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  #181  
Old 06-07-2016, 10:23 PM
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cometcatcher (Kevin)
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Great to see you are back in business Dave!
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  #182  
Old 08-07-2016, 10:35 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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Great to see you are back in business Dave!
thanks but i am far from that - i am still struggling to remember where the cables go and how i had things set up.
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  #183  
Old 11-08-2016, 06:21 AM
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h0ughy (David)
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suffering man flu from astrofest, not really well, i did manage to address the dome rotation issue yesterday. it doesn't jam the motor anymore
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Last edited by h0ughy; 19-08-2016 at 04:50 PM.
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  #184  
Old 11-08-2016, 05:42 PM
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alan meehan (Alan)
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Well engineered Dave, soldier on
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  #185  
Old 18-08-2016, 03:50 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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ok now my next problem - maxdome 2 encoder problems.

I connected up the mount and the dome to the computer today. not what i expected.

connection to the titan was ok but the connection to the dome is through a RS232 keyspan usb connection, its set to com3. it does connect it does move the dome but when i went to calibrate it its all over the shop. 107,137, 147, 187. previously it was set to 227. anyhow the connection dropped out so i wiggled the connections and reset them all. initially that seemed to fix the connection issues but i still have encoder count issues?

Last edited by h0ughy; 18-08-2016 at 04:34 PM.
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  #186  
Old 19-08-2016, 02:42 PM
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still have issues with the encoder - probably have to pull the unit off completely and redo, cleaning the sensor or repainting the cog?
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  #187  
Old 19-08-2016, 02:45 PM
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still yet to drift align but I have settled on the configuration to keep solar and deep space imaging set up permanently
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  #188  
Old 17-09-2016, 04:29 PM
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I managed to get some time today and pulled the motor drive off the dome. i cleaned it and used some of my white Subaru forester touchup paint to paint the white bit on the shaft. it worked a treat the dome rotated and counted off 227 ticks twice - happy with that!!

now i have to redo all the calibration dome figures to get the pointing aligning with the mount......

not the worlds quickest build

rain due tonight
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  #189  
Old 17-09-2016, 05:03 PM
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this was the shaft prior to repainting
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  #190  
Old 18-09-2016, 04:54 PM
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I wondered why the clouds came in for the weekend
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  #191  
Old 18-09-2016, 05:01 PM
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I wondered why the clouds came in for the weekend
yeah yeah been doing a bit of tinkering and measuring and it is absolutely bucketing down now
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  #192  
Old 18-09-2016, 05:17 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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ok been doing bit of measuring and finding my centre of existence.

now i did come across a thread a little while ago where someone explained how it should work... must find it again
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  #193  
Old 18-09-2016, 06:53 PM
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g__day (Matthew)
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Look at the last post on page one of http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...hlight=maxdome

That plus the insight that in the Southern Hemisphere folk the East / West dome / mount axis offset must the the opposite sign of what is documented! Once that was done for me the dome slit perfectly tracks the OTAs. For me my parameters are (note using inches):

  • Offset East 4.25" (later discovered this was the error - East should be entered -4.25 for the Southern hemisphere)
  • Offset South -8.25"
  • Dome radius 44.9"
  • Height of mount pivot point below dome -26.5"
  • Height of mount pivot point to scope Optical axis 13.25"
  • Home position sensor Az bearing 130 degrees.
As per my note for users in the Southern Hemisphere for MaxDome II users on the Cyangen forums:



1. After kit fit out - ensure you blow all the dust out, especially around your sensor
2. There are plenty of dome / mount alignment schematics on the web, look one up if you are unsure or the terms used
3. Realise the Az bearings for East / West, North / South offsets, Home and Park positions all refer to Celestial, not Geographic or Magnetic compass bearings
4. Use suspended plumb lines lines plus rotate the dome to ensure the line doesn't move is a great way of checking you have the dome's rotational centre identified, and the big one
5. Reverse the documented sign of the East / West offset if you are in the Southern hemisphere! East is Negative when you are Down Under!
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  #194  
Old 18-09-2016, 07:03 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by g__day View Post
Look at the last post on page one of http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...hlight=maxdome

That plus the insight that in the Southern Hemisphere folk the East / West dome / mount axis offset must the the opposite sign of what is documented! Once that was done for me the dome slit perfectly tracks the OTAs. For me my parameters are (note using inches):

  • Offset East 4.25" (later discovered this was the error - East should be entered -4.25 for the Southern hemisphere)
  • Offset South -8.25"
  • Dome radius 44.9"
  • Height of mount pivot point below dome -26.5"
  • Height of mount pivot point to scope Optical axis 13.25"
  • Home position sensor Az bearing 130 degrees.
As per my note for users in the Southern Hemisphere for MaxDome II users on the Cyangen forums:



1. After kit fit out - ensure you blow all the dust out, especially around your sensor
2. There are plenty of dome / mount alignment schematics on the web, look one up if you are unsure or the terms used
3. Realise the Az bearings for East / West, North / South offsets, Home and Park positions all refer to Celestial, not Geographic or Magnetic compass bearings
4. Use suspended plumb lines lines plus rotate the dome to ensure the line doesn't move is a great way of checking you have the dome's rotational centre identified, and the big one
5. Reverse the documented sign of the East / West offset if you are in the Southern hemisphere! East is Negative when you are Down Under!
EUREKA!!!!!!!!! thanks that's exactly the help i need (well i need other help but that's my wife's point of view )
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  #195  
Old 19-09-2016, 10:32 AM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy View Post
EUREKA!!!!!!!!! thanks that's exactly the help i need (well i need other help but that's my wife's point of view )
Oh no..?..I'd agree with Tania....

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  #196  
Old 02-10-2016, 08:03 PM
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ok need to get things better resolved. i have cut and joined to bits of timber in the middle exactly 225mm so i can fit it within the interior of the dome. i have it now compass n/s, e/w

play stopped due to grand final
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  #197  
Old 04-10-2016, 10:57 AM
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g__day (Matthew)
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That looks a pretty nice set-up! I am sure you have done it but for others reading it might help to state:

1. rotate your dome 90 - 360 degrees and ensure your marked centre - the bolt between your two beams doesn't move on the horizontal plan - meaning you have the exact centre.

2. in your case - then align those beams to Celestial North and South and East and West - those are the offset vector directions you need - so measure your offsets at the same angle as those beams point!

3. If there is a large offset vertically - drop a plumb line from the centre.

4. Measure in mm or inches - but keep it consistent - the offset N/S and E/W from the plumb line to the mounts pivot point - which is the point inside the mount where the RA and Dec axes intersect

5. If you are using TSX - and using a simulator driver vs a native driver (e.g. I use a Meade LX200 - as they don't have a working Vixen SkySensor2000-PC driver) - look under the Display tab and right at the bottom there may be a Driver tab - with a German Equatorial tick box - if there is set it or your offsets will be wrong when you do a Meridan flip.

If you do have The SkyX with Camera, Dome and Tpoint add-on - try Closed Loop Slewing - it is simply amazing!
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  #198  
Old 12-10-2016, 06:24 AM
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well i fixed the camera array from hitting the monitor - bought a vertical monitor stand, and for some creature comfort i got a chair from Aldi which was on special, put that together watching bathurst.

I also got a plumb bob - i managed to get the last one "ever" from bunnings as i was told they wont be stocking these any more with the advent of laser levels and the like.

I am finding it hard t get things done with other issues going on and the weather, i am sick of Mr sidonio sending me all his high cloud
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  #199  
Old 12-10-2016, 07:54 AM
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I also got a plumb bob - i managed to get the last one "ever" from bunnings as i was told they wont be stocking these any more with the advent of laser levels and the like.
Sounds to me that they're running out all the stock in lieu of the new DA they put into council.
I wonder where they're moving to?



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  #200  
Old 12-10-2016, 08:38 AM
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Nice setup, how about a coffee machine and a fridge?

On the monitor stand, can I ask why two? I assume your running two separate computers.
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