Who just ordered an AP1600GTO...?

[Marke (Mark)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Actually I am only using the handbox at the moment , I think I will need to start an initialisation from scratch I tried adjusting the time from 12hr clock to 24hr time and I have the time zone offset at 10hrs and daylight savings..? after that I couldn't even move the mount..?

Mike

Check the actual time in the hc is right regardless of DST once you have a pc hooked up it will be much easier. You may just have done a sync at the wrong time so mount not sure where it is. If you start from Park4 everything horizontal then a goto you can center star using the HC and then do a sync and that should fix it .

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Marke

Check the actual time in the hc is right regardless of DST once you have a pc hooked up it will be much easier. You may just have done a sync at the wrong time so mount not sure where it is. If you start from Park4 everything horizontal then a goto you can center star using the HC and then do a sync and that should fix it .

Hmm? yes you are probably right Mark. I had started from park 3 position when the mount was turned on, arbitrarily moved the mount around using the HB while aligning the three scopes and checking out the tracking, guiding, dithering etc Then as I was using Acrux to align the scopes, I just synced on that then did a goto, which was waaay off. I then goto'd back to Acrux which it did bang on and then changed the time in the handbox from 12hr to 24hr and then re synched on Acrux and goto'd again, this time the goto was a little closer but still way off. I turned the HB off and back on and then couldn't move the mount and it wasn't tracking...?

It was late and I was tired so left it for another night to work out

Mike

[Atmos (Colin)]

Glad to hear that it’s stepping closer to first light with the new AP

[Marke (Mark)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hmm? yes you are probably right Mark. I had started from park 3 position when the mount was turned on, arbitrarily moved the mount around using the HB while aligning the three scopes and checking out the tracking, guiding, dithering etc Then as I was using Acrux to align the scopes, I just synced on that then did a goto, which was waaay off. I then goto'd back to Acrux which it did bang on and then changed the time in the handbox from 12hr to 24hr and then re synched on Acrux and goto'd again, this time the goto was a little closer but still way off. I turned the HB off and back on and then couldn't move the mount and it wasn't tracking...?

It was late and I was tired so left it for another night to work out

Mike

Sounds like it got a bit confused . Pk4 is good because you can stick a spirit lvl on the axis RA/DEC and see if its off and then lvl and goto will be very close its a good quick check.

[gregbradley]

I use Sky X and Tpoint.

Once you've setup TPoint correctly it takes about 30 minutes to create a decent model and its accurate polar alignment routine gets the mount almost perfectly polar aligned.

Then with Tpoint active all the gotos are very accurate. Its also handy to have this setup because you can do an accurate slew to the target and the mount will do a plate solve and then move the object dead centre of the image.

Saves time nudging the object bit by bit to centre.

If you are not using the Sky X then this isn't much help.

Doesn't the latest AP control system have a Home Position? With a PME the first thing you do is Home it and now the mount "knows" where it is.

Greg.

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

Woohoo! It's great to hear the mount tracks well and responds quicker than the old trusty NJP

Once I was fiddling with settings and the mount lost its orientation; manually orientating the mount to a known park position and re-initiating the mount from this position fixed it right away.

I like controlling my Mach-1 with APCC Pro - like Sky-X it seamlessly creates pointing models - saves time when chasing faint DSOs for sure.

Having said that, AP's ASCOM driver is probably perfectly sufficient for most imagers to control the mount with any popular Astro software.

What was that thing you said you control your mount with? Hand controller? Need to google that...

[DJT (David)]

Hi Mike

Glad to see if this is up and running.
Setting time and doing the first time setup has some specific steps and will work fine with the handset alone.


Best bet is to go back to initialising the scope for the first time after manually putting the mount into your preferred park position and checking with a spirit level. I use 2 or 4 depending on which site I am at, so I that know both axis are level.


If you are just using the handset at this point, make sure the connection option on the handset is set to N. (See page 12 of the manual)


First though, check page 10 of the manual, setting up.


Whenever you are changing anything to do with time on a location you need to press goto on the handset to save. The amount of times I forgot to do that is unreal. And preferably make these changes in a parked position.


You wrote that you changed time setting to 24 hour clock then tried slewing to an object and it was still out. You would have had to hit goto to save the change, then power down the mount wait a bit then bring it back up and provided you didn’t move the mount after powering down, resume from park or if you did move it, nominate the park position you are resuming from via the new setup option.


Once you have that time setup all done, then goto a star of choice and synch once you have adjusted with the handset.


If you are driving using a PC and still want the HC connected which I do as well, make sure you select Y in the connecton option once you are happy that your setup is right


And then do it all again when daylight savings kicks in ;-)




Enjoy

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Thanks for that Dave

I have printed off what you said and will refer to it, along with the manuals

The NJP with FS2 controller was as simple as turn on, manually point scope at a star, tell FS2 what star it is and viola! Nothing else....no location, date, time, park positions, turn on, turn off, blah blah blah

Mike

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

The NJP with FS2 controller was as simple as turn on, manually point scope at a star, tell FS2 what star it is and viola! Nothing else....no location, date, time, park positions, turn on, turn off, blah blah blah

You can do it Mike

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Thanks for that Dave

I have printed off what you said and will refer to it, along with the manuals

The NJP with FS2 controller was as simple as turn on, manually point scope at a star, tell FS2 what star it is and viola! Nothing else....no location, date, time, park positions, turn on, turn off, blah blah blah

Mike

I don't recall a complicated setup.

I just turn mine on and its good to go no need to sync on a star once setup.

I am using Sky X. Perhaps its simpler. Location, time is already setup in Sky X.

Greg.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Slawomir

You can do it Mike

...yeah I know...I'll get there

Originally Posted by gregbradley

I don't recall a complicated setup.

I just turn mine on and its good to go no need to sync on a star once setup.

I am using Sky X. Perhaps its simpler. Location, time is already setup in Sky X.

Greg.

Of course, once all setup it sounds like it will be a breeze each night...just the initial setup sees me with some anxiety , Hence why I am initially going full handbox control only, like a souped up version of what I had... but I am sure I'll work it all out...

Mike

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Well...got it all working ...more details to come plus hopefully a nice image Took 6 months but better late than never....

Mike

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

Great news Mike. Looking forward to seeing new nice images

[gregbradley]

Good one Mike.

Looking forward to the first light.

Greg.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

After having pulled everything apart for cleaning and then reassembling all the imaging gear up on the AP1600GTO and collimating the AG12 (using Catseye tools), then becoming familiar with the operation of the new mount, it was time for testing the collimation, tracking and guiding.

This is a simple 7 X 5min of Luminace (no flats or darks) using the SXVRH694 through the 1120mm F3.8 Newtonian = 0.83"/pix

The seeing was quite ordinary but all looks reasonably ok..? Some minor star wonkyness is evident, mainly top left and lower right, so a slight collimation tweek may be necessary..?

The tracking is good and the guiding excellent and the dither moves and recentering are very quick, sharp and responsive.

Gotos were a little off, but objects were at least landing somewhere in the 38' X 30' chip field and mostly in the central 50% including large crossing the meridian goto's. I have only polar aligned using the polar scope and my knowledge of the location of the SCP, so a PA tweak would likely improve things.

It was great being able to park the scope and turn it off and then when turned back on, it is ready to start pointing at stuff, no alignment star required, that's cool.

All in all it feels like a more modern, stronger, faster slewing and more responsive improvement on the NJP mount.

I have not routed the cables through the mount but I really probably should, as I have to watch where they are dragging during gotos to avoid them catching on anything or running out of length, which is restricting my northern sky access somewhat at the moment.

After having given me valuable hands free phone instructions/help last Sunday night, Logan Tudor (Logieberra on IIS), came over on WEdnesday night to help me sus out how to get the big beast of a mount to work properly... but as it happened I managed to work it out before he arrived. It was nice to finally meet him though and we had a great night non the less, thanks Logan .

Mike

[Logieberra (Logan)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

...
Gotos were a little off, but objects were at least landing somewhere in the 38' X 30' chip field and mostly in the central 50% including large crossing the meridian goto's.

Nice shot Mike! Did a re-cal on that part of the sky (eg a bright, known star) help any with subsequent faint fuzzy finding? I’m with you on the “park” thing. It was a bit confusing for me at first having come from an SB mount with homing sensors. Nil issue now though. It just works. I think the 1600 will work in beautifully with your no-fuss workflow. Happy days

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Logieberra

Nice shot Mike! Did a re-cal on that part of the sky (eg a bright, known star) help any with subsequent faint fuzzy finding? I’m with you on the “park” thing. It was a bit confusing for me at first having come from an SB mount with homing sensors. Nil issue now though. It just works. I think the 1600 will work in beautifully with your no-fuss workflow. Happy days

I had recaled in virgo, on M104 (should really use a star I know) and a subsequent goto to CenA put it close to centre, then after an hour or so of imaging and fiddling, I did a goto to the Bug nebula and it was very close to centre too

I am sure some PA fiddling will improve things but for what I do, ie normally no more than one target a night, it should be quite adequate.

Mike

[gregbradley]

Not sure when using the hand controller only but when using the Sky X and the AP driver there is a box you need to check to activate the PEC.

Your AP1600 should come with a factory preloaded PEC curve that should be very accurate.

Not sure if you need to check that on with the handbox or if its automatically turned on.

Greg.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Not sure when using the hand controller only but when using the Sky X and the AP driver there is a box you need to check to activate the PEC.

Your AP1600 should come with a factory preloaded PEC curve that should be very accurate.

Not sure if you need to check that on with the handbox or if its automatically turned on.

Greg.

Hi Greg, yep turned that on in the handbox haven't done a before and after comparison but I didn't notice any obvious improvement in guiding..?

Mike

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hi Greg, yep turned that on in the handbox haven't done a before and after comparison but I didn't notice any obvious improvement in guiding..?

Mike

Its been a while since I did mine using PemPro but the resulting PEC curve was pretty much a sine wave.

Without it PE was already very small. I think it was something like 3 arc secs. Perhaps even less. With PEC that goes down to about 1 arc sec which is essentially pretty perfect. I get round stars at 3 metres on a 6 micron sensor and 10 minute exposures. That's with a Sky X TPoint model accurate polar alignment which is also essentially perfect.

If my tracking is off its Polar alignment not the mount. Soils can shift with different weather. Accidentally walking into the mount and bumping it hard can also throw it off so every now and then (like once a year) it may need a new TPoint model and accurate polar alignment. If I get round stars at 3 metres I of course do nothing.

I find its similar in performance to the Bisque PME, perhaps a tad better but hard to notice. Both do the job really well. The AP images past the meridian without a meridian flip so long as you won't hit the pier. The PME stops once you are in the region of the meridian.

Greg.