Argonavis new firmware

[Starkler]

The long awaited argonavis firmware v2.0 has just been released.

Read about it here:

http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/firmware.html

[Orion]

It's out! you beauty!
I was waiting for this one, thanks for the headsup Geoff.

[Orion]

Has anyone had a chance to try out the new firmware yet?

Reading the manual and it looks like it's got some great new features! One being the TPAS (Telescope Pointing Analysis System)

I've downloaded it into the ArgoNavis and am waiting for the weather to clear up.

[Starkler]

Tpas is what im excited about also. :)

[gary]

Dear Argo Navis Users,

Wildcard Innovations is pleased to announce that Argo Navis
Firmware Version 2.0 is now available for download -
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/firmware_download.html

Edition 8 of the Argo Navis User's Manual can be downloaded
from here.
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/documentation.html

* There are many new exciting features including -

* Wildcard's new TPAS - Telescope Pointing Analysis System.
This includes mount error analysis for one-star and two-star
aligned mounts and an enhanced pointing kernel.

* FROM PLANETARIUM catalog. Allows a GOTO operation commanded
from a planetarium program to appear as a pseudo FROM PLANETARIUM
object entry which the GUIDE display will then allow you to perform
a PUSHTO or to perform a GOTO from a planetarium program when in used
in conjunction from the ServoCat and some planetarium programs.

* Fixes to the satellite orbital element download and improved
satellite tracking

* The Sun as an object (in MODE CATALOGS, SUN/PLANETS)

* SCRATCH OBJECTS (See MODE SETUP, SETUP SCRATCH and
MODE CATALOG/SCRATCH OBJECTS. There are two convenient
scratch objects that you can label with your own name and then
enter the RA and Dec for via the front panel interface.

* SETUP LOCATION Lat & Long can now also be entered in decimal notation

* Extensions to the Meade protocol, including support of GOTO operations
which can be used with the FROM PLANETARIUM catalog.

* Arrows in GUIDE mode can be reversed in SETUP GUIDE MODE

* Uranometria Second Edition and Herald-Bobroff Astroatlas support

* Hickson Galaxy Cluster positions corrected for correct Epoch

* New servocat protocol. Requires new ServoCat Beta firmware.
The new protocol includes horizon and Alt limit checking. Set your
timezone, date, time and location.

* SETUP GOTO menu. To establish upper and lower Alt GOTO limits
and to optionally enable/disable limits audible alarm. Alarm will
sound if GOTO attempted if Argo Navis is not aligned, if Alt of object
is below or above limits or is below horizon.

* ... and much more!

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[gary]

Hi Ed, Hi Geoff,

Great to hear you are excited about TPAS. Thanks for your support.

2005 marks the end of an era. No longer are geometric, flexure and harmonic
errors within the mount a limitation for hand-held digital pointing systems.
TPAS can analyze and compensate for them.

When you consider how these various terms can all be entangled, the job TPAS
does of untangling them is the nearest thing to magic.

Suffice to say, after many years of research and development, we created some very powerful
algorithms and systems for handling what is almost an intractable problem.

TPAS works with all mounts types, both Alt/Az (Dobs) and equatorials.

To boot, if you have an equatorial, it can even compute your polar misalignment
and then assist you in refining your alignment. Much faster than a drift test and
unlike a drift test, it takes into account the other errors within your mount.

And as you know, we are providing Version 2.0.0 including the in-built TPAS
as a gift from us to all our customers. Our way of thanking you for your support.

Highly suggest you read the sections in the User Manual on SETUP MNT
ERRORS on page 115 to get an overview of TPAS. I'll also be posting tips,
answers and the sort over on the Argo Navis Yahoo Group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/argo_navis_dtc/

I am sure both of you will be pleased to know that the most powerful telescope computers
with the most powerful and innovative features continue to be developed right here
in Australia.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.

[danielsun]

Sounds fantastic Gary ,you have made a brilliant device even better!!! ;)