Argo Navis prompt reply.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by tailwag

* Roller bearing wood base

Ron,

If it is the same roller bearing device that came with the 12" dob you'll soon be hurling it over the fence!!!

I took mine out and replaced it with super-sliders. Vast improvement. The roller bearings will make the scope turn in the slightest breeze.

My GS roller bearing now spins my Binocular chair base

[gary]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for your kind comments which I appreciate.

It's 6:59AM here in Flagstaff, then I am off with Andrew Murrell
to have a look at the Grand Canyon, then back to Flagstaff,
fly to Phoenix and then fly to Ontario City in California and then
drive to Big Bear City which should get me there around 1am.
Then up early tomorrow morning to attend RTMC. Wildcard
Innovations will have a booth there in the main vendor's area.
It is Memorial Day weekend so it should be quite a crowd.

Despite it is only a week or so to go to summer here, yesterday
we experienced 32F (that's zero degrees C for you and me) and
snowing here in Arizona.

Once again, thanks for your kind comments.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
Currently in Flagstaff Arizona

[dwyman]

Gary along with Andrew Murrell and John Bambury, were just at the Texas Star Party here in the States. I imagine they are doing some sightseeing before heading back to Oz.

Two years ago we came to Oz for a week of observing in Coonabarabran. About a week before leaving, I asked Gary to bring me a cable for my new ArgoNavis when he joined us there. Instead it was waiting for me in my hotel room in Sydney. Now that's service. When I got to Coona, Gary taught me how to use the Argo and helped cook a meal on the barbie with Andy. Can't wait to see them again in October.

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Ron,

Originally Posted by gary

Thanks for your kind comments which I appreciate.

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
Currently in Flagstaff Arizona

Hi Gary,

Let me clean the slate here so everyone can appreciate the facts. Firstly I don't know Gary from a bar of soap, and the rapid response to my e-mail was true as can be verified by the avalanche of other testimonials from other people I have never met.

The bottom line is, these comments appearing within this thread are genuine, and not put up jobs which is refreshing.

Last night I tried to describe the Argo Navis to my very non-technical, non-astronomical and non-interested wife which I am very careful to do, because I have learned over 32 years when it's best to just shut up

I was actually so excited about it, I gave her a virtual tour of the universe and showed her via my words, how to use the AN and I'll be dammed if she didn't get it, go figure

I honestly can't tell you how excited I am about getting the AN and as I keep repeating, it's at least two months away. This forum really works from the point of peer review, because I have seen forum members tear stuff apart if it doesn't stack up and on the flip side compliment products that are truly worth it.

I have no hesitation whatsoever parting with the dollars for two reasons, as follows:

[1] From the reviews and comments on this thread I honestly believe the product is good and will deliver what I expect.

[2] I absolutely believe in the after sales support based on that initial prompt e-mail reply. The fact (which I didn't know at the time) that the man was in another country, the day before a major trade show and still found time to give me a lengthy reply (a full page), screams of the integrity of the people behind the product, which as far as I'm concerned is the more important of the two points.

As I said right back on the first post, there is no kickback, I'm not related (Heaven forbid on Gary's behalf ), this is just a legit statement of the facts as I see them, and to all the members who truly assisted me in understanding the value of the NA, thank you.

This is forum power in action

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

I took mine out and replaced it with super-sliders. Vast improvement. The roller bearings will make the scope turn in the slightest breeze.

Hi Ken,

Lee Andrews replied already (he is really prompt also), and can't actually tell me the weight at this time. He did say quite a lot which basically boiled down to a type of Deluxe package of accessories and arrangement for the 16" Dob.

Probably in about a month, I will get all the specifications and when I do I'll pass them on through the forum.

I don't know what super sliders are, do you have any info on them or images?

[erick (Eric)]

Super Sliders - This appears to be the relevant thread, Ron:-

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=1959

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Many thanks Eric, only 44 posts in that thread I'll start reading now

Edit: Okay I read that other thread and it's a beauty, thanks to the lads who have been so helpful.

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Hi,

My timeline to buy the Argo Navis system was July this year, but after reading through this thread a couple of times, I cracked, lost control, and have just placed my order.

As you have said, Gary's reply was very prompt and informative.

Cheers

GeoffW1

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

I am so positive about it, I'm tempted to write to Gary again and ask him if there is any point to buying one now and mucking around with it, without a telescope, just to get used to it, if nothing else to be forced to read the 288 page manual

What do you all think, is it something I could just use to look up the interesting data on without actually using it for the purpose it is designed for?

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Actually, I have done a little more research and it would be better if I wait till I get my actual telescope, because the base may or may not be along the usual lines therefore some mods to attaching it may be required.

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by tailwag

I am so positive about it, I'm tempted to write to Gary again and ask him if there is any point to buying one now and mucking around with it, without a telescope, just to get used to it, if nothing else to be forced to read the 288 page manual

What do you all think, is it something I could just use to look up the interesting data on without actually using it for the purpose it is designed for?

Ron, if you are that enthusiastic, you can download the manual from their site right now. I'm trying hard not to look at it - it will be some time before I have a spare $1k available.

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Mate I got the manual last week in PDF format, but reading the 288 pages without the actual device in your hands is probably a little daft, then again, that's probably a good description of me

[erick (Eric)]

Duh! Oops - post #4. I should have remembered. Well I downloaded it tonight and thought "Fantastic!" then I thought "Don't look....must resist....."

Originally Posted by tailwag

Mate I got the manual last week in PDF format, but reading the 288 pages without the actual device in your hands is probably a little daft, then again, that's probably a good description of me

[Tannehill]

We Northern Hemisphere natives really need an Argo, because - unlike the southern sky - most of our DSOs are small and faint and we NEED help finding them.

From other products and postings here and on other forums, I poached the idea and design and improvised a mounting pole for my Argo on my GSO dob. Actually, I hammered out the description as an article and submitted it -with a few pics- as an article a few days back...it might be appearing on the Articles section this week, I dunno, maybe longer b/c my formatting was probably amateurish.

Bunnings near my home had some gear that conveniently needed very little modifications to make it work. Some Al tubing, etc. Had some Teflon pads left over (and the stock pads removed from my GSO dob) and made a rotating top for the pole for the Argo with those and some bolts and lock nut. That, and duct tape, and it wasn't that hard even for (all-thumbs) me, and I'm not kidding about being all thumbs...

It is really nice to have a non-tube mounted place for the Argo. On the tube, however you mount it, the angle kept changing and I'd have to tilt my head to read the display, or move the Argo. I always fret about it falling and breaking...the thing is as expensive as a nice telescope, after all.

But the Argo is a work of art. I was intimidated by that manual, too, but after learning the setup and troubleshooting common issues, really, you need to reference the manual only rarely. Plus, Gary K at Wildcard is a saint when it comes to customer service, and if he's out of touch (rarely) you can get all your answers at the argo_navis Yahoo group...

Scott

[Tannehill]

We Northern Hemisphere natives really need an Argo, because - unlike the southern sky - most of our DSOs are small and faint and we NEED help finding them.

From other products and postings here and on other forums, I poached the idea and design and improvised a mounting pole for my Argo on my GSO dob. Actually, I hammered out the description as an article and submitted it -with a few pics- as an article a few days back...it might be appearing on the Articles section this week, I dunno, maybe longer b/c my formatting was probably amateurish.

Bunnings near my home had some gear that conveniently needed very little modifications to make it work. Some Al tubing, etc. Had some Teflon pads left over (and the stock pads removed from my GSO dob) and made a rotating top for the pole for the Argo with those and some bolts and lock nut. That, and duct tape, and it wasn't that hard even for (all-thumbs) me, and I'm not kidding about being all thumbs...

It is really nice to have a non-tube mounted place for the Argo. On the tube, however you mount it, the angle kept changing and I'd have to tilt my head to read the display, or move the Argo. I always fret about it falling and breaking...the thing is as expensive as a nice telescope, after all.

But the Argo is a work of art. I was intimidated by that manual, too, but after learning the setup and troubleshooting common issues, really, you need to reference the manual only rarely. Plus, Gary K at Wildcard is a saint when it comes to customer service, and if he's out of touch (rarely) you can get all your answers at the argo_navis Yahoo group...

Scott

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Well Scott, if you are all thumbs, I am limbless, I am the worst person when it comes to making things that perhaps ever lived, I guess this is counteracted somewhat by my incredible wit and charm, but that's doesn't help much when it comes to assembling stuff

So, I'm going to take my Dob when it arrives over to Gary personally, I'll take 2 large Pizza's, plus a cold 6 pack of VB and I'm not leaving till he throws his kit on my scope and gets it working

Fortunately I don't live to far away from him, so it's a blessing for me, but you folk in other states, from what I'm told, the kits almost put themselves together, if you have just a tiny amount of ability (unlike me)

[Tannehill]

If I read this thread right, you are getting the new 16" GSO dob? Cool.

The encoder kit installs well on the GSO, yes. Gary does good work. The kit is - obviously - dedicated to the GSO model in question. Since the 16" is a new scope, there may be nuances to the design that require a mod to the encoder kit (thicker ground board, etc) but Gary can use your scope and figure that out!

Gary's encoder kit for the GSO has a very nice high quality center azimuth bolt with a large flange on the underside and the encoder bearing well drilled out. That flange makes it very easy to install the bolt perpendicular to the ground board, but the plastic laminate on the particle board - as you screw in the mounting screws for the flange - wants to worm up and interpose itself between the flange and the board's surface. Unless you pre-drill and also ensure all that plastic laminate debris is all removed before securing the flange, it can lead to non-perpendicular insertion and subsequent precession of the bolt-encoder assembly: the tangent arm will grab.

But Gary knows all about that...he wrote the book, after all.

Yep, having him do it would be worth more than a few pizzas and 6packs.

If you can get him out at night with it, have him build your TPAS model, too. He could probably do that in about 10 minutes, while eating pizza with one hand and drinking beer with the other. Then every object in the known universe will be dead on in your high power EP FOV when you dial it in...

...but then again, perhaps one shouldn't drink and drive...

Scott

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Thanks Scott, a very informative post. Yes the scope arrives in late July and will be available for sale from the 1st August (Horses Birthday, I hope that's not an omen of some sort ), I'm getting it through Lee Andrews.

I am offering it up to Gary to work on it, so that he can make any modifications as you suggested, seeing it will be a totally new scope. Once Gary sorts mine out, he will then add it to his long string of credits and as the telescope becomes popular (due to it's very reasonable price $2,495.00), he will be able to workout a kit for it easily if it in fact does need a few minor modifications.

So now the agonizing wait continues come on August

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Hi

I've just been going through the AN manual and realised that despite it being very large, you really can get it going on just the first 31 pages, so don't be put off by the size of it. I must admit I was a bit intimidated when I downloaded it, but once I realised I did not have to read every single page, I was relieved