Eric With the likely image scale on a 5m scope, I think 'precise guiding' is open to interpretation. Bryan

HI Carl, I'm not a mechanical engineer so, I'm probably using the incorrect terms like cross threading. I think the correct terms should be seizing or galling. After reading quite a bit of info

The fact that the screwing went fine first then resisting then fine again and repeating this pattern is not consistent with cross threading. Besides as I had read the below thread before hand, and I

I have an AP 1200 GTO from July 2009 delivery & a few months ago I replaced it's original counterweight shaft adapter for the brand new one with the stainless steel insert. Of course when I threaded

I agree with Cytan that a bronze insert would be ideal, but I also agree that stainless is better than aluminum. All it takes is one slipup with the aluminum threads and they are toast. As for your

>>>the whole point of setting a shift rate in the mount itself is to accomplish the opposite (less corrections by the guiding system). The way it is working now is substantially worse than leaving the

Hi Tan, ( <-- I hope I got this right :') ) Seizing and cold welding are very different things. Yes seizing is common, but to me it is with any metal, not just steel. The lower the thread pitch is and

Thanks all ... @Ray: I've read the help guide and the link, but I still don't understand what the "seconds" (numerator) refers to: in one possible interpretation it's 15x the value of another possible

Hi Carl, The mechanical engineers and techs that I work with have extensive knowledge of stainless steel. We work with stainless steel everyday because it is used for high vacuum. Stainless steel

Hi, I just wanted to give you guys an update. My shaft is seized solid to the insert and the thread is visibly damaged (look at the first thread on the first post). Unfortunately nothing works. I must

It is an 1100 mount with a CP4 controller. And it does not have encoders. I do my best with polar alignment, balancing and levelling of the mount. I was given the impression that APCC with the JPL

Yes we can. You can see the rotation of the sun over a day's imaging. I have done that kind of animation before.

Hi Woody, That may be true; I've never experimented that way. On the other hand, when used carefully WD40 is marvelous stuff. I was a research scientist in a NASA funded biology lab for nearly twenty

Here’s a fun thing to do with the original WD-40 that will prevent you from ever using it again on delicate things or locks – or anything other than what it was originally designed for – rust

What you are asking is a lot for a non-encoder mount, especially one with an older GTOCP3. As I'm sure you are well aware, everything is more difficult at such a long focal length. Polar alignment

Wow! At 5000 mm focal length, you must just about be able to see the sunspots move as the sun rotates! (OK, not sure about that, but that's still a lot of focal length. I'm glad it's folded.

I agree with Cytan 💯% Fernando

Brian, I read through the entire post. In the end it didn't work well or at all. And that is with mostly a full disk image. With the 5 M scope, you have only a small fraction of the sun's surface.

I also use Horizons for tracking comets. It works great! Todd

Hi Eric not directly related to APCC, but I was just looking at this thread on Sharpcap last night regarding tracking sunspots https://forums.sharpcap.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5280 -- Brian Brian