main@ap-gto.groups.io

Re: MaximDL Autoguiding

John Winfield

#20925

Yep - that works fine for me - set the "guiding via" in Maxim to
"Telescope"

John

Show quoted text

--- In ap-gto@..., "hewholooks" <hewholooks@...> wrote:

I probably already asked this, but it's all a blur.

When guiding with MaximDL, can the softare guide through the serial
ports on the AP mount or must you use something like a shoestring
adapter and actually use the autoguider port?

There will be no direct connection from the guidecam to the mount, but
the connection will be from the computer's usb port, through a
usb/serial interface adapter, then to one of the serial ports on the
mount. I assume this will be working through the AP ASCOM driver.

Hunter

Re: Retirement pain, 400 GTO, KD chip, firmware 4.12

Howard Hedlund

#20924

Hello Mr. Lombardo,

 

It may be that the wrong chip was installed in your GTOCP2 control box.
There are two versions that are used in 400GTO's and 600EGTO's depending
on the gear reduction that is used on the motors.   The versions with
"K" in front of the version letter (i.e. "KD) are for units that employ
32:1 gearboxes, while the chips that have a version letter that is not
preceded by a "K" are for units with 19:1 gearboxes.   The two versions
are NOT interchangeable, and using the wrong chip will cause the problem
you are describing.

 

Mag. 7 skies!

 

Howard Hedlund

Astro-Physics, Inc.

815-282-1513

________________________________

From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...] On Behalf
Of bill_lombardo_bill
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 8:03 AM
To: ap-gto@...
Subject: [ap-gto] Retirement pain, 400 GTO, KD chip, firmware 4.12

 

I purchased a 400 GTO in 2000 with firmware 2.6, but I didn't make any 
practical use of it until now, as I reached retirement and I have time. 
Last week I upgraded chip in GTOCP2 and keypad software to firmware 
4.12 with the help of an expert (of the italian AP representative 
UNITRON).
Apparently everything is in order: keypad say "all systems go", 
latitude N 45:39:58 ; longitude E 8:58:46 Time zone:01, local sidereal 
time, AP 400, are correctly entered and correctly displayed in Keypad.
Database objects in Keypad are not corrupted (I changed battery in 
time). But:
1) If I put the mount in Park 1 position and I pass to Park2 or Park3, 
these last positions are not reached (and vice-versa). No way to 
simulate Polar alignment in daytime.
2) If I point a star in the East near meridian with the mount in West, 
and I change the Meridian delay function, when I slew again to the same 
star the mount tries to reach the star on the other side of the mount 
but points toward another direction.
Is it me or my mount which needs urgent help or cure?
PS When I had firmware 2.6, two or three times I set outside the mount, 
without checking parking positions,and apparently the mount correctly 
slewed to stars and planets.

Re: Measure rate in PulseGuide

Ray Gralak <rgr@...>

#20923

Hi Pierre,

In the GTOCP3 mounts, which is what I believe you have, PulseGuide directly
sets the rate value you enter into the RA and Dec rate command registers. A
positive RA rate value means the mount will move faster than sidereal
(west), but doing so _decreases_ the RA to which the scope is pointing. So
if you are using plate solves the delta RA distance must be calculated by
subtracting the ending RA from the starting RA (so , for example, going west
would result in a positive value). Also the rate is in arc-sec/sec so 10
arc-secs in RA is really 150 arc-sec (15x10).

-Ray

Show quoted text

-----Original Message-----
From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...] 
On Behalf Of phenrotay
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 12:11 AM
To: ap-gto@...
Subject: [ap-gto] Measure rate in PulseGuide

Dear,

(this one essentially for Ray I'm afraid)

if my understanding is correct, the "measure rate" computes the drift 
in RA and DEC over a time period.
I am thinking of using plate solve to determine the 
coeffcients myself 
(or better said via a script in MaxIm),
that is:
- take exposure 1
- wait xx minutes
- take exposure 2
- plate solve both and determine how far the center has moved (giving 
drift in RA and DEC in arcsec)
- divide these figures by the time lapse in seconds

Does this make sense or am I overlooking something ?
If OK, is the drfit computed as from 1 to 2 or the reverse ?

BTW, I confirm the behavior observed a few weeks ago: with my 
setup, I 
need to manually change the sign of RA and DEC rates (obtained via 
autoguider).
I am using 1.34.

Regards,
Pierre 



 

MaximDL Autoguiding

hewholooks

#20922

I probably already asked this, but it's all a blur.

When guiding with MaximDL, can the softare guide through the serial
ports on the AP mount or must you use something like a shoestring
adapter and actually use the autoguider port?

There will be no direct connection from the guidecam to the mount, but
the connection will be from the computer's usb port, through a
usb/serial interface adapter, then to one of the serial ports on the
mount. I assume this will be working through the AP ASCOM driver.

Hunter

Retirement pain, 400 GTO, KD chip, firmware 4.12

bill_lombardo_bill

#20921

I purchased a 400 GTO in 2000 with firmware 2.6, but I didn't make any
practical use of it until now, as I reached retirement and I have time.
Last week I upgraded chip in GTOCP2 and keypad software to firmware
4.12 with the help of an expert (of the italian AP representative
UNITRON).
Apparently everything is in order: keypad say "all systems go",
latitude N 45:39:58 ; longitude E 8:58:46 Time zone:01, local sidereal
time, AP 400,  are correctly entered and correctly displayed in Keypad.
Database objects in Keypad are not corrupted (I changed battery in
time). But:
1) If I put the mount in Park 1 position and I pass to Park2 or Park3,
these last positions are not reached (and vice-versa). No way to
simulate Polar alignment in daytime.
2) If I point a star in the East near meridian with the mount in West,
and I change the Meridian delay function, when I slew again to the same
star the mount tries to reach the star on the other side of the mount
but points toward another direction.
Is it me or my mount which needs urgent help or cure?
PS When I had firmware 2.6, two or three times I set outside the mount,
without checking parking positions,and apparently the mount correctly
slewed to stars and planets.

Re: AP 1200 GTO

Julien Bruyland

#20920

Thanks for the reply.
Below a short description of my handling and what happens:
    a.. When I power up the mount, the keypad displays the main menu,and it briefly flash the phrase  "Astro-Physics version 4.12"  before proceeding to the main menu. 
    b.. The main menu is NOTdisplayed correctly as in the lower left corner of page 106 of the keypad manual. There is missing information  for the imput numbers 5;6;7and 8.(this values are blank instead of containing an appropriate value.) 
    c..  Then I press 2 to enter the setup menu.   
    d..  The setup menu display correctly as shown at the top of page 107. 
    e..  Then I press 3 to enter the keypad options menu.  
    f..  The keypad options menu display is NOT correctly as shown on the left side of page 108.    The top line on the screen should read:  1=Auto-Connect:YES    It don't show a value of either:  NO ,   YES ,    or   EXT    and is empty.    Pressing the "1"  key ,I cannot toggle among the three choices. 
    g..  
  From: chris1011@... 
  To: ap-gto@... 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 3:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP 1200 GTO


  In a message dated 2/13/2008 8:24:55 AM Central Standard Time, 
  julien@... writes:

  > Hi,
  > I bought a new AP 1200GTO with GTOCP3(version 4.12).
  > The Auto-connect function is set from the factory to"yes".I cann't change 
  > the "auto-connect" function to "no" or to "ext"; even there is nothing 
  > filled,it's stay "blank.Normally you have to push "1"and it have to scroll,but 
  > nothing happens.Even most of the other functions I cann't fill (Locations&
  > Time;Mount type....).

  Post some pictures of the setup screen on your keypad so we can figure out 
  what you mean.

  Rolando

  **************
  The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the 
  Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music.

  (http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

Measure rate in PulseGuide

Pierre Henrotay

#20919

Dear,

(this one essentially for Ray I'm afraid)

if my understanding is correct, the "measure rate" computes the drift
in RA and DEC over a time period.
I am thinking of using plate solve to determine the coeffcients myself
(or better said via a script in MaxIm),
that is:
- take exposure 1
- wait xx minutes
- take exposure 2
- plate solve both and determine how far the center has moved (giving
drift in RA and DEC in arcsec)
- divide these figures by the time lapse in seconds

Does this make sense or am I overlooking something ?
If OK, is the drfit computed as from 1 to 2 or the reverse ?

BTW, I confirm the behavior observed a few weeks ago: with my setup, I
need to manually change the sign of RA and DEC rates (obtained via
autoguider).
I am using 1.34.

Regards,
Pierre

Azimuth and altitude adjusments on Mach1

Pierre Henrotay

#20918

Dear,

when adjusting altitude, I noticed that locking the altitude locking
lever moves the star by about 1-2 arcminutes: I clearly see it on my
CCD which I use for centering the star.
The mount (Mach1) is balanced and by far not overloaded.
In azimuth, I see also a (smaller) displacement effect when tightening
the azimuth lock knobs.
Maybe I am tightening too much ?
Note that for altitude I am able to turn the adjustment knob evevn when
the lever is locked - normal ?
I'd welcome any suggestion and hint. Thanks !

Pierre