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Re: Inverter issue

Suresh Mohan
 

One last thing I’m gonna teat at dawn , I also carry a car inverter , I might want to try slewing the mount thro that just to make sure that it’s only only the field inverter that s giving a problem
Suresh 


On 02-Feb-2020, at 3:55 AM, Suresh Mohan via Groups.Io <drsureshmohan@...> wrote:

Dear friends ,
     In india we only have 220 volts instead of110 v in the us . At home I have a 220 v ac to 12 v dc adapter 5 amp that runs my mount fine . Out in the field I need aninverter  to give out 220 v to run my laptop , since I have the ac wall adapter for the mount  I ran that too - but my mount stalled ( only in the field via inverter to dc conversion ). I assumed that has something to do with powering a servo motor that works fine when fixed to a wall ac socket via dc converter )
Sorry if I had not been clear - it’s  4 am here
Regards and thanks my friends for responding 
Suresh


On 02-Feb-2020, at 12:03 AM, Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:


Yes.  That is what the inverter is for, tto supply AC power from a DC battery.  But if you already have a battery supplying 12V DC, you don't need to use the inverter and an AC->DC power supply to drive a mount that wants 12V dc.  You can run the mount directly off the battery.  But to be safe, you can regulate the power out of the battery with a DC to DC regulator, and you should fuse this with the recommended fuse.  Using the inverter in the loop makes the whole thing very inefficient power wise.

STeve

On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:27 PM Ron Kramer <ronkramer1957@...> wrote:
Wouldn't plugging the AC/DC adapter (power supply for the mount) into an inverter be DC and fine? Mine is pure sine wave version.


On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:22 PM Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:
Suresh - Do not run the mount off the inverter!!!  The mount needs DC.  The inverter puts out AC.  

Sine wave means the output of the inverter does a good job of digitally simulating analog AC power.  Some inverters put out square wave power, which is lousy but ok for some devices.

STeve



--

Re: Inverter issue

Suresh Mohan
 

Dear friends ,
     In india we only have 220 volts instead of110 v in the us . At home I have a 220 v ac to 12 v dc adapter 5 amp that runs my mount fine . Out in the field I need aninverter  to give out 220 v to run my laptop , since I have the ac wall adapter for the mount  I ran that too - but my mount stalled ( only in the field via inverter to dc conversion ). I assumed that has something to do with powering a servo motor that works fine when fixed to a wall ac socket via dc converter )
Sorry if I had not been clear - it’s  4 am here
Regards and thanks my friends for responding 
Suresh


On 02-Feb-2020, at 12:03 AM, Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:


Yes.  That is what the inverter is for, tto supply AC power from a DC battery.  But if you already have a battery supplying 12V DC, you don't need to use the inverter and an AC->DC power supply to drive a mount that wants 12V dc.  You can run the mount directly off the battery.  But to be safe, you can regulate the power out of the battery with a DC to DC regulator, and you should fuse this with the recommended fuse.  Using the inverter in the loop makes the whole thing very inefficient power wise.

STeve

On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:27 PM Ron Kramer <ronkramer1957@...> wrote:
Wouldn't plugging the AC/DC adapter (power supply for the mount) into an inverter be DC and fine? Mine is pure sine wave version.


On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:22 PM Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:
Suresh - Do not run the mount off the inverter!!!  The mount needs DC.  The inverter puts out AC.  

Sine wave means the output of the inverter does a good job of digitally simulating analog AC power.  Some inverters put out square wave power, which is lousy but ok for some devices.

STeve



--

Re: : [ap-gto] Park 1

Ray Gralak
 

I thought the ASCOM driver and/or APCC automatically updated the keypad's date & time.
The ASCOM driver send time and date to the controller, but this does not update the keypad's date and time.

What is Park 5?
You can find all the park positions here on pages 21 and 22:

https://astro-physics.info/tech_support/mounts/quick-start-workflow-guide.pdf

-Ray Gralak
Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc
Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com
Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver


-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of CurtisC via Groups.Io
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 2:06 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: : [ap-gto] Park 1

I thought the ASCOM driver and/or APCC automatically updated the keypad's date & time. No? I was operating
with APCC as recently as Wednesday night. I use Park 4 when using APCC, but my keypad doesn't have it. What
is Park 5?
Re: : [ap-gto] Park 1

CurtisC <calypte@...>
 
Edited

I thought the ASCOM driver and/or APCC automatically updated the keypad's date & time from the computer.  No?  I was operating with APCC as recently as Wednesday night.  I use Park 4 when using APCC, but my keypad doesn't have it.  What is Park 5?
Re: Mach2 Update?

Roland Christen
 

I apologize to all who are waiting patiently for this mount.

Yes, it has taken longer than anticipated for us to finish the first batch. This mount is totally new and quite different in many ways from our previous versions, even our previous encoder mounts. Where we used servomotors and gears before, we use brushless microsteppers and belt drives in the Mach2. They react differently to loop commands and we have different software to control them. All this had to be tested thoroughly on the production mounts before I was fully satisfied with the performance.

Parallel to the mount development we also have new keypad software for the Mach2 because this computer mount has certain operations that are different from our previous encoder mounts. Some functions are now automatic and not settable by the customer - such as Resume from ParkX or Present Position etc. These and other annoyances have all been eliminated in this mount because it is now automatic, you don't have to remember anything because the mount always knows where it is.

We have also added new features to the keypad to make it far more usable and easier to operate. Things like modeling took a lot of time to develop and test, and our skies this winter prevented most testing for weeks at a time. Nevertheless we are finished with the mount portion and are doing final testing on the first batch. I am very picky about how the mounts are assembled and watching every step as our technicians put them together. I am personally doing the test protocol on every mount myself at this time, to make certain that every one of them meets spec. Last thing I want is for something to happen to a mount that was shipped and did not work correctly at the customer's location. When these first production units are done, we will automate our testing and be able to do it at a faster rate for future production.

I think you will find that the performance of the Mach2 is at a much higher level than other mounts of its size range. It was a personal dream of mine to produce a high precision imaging mount and it has taken a number of years from just paper sketches to Cad-Cam design to analysis to actual cutting of metal. It will track extremely accurately and won't require constant corrections in PHD2 at high guide rates to keep it on the straight and narrow. And of course it has excellent potential for unguided imaging with any focal length scope. In fact I plan to do just that with my 10" F14.6 Mak-Cass., weather permitting, and I will show you the resolution that is possible under reasonably good seeing.

Rolando







-----Original Message-----
From: Dean Jacobsen <deanjacobsen@...>
To: main <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Sent: Sat, Feb 1, 2020 1:46 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Mach2 Update?

But Bill, now that we are about 2 1/2 months past the original ship date, and those who put their $4500 deposits down in September 2019 did so 4 1/2 or 5 months ago, don't you think it is reasonable for some to ask why we keep blowing through "expected ship dates" for the first batch?  In Terri's case I am guessing that a deposit was made prior to September 2019.

Re: GTO CP3 V-chip post-installation qauestions

Dale Ghent
 

On Feb 1, 2020, at 1:51 PM, Mike Dodd <mike@mdodd.com> wrote:

On 2/1/2020 1:27 PM, Ray Gralak wrote:
Hi Mike,

(3a) In the ASCOM driver, how do I "give the servo a full
initialization?"
You do this by unparking from any of the park positions (instead of
unparking from last parked position). Of course you want to make sure
that the mount is physically in that position. I recommend unparking
from Park 3 then slew+recal using a known star or a plate solve.
Perfect. I like Park 1 vs. Park 3 because I can use a machinist's level to get the scope and CW shaft perfectly level.
You don't need to futz with making sure that the mount is mechanically level when instead you can just point the telescope+camera at a point in the sky, plate solve, and sync the solved coordinates to the mount. Since you have a permanent setup, and assuming your polar alignment is spot-on and your clock is well-sync'd, you should never have to worry about the mount being level or not upon returning to a park after a session.

/dale
Re: Mach2 Update?

Dean Jacobsen
 

But Bill, now that we are about 2 1/2 months past the original ship date, and those who put their $4500 deposits down in September 2019 did so 4 1/2 or 5 months ago, don't you think it is reasonable for some to ask why we keep blowing through "expected ship dates" for the first batch?  In Terri's case I am guessing that a deposit was made prior to September 2019.
Re: Mach2 Update?

Bill Long
 

I've heard this before, and it's just whining. Products are ready when they are ready. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Terri Zittritsch <theresamarie11@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 10:58 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Mach2 Update?
 
A-P has it very good with its customers.  I'm of the opinion that consumers should set the bar for suppliers, so will never be a fan-atic.   There are products I really like, and will say so, but it doesn't keep me from sharing an honest opinion when something isn't right.  There is no question A-P makes quality products, but then that's what we're paying for.   After all of the ala carte purchases, it'll cost about 6X my current mount.   After hearing in Sept that deliveries were in November, I purchased the remainder of my accessories, weights, tripod, etc, expecting a right-around-the-corner delivery.    So I remain disappointed with the lack of communications.   Customer support starts with the sales experience, and i ask my dealer about once a month, for a delivery update since early fall.  Most recently they have claim they're not getting responses.   I have planned 10d astronomy trip in 2 weeks and need to start packing up my old mount now.   I have no doubt the mach2 will be a nice mount, but I'm perplexed with the lack of any communications.
Re: Mach2 Update?

Terri Zittritsch
 

A-P has it very good with its customers.  I'm of the opinion that consumers should set the bar for suppliers, so will never be a fan-atic.   There are products I really like, and will say so, but it doesn't keep me from sharing an honest opinion when something isn't right.  There is no question A-P makes quality products, but then that's what we're paying for.   After all of the ala carte purchases, it'll cost about 6X my current mount.   After hearing in Sept that deliveries were in November, I purchased the remainder of my accessories, weights, tripod, etc, expecting a right-around-the-corner delivery.    So I remain disappointed with the lack of communications.   Customer support starts with the sales experience, and i ask my dealer about once a month, for a delivery update since early fall.  Most recently they have claim they're not getting responses.   I have planned 10d astronomy trip in 2 weeks and need to start packing up my old mount now.   I have no doubt the mach2 will be a nice mount, but I'm perplexed with the lack of any communications.
Re: GTO CP3 V-chip post-installation qauestions

Mike Dodd
 

On 2/1/2020 1:27 PM, Ray Gralak wrote:
Hi Mike,

(3a) In the ASCOM driver, how do I "give the servo a full
initialization?"
You do this by unparking from any of the park positions (instead of
unparking from last parked position). Of course you want to make sure
that the mount is physically in that position. I recommend unparking
from Park 3 then slew+recal using a known star or a plate solve.
Perfect. I like Park 1 vs. Park 3 because I can use a machinist's level to get the scope and CW shaft perfectly level.

In the past I've used the keypad to Resume from Ref Park 3. When I slew to a star in SkyX, it's always on the camera's chip, so only minor taps on the ASCOM driver's arrow keys are needed to bring it to the center (MaxIm's crosshairs turned on). Then I calibrate in SkyX.

After installing the V-chip, I'll do the same thing, but this time I'll use the ASCOM driver instead of the keypad to unpark from Park 1. And SkyX to slew to the star and calibrate.

Thanks, Ray.

--- Mike
Re: Inverter issue

Steven Panish
 

Yes.  That is what the inverter is for, tto supply AC power from a DC battery.  But if you already have a battery supplying 12V DC, you don't need to use the inverter and an AC->DC power supply to drive a mount that wants 12V dc.  You can run the mount directly off the battery.  But to be safe, you can regulate the power out of the battery with a DC to DC regulator, and you should fuse this with the recommended fuse.  Using the inverter in the loop makes the whole thing very inefficient power wise.

STeve

On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:27 PM Ron Kramer <ronkramer1957@...> wrote:
Wouldn't plugging the AC/DC adapter (power supply for the mount) into an inverter be DC and fine? Mine is pure sine wave version.


On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:22 PM Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:
Suresh - Do not run the mount off the inverter!!!  The mount needs DC.  The inverter puts out AC.  

Sine wave means the output of the inverter does a good job of digitally simulating analog AC power.  Some inverters put out square wave power, which is lousy but ok for some devices.

STeve



--

Re: Inverter issue

Mike Dodd
 

On 2/1/2020 1:26 PM, Ron Kramer wrote:
Wouldn't plugging the AC/DC adapter (power supply for the mount) into an
inverter be DC and fine? Mine is pure sine wave version.
Yes, I believe so. I think this thread has become clouded by references to "inverter" and "220V."

It seems clear to me that the OP is using a better to power a 220VAC inverter, into which he plugs a power supply that produces the 12V-15V needed for the mount.

--
Mike

Mike Dodd
Louisa County, Virginia USA
http://astronomy.mdodd.com
Re: GTO CP3 V-chip post-installation qauestions

Ray Gralak
 

Hi Mike,

(3a) In the ASCOM driver, how do I "give the servo a full initialization?"
You do this by unparking from any of the park positions (instead of unparking from last parked position). Of course you want to make sure that the mount is physically in that position. I recommend unparking from Park 3 then slew+recal using a known star or a plate solve.

(3b) If I resume from Park 1, can I then center a star using the ASCOM
driver's direction buttons, and do a Recalibrate to fine-tune pointing
accuracy? Is there a way to command a Recalibrate from within the ASCOM
driver, or must I do that in SkyX?
You should do this in SkyX as it will do the proper transformation of the star's J2000.0 coordinates to local apparent coordinates.

-Ray Gralak
Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc
Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com
Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver


-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Mike Dodd
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 7:56 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] GTO CP3 V-chip post-installation qauestions

Hello, all.

I received the V-chip to replace the L-chip in CP3 #0374 on my
pier-mounted AP1200. I have some questions regarding the printed
initialization instructions provided with the chip.

(1) The label on my keypad shows "CP1 1975GTO 1106." I assume this falls
under the "4.17/earlier" initialization instructions. Is this correct?

(2) The instructions under "4.17/earlier, Auto-connect = NO" say I can
choose "Star Sync" or "Resume Ref-Park 1." If I choose "Resume Ref-Park
1" must I then do a FULL Star Sync?

In the past, after balancing my scope or other operation where I
loosened the clutches, I've always done "Resume Ref-Park 1" followed by
a Recalibrate after centering a star with the direction buttons.

Is this the same situation? I can "Resume Ref-Park 1" then Recal on a
centered star?

(3) I normally initialize the mount when connecting the ASCOM driver, so
my keypad isn't even attached. The instructions say the software
"...MUST give the servo a full initialization" and I "...also need to
reestablish pointing and orientation by resuming from one of the AP
pre-defined park positions or by performing a full Sync on a star."

(3a) In the ASCOM driver, how do I "give the servo a full initialization?"

(3b) If I resume from Park 1, can I then center a star using the ASCOM
driver's direction buttons, and do a Recalibrate to fine-tune pointing
accuracy? Is there a way to command a Recalibrate from within the ASCOM
driver, or must I do that in SkyX?

If necessary, I will plug in the keypad, set it to "Auto-connect = YES,"
and do everything there, but I'd prefer doing everything from the
computer without the keypad.

Thanks for all information.

--- Mike
Re: Inverter issue

Ron Kramer
 

Wouldn't plugging the AC/DC adapter (power supply for the mount) into an inverter be DC and fine? Mine is pure sine wave version.


On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 1:22 PM Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:
Suresh - Do not run the mount off the inverter!!!  The mount needs DC.  The inverter puts out AC.  

Sine wave means the output of the inverter does a good job of digitally simulating analog AC power.  Some inverters put out square wave power, which is lousy but ok for some devices.

STeve



--

Re: Inverter issue

Steven Panish
 

Suresh - Do not run the mount off the inverter!!!  The mount needs DC.  The inverter puts out AC.  

Sine wave means the output of the inverter does a good job of digitally simulating analog AC power.  Some inverters put out square wave power, which is lousy but ok for some devices.

STeve
Re: Inverter issue

Steven Panish
 

That's for sure.  I'm up near Canada.  Temperatures are well below freezing on the average.  Your battery voltage will be fine as is.

Steve
Re: Inverter issue

Suresh Mohan
 

Steve in India due to frequent power outage we use so called inverters that source power from 12 v battery and convert to 220 v . When there is electricity it also charges the battery
Regards
Suresh


On 01-Feb-2020, at 10:33 PM, Steven Panish <scpanish@...> wrote:


Suresh-  If your site is cold the mount will prefer a higher voltage, check the manual for your mount/controller.  Buy a cheap ($5) buck/boost regulator on Ebay, feed the DC battery into it, and set the regulator output voltage for what is recommended.  I use 16.5v for my 1200.  

As Roland said, the inverter is only for DC to AC conversion, so all you would use it for is running a battery charger meant to run off household line current.  Which is what I presume you are doing but the description wasn't clear to me.

Steve
Re: Mach2 Update?

Bill Long
 

AP gear that is. Silly phones.

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Bill Long <bill@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 9:35 AM
To: Jerome Allison <jallison@...>; main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Mach2 Update?
 
Best things come to those who wait. AP fear is always worth is. Takes time to make things perfect. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Jerome Allison <jallison@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 9:23 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Mach2 Update?
 
I was on the Mach1 list and notified in September too.  Later, it seemed that I was going to be in the second bi-monthly shipping group back in December.  Maybe now there will just be one shipment?   I'm guessing that at this point the hardware is not the delay, but possibly the various software feature upgrades that are vaguely mentioned.  All speculation, I'm just hoping for some good news soon!

Re: Mach2 Update?

Bill Long
 

Best things come to those who wait. AP fear is always worth is. Takes time to make things perfect. 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Jerome Allison <jallison@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2020 9:23 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Mach2 Update?
 
I was on the Mach1 list and notified in September too.  Later, it seemed that I was going to be in the second bi-monthly shipping group back in December.  Maybe now there will just be one shipment?   I'm guessing that at this point the hardware is not the delay, but possibly the various software feature upgrades that are vaguely mentioned.  All speculation, I'm just hoping for some good news soon!

Re: Mach2 Update?

Jerome Allison
 

I was on the Mach1 list and notified in September too.  Later, it seemed that I was going to be in the second bi-monthly shipping group back in December.  Maybe now there will just be one shipment?   I'm guessing that at this point the hardware is not the delay, but possibly the various software feature upgrades that are vaguely mentioned.  All speculation, I'm just hoping for some good news soon!
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