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Thanks here's the scoop on my older Parallax HD 150:
"Parallax Model HD 150, Includes digital setting circles with JMI NGC-Max computer. Drive is Losmandy digital with hand controller(with all features typical of Losmandy mounts that use the same drive controller). Mount features tapered Timken roller bearings, 7.5" diameter 359 tooth gears with mating 440 stainless steel worms on both axes, conical housings, 1.5" shafts, adjustable clutch tension on both axes, and detachable stainless counterweight shaft with multiple stainless steel counterweights with brass inserts, 6" diameter Porter slip ring setting circles on both axes. Payload rating-120lbs. Weight: 68lbs, and breaks down into 40lb dec axis with platform and 28lb RA axis. Counterweight shaft is 10lbs. Photographic payload capacity 120 lbs"
Here's the section of the Gemini manual that piqued my interest.
"1.3.1 Gemini Supports Custom Mounts
In addition to support for Losmandy and Mountain Instruments mounts, Gemini L4 now
supports custom mounts. The user can setup the main parameters of his mount: the gear
ratios and direction of spur gear and worm gear and the servo motor encoder resolution.
The step resolution can reach from 0.1 arcsec per step (servo motor encoder tick) up to
2.5 arcsec/step. Resolutions can be set independently for RA and Dec. axes.
With this new feature, Gemini can be retrofitted to many German Equatorial Mounts, for
example mounts with 359:1 Byers gears, Vixen or Astrophysics mounts. Existing servo
motor/encoder combinations can often be used, eliminating the need for mechanical
adapting the Gemini motor assembly, although custom cables will be necessary."
I'll definitely take your advice on the ASCOM driver, I want to be able to park this and maintain my goto ability when I power up and also save any mount modeling I do. I have a Mewlon 250 with ED in baffle corrector and I haven't looked through it in 3 years. Hopefully next weekend, I'm having a concrete pier poured on Tuesday so the mount will be set up permanently.
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