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Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

fernandorivera3
 

I do not have park 5 either on my keypad from July 2009, this was made well before park 4 & 5 as well as APCC different versions came out. I do see park 4 on my screen which followed the download of 4.19.3 firmware- I believe. 
Also my CP box is GTOCP3, not the current CP4 or newest CP5.

Fernando

Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Mike Dodd
 

On 9/21/2021 10:32 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
I think I generally only used “resume from park” on the initial startup.
Initially that was Park 1, until George said to use Park 3. So, from
that point forward I would resume from Park 3.
I think the best thing to do is Resume From Last Parked. If I've loosened the clutches, I use a park position that puts the CWT shaft and the OTA both horizontal. These are 1 (obsolete), 4, and 5.

I store the mount in Park 1 so it will fit in the shed. Perhaps I can
try Park 4 or 5 to store it. I will first try resuming from Park 4 or 5
but if that doesn't work, I will just start from Park 3 by manually
placing it there by hand if necessary after slewing to Park 3.
I'm sure you know that Park 4 and 5 are the same, with the OTA pointing in opposite directions. Hopefully one of those will work for you.

A-P told me how to resume from a Park position:
1. With the scope set up, loosen the clutches, then command a Park to the desired position.
2. Wait until the motors stop, then turn off mount power.
3. Physically adjust the mount to the correct position using reference marks or a level (I use a level because my 1200 has no marks).
4. Tighten the clutches, and power-up the mount.
5. Command a Resume From Last Parked. If you don't have that option, resume from the position you parked the mount in step 1.

Is your mount connected to a computer? If so, the ASCOM driver gives you access to Park 5 and Resume From Last Parked if your keypad doesn't have those.

As to if the weights were pointed upwards,
I did not notice them pointing up but if it was by a small amount I may
not have seen it.
RA tracks at 15 degrees per hour (3600 seconds), so if it takes just several seconds for the CWT shaft to become "up," that angle will be less than 0.02 degrees. You'll never notice that! :-)

I am interested to try Roland’s suggestion. I think I may have to update
my keypad to get Park 5
Do you have a computer? The ASCOM driver has park 5. Get the A-P utility called APJog, and use that to connect to the mount. Connecting launches the ASCOM driver, and you can use its windows to setup the mount, slew it, and park it any of the five positions. Very handy!

I haven't used my (old) keypad for a long time -- just APJOG and the ASCOM driver.

--- Mike
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

psparkman@...
 

Luca Marinelli,

How do you set your Telescope Sync Behavior in SGP?  I am using Target Offset.
Re: Rain Event Impact on Mount CP

Bill Long
 

I have faith in the cable being the problem. I'll buy Chris a beer if it isnt. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Chris White <chris.white@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 7:59 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Rain Event Impact on Mount CP
 
Thanks Roland. 

Looks like I'll have the new Y cable Friday, so I'll test it out this weekend.  Fingers crossed. 

Re: Rain Event Impact on Mount CP

Chris White
 

Thanks Roland. 

Looks like I'll have the new Y cable Friday, so I'll test it out this weekend.  Fingers crossed. 
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

psparkman@...
 

Thanks Ray.  Yes, I am really bummed to not have the scope set up tonight while it is a very clear night (except for the moon) here in San Diego.  We are having concrete work done and I set up my scope on the patio.  Oh well.

I think you are on to something Ray.  I had a 1 minute past the meridian delay set in SGP, and it properly instigated the pier flip at that time and shows that it thinks the scope is 0.25 degrees past the meridian (1 minute).  However, it is based off of the offset it calculates from the plate solve.  So, it might be the case that with the offset error between SGP's actual plate solve and the coordinates that the mount model thinks it is located the mount thinks that it is slewing to coordinates that are still on the west side of the pier.  So it is not the delay from the safety slew, but rather the difference between where the mount thinks it is and the actual coordinates from the plate solve causing the mount to stay slewed on the west side of the mount.  Now I just need a way to give myself some more tolerance between the pier flip coordinates and the coordinates that will force the mount to flip rather than slew.

Now how to set up the proper offsets to ensure that I don't have this problem.  I see that I should probably sync the mount model each night near where I anticipate the flip to occur so I get a more accurate mount position.  
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Thomas Giannaccini
 

Mike,
I received an email from Roland telling me to use Park 3, 2 and 5. So I will try that. 

I think I generally only used “resume from park” on the initial startup. Initially that was Park 1, until George said to use Park 3. So, from that point forward I would resume from Park 3. 

I store the mount in Park 1 so it will fit in the shed. Perhaps I can try Park 4 or 5 to store it. I will first try resuming from Park 4 or 5 but if that doesn't work, I will just start from Park 3 by manually placing it there by hand if necessary  after slewing to Park 3.

In terms of waiting, I never timed it but I never went immediately to a target, I didn’t realize there was a time crunch. I did read the manual but I think it takes a few iterations for it to all sink in. 

What was confusing is that some Park attempts would end with the OTA in very odd positions. So it wasn’t a small margin of error as if the difference was based on movement from tracking; there were many times it wasn’t even in the ballpark. As to if the weights were pointed upwards, I did not notice them pointing up but if it was by a small amount I may not have seen it.

I am interested to try Roland’s suggestion. I think I may have to update my keypad to get Park 5. 

I try not to bog the forum with beginner questions, I only really ask when my attempted solutions don’t seem to work at all.

Thank you for your help,

Tom




On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 6:56 PM Mike Dodd <mike@...> wrote:
On 9/21/2021 8:37 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
> When I try to attain Park 4 by slewing to it then
> manually adjusting, it throws the other Park positions off.

After you manually adjust the mount in Park 4, what do you do next? Do
you "Resume From Last Parked?"

> ...when the mount is in Park 1 and slews to Park 4 which way
> is the main objective of the OTA supposed to swing? South or North?

In Park 1, the OTA is horizontal pointing north. In Park 4, the OTA is
horizontal pointing south.

The issue with Park 1, as pointed out by A-P, is that as soon as you
unpark, the mount is tracking, and after only a few seconds, it believes
the counterweight is up, which can be bad. From the keypad manual: "Park
1 is only seconds away from tracking into a counterweight-up status and
slews from Park 1 to western objects may cause the scope to point toward
the ground when beginning the slew."

How long do you wait after unparking from Park 1 before you slew to a
sky target? I usually do that immediately, as quickly as I can pick a
target. I have never had a problem unparking from Park 1 if I'm quick to
slew  to an east target. But, again, Park 4 where I level the mount and
OTA if necessary. (Actually, I will use Park 5 in the future because
that doesn't stretch my imaging cables as much as Park 4.)

--- Mike


--- Mike







--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Roland Christen
 

You must have an old version of the mount. For several years now we include reference marks on the side of the axis in 4 places on each axis. Allows easy mechanical alignment. You can make your own with a piece of tape and a sharpie.

If anyone has a picture handy, please post it showing the marks. I have to head home now (it's late and I'm pooped). Will pick up tomorrow. Maybe I'll do a series of photos showing how to do a quick easy setup based on the park positions below. Seems like this is a never ending question and a source of confusion.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Giannaccini <tgiann3@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 8:50 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Roland,
A follow up question:
There is no Park 5 available in my Park list. I'm assuming this means I need to update the Keypad software?
The DEC and RA axis reference marks...all I remember seeing are the Altitude ticks on the side of the RA axis, but I will look for other markings.
I did see your other email and, yes, I was moving the mount by loosening the clutches and manually moving the mount by hand. But I was using Park 1 and 4 heavily so that is probably a large part of the issue.

Thank you this helps alot.

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 7:03 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
Using your keypad only (no other program attached to the mount) I would test the parks this way:

1) level the mount as best you can. It does not need to be perfect
2) send the mount to Park3 and adjust the RA and Dec axes manually so that the reference marks on the side of the axes line up
3) send the mount to Park2. The DEC will swing 90 degrees to point due East. See if the Dec axis reference marks line up. The RA axis will stay where it was in Park3.
4) send the mount to Park5. The RA should swing exactly 90 degrees until the reference marks on RA line up. The Dec axis will point the scope to the northern horizon. If it points low or high, adjust the altitude axis until the scope is level.

Forget about Park4, I never use it because it puts the scope in an awkward position where the camera is towards the north end and it tends to stretch out my camera cables.
Forget about Park 1, it is an obsolete park position that is at the cwt up position and is not useful any more (even though it was once our preferred starting position).

Parks 2, 3 and 5 are the only really important ones for daytime polar alignment. They have no other purpose really, except that they can be used to recover a mount after being lost due to an errant sync or recal. You can use them for initial setup if you are always tearing down the mount after each use, but have no function for a permanent setup. You NEVER have to park the mount at any of these park positions when you are finished with a session unless one of them happens to be convenient. You can pull the plug at any point and wherever the scope happens to be pointed and the CP4 servo will remember exactly where it is the next time you apply power, unless you loosen the clutches and move the axes manually.

If you have any questions about your 3 park positions, run thru the above 4 steps and send me a quick picture of the exact position where your mount ends up in each of these 3 parks. From that I will have a much better idea of what is happening with your rig.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Giannaccini <tgiann3@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Hi Roland,
I used the GPS coordinates from the compass app on my iPhone for where I was standing right next to the mount. I'm somewhat tech savy but not immune to  the learning curve. As a related disclaimer, I am able to get the pier somewhat level but not completely level due to landscape features. I am able to polar align the scope using the RAPAS. I did realize that I had set the time zone and daylight savings settings incorrectly early on but have long since fixed that. I do check time and location each time I start the mount up. The mount only moves about 20 to 30 ft between uses (from inside a tarp shed to outside the shed). Sometimes I even leave it in place overnight if the forecast is dry and I'll be using it the next night. I've used the mount approximately 8-10 times and the keypad seems fairly intuitive at this point but I do verify that I am not making mistakes.

As per George, an issue I was having early on was that I was hitting a limit. I had been starting at Park 1. The issue was resolved by slewing to Park 3 then manually adjusting the scope to Park 3. Generally, from Park 3 I can attain Park 1. Generally, I cannot attain both Park 4 and Park 1 simultaneously. When I try to attain Park 4 by slewing to it then manually adjusting, it throws the other Park positions off. Park 2 has been hit and miss depending on the sequence prior to an attempt to reach it. I cannot tell if I am hitting other limits somehow. A good question to ask now is when the mount is in Park 1 and slews to Park 4 which way is the main objective of the OTA supposed to swing? South or North? 

It seems as though polar aligning then starting at Park 3 and just moving forward is the easiest and most reliable process.

George did mention that it would probably be easier to run the mount from my PC, so I am deciphering that process now. I have already downloaded the drivers and such from the AP support page. I will be using Prism to run the mount which is ASCOM compliant.  In terms of hardware connections, I will be using an ethernet cable directly from my PC to the CP4 ethernet port.

Thank you for your help,

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
All this only works if the latitude location data is correct. If the keypad is set for Miami and the mount is in Montana, then this will cause the park positions to be wrong.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dodd <mike@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:43 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

On 9/21/2021 6:57 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
> After speaking with George (who was very helpful) I have come to realize
> that Park 3 is the position which is central to all else. One would
> think that once Park 3 is re-established that Park 1,2 and 4 would then
> be attainable

Park 1 used to be the "reference" position, but now Park 4 or 5 is
recommended instead. Loosen the clutches and command the mount with the
keypad or ASCOM driver to park in Park 4 or Park 5.

Next, loosen the clutches and physically make the counterweight shaft
and the OTA level. Once you do this, unpark the scope from "last parked."

If the mount has your date/time and your local coordinates, you should
be able to slew to a target with good accuracy.

> I spent several sessions with the mount where I thought that because I
> was unable to achieve all (1-4) Park positions, that I would not be able
> to find my targets.

I use a machinist's level accurate to 20 arcsec to level my 1200's CW
shaft and OTA in Park 1(I'll use Park 4 next time), and when I unpark
and slew to a target, it's within the central 50% of my camera's sensor.

I don't think one Park position is related to any other one. They ARE
related to coordinates and date/time.

--- Mike







--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Thomas Giannaccini
 

Roland,
A follow up question:
There is no Park 5 available in my Park list. I'm assuming this means I need to update the Keypad software?
The DEC and RA axis reference marks...all I remember seeing are the Altitude ticks on the side of the RA axis, but I will look for other markings.
I did see your other email and, yes, I was moving the mount by loosening the clutches and manually moving the mount by hand. But I was using Park 1 and 4 heavily so that is probably a large part of the issue.

Thank you this helps alot.

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 7:03 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
Using your keypad only (no other program attached to the mount) I would test the parks this way:

1) level the mount as best you can. It does not need to be perfect
2) send the mount to Park3 and adjust the RA and Dec axes manually so that the reference marks on the side of the axes line up
3) send the mount to Park2. The DEC will swing 90 degrees to point due East. See if the Dec axis reference marks line up. The RA axis will stay where it was in Park3.
4) send the mount to Park5. The RA should swing exactly 90 degrees until the reference marks on RA line up. The Dec axis will point the scope to the northern horizon. If it points low or high, adjust the altitude axis until the scope is level.

Forget about Park4, I never use it because it puts the scope in an awkward position where the camera is towards the north end and it tends to stretch out my camera cables.
Forget about Park 1, it is an obsolete park position that is at the cwt up position and is not useful any more (even though it was once our preferred starting position).

Parks 2, 3 and 5 are the only really important ones for daytime polar alignment. They have no other purpose really, except that they can be used to recover a mount after being lost due to an errant sync or recal. You can use them for initial setup if you are always tearing down the mount after each use, but have no function for a permanent setup. You NEVER have to park the mount at any of these park positions when you are finished with a session unless one of them happens to be convenient. You can pull the plug at any point and wherever the scope happens to be pointed and the CP4 servo will remember exactly where it is the next time you apply power, unless you loosen the clutches and move the axes manually.

If you have any questions about your 3 park positions, run thru the above 4 steps and send me a quick picture of the exact position where your mount ends up in each of these 3 parks. From that I will have a much better idea of what is happening with your rig.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Giannaccini <tgiann3@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Hi Roland,
I used the GPS coordinates from the compass app on my iPhone for where I was standing right next to the mount. I'm somewhat tech savy but not immune to  the learning curve. As a related disclaimer, I am able to get the pier somewhat level but not completely level due to landscape features. I am able to polar align the scope using the RAPAS. I did realize that I had set the time zone and daylight savings settings incorrectly early on but have long since fixed that. I do check time and location each time I start the mount up. The mount only moves about 20 to 30 ft between uses (from inside a tarp shed to outside the shed). Sometimes I even leave it in place overnight if the forecast is dry and I'll be using it the next night. I've used the mount approximately 8-10 times and the keypad seems fairly intuitive at this point but I do verify that I am not making mistakes.

As per George, an issue I was having early on was that I was hitting a limit. I had been starting at Park 1. The issue was resolved by slewing to Park 3 then manually adjusting the scope to Park 3. Generally, from Park 3 I can attain Park 1. Generally, I cannot attain both Park 4 and Park 1 simultaneously. When I try to attain Park 4 by slewing to it then manually adjusting, it throws the other Park positions off. Park 2 has been hit and miss depending on the sequence prior to an attempt to reach it. I cannot tell if I am hitting other limits somehow. A good question to ask now is when the mount is in Park 1 and slews to Park 4 which way is the main objective of the OTA supposed to swing? South or North? 

It seems as though polar aligning then starting at Park 3 and just moving forward is the easiest and most reliable process.

George did mention that it would probably be easier to run the mount from my PC, so I am deciphering that process now. I have already downloaded the drivers and such from the AP support page. I will be using Prism to run the mount which is ASCOM compliant.  In terms of hardware connections, I will be using an ethernet cable directly from my PC to the CP4 ethernet port.

Thank you for your help,

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
All this only works if the latitude location data is correct. If the keypad is set for Miami and the mount is in Montana, then this will cause the park positions to be wrong.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dodd <mike@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:43 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

On 9/21/2021 6:57 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
> After speaking with George (who was very helpful) I have come to realize
> that Park 3 is the position which is central to all else. One would
> think that once Park 3 is re-established that Park 1,2 and 4 would then
> be attainable

Park 1 used to be the "reference" position, but now Park 4 or 5 is
recommended instead. Loosen the clutches and command the mount with the
keypad or ASCOM driver to park in Park 4 or Park 5.

Next, loosen the clutches and physically make the counterweight shaft
and the OTA level. Once you do this, unpark the scope from "last parked."

If the mount has your date/time and your local coordinates, you should
be able to slew to a target with good accuracy.

> I spent several sessions with the mount where I thought that because I
> was unable to achieve all (1-4) Park positions, that I would not be able
> to find my targets.

I use a machinist's level accurate to 20 arcsec to level my 1200's CW
shaft and OTA in Park 1(I'll use Park 4 next time), and when I unpark
and slew to a target, it's within the central 50% of my camera's sensor.

I don't think one Park position is related to any other one. They ARE
related to coordinates and date/time.

--- Mike







--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics


--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

Ray Gralak
 

That is why I have 14 minutes set as my flip offset.
The pier flip failed because an appropriate meridian delay was not set, so the slew went to the same pier side. In fact, your log does not indicate any meridian delay offsets were being set, so are you sure that meridian limits were enabled?

I suggest that you double-check your settings on the next imaging night and make sure that SGPro is getting the flip delay value.

Also, you may want to update to APCC Pro 1.9.0.9, which was released yesterday.

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of psparkman via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 6:28 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

Hi Luca. I have used those exact same settings. That is why I have 14 minutes set as my flip offset. I have
checked the box for CW up slews with West limits so that it can track CW past the meridian. Everything is
passed properly to SGP and it offsets and initiate the flip as expected. However, I still get the problem where
SGP thinks the slew is completed during the safety slew pause and then aborts the flip and shuts down. Not
real sure why it is inconsistent, but I have had 100% reliability when I flipped 1 min past the meridian until last
night.
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

psparkman@...
 

Good point on unchecking the Limit to Meridian button.  That was not the issue this time, but might have caused an issue some other time.  In this case the flip started fine, but SGP received a slew completed notification from the mount only 6 seconds after the flip started.  Then when SGP checked, the mount was still on the West side of course and SGP aborted.
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

psparkman@...
 

Hi Luca.  I have used those exact same settings.  That is why I have 14 minutes set as my flip offset.  I have checked the box for CW up slews with West limits so that it can track CW past the meridian.  Everything is passed properly to SGP and it offsets and initiate the flip as expected.  However, I still get the problem where SGP thinks the slew is completed during the safety slew pause and then aborts the flip and shuts down.  Not real sure why it is inconsistent, but I have had 100% reliability when I flipped 1 min past the meridian until last night.
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

Luca Marinelli
 

In the APCC window, uncheck limit to Meridian or the meridian limits you setup are ignored by APCC. You may then have a situation were SGP has no time to execute the flip before the mount stops tracking. If the mount stops tracking, SGP will abort the sequence.

Luca

On Sep 21, 2021, at 9:16 PM, Luca Marinelli via groups.io <photo=lucamarinelli.com@groups.io> wrote:

I don’t doubt that you are having meridian flip related sequence failures. However, I will offer the datapoint that I am using SGP 4 v680 with both an AP 1100 and Mach2 without any meridian flip failures.

I have set up the meridian limits and set the flip offset to at least 5 minute more than my longest exposure in the sequence (for example, if the sequence has 10 minute exposures I set the flip offset to 15 minutes). I set the action at the meridian limit to stop tracking (SGP calls the slew that initiates the flip and it should always happen at least 5 minutes before the actual limit with the above flip offset). Check the box to pass flip offset to SGP and I also check the box for CW up slews within West limits.

Nothing unusual in the SGP telescope setup window. I just enable auto meridian flip and check the box to perform a centering action after the flip. No need to mess with the time after meridian to flip because APCC passes that parameter along dynamically with the flip offset.

—Luca

On Sep 21, 2021, at 8:29 PM, Ray Gralak via groups.io <iogroups=siriusimaging.com@groups.io> wrote:
What are the settings on APCC's meridian limits tab?
E.g., Are meridian limits enabled? What flip offset do you have defined? Etc.
-Ray
-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of psparkman via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:21 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC
Greetings. I posted this on SGP forum as I think the issue is mostly on their end, but thought that I would
also post it here for help.
Generally pier flips have been working with SGP 4.0.0.680 and APCC on my AP1100, however last night it
failed an unattended pier flip and aborted my sequence for the night. So I lost about 5 hours of imaging.
It has been working, but I was always worried that I might run into the same issue as I have when I do a
delayed counter weight up pier flip. When using APCC and using the delayed counter weight up functionality,
everything works fine with SGP until the actual flip is commanded. When my AP1100 mount slews from a
counter weight up position it performs a “Safety Slew”. First the mount only moves in RA to get to a counter
weight up position as this prevents the dec from rotating the scope into pier. The mount pauses for a couple
of seconds after the RA has moved to counter weight level before it starts the move the requested RA/DEC or
pier flip.
This is when I think the problem occurs. SGP thinks that the mount has already completed the slew and gives
the error that the scope is still on the West side of the pier due to this delay. I currently have the pier flip delay
set to 1 min past the meridian to prevent the scope from oscillating back and forth during the plate solve after
the pier flip, but it looks like this time the safety slew delay caused SGP to abort. It would be really good to
get this fixed as then I could use the delayed flip feature of APCC and SGP, but at the very least, this needs
to be made reliable with a standard flip.
I have included both log files, and will also post it on AP’s forum. But I don’t want to get caught between two
companies blaming each other. SGP and AP are both premier companies in my mind and I just want to get
this working.
Link to Logs
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OIw_Wl-woeZOhckmpu6_BLrnRSlvSoQv?usp=sharing
Useful Info
OS: Windows 10
Ver: SGP 4.0.0.680 64-bit
APCC Version 1.9.0.7
Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

Luca Marinelli
 

I don’t doubt that you are having meridian flip related sequence failures. However, I will offer the datapoint that I am using SGP 4 v680 with both an AP 1100 and Mach2 without any meridian flip failures.

I have set up the meridian limits and set the flip offset to at least 5 minute more than my longest exposure in the sequence (for example, if the sequence has 10 minute exposures I set the flip offset to 15 minutes). I set the action at the meridian limit to stop tracking (SGP calls the slew that initiates the flip and it should always happen at least 5 minutes before the actual limit with the above flip offset). Check the box to pass flip offset to SGP and I also check the box for CW up slews within West limits.

Nothing unusual in the SGP telescope setup window. I just enable auto meridian flip and check the box to perform a centering action after the flip. No need to mess with the time after meridian to flip because APCC passes that parameter along dynamically with the flip offset.

—Luca

On Sep 21, 2021, at 8:29 PM, Ray Gralak via groups.io <iogroups=siriusimaging.com@groups.io> wrote:

What are the settings on APCC's meridian limits tab?

E.g., Are meridian limits enabled? What flip offset do you have defined? Etc.

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of psparkman via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:21 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

Greetings. I posted this on SGP forum as I think the issue is mostly on their end, but thought that I would
also post it here for help.



Generally pier flips have been working with SGP 4.0.0.680 and APCC on my AP1100, however last night it
failed an unattended pier flip and aborted my sequence for the night. So I lost about 5 hours of imaging.

It has been working, but I was always worried that I might run into the same issue as I have when I do a
delayed counter weight up pier flip. When using APCC and using the delayed counter weight up functionality,
everything works fine with SGP until the actual flip is commanded. When my AP1100 mount slews from a
counter weight up position it performs a “Safety Slew”. First the mount only moves in RA to get to a counter
weight up position as this prevents the dec from rotating the scope into pier. The mount pauses for a couple
of seconds after the RA has moved to counter weight level before it starts the move the requested RA/DEC or
pier flip.

This is when I think the problem occurs. SGP thinks that the mount has already completed the slew and gives
the error that the scope is still on the West side of the pier due to this delay. I currently have the pier flip delay
set to 1 min past the meridian to prevent the scope from oscillating back and forth during the plate solve after
the pier flip, but it looks like this time the safety slew delay caused SGP to abort. It would be really good to
get this fixed as then I could use the delayed flip feature of APCC and SGP, but at the very least, this needs
to be made reliable with a standard flip.

I have included both log files, and will also post it on AP’s forum. But I don’t want to get caught between two
companies blaming each other. SGP and AP are both premier companies in my mind and I just want to get
this working.

Link to Logs

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OIw_Wl-woeZOhckmpu6_BLrnRSlvSoQv?usp=sharing

Useful Info

OS: Windows 10
Ver: SGP 4.0.0.680 64-bit
APCC Version 1.9.0.7
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Roland Christen
 

Just to be clear, after you send the mount to Park3, adjust the RA and Dec axes manually by loosening the clutches and moving the axes to the Park 3 reference marks by hand, not via the keypad buttons!! Then tighten the clutches and do step 3 and 4.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 8:03 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Using your keypad only (no other program attached to the mount) I would test the parks this way:

1) level the mount as best you can. It does not need to be perfect
2) send the mount to Park3 and adjust the RA and Dec axes manually so that the reference marks on the side of the axes line up
3) send the mount to Park2. The DEC will swing 90 degrees to point due East. See if the Dec axis reference marks line up. The RA axis will stay where it was in Park3.
4) send the mount to Park5. The RA should swing exactly 90 degrees until the reference marks on RA line up. The Dec axis will point the scope to the northern horizon. If it points low or high, adjust the altitude axis until the scope is level.

Forget about Park4, I never use it because it puts the scope in an awkward position where the camera is towards the north end and it tends to stretch out my camera cables.
Forget about Park 1, it is an obsolete park position that is at the cwt up position and is not useful any more (even though it was once our preferred starting position).

Parks 2, 3 and 5 are the only really important ones for daytime polar alignment. They have no other purpose really, except that they can be used to recover a mount after being lost due to an errant sync or recal. You can use them for initial setup if you are always tearing down the mount after each use, but have no function for a permanent setup. You NEVER have to park the mount at any of these park positions when you are finished with a session unless one of them happens to be convenient. You can pull the plug at any point and wherever the scope happens to be pointed and the CP4 servo will remember exactly where it is the next time you apply power, unless you loosen the clutches and move the axes manually.

If you have any questions about your 3 park positions, run thru the above 4 steps and send me a quick picture of the exact position where your mount ends up in each of these 3 parks. From that I will have a much better idea of what is happening with your rig.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Giannaccini <tgiann3@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Hi Roland,
I used the GPS coordinates from the compass app on my iPhone for where I was standing right next to the mount. I'm somewhat tech savy but not immune to  the learning curve. As a related disclaimer, I am able to get the pier somewhat level but not completely level due to landscape features. I am able to polar align the scope using the RAPAS. I did realize that I had set the time zone and daylight savings settings incorrectly early on but have long since fixed that. I do check time and location each time I start the mount up. The mount only moves about 20 to 30 ft between uses (from inside a tarp shed to outside the shed). Sometimes I even leave it in place overnight if the forecast is dry and I'll be using it the next night. I've used the mount approximately 8-10 times and the keypad seems fairly intuitive at this point but I do verify that I am not making mistakes.

As per George, an issue I was having early on was that I was hitting a limit. I had been starting at Park 1. The issue was resolved by slewing to Park 3 then manually adjusting the scope to Park 3. Generally, from Park 3 I can attain Park 1. Generally, I cannot attain both Park 4 and Park 1 simultaneously. When I try to attain Park 4 by slewing to it then manually adjusting, it throws the other Park positions off. Park 2 has been hit and miss depending on the sequence prior to an attempt to reach it. I cannot tell if I am hitting other limits somehow. A good question to ask now is when the mount is in Park 1 and slews to Park 4 which way is the main objective of the OTA supposed to swing? South or North? 

It seems as though polar aligning then starting at Park 3 and just moving forward is the easiest and most reliable process.

George did mention that it would probably be easier to run the mount from my PC, so I am deciphering that process now. I have already downloaded the drivers and such from the AP support page. I will be using Prism to run the mount which is ASCOM compliant.  In terms of hardware connections, I will be using an ethernet cable directly from my PC to the CP4 ethernet port.

Thank you for your help,

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
All this only works if the latitude location data is correct. If the keypad is set for Miami and the mount is in Montana, then this will cause the park positions to be wrong.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dodd <mike@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:43 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

On 9/21/2021 6:57 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
> After speaking with George (who was very helpful) I have come to realize
> that Park 3 is the position which is central to all else. One would
> think that once Park 3 is re-established that Park 1,2 and 4 would then
> be attainable

Park 1 used to be the "reference" position, but now Park 4 or 5 is
recommended instead. Loosen the clutches and command the mount with the
keypad or ASCOM driver to park in Park 4 or Park 5.

Next, loosen the clutches and physically make the counterweight shaft
and the OTA level. Once you do this, unpark the scope from "last parked."

If the mount has your date/time and your local coordinates, you should
be able to slew to a target with good accuracy.

> I spent several sessions with the mount where I thought that because I
> was unable to achieve all (1-4) Park positions, that I would not be able
> to find my targets.

I use a machinist's level accurate to 20 arcsec to level my 1200's CW
shaft and OTA in Park 1(I'll use Park 4 next time), and when I unpark
and slew to a target, it's within the central 50% of my camera's sensor.

I don't think one Park position is related to any other one. They ARE
related to coordinates and date/time.

--- Mike







--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Re: [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Bill Long
 

Nice.

Still dream of an 8" Eagle for the 1100. 😉

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 6:06 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
The Eagle will hold it just fine.

Rolando


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:57 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Yeah!!! Now that's a torture test! Really looking forward to hearing how that goes. I'd need some bigger CWs to pull something like that off. 

Man I thought my ~70lb 12.5" load was a feat. If this works out, I'll feel even more sorry for those that bought the competitions product. 

You going to put this all on the mighty Eagle or something permanent?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 5:41 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
If you add everything it will be close to a hunnert. The focuser itself is a chunk. Then camera, filter wheel, off-axis guider, dovetail system... it all adds up.

Rolando



-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:05 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

That looks really nice! I'm guessing the 70lbs is all in with camera, scope, etc?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 5:01 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
It's the twin to the one we installed in Chile: http://lascampanasremote.org/observatory/

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:55 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

What design is this new 12" of yours going to be? Mak Cass like the previous, or something more like what the 17" uses?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Bill Long <bill@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:42 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
George, that's simply amazing naming sir. Bravo!! 😂

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:38 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Some nebulae are probably made from Velveeta cheese. Our George has named his observatory Velveeta Valley observatory since it's right in the middle of Northern Illinois cow country, complete with the smells.
http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/VVOILkey.html?1

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:21 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

I get what you mean, but its still pretty good. 🙂 

Some of the images I look at in my submission queue on Astrobin are wickedly over-processed and start to look more like colored Velvetta cheese than nebula. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:16 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Not if you're pixel peeping  ;^)'

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 5:48 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Good looking image to me as well!

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of thefamily90 Phillips <thefamily90@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 3:46 PM
To: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io>; Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>; main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Looks Great to me!

JimP
From: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io> on behalf of ROBERT WYNNE <robert-wynne@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 6:39:47 PM
To: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io>; Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>; main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
This revision reveals many more stars in the void. -Best, Robert
On 09/21/2021 3:26 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...> wrote:


Also known as the Elephant Trunk

https://www.astrobin.com/g0bpv3/C/

This is the last object that I will be imaging with the 10" F6.3 Astrograph. Although the detail came out quite well, the stars were messed up by Topaz de-noise program. I may re-process this object at some point because the stars really were perfect in the original frames, but the lack of 20 to 40 hours of OIII and SII made it necessary to de-noise them.

My next scope will be a 70 lb 12" Astrograph system which will go on the Mach2 for more torture. I'm confident that the mount will handle it just fine.

Rolando

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

Re: APCC with SGP Pier Flip Failure #APCC

psparkman@...
 

I had to take my mount down today, but I have East and West Limits unchecked and I have my Flip offset set at 14 minutes.  In SGP I have it set to flip at 1 minute past the meridian.    Essentially, I have it set to flip close to the meridian, but slightly past to avoid it flipping back and forth.  This exact setup has done many flips over the past two weeks, and this is the first failure.  I can only think that SGP polled at the the exact time that the mount was pausing from the safety slew.  Again, I am not sure why SGP gets a report from ASCOM that the slew is complete.
Re: [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Roland Christen
 

The Eagle will hold it just fine.

Rolando


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:57 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Yeah!!! Now that's a torture test! Really looking forward to hearing how that goes. I'd need some bigger CWs to pull something like that off. 

Man I thought my ~70lb 12.5" load was a feat. If this works out, I'll feel even more sorry for those that bought the competitions product. 

You going to put this all on the mighty Eagle or something permanent?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 5:41 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
If you add everything it will be close to a hunnert. The focuser itself is a chunk. Then camera, filter wheel, off-axis guider, dovetail system... it all adds up.

Rolando



-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:05 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

That looks really nice! I'm guessing the 70lbs is all in with camera, scope, etc?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 5:01 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
It's the twin to the one we installed in Chile: http://lascampanasremote.org/observatory/

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:55 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

What design is this new 12" of yours going to be? Mak Cass like the previous, or something more like what the 17" uses?

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Bill Long <bill@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:42 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
George, that's simply amazing naming sir. Bravo!! 😂

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:38 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Some nebulae are probably made from Velveeta cheese. Our George has named his observatory Velveeta Valley observatory since it's right in the middle of Northern Illinois cow country, complete with the smells.
http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/VVOILkey.html?1

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:21 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

I get what you mean, but its still pretty good. 🙂 

Some of the images I look at in my submission queue on Astrobin are wickedly over-processed and start to look more like colored Velvetta cheese than nebula. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 4:16 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Not if you're pixel peeping  ;^)'

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Long <bill@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 5:48 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette

Good looking image to me as well!

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of thefamily90 Phillips <thefamily90@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 3:46 PM
To: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io>; Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>; main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
Looks Great to me!

JimP
From: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io> on behalf of ROBERT WYNNE <robert-wynne@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 6:39:47 PM
To: main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io>; Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...>; main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-ug] IC1396 Garnet Star Nebula in Hubble Palette
 
This revision reveals many more stars in the void. -Best, Robert
On 09/21/2021 3:26 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...> wrote:


Also known as the Elephant Trunk

https://www.astrobin.com/g0bpv3/C/

This is the last object that I will be imaging with the 10" F6.3 Astrograph. Although the detail came out quite well, the stars were messed up by Topaz de-noise program. I may re-process this object at some point because the stars really were perfect in the original frames, but the lack of 20 to 40 hours of OIII and SII made it necessary to de-noise them.

My next scope will be a 70 lb 12" Astrograph system which will go on the Mach2 for more torture. I'm confident that the mount will handle it just fine.

Rolando

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Roland Christen
 

Using your keypad only (no other program attached to the mount) I would test the parks this way:

1) level the mount as best you can. It does not need to be perfect
2) send the mount to Park3 and adjust the RA and Dec axes manually so that the reference marks on the side of the axes line up
3) send the mount to Park2. The DEC will swing 90 degrees to point due East. See if the Dec axis reference marks line up. The RA axis will stay where it was in Park3.
4) send the mount to Park5. The RA should swing exactly 90 degrees until the reference marks on RA line up. The Dec axis will point the scope to the northern horizon. If it points low or high, adjust the altitude axis until the scope is level.

Forget about Park4, I never use it because it puts the scope in an awkward position where the camera is towards the north end and it tends to stretch out my camera cables.
Forget about Park 1, it is an obsolete park position that is at the cwt up position and is not useful any more (even though it was once our preferred starting position).

Parks 2, 3 and 5 are the only really important ones for daytime polar alignment. They have no other purpose really, except that they can be used to recover a mount after being lost due to an errant sync or recal. You can use them for initial setup if you are always tearing down the mount after each use, but have no function for a permanent setup. You NEVER have to park the mount at any of these park positions when you are finished with a session unless one of them happens to be convenient. You can pull the plug at any point and wherever the scope happens to be pointed and the CP4 servo will remember exactly where it is the next time you apply power, unless you loosen the clutches and move the axes manually.

If you have any questions about your 3 park positions, run thru the above 4 steps and send me a quick picture of the exact position where your mount ends up in each of these 3 parks. From that I will have a much better idea of what is happening with your rig.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Giannaccini <tgiann3@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

Hi Roland,
I used the GPS coordinates from the compass app on my iPhone for where I was standing right next to the mount. I'm somewhat tech savy but not immune to  the learning curve. As a related disclaimer, I am able to get the pier somewhat level but not completely level due to landscape features. I am able to polar align the scope using the RAPAS. I did realize that I had set the time zone and daylight savings settings incorrectly early on but have long since fixed that. I do check time and location each time I start the mount up. The mount only moves about 20 to 30 ft between uses (from inside a tarp shed to outside the shed). Sometimes I even leave it in place overnight if the forecast is dry and I'll be using it the next night. I've used the mount approximately 8-10 times and the keypad seems fairly intuitive at this point but I do verify that I am not making mistakes.

As per George, an issue I was having early on was that I was hitting a limit. I had been starting at Park 1. The issue was resolved by slewing to Park 3 then manually adjusting the scope to Park 3. Generally, from Park 3 I can attain Park 1. Generally, I cannot attain both Park 4 and Park 1 simultaneously. When I try to attain Park 4 by slewing to it then manually adjusting, it throws the other Park positions off. Park 2 has been hit and miss depending on the sequence prior to an attempt to reach it. I cannot tell if I am hitting other limits somehow. A good question to ask now is when the mount is in Park 1 and slews to Park 4 which way is the main objective of the OTA supposed to swing? South or North? 

It seems as though polar aligning then starting at Park 3 and just moving forward is the easiest and most reliable process.

George did mention that it would probably be easier to run the mount from my PC, so I am deciphering that process now. I have already downloaded the drivers and such from the AP support page. I will be using Prism to run the mount which is ASCOM compliant.  In terms of hardware connections, I will be using an ethernet cable directly from my PC to the CP4 ethernet port.

Thank you for your help,

Tom

On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
All this only works if the latitude location data is correct. If the keypad is set for Miami and the mount is in Montana, then this will cause the park positions to be wrong.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dodd <mike@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2021 6:43 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders

On 9/21/2021 6:57 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
> After speaking with George (who was very helpful) I have come to realize
> that Park 3 is the position which is central to all else. One would
> think that once Park 3 is re-established that Park 1,2 and 4 would then
> be attainable

Park 1 used to be the "reference" position, but now Park 4 or 5 is
recommended instead. Loosen the clutches and command the mount with the
keypad or ASCOM driver to park in Park 4 or Park 5.

Next, loosen the clutches and physically make the counterweight shaft
and the OTA level. Once you do this, unpark the scope from "last parked."

If the mount has your date/time and your local coordinates, you should
be able to slew to a target with good accuracy.

> I spent several sessions with the mount where I thought that because I
> was unable to achieve all (1-4) Park positions, that I would not be able
> to find my targets.

I use a machinist's level accurate to 20 arcsec to level my 1200's CW
shaft and OTA in Park 1(I'll use Park 4 next time), and when I unpark
and slew to a target, it's within the central 50% of my camera's sensor.

I don't think one Park position is related to any other one. They ARE
related to coordinates and date/time.

--- Mike







--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
CN: HasAnyoneSeenMyNeblua

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Re: #Keypad Park Positions: AP 1100 GTO with encoders #Keypad

Mike Dodd
 

On 9/21/2021 8:44 PM, Thomas Giannaccini wrote:
I do also wonder if somehow I keep hitting various limits.
I don't have any limits set, so I can't address those possible issues.

--- Mike
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