Argo Navis - if you're happy and you know it clap your hands...

[gary]

Originally Posted by PeterHA

Is the webpage down???
Can't get on it since yesterday, tried different PCs?

Hi Peter,

Yesterday the fixed IP address for the www.wildcard-innovations.com.au
web site changed and we moved the DNS records to different servers.

Whenever the DNS records undergo some change, they take time to
propagate through the DNS severs around the world.

If you still have trouble accessing our web site by 5pm this afternoon,
I would appreciate if you could post here.

We are also in the process of upgrading the server we use for email
and so our email response times are longer than normal at the moment.

We apologize for the inconvenience.


Best regards

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty Ltd
02 9457 9049

[PeterHA (Peter)]

Hi Gary,
The problem persisted only for about 18 hours, I think you update might have caused it.
I had again access by midday they day after I wrote the original posting.
Thanks

[PeterHA (Peter)]

All,
I am a new user and reading the great AN manual gives a lot of information, well written I think.
I have several questions which I have not yet located answers to:

• Does someone know if I can leave AA batteries in the AN compartment and still use the external power cord to run the AN.
• If internal AA batteries get low in charge, is there a low battery warning in the AN? I know I can check in the status.

Thanks for any hints.

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by PeterHA

All,
[*]Does someone know if I can leave AA batteries in the AN compartment and still use the external power cord to run the AN.
[*]If internal AA batteries get low in charge, is there a low battery warning in the AN? I know I can check in the status.[/LIST]Thanks for any hints.

Hi Peter,

You can leave the 4 x "AA" batteries in the unit and run it off an external power source. The Argo Navis has "hot swappable" power switching between sources. I recommend when running on external power that it is a good idea to do this. This way in the event of an external power source failure the Argo Navis will continue to run and not lose any of its settings.

If you go into "Mode Status" and then "Status Power" it will tell you what power source you are running on. If you remove the plug for the external power supply (which switches it to internal power supply) it will tell you the charge status of the internal battery supply.

It is strongly recommended that you remove the 4 x AA batteries when storing your Argo Navis unit as battery failure and leakage can damage the Argo Navis unit.

Cheers
John B

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Hi Peter,

You can leave the 4 x "AA" batteries in the unit and run it off an external power source. The Argo Navis has "hot swappable" power switching between sources. I recommend when running on external power that it is a good idea to do this. This way in the event of an external power source failure the Argo Navis will continue to run and not lose any of its settings.

If you go into "Mode Status" and then "Status Power" it will tell you what power source you are running on. If you remove the plug for the external power supply (which switches it to internal power supply) it will tell you the charge status of the internal battery supply.

It is strongly recommended that you remove the 4 x AA batteries when storing your Argo Navis unit as battery failure and leakage can damage the Argo Navis unit.

Cheers
John B

My advice is,if the unit is always attached to "external power" and there is little or no use of the "Internal power", then remove the batteries.
I have had even the most expensive batteries leak when not being used,because of using the external power.
I had to get my battery compartment replaced by Gary because of this happening.
Batteries were only three weeks old.
Better to be safe than sorry,for the saving of time in putting batteries in when using internal bat mode.
Cheers

[PeterHA (Peter)]

Thanks John and Ron,
All questions answered.
I use rechargeable NiMH AA type, they do not leak and I will run of a large SLA pack most of the time which also service the dew heaters.
Was just worried about what would happen if the NiMH cells are in there and the external power connected.

[Acrab (Victor Martinez)]

Waiting for the new firmware........

[gary]

Originally Posted by Acrab

Waiting for the new firmware........

Hi Victor,

And we are looking forward to seeing you use it.

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

[mbaddah (Mo)]

Last night I had the scope setup and decided to have a go at the AN TPAS feature, just to see how much tracking would improve from the standard 2 star alignment I usually do.

As part of the 2 star alignment i had selected Alpha Centauri and Canopus, which would usually get the object just within my 24mm Panoptic, but hardly ever within my 13mm Nagler let alone 6mm Radian. I followed the AN manual and selected the following 4 stars as part of the TPAS model:

Regulus
Zubeneschamali
Spica
Arcturus

I then opted to compute the model based on the index error for my DOB (see screenshot for output).

I was amazed to see that even with this quick setup, most objects would be within the fov of my 13mm Nagler, and sometimes even 6mm Radian depending on the area of the sky. I had setup the scope on a hilly side of my house, so it probably would have been even more accurate had it been level.

I'll have to experiment a little more with this and sample more stars next time, but I'm really impressed with this feature and not sure why I held out so long from doing it! I highly recommend it for any Argo Navis users out there

[gary]

Originally Posted by mbaddah

Last night I had the scope setup and decided to have a go at the AN TPAS feature, just to see how much tracking would improve from the standard 2 star alignment I usually do.

As part of the 2 star alignment i had selected Alpha Centauri and Canopus, which would usually get the object just within my 24mm Panoptic, but hardly ever within my 13mm Nagler let alone 6mm Radian. I followed the AN manual and selected the following 4 stars as part of the TPAS model:

Regulus
Zubeneschamali
Spica
Arcturus

I then opted to compute the model based on the index error for my DOB (see screenshot for output).

I was amazed to see that even with this quick setup, most objects would be within the fov of my 13mm Nagler, and sometimes even 6mm Radian depending on the area of the sky. I had setup the scope on a hilly side of my house, so it probably would have been even more accurate had it been level.

I'll have to experiment a little more with this and sample more stars next time, but I'm really impressed with this feature and not sure why I held out so long from doing it! I highly recommend it for any Argo Navis users out there

Hi Mohammed,

Thanks for taking the time to post and great to hear you have tried your
hand at a short Telescope Pointing Analysis System (TPAS) run.

A short run like you describe is something that we sometimes do ourselves.
For example, we might volunteer at a public outreach viewing night and
be given a big Dob but not know initially what's its pointing performance
is like. A short TPAS run and putting in place a quick model is often all
that is needed to keep delivering objects on demand all night.

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

[mbaddah (Mo)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Mohammed,

Thanks for taking the time to post and great to hear you have tried your
hand at a short Telescope Pointing Analysis System (TPAS) run.

A short run like you describe is something that we sometimes do ourselves.
For example, we might volunteer at a public outreach viewing night and
be given a big Dob but not know initially what's its pointing performance
is like. A short TPAS run and putting in place a quick model is often all
that is needed to keep delivering objects on demand all night.

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

Hi Gary,

Out of curiosity does TPAS help improve the servocat tracking, or does it only help with slewing to the object?

[gary]

Originally Posted by mbaddah

Hi Gary,

Out of curiosity does TPAS help improve the servocat tracking, or does it only help with slewing to the object?

Hi Mohammed,

As you are probably aware, Argo Navis performs all the tracking rate
calculations on behalf of the ServoCAT.

On a big Dob like yours, which is an alt/az mount, the tracking rates
are continually changing on each axis.

Tracking is simply the first differential of pointing - that is, pointing
as a function of time.

So the corrections TPAS makes helps with tracking.

However, having said that, the nature of systematic mount pointing
errors are that they are "continuous", as opposed to abrupt,
as you move across the sky and their magnitude and direction only
tends to change slowly.

So once corrections are made to pointing, the influence those corrections
make out at that first differential of tracking also tend only to
be small.

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

[mbaddah (Mo)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Mohammed,

As you are probably aware, Argo Navis performs all the tracking rate
calculations on behalf of the ServoCAT.

On a big Dob like yours, which is an alt/az mount, the tracking rates
are continually changing on each axis.

Tracking is simply the first differential of pointing - that is, pointing
as a function of time.

So the corrections TPAS makes helps with tracking.

However, having said that, the nature of systematic mount pointing
errors are that they are "continuous", as opposed to abrupt,
as you move across the sky and their magnitude and direction only
tends to change slowly.

So once corrections are made to pointing, the influence those corrections
make out at that first differential of tracking also tend only to
be small.

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

Thanks Gary for the explanation

[gary]

Though May was abnormally warm here in Sydney (the warmest on record),
observing at this latitude at this time of the year can always give the
cold weather clothing a good work-out.

However, spare a thought for customers such as Kelly C, who in an email
to me today wrote -

Originally Posted by Kelly

I'm the guy from Whitehorse, Yukon in northern Canada. We met at the SPSP in 2010 where I bought an Argo Navis from you, which now lives happily on a Discmount DM4 guiding an NP101 around the sky at temperatures down to minus 35C.

With temperatures like that, suddenly what we take for cold here starts to feel warmer.

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]

Wildcard Innovations were a sponsor at the IceInSpace Astrocamp (IISAC)
held 24th - 26th April 2014.

Congratulations to Frederick S., lucky Argo Navis discount prize winner at
the event.

Frederick has just installed an Argo Navis system on his 12" Meade Lightbridge.

We hope the weather clears soon so you can give it a try.

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

[mbaddah (Mo)]

I noticed yesterday when performing a 2 star alignment and selecting "Rigel Kent", I would get a message saying "Too close to the horizon" yet it was easily over 50 deg in altitude? I wonder if it's because too close to the pole?

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by mbaddah

I noticed yesterday when performing a 2 star alignment and selecting "Rigel Kent", I would get a message saying "Too close to the horizon" yet it was easily over 50 deg in altitude? I wonder if it's because too close to the pole?

Strange, I have had an ARGO NAVIS for about ten years and never seen that before.
Cheers

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by mbaddah

I noticed yesterday when performing a 2 star alignment and selecting "Rigel Kent", I would get a message saying "Too close to the horizon" yet it was easily over 50 deg in altitude? I wonder if it's because too close to the pole?

Hi Mo,

Did the Argo perform normally other than the issues with "Rigel Kent" as an alignment star?

I can only think of 2 possibilities, I am sure Gary will have others.

1) The Argo didn't perform as it should have on other targets and the encoder is slipping or is faulty, either through a cable, connection or encoder fault. You can test this with a mode encoder test, as explained in the user manual.

2) You inadvertently selected Rigel from the star menu as opposed to Rigel Kent

Cheers,
John B

[mbaddah (Mo)]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Hi Mo,

Did the Argo perform normally other than the issues with "Rigel Kent" as an alignment star?

I can only think of 2 possibilities, I am sure Gary will have others.

1) The Argo didn't perform as it should have on other targets and the encoder is slipping or is faulty, either through a cable, connection or encoder fault. You can test this with a mode encoder test, as explained in the user manual.

2) You inadvertently selected Rigel from the star menu as opposed to Rigel Kent

Cheers,
John B

Hi John,

I'll try it again tonight and take note of what you say. I did notice it didn't like Spica as part of the 2 star alignment. Strange as I've never had this issue before. I have the scope on a slight slant in my yard so it could be playing havoc.

Strange, I have had an ARGO NAVIS for about ten years and never seen that before.
Cheers

I'm not surprised the AN is such a well built kit. I'm 99% confident it's a human error

[gary]

Originally Posted by mbaddah

I noticed yesterday when performing a 2 star alignment and selecting "Rigel Kent", I would get a message saying "Too close to the horizon" yet it was easily over 50 deg in altitude? I wonder if it's because too close to the pole?

Hi Mohammed,

Thanks for the post and I hope you have been keeping well.

From the report of the message you received, I can deduce that you
were not performing a two-star alignment using MODE ALIGN or
MODE ALIGN STAR at the time.

Instead you would have received the message during a TPAS sampling
run.

You would have been in either the MODE CATALOG, MODE IDENTIFY
or MODE TOUR menus.

The display would have been showing "RIGEL KENT" in the top line
and GUIDE with the guide direction arrows in the bottom line.

You then have pressed ENTER.

The display would have prompted "SAMPLE MNT ERR?". You then
would have pressed ENTER. The display then said "TOO NEAR HORIZON".

If you had intended to perform an alignment rather than a TPAS sample,
you should use the MODE ALIGN or MODE ALIGN STAR functionality.

If you never intend to take TPAS samples, dial up MODE SETUP,
SETUP MNT ERRORS, ACQUIRE DATA -> OFF.

If you had intended to perform some TPAS sampling - and that in
itself can be a good thing to do - then I can further deduce that
your location in SETUP LOCATION has in all probability not been
correctly set. In particular your latitude will likely be too far
north of your actual location. If I were a betting man I would guess
that it is still at the factory default setting of NOWEHERE, ATLANTIC
which is at 0 degrees latitude and 0 degrees longitude.

When performing TPAS sampling, Argo Navis uses your location
setting to determine the distance the object is from the horizon.
If it is below the horizon and you attempt to sample it, Argo Navis
will warn BELOW HORIZON. If it is less than 10 degrees above the
horizon, Argo Navis will warn TOO NEAR HORIZON.

Argo Navis, by design, will not provide horizon warnings when you
perform a MODE ALIGN or MODE ALIGN STAR operation.

I recommend you check your SETUP LOCATION setting and whilst you
are at it, also check your SETUP DATE/TIME setting. Once you have
correctly established these, we also recommend you switch SETUP
REFRACTION to ON.

If you require further assistance, please don't hesitate to email.

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