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AP1200 regrease and maintenance
Linton Guise
Hi,
My AP1200 is a few years old now but still functions perfectly. I’m sure it’s overdue for a regrease etc. Could someone direct me to any help files on how to go about this. Had a quick search but came up blank. I’m sure there must be a good guide out there. Many thanks, Linton Guise (Bedford U.K.)
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Kenneth Tan
Thanks! Will be trying it out when i get clear skies.
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Roland Christen
Certainly.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth Tan <ktanhs@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 10:59 am Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Small AP Mount Ideas Will the mach 2 work with a celestron RASA 11”
-- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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moderated
Re: Newbie question re: APPM
Roland Christen
My comment about best practices are aimed at using the mount with the operator there at the mount. I would never recommend setting up an automatic remote system with scope starting or ending up in the counterweight up position. Unattended remote operation should always be done with cwt up and flipping sides at the meridian.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Weiner <weinere@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 10:50 am Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Newbie question re: APPM On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 09:36 AM, Roland Christen wrote:
Best practices would be to start your scope pointing east with counterweight up and let your scope track all night thru the meridian.Unless you're using automation software like SGP. I just had a back and forth with Ray and Jared (SGP), Ray here in the ap-gto forum, and Jared on the SGP forum. Neither would commit to saying APCC and SGP would play nice together with the CW up East option enabled. As a matter of fact, APCC gives a very stern warning to NOT have CW up in East Limits option checked if using automation software. Ray says he would need to discuss it with the SGP developers, but Jared simply stopped replying to my thread on the SGP boards after a short back and forth with him to explain what I meant. Very much a shame since it doesn't allow folks to use a very powerful aspect of A-P mount design. Regards, Eric -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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Re: [ap-ug] A colorful Southern Sky Beauty
Jeff B
Oh boy. 😱🤕 That's too bad. I actually find myself grieving a bit like the loss of a friend. I wonder how bad the chip is and if it could be masked. I imagine it's languishing in some closet someplace. Too bad. I don't see the pre-Travelers up for sale very often, as well as the old 5" f6. The folks who have them now are obviously smarter than me and hanging on to them.🙄 Jeff
On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 11:30 AM <chris1011@...> wrote:
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Kenneth Tan
Will the mach 2 work with a celestron RASA 11”
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moderated
Re: Newbie question re: APPM
Emilio J. Robau, P.E.
I don’t think that any of the automation software work well with the AP counterweight up and the delayed meridian flip functionality. I always set a separate item in the automation softare for the meridian flip. SGP is supposed to be the most coordinated of the automation applications. I am interested in more dialogue regarding this issue since I am having trouble using the native functionality of flipping after passing the meridian with automation software. Slews to a counterweight up position seem to be no issue. It is the meridian delay that seems to be an issue.
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Ha! That makes a lot more sense.
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
On 4/30/21 12:14 AM, Woody Schlom wrote:
A appreciate that, and I believe I did not know that. The case Scopeguard made for it way back when cradled the whole assembly, so I never tried separating it. (I need the exercise anyway. :) ) Cheers, Mojo
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moderated
Re: Newbie question re: APPM
On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 09:36 AM, Roland Christen wrote:
Best practices would be to start your scope pointing east with counterweight up and let your scope track all night thru the meridian.Unless you're using automation software like SGP. I just had a back and forth with Ray and Jared (SGP), Ray here in the ap-gto forum, and Jared on the SGP forum. Neither would commit to saying APCC and SGP would play nice together with the CW up East option enabled. As a matter of fact, APCC gives a very stern warning to NOT have CW up in East Limits option checked if using automation software. Ray says he would need to discuss it with the SGP developers, but Jared simply stopped replying to my thread on the SGP boards after a short back and forth with him to explain what I meant. Very much a shame since it doesn't allow folks to use a very powerful aspect of A-P mount design. Regards, Eric
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Roland Christen
Yes, you are probably reading it wrong. In the statement below I did not say anything about a permanent setup being less stable. What I meant was, if you are going to build a permanent system with a 180 refractor, I would opt for a larger mount. But for quick setups at a weekend outing, the Mach2 on an Eagle pier (or equivalent) will hold a 180 refractor. For a permanent setup i would go with either the 1100 or 1600 size mount. The you can load it up to your heart's content with all kinds of secondary equipment.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Weiner <weinere@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 10:31 am Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Small AP Mount Ideas On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 09:19 AM, Roland Christen wrote:
Just a reminder, the Mach2 will handle a 180mm size refractor for imaging on a weekend outing to your favorite dark sky site. I have done it with mine, but it takes an Eagle pier to hold that. I would not do it for a permanent setup,Roland, You've got me confused with that statement. Are you staying the Eagle is more stable for a 180mm refractor than a permanent setup? Am I just reading your comment wrong? Thanks, Eric -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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moderated
Re: Newbie question re: APPM
Roland Christen
You would be making a mapping run all the way from the "correct" side thru the meridian to the "upside down" side. And you would do this on both sides of the meridian. Then the model will work when you are upside down on either side.
Best practices would be to start your scope pointing east with counterweight up and let your scope track all night thru the meridian. That is the best way to avoid any pier crashes because you will see any potential obstruction issues at the very start of the session. If there are none at the beginning, there will never be any afterwards.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: dcraft34@... <dcraft34@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 4:37 am Subject: [ap-gto] Newbie question re: APPM I don’t yet have my AP1100 (comes soon). I’ve never used a german equatorial mount, so I’m clearly getting ahead of myself. I hope to use the APPM tracking model with APCC for photometry with a Meade 14 inch with mirror lock, and F5 giving 1.17 arcSec / pixel, and weighing roughly 90# plus counterweights.
I hope to start all of my photometry runs counterweight up and track well past the meridian.
If I correctly understand the APPM point mapping process, most of the mapping points will be derived with the mount in the more normal, counterweight down, configuration. Is it reasonable for me to expect the tracking model to perform acceptably (no guiding needed) if the system in actual use is counterweight up but the APPM points were established using the counterweight down configuration? I’m assuming some mechanical aspects of this OTA are imperfect and this question cannot be answered with certainty but I hope to deterine if my expectations are highly unlikely to be realized, or alternatively, that I have some reasonable probability of success if the mechanicals are stable.
Or has my mind made a pretzel shape of a simple situation? (I’m not visualizing these mount operations with clarity yet- my first few hours of mount operation will teach me much.)
Thanks, Dave
-- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 09:19 AM, Roland Christen wrote:
Just a reminder, the Mach2 will handle a 180mm size refractor for imaging on a weekend outing to your favorite dark sky site. I have done it with mine, but it takes an Eagle pier to hold that. I would not do it for a permanent setup,Roland, You've got me confused with that statement. Are you staying the Eagle is more stable for a 180mm refractor than a permanent setup? Am I just reading your comment wrong? Thanks, Eric
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Re: [ap-ug] A colorful Southern Sky Beauty
Roland Christen
Last I heard the person who bought that lens managed to drop it and chip the glass. I don't recall the name anymore.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Blazey <mnebula946@...> To: chris1011@... Cc: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>; main@ap-ug.groups.io <main@ap-ug.groups.io> Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 8:29 am Subject: Re: [ap-gto] [ap-ug] A colorful Southern Sky Beauty Hey Roland.
Yes, you called it your "Mars Lens". I made a straight through bino-friendly (the old Celestron viewer) OTA around it with a Parks fiberglass tube (in retrospect, the fiberglass was not a good idea) and mounted it on a modified Cave Observatory beast inside a 14 x 14 foot observatory with a roll off roof. It served me well and after I moved here to Ohio, a few years later I pretty much exited the hobby for ~ 10 years, selling the 7" in the process in the early 90's. I've been trying to track it down with no success. It was very good! Attached is one surviving photo of Venus, single shot, K64, "hat trick". Visually, the image was just incredible, very white with much detail in the cloud structure around the terminator.
My other big regret was selling off my pre-traveler 4" F6 triplets (I had two). It was an astonishing telephoto lens, especially with the reducer flattener (which BTW, I still have) at F4. Super bright, with exceptional contrast and very manageable. My Olympus's light meter would read it as an F2.8 lens.
Jeff
On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 9:21 PM <chris1011@...> wrote:
-- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Roland Christen
The Mach2 major parts have the following weights:
Base - 12 lb
RA axis - 13.2 lb
Dec axis - 17.2 lb
The mount can be separated from the base by removing 6 screws. Actually only 4 are really needed for securing the mount to the base. That leaves just over 30lb to lift. There is an advantage in that you can leave the base on a pier or tripod outside and cover it. Next session you put the mount back on the base and the polar alignment will be there for free.
Just a reminder, the Mach2 will handle a 180mm size refractor for imaging on a weekend outing to your favorite dark sky site. I have done it with mine, but it takes an Eagle pier to hold that. I would not do it for a permanent setup, but for a weekend getaway in your Rivian it would be just fine. You will get perfect tracking (thanks to the Renishaw encoders) as long as you are reasonably well balanced - something that is easy to do with this mount. Can the Mach1 do this? Um, probably not.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Woody Schlom <woody_is@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 2:14 am Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Small AP Mount Ideas Mojo,
You do realize that the Mach1 can also be divided into two pieces. As I recall you just remove 6 bolts. It only takes a minute.
Woody
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Mojo Jones
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:05 PM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Small AP Mount Ideas Yeah, I'll second that. I love my Mach 1 (original issue with updates, many years old). The 1100 is actually easier to schlep because it divides into smaller pieces.
I can still lift the Mach 1 in it's Scopeguard case, but it's not getting any easier. :) Mojo On 4/29/21 11:26 AM, Woody Schlom wrote:
-- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
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moderated
Newbie question re: APPM
dcraft34@comcast.net
I don’t yet have my AP1100 (comes soon). I’ve never used a german equatorial mount, so I’m clearly getting ahead of myself. I hope to use the APPM tracking model with APCC for photometry with a Meade 14 inch with mirror lock, and F5 giving 1.17 arcSec / pixel, and weighing roughly 90# plus counterweights.
I hope to start all of my photometry runs counterweight up and track well past the meridian. If I correctly understand the APPM point mapping process, most of the mapping points will be derived with the mount in the more normal, counterweight down, configuration. Is it reasonable for me to expect the tracking model to perform acceptably (no guiding needed) if the system in actual use is counterweight up but the APPM points were established using the counterweight down configuration? I’m assuming some mechanical aspects of this OTA are imperfect and this question cannot be answered with certainty but I hope to deterine if my expectations are highly unlikely to be realized, or alternatively, that I have some reasonable probability of success if the mechanicals are stable. Or has my mind made a pretzel shape of a simple situation? (I’m not visualizing these mount operations with clarity yet- my first few hours of mount operation will teach me much.) Thanks, Dave
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Re: [ap-ug] A colorful Southern Sky Beauty
Jeff B
Hey Roland. Yes, you called it your "Mars Lens". I made a straight through bino-friendly (the old Celestron viewer) OTA around it with a Parks fiberglass tube (in retrospect, the fiberglass was not a good idea) and mounted it on a modified Cave Observatory beast inside a 14 x 14 foot observatory with a roll off roof. It served me well and after I moved here to Ohio, a few years later I pretty much exited the hobby for ~ 10 years, selling the 7" in the process in the early 90's. I've been trying to track it down with no success. It was very good! Attached is one surviving photo of Venus, single shot, K64, "hat trick". Visually, the image was just incredible, very white with much detail in the cloud structure around the terminator. My other big regret was selling off my pre-traveler 4" F6 triplets (I had two). It was an astonishing telephoto lens, especially with the reducer flattener (which BTW, I still have) at F4. Super bright, with exceptional contrast and very manageable. My Olympus's light meter would read it as an F2.8 lens. Jeff
On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 9:21 PM <chris1011@...> wrote:
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Woody Schlom
Mojo,
You do realize that the Mach1 can also be divided into two pieces. As I recall you just remove 6 bolts. It only takes a minute.
Woody
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Mojo Jones
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:05 PM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Small AP Mount Ideas
Yeah, I'll second that. I love my Mach 1 (original issue with updates, many years old). The 1100 is actually easier to schlep because it divides into smaller pieces. On 4/29/21 11:26 AM, Woody Schlom wrote:
--
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Re: Small AP Mount Ideas
Kenneth Tan
🤣 just a lot lighter than the Mach2
On Fri, 30 Apr 2021 at 02:26, Woody Schlom <woody_is@...> wrote:
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Re: APCC
I watched all 1 hour and 16 minutes of the video. It seems like this one is geared more for the APCC users with more experience. I would be interested to see something more like a getting started with APCC covering the very basics.
Mike
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