of impatience around APCC release etc.

How do you find the clutches? I hear that even in balance mode, there is still quite a bit of friction? Different to my MX.

Also, I keep reading that balance doesn't matter. The motors just power through?

Cheers.
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Old 19-02-2014, 09:38 AM
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Niiiice, new mount hey? an AP too, can't go wrong Which model and what's going on it...?

Mike
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Old 19-02-2014, 10:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra View Post
How do you find the clutches? I hear that even in balance mode, there is still quite a bit of friction? Different to my MX.

Also, I keep reading that balance doesn't matter. The motors just power through?
Logan,

Yes, there is a bit of friction with the clutches on my AP900 and it has increased over time. The clutch design is different on the AP1100 and AP1600 so YMMV.

Balance doesn't seem terribly critical. I'm several Kg over spec on the AP900 and it doesn't mind if the balance isn't perfect.

Cheers,
Rick.
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  #6  
Old 19-02-2014, 10:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
Niiiice, new mount hey? an AP too, can't go wrong Which model and what's going on it...?

Mike
Thanks Mike. I'm real excited.

AP1600GTO. Rated to 100KG, and that's conservative. I'll add the user installed homing/limit switches down the track, once available in kit form, and in years to come - the high res RESOLUTE encoders from Renishaw on both RA and Dec axis providing superb pointing, the option for unguided work and unbelievably smooth, straight-line PE, in the .1 to .2 realm.

TOA-150 on top, for now, until sold. After that? TBC. I'm building my setup from the ground up, starting with mount. Imaging is the long term goal.

Cheers.
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Last edited by Logieberra; 22-02-2014 at 11:42 PM.
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  #7  
Old 19-02-2014, 11:03 AM
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See "Roland Christen's Sponsor Speech at AIC 2012" on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuI...e_gdata_player
The sound is poor. Turn it up loud.

With the same motors as used on their big mumma 3600GTO El' Capitan, I'm all set!

Last edited by Logieberra; 19-02-2014 at 11:50 AM.
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  #8  
Old 19-02-2014, 11:33 AM
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multiweb (Marc)
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Preparing for the arrival of an AP mount - any tips?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra View Post
As the title states.

Any links to drivers, ASCOM stuff, power requirements for GTOCP3 etc?

Any other general, new starter advice to get up and running on arrival?

Cheers,

Logan
I'd get a lot of kleenex to wipe the drool in anticipation of delivery.
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Old 19-02-2014, 12:02 PM
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I go with Marc, and make sure you have fun, lol.

Leon
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  #10  
Old 19-02-2014, 02:19 PM
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I'd get a lot of kleenex to wipe the drool in anticipation of delivery.
Are APs water (drool) proof? I bet they are, being military grade and all that
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  #11  
Old 19-02-2014, 02:21 PM
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Logieberra (Logan)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickS View Post
Logan,

Yes, there is a bit of friction with the clutches on my AP900 and it has increased over time. The clutch design is different on the AP1100 and AP1600 so YMMV.

Balance doesn't seem terribly critical. I'm several Kg over spec on the AP900 and it doesn't mind if the balance isn't perfect.

Cheers,
Rick.
Thanks Ric. Amazing amount of torque produced by those 13.8v motors!
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  #12  
Old 19-02-2014, 02:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra View Post
Thanks Mike. I'm real excited.

AP1600GTO. Rated to 100KG, and that's conservative. I'll add the user installed homing/limit switches down the track, once available in kit form, and in years to come - the high res encoders from Rainshaw on both RA and Dec axis providing superb pointing, the option for unguided work and unbelievably smooth, straight-line PE, in the .1 to .2 realm.

TOA-150 on top, for now, until sold. After that? TBC. I'm building my setup from the ground up, starting with mount. Imaging is the long term goal.

Cheers.
Oooooh a new, improved and beefed up AP1200

Will it be permanently mounted? I recon the illuminated right angled polar scope is a must have accessory, the polar scope in my NJP is amazingly accurate and is all I have ever used to get within 2' of the pole or better (enough for 10min unguided at around 1200mm FL) in just minutes and I am sure the AP polar scope is just as accurate plus the much better viewing angle would make PA a breeze! Sure beats the complicated PA routines so many PME users seem to have to go through to get accurate PA

Mike
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  #13  
Old 19-02-2014, 03:01 PM
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It'll just work. Nothing to worry about.

If you don't have a native serial port, I suggest keyspan adapters.

DT
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  #14  
Old 19-02-2014, 03:23 PM
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Wow, an AP1600. Sounds awesome.

Can you post your impressions of the mount once you've used it a bit?

That's great there is an upgrade path. I like the sound of the encoders.

Greg.
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  #15  
Old 19-02-2014, 04:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra View Post
See "Roland Christen's Sponsor Speech at AIC 2012" on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuI...e_gdata_player
The sound is poor. Turn it up loud.

With the same motors as used on their big mumma 3600GTO El' Capitan, I'm all set!
During design and pre production, Roland wanted to see how much weigh he could put on the mount and still guide very accurately. Here's over 200 lbs (91kg) of equipment: 2 X 12" astrographs, a 7" refractor and a whole bunch of counter weights, whatever they could scrounge up. I count 11 of them!
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Last edited by Logieberra; 19-02-2014 at 04:25 PM.
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  #16  
Old 19-02-2014, 04:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
Oooooh a new, improved and beefed up AP1200

Will it be permanently mounted? I recon the illuminated right angled polar scope is a must have accessory, the polar scope in my NJP is amazingly accurate and is all I have ever used to get within 2' of the pole or better (enough for 10min unguided at around 1200mm FL) in just minutes and I am sure the AP polar scope is just as accurate plus the much better viewing angle would make PA a breeze! Sure beats the complicated PA routines so many PME users seem to have to go through to get accurate PA

Mike
Yeah, permanently mounted, but I've also got a 10" portable pier to suit.

The 'Sweet 16' replaces the venerable 1200. As he said in the vid, it had to come, to address the needs of users (like you) with very high-res imaging equipment.

Re PA, she comes with a software suite from Ray Gralak, Pempro2 etc. I think there is a neat little PA feature in that, to adjust PA in real time. Otherwise, the PA scope does look nice.
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  #17  
Old 19-02-2014, 04:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidTrap View Post
It'll just work. Nothing to worry about.

If you don't have a native serial port, I suggest keyspan adapters.

DT
Thanks David. Got 2 of them handy. Software Bisque also recommend them for their mounts, from memory.
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  #18  
Old 19-02-2014, 04:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra View Post
. Otherwise, the PA scope does look nice.
If permanent then once aligned all is ok but of you want to go portable at any time (or just don't want to be stuffed with all the software palava) I can thoroughly recommend having a good accurate easy to access polar scope, makes PA very easy, fast and very accurate

Mike
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  #19  
Old 19-02-2014, 04:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
Wow, an AP1600. Sounds awesome.

Can you post your impressions of the mount once you've used it a bit?

That's great there is an upgrade path. I like the sound of the encoders.

Greg.
Will do Greg. Full pics n' vid.

FYI, the AP encoders can also be user installed, in kit form. That's what set this mount apart for me, from the SB ME2. You need to ship that mount back to SB in Colorado for factory install. Shame
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  #20  
Old 19-02-2014, 06:08 PM
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I did have an issue with mine parking in weird positions - turned out I was using an old version of the ASCOM driver. Not sure where I had downloaded it from, but the latest one works perfectly.

DT
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