DIY - Automated Polar Alignment

[Poita (Peter)]

Very cool, I tried this a few years ago on an EQ6, but had trouble with the motors.
I'd be keen to try this on the G11.

[netwolf]

Any update on this?

[clertem (Mathieu)]

Where did you purchase your worm and worm gears ?

I know about sdp-si based in the US, their prices sometimes are quite high, and shipping fees are also consequent...

Thanks
Mat

[Paul Haese]

I can see this being adapted by companies that make mounts as a means of put the scope down and doing auto PA and doing it in minutes. It would need to access time, plate solving and software to inform if the whole mount needed picking up and moving. It would need an interface with Pempro or Alignmaster too. A fairly involved exercise but certainly would mean just setting up with a good compass and just as darkness falls you would be setup in minutes.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Paul

If you can plate solve, why would you need alignmaster or PEMPro etc.?
I was planning on just using drift align techniques with my wedge,
but if you can plate solve then its ( possibly ) much easier.
Ie my thoughts were you probably wouldnt even need the scope running
Just declutch and point to HA = -6, take a shot ( DEC1)
now manually swing in RA only to HA = +6 and take a shot ( DEC2 )
now manually swing in RA only to HA = 0 and take a shot. ( DEC3 )
By not doing a goto slew or touching the DEC axis, we "should" get three results with a common DEC if we are aligned.
The delta between DEC1 and DEC2 gives us twice the true error for the Az error and the delta between ( DEC1 + DEC2 ) /2 and DEC3 gives the error in Alt.
It should be trivial to then run a stepper to adjust by the measured amount????

Andrew

[RobF (Rob)]

Wonder if you could even good a step further and make micro adjustments for different zones of the sky, depending on guiding variations (e.g. atmospheric refraction variations, payload or mechanical sag).
Biggest advantage definitely just setting up portable rigs.

I really just need a PME and a servant.

[OzEclipse (Joe Cali)]

Originally Posted by clertem

Where did you purchase your worm and worm gears ?

I know about sdp-si based in the US, their prices sometimes are quite high, and shipping fees are also consequent...

Thanks
Mat

Hi Mat,


TELESCOPE WORM DRIVES

Look for reviews of these products before buying - some are better than others!

Byers Engineering
Sadly - out of business

GoTo & Tracking Systems
http://www.gototelescopes.com/gears.htm


AEROQUEST MACHINING
Precision Worm Gear Drives for Telescope Control and Tracking
http://www.aeroquest-machining.com/


Mathis
http://www.mathis-instruments.com/Products/Gears.html


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SMALL WORMS AND GEARS

1. Rush Gears
http://www.rushgears.com/Tech_Tools/...pe=WORM%20GEAR


2. SDP-SI
http://www.sdp-si.com/


3. Small Parts Inc
http://www.smallparts.com.au/store/categories/


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GEARBOXES AND MOTORS

1. RS-online
http://au.rs-online.com/

2. Element 14
http://au.element14.com
> Automation and Process Control > Motors and drives
> Fasteners and Mechanical > Gears

[Paul Haese]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Gday Paul

If you can plate solve, why would you need alignmaster or PEMPro etc.?
I was planning on just using drift align techniques with my wedge,
but if you can plate solve then its ( possibly ) much easier.
Ie my thoughts were you probably wouldnt even need the scope running
Just declutch and point to HA = -6, take a shot ( DEC1)
now manually swing in RA only to HA = +6 and take a shot ( DEC2 )
now manually swing in RA only to HA = 0 and take a shot. ( DEC3 )
By not doing a goto slew or touching the DEC axis, we "should" get three results with a common DEC if we are aligned.
The delta between DEC1 and DEC2 gives us twice the true error for the Az error and the delta between ( DEC1 + DEC2 ) /2 and DEC3 gives the error in Alt.
It should be trivial to then run a stepper to adjust by the measured amount????

Andrew

For an automated system my thinking is that the camera would take a shot near the meridian and the ecliptic, plate solve that and then watch a star in that field then move to another star plate solve that and then determine what the error is and move the azimuth and altitude axis, then do a repeat to confirm.

I suppose only using Align Master with some subsequent software to make the adjustments would work too.

Tpoint does a similar thing which tells you how much to move and if it could be moved for you rather than having to do it yourself it would mean installation in remote locations could be just install and do the rest by remote. Similarly in mobile systems this would work the same.