New observatory - Page 13

oska (John) · #**241** 21-09-2022, 09:20 AM

Good stuff Alex.
All the code you will need is already written and available, I'll compile you a list of useful projects shortly.
There are a heap of simple Arduino learning projects. There should be a ton that come with the IDE from memory. Work with the "blink" sketch first, play with it to get the feel. Other examples will include relays & end-stops etc.
With a genuine intent to learn, the only stupid question is an un-asked question.

xelasnave · #**242** 21-09-2022, 10:52 AM

This what they sent me and no instructions.

oska (John) · #**243** 21-09-2022, 12:40 PM

You have
bread board & hook-up wires (used to easily make circuits - bit flakey sometimes coz of the friction connections. good for prototyping)
remote control & receiver, silver bag I think - cant tell. (not needed for now)
clear bag of LEDS and other LED matrix's (not needed)
clear bag of potentiometers and a buzzer (not needed)
resistors (useful for pull ups)
battery holder (not needed)

main board and USB - start with these
the board has an onboard LED that works wit the blink sketch.

xelasnave · #**244** 21-09-2022, 09:37 PM

Yes but there are no diagrams or instructions....

The new wheels.

Alex

oska (John) · #**245** 22-09-2022, 12:37 AM

The instruction are online https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide
I haven't tried the "web editor".
The examples https://docs.arduino.cc/built-in-examples/

start with "blink" which is basic pin manipulation and go from there

Once you get your head around it it will seem easy

xelasnave · #**246** 22-09-2022, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oska

The instruction are online https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide
I haven't tried the "web editor".
The examples https://docs.arduino.cc/built-in-examples/

start with "blink" which is basic pin manipulation and go from there

Once you get your head around it it will seem easy

Thank you very much John.

I will get to it as soon as possible...needing the wheels machined may be a blessing as it will slow things down a little...all this at a time where something else in my life is going crazy ...but it is fun to get up early and have ever minute of the day planned...today is all astronomy..another tri pier set up..but not sure if other projects can be addressed but if I can get that pier set up complete then all three scopes will have solid bases...one project complete can't be a bad thing...but the day I nail this double winch drum will be the best day of my life..so simple but so time consuming...

Hopefully a guy calls today to fix my 4 wheel drive as I have some projects that need it in the mix.

Thanks for your support in general but specifically with this Arduino thing as given I have no experience in this area having you on side will be the key to me making a success of it...I really am looking forward to learning in this area.

Anyways it's off to work now.

Alex

oska (John) · #**247** 22-09-2022, 10:48 AM

No worries mate. If you get stuck or confused or whatever just gimme a hoy.

xelasnave · #**248** 23-09-2022, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oska

No worries mate. If you get stuck or confused or whatever just gimme a hoy.

Hoy hoy hoy

My assistant came over yesterday to put in the second tri pier and bought with him his collection of Arduino and bits..sensors..something that ran music..all sorts of things to help me comprehend the game..he also had his lap top and showed me the programming aspect..he changed a flashing led light from one milsec to two milsec...very impressive.

.but I got to see a "scetch" ( Arduino jargon for a program I believe) but most exciting of all he looked at my box of bits that caused me grave disappointment and openned a little packet to show me that I did indeed have a board..in the kit the was a bread board ( an empty piece of material with holes that you add bits to create something ) which I thought was my Arduino in waiting...and he even connected it up to his lap top with the cable from my kit...so I have learnt stuff that I don't even realise I have learnt.

He is an electronics geek and is just so excited that I want to learn...and with him and you John I have a chance ...can you teach an old dog new tricks is on the line here..I hope you can.
Alex

oska (John) · #**249** 23-09-2022, 01:12 PM

Sorry mate, it's hard to know what you don't know until you know it

You need to load that blink sketch onto it yourself via your laptop.
Open the sketch in the IDE (arduino program).
Select your board type and com port from the tools menu.
The arrow button will compile the sketch (code) and upload it to the board. You can see if there was a problem in the log at the bottom.
Then play with the values and get a feel for the "setup" and "loop" concepts.
Then you can add an LED and resistor from your kit (you'll insta-kill the LED without a resistor). To calculate the resistor value: http://ledcalc.com/ you'll need about 270ohms (red-purple-brown+gold/silver) hook em up on the breadboard (push the legs of the LED and resistor into the holes of the breadboard paying attention to it's internal connections - use the hookup wires to connect that to an appropriate pins on the arduino) Be sure the LED is around the right way or it wont light up (wont hurt it though to be backwards) and configure the sketch to use the different pin.

NB there are so many important concepts I've glossed over or skipped completely for brevities sake so do yourself a favour and read through the docs above first.

xelasnave · #**250** 24-09-2022, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oska

Sorry mate, it's hard to know what you don't know until you know it

You need to load that blink sketch onto it yourself via your laptop.
Open the sketch in the IDE (arduino program).
Select your board type and com port from the tools menu.
The arrow button will compile the sketch (code) and upload it to the board. You can see if there was a problem in the log at the bottom.
Then play with the values and get a feel for the "setup" and "loop" concepts.
Then you can add an LED and resistor from your kit (you'll insta-kill the LED without a resistor). To calculate the resistor value: http://ledcalc.com/ you'll need about 270ohms (red-purple-brown+gold/silver) hook em up on the breadboard (push the legs of the LED and resistor into the holes of the breadboard paying attention to it's internal connections - use the hookup wires to connect that to an appropriate pins on the arduino) Be sure the LED is around the right way or it wont light up (wont hurt it though to be backwards) and configure the sketch to use the different pin.

NB there are so many important concepts I've glossed over or skipped completely for brevities sake so do yourself a favour and read through the docs above first.

Thanks John ...I have to find the time...and I will somehow..I will start getting up before I go to bed.

Alex

xelasnave · #**251** 24-09-2022, 07:11 PM

Progress report.

At about this time yesterday I started adding concrete to the piers and star pickets on the ground connecting the three piers..managed eight bags last night..I got up at 4 am and was able to start at 6 am and added a other 8 bags of concrete...then had a rest for breakfast and meds then went to town and bought another eight bags of concrete plus 10 short star pickets to give everything a bigger footprint ..all up 11 short ones and 12 big ones....added 6 more bags and kept two bags in reserve to go in the centre after what is there dries.jt has to be dry so I can drag the remaining two bags to the central area...however I think it is all ok and finished really even without the additional two bags
Pretty happy with it..it is ruff because I skipped form work which I think will actually work better...but it will do the job..that's about 450 kg with many star pickets grabing to soil.... and only for the 80mm on an eq5...but the RASA can go on it as I used the same measurements.

But best of all I feel great..no pain ..yet..and it looks clear outside...I did not think I would be this fit.. but the fact is most of the work was on my belly so it gave my feet a good rest.

Alex

Startrek (Martin) · #**252** 25-09-2022, 07:07 AM

Alex,
That’s a mammoth effort all things considered
Working on your stomach is a killer on your neck and arms too
Doing it the hard way is how great things are achieved
To set my 225mm pipes at the correct orientation for true south and tripod leg spacing ( 897mm ) I cut a triangle template out of white corflu and marked a centre line with texta, worked a treat ( I kept the template for posterity, it’s in my garage )

Well done !!
Best
Martin

glend (Glen) · #**253** 25-09-2022, 09:36 AM

I recall that when building my footing and pier, in a manual labour fashion similiar to yours (with lots of rebar and star posts), it dawned on me that nothing short of a nuclear strike on my observatory, or the expanding Sun, is ever likely to remove that concrete. I have a contingency plan, should I or my children ever sell the house, the pier can be converted to a Bird Bath by the addition of a top dish (And I actually already have one from Bunnings sitting at the rear of my block).
Pity the unsuspecting future buyer who might try to remove it.

Startrek (Martin) · #**254** 25-09-2022, 12:00 PM

When I’m gone , the kids or grandkids will sell the holiday home with Dome and equipment already sold and removed , sell the property with the Obs deck as a backyard Sundeck and BBQ area , just need some timber pucks to fill the 3 pier holes ,easy

The concrete piers and footings underneath would require dynamite to bust it all up and allow to remove the debris in wheel barrows

I thought of the future when I’m gone and kids want to sell the holiday house gets sold

I may even sell the Dome and gear beforehand to make it easier for them

LonelySpoon (Neville) · #**255** 25-09-2022, 01:32 PM

I made my pier/footings big enough to fit the legs of the EQ8 - 30 bags+ rocks & rebar below ground, 20 bags above ground. (I didn't have the genius to think of one mini-pier for each foot!)

It too is now part of the planet and not going anywhere in a hurry.

Nothing beats a firm foundation. It would literally stop a tank, come the revolution.

Neville
LSO

oska (John) · #**256** 25-09-2022, 03:27 PM

That's gumption for ya.

Crater101 (Warren) · #**257** 25-09-2022, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

But best of all I feel great..no pain ..yet..and it looks clear outside...I did not think I would be this fit.. but the fact is most of the work was on my belly so it gave my feet a good rest.

Alex

That's probably the best part of the description. Well done! I forget who it was that said it, but there's a quote out there that says "Heroism is endurance, for one moment more!"

A heroic effort mate.

EDIT: The quote comes from George F. Kennan, American Historian (1904-2005)

xelasnave · #**258** 26-09-2022, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Startrek

Alex,
That’s a mammoth effort all things considered
Working on your stomach is a killer on your neck and arms too
Doing it the hard way is how great things are achieved
To set my 225mm pipes at the correct orientation for true south and tripod leg spacing ( 897mm ) I cut a triangle template out of white corflu and marked a centre line with texta, worked a treat ( I kept the template for posterity, it’s in my garage )

Well done !!
Best
Martin

That's why laying the fake wood floor was such a killer...after the first four stripes I regreted it but had to go on...but my trouble is once down I need something to hold on to to get back up...for this job I had a star picket stuck in one of the bearers so I could slither to it and get up...
I was looking at it late yesterday and feel a sense of achievement cause it looks mammoth now that all the piers are all there.

Alex

xelasnave · #**259** 26-09-2022, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonelySpoon

I made my pier/footings big enough to fit the legs of the EQ8 - 30 bags+ rocks & rebar below ground, 20 bags above ground. (I didn't have the genius to think of one mini-pier for each foot!)

It too is now part of the planet and not going anywhere in a hurry.

Nothing beats a firm foundation. It would literally stop a tank, come the revolution.

Neville
LSO

You could take it out and replace it with three piers...heck it wouldnt take much

You make me feel guilty for not adding rock...I suppose I could add rock.

I was imaging with the RASA last night for a while..pre pier I could not be in the observatory when imaging as just coughing ( which I do a fair bit cause of my condition) had the stars all over the place..last night I noticed no effect when I slam the door closed..says it all.
Happily the EQ8 and the EQ 5 can use the same piers and given this last set up is even more robust than the first I may place the eq 8 on it...for various reasons there is a better view in that corner.
Alex

xelasnave · #**260** 26-09-2022, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crater101

That's probably the best part of the description. Well done! I forget who it was that said it, but there's a quote out there that says "Heroism is endurance, for one moment more!"

A heroic effort mate.

EDIT: The quote comes from George F. Kennan, American Historian (1904-2005)

Thanks ...it is not that much really I just dramatize things in an effort to encourage others who are worse off.
But sincerely thank you when things get a bit too much I will remember your words..always.

Alex