SiTech Servo-driven controller for Losmandy G11

[Visionoz]

Hi

My SiderealTechnology servo kit is arriving soon - costs $1200 landed here - see attached pix - and is ready to bolt onto my G11 without drilling any new holes into the mount.
Hopefully it will perform as it's cracked out to be with ASCOM control and also allows me to use kinda "GoTo" with my ArgoNavis unit without needing a lappie/PC for those portable/outdoors trips

Otherwise back to a Gemini2 retrofit!! of course spending more $$$$ - Bah!! I'll just buy another mount eg EM400 then!

Cheers
Bill

[netwolf]

Bill,
Welcome to the club, always good to get more g-11 users. Just in process of taking my gear out of storage and setting it up. Its been 2 years but Chucks new manuals are a godsend. please post ur progress.

Any reason why you did not go Gemini motors or Maxon motors with the sitech?
I must admit I am tempted to switch to pitmans, as they seams more beafier and because you can install them such that they are tucked out of the way under the worm bocks.

Regards
Fahim

[Visionoz]

Hi Fahim

Well I thought everyone else was not using the Maxons either - not that many in the group has anyway

Seems that more than a few here in Oz that's using the same kind of setup

Mine is just arriving this week - maybe Wednesday - from the USPS tracking site it says already into "Foreign Customs" ...

Mine has two very beefy motors (don't know the brand yet) and also geared thru a planetary gearbox/coupling with belt drives.

Yep I'm pretty stoked now especially when my obs too is almost ready - am looking around for a ST11K-style CCD (used one of course to wet my toes so to speak, I'm pretty bored with the DSLR setup) but I'm interested in either the Atik or QHY11 if I'm buying new - it's advantageous when you're semi-retired eh? What I mean is if I need more spoodoolas to buy astro stuff I go out and crank up some work!!

I'll have to drive the Sitech.exe thru a PC/lappie in order to get the Ascom pulse-guide mode, but I'm building the 4049IC breakout box just in case I need to use on-camera autoduiding thru PHD - maybe the wireless handpad/receiver is next purchase, will have to wait and see

Cheers
Bill

[netwolf]

Bill,

4049IC breakout box? I need to look that up. I know I asked about this a while back on the yahoo group a Autoguider port for those that did not have the Wireless handpad. At that time one of the guys was tinkering with the idea based on Dan's reply for a external circuit to add such a port via the handbox controller port. Is that what you mean?

I think i will probably stick with Ascom guiding though makes it simpler just to do it all via Ascom and it seems to work for most users. I can see the use if you were going use th AN controller with it, then you will need it for stand alone operation without laptop.


Regards
Fahim

[Visionoz]

Yep, that's the one mate - yes it came about because you asked about how to parallel a ST4-port with the wired handpad - it's in the "Files" section - I thought Don D was going to get back to you about that one - BTW I'm using that way right now with the G11; as you know that's how with the Losmandy digital drive you get the guide-port and handpaddle tied together since the signals are only 4 lines each with a common ground and that's why the Losmandy unit uses the RJ12 plug/socket (6P6C) - BUT you can't buy any RJ12 6P6C easily here in OZ (mostly its in a RJ12 form-factor but there's only 4 pins in the socket!!) - so I use a RJ45 (your common LAN cable socket/plug which has 8pins/8connectors) with a RJ12 socket cover - that solved the issue and been working with the Losmandy now for about a year that way guiding on-camera with PHD; it even works with MaximDL which I'm learning to use now

No Fahim, I thought this out and hey! even if the AN is used you still need the PC/lappie for running the guiding software!! - so it's a moot point really; you still need the computer to be used and therefore I'll complicate my life less by a) using ASCOM pulse-guidng or b) do it in style by getting the wireless handpad/receiver

HTH
Cheers
Bill

[col]

Hi Bill,

I hope you don't mind me butting into your conversation but I have until recently been successfully autoguiding my SiTech converted Losmandy GM200 with a TV guider wired directly to the buttons on my home built wired hand pad. The STV (and ST4) would work the same but I haven't bothered to try yet. I still use a lap top when using a DSLR because it's the easiest way to blow up images to check focus but it can work without a PC if necessary. The critical thing I have to remember when guiding this way is to switch SiTech to guide mode, otherwise the mount takes off when the guider takes over.

In the field I've been using a SiTech converted Tak EM200 and guide the same way with a QHY5. Of course the QHY5 needs the laptop for power and control so I use it to run the controller with SiTechExe and the Sky6.

Regards,
Col

[Visionoz]

Thanks Col for the information about the standalone guider used in conjunction with the SiTech system - it's early days yet for me as I have some issues to sort out first

Will need to ask for help again probably

Cheers
Bill