I have arrived...

Last episode we were fretting about pointing models, plate solves,
ASCOM contention. This episode resolves it all!

I am now hands-off, I go out to open the observatory and turn on the
mount and camera and thats it. In this frosty weather, that is so sweet.

Previous Episode "My AP1200 Points Off Into Space!"
Solution: Maxpoint... whipped this problem REAL good. Really
revolutionized my total time available for taking pictures, no more
futzing with hand paddles and eyepieces, period.

Previous Episode "Cant pulseguide w/ MaxPoint ASCOM hub!!"
Solution: Stop trying. I bought a GP-USB device and plugged it in and
switched PHD guider to GP-USB and now my planetarium and maxpoint stay
connected all the time. PHD graphs show more consistent guiding
behavior with the GP-USB than the ASCOM. (though in the results, I
cannot tell.)

Gerald Sargent wrote:

Track and Accumulate error graph graph shows an X and Y plot. With my
SBIG ST4000 such that the flat portion with the connectors roughly
horizontal and upwards. I am a bit confused (by lack of information in the
manual) which axes X and Y ?

You should determine that for yourself experimentally. Take an image, then press the left or right direction key to move the scope on the RA axis. Which direction to do star move on the image? That's the RA axis. To confirm, repeat the experiment with the up or down direction key and verify the star moves on the other axis. Note this information for future reference -- it's easy to forget.

Mike
-----

Mike Dodd
Montpelier, VA USA
http://astronomy.mdodd.com

At a restricted location view about +5 to +50 declination at suburban
Brisbane I am using the star Markab for track and accumulate polar
alignment.having done a rough one using the park 1&2 with a level and
a brief glimpse through the trees to the west at the sun about a half hour
before sunset - which allows usable goto for Markab.The telescope is
then on the east side of the mount
Track and Accumulate error graph graph shows an X and Y plot. With my
SBIG ST4000 such that the flat portion with the connectors roughly
horizontal and upwards. I am a bit confused (by lack of information in the
manual) which axes X and Y ?
Then on the error graph there are four columns of figures headed "Pos"
which I take to be the pixel position of the star in X and Y, measured from
where ? top or bottom left or right ? "Err" I assume means error since
previous measure. The word registration is used without qualification -
I assume this means since the guide star fixed for the first exposure and
difference of successive image guide star position from previous image ?
What is Res ? and what is averaged to get Ave ?
The method clearly is an excellent one - I just cannot get it to work - all
because I do not know which figures to relate to what, and how to use
them. Help from some experienced user appreciated - Gerald.

Dave,
Thanks very much for the link, it was very instructive reading for my
personal education.
Ivan

Hi Howard, many thanks for your advice. I have done as you suggest
and all is back to normal again. I haven't tried the ASCOM driver and
probably wont for a while because I very rarely use it.

Best wishes,

Richard

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

Hi Richard,



I did a bit of hunting to find an answer, and the problem was right
under my nose, as is often the case. I checked your customer

file, and

when I learned that you were located in western England, the whole
problem suddenly made sense. There is a minor issue that has been
present in the keypad firmware from the beginning, that we have only
recently become aware of, and that only affects customers in western
longitudes with time zone zero when daylight savings is in

effect. The

problem should be addressed in the next major release of the keypad
firmware, which will be v.4.20. In a nutshell, you can NOT use

the 3 =

Get Time / Loc. From Mount command or the EXT setting in the keypad

from

western England (or from Portugal or parts of western Africa) in the
summertime. It will cause the keypad to think that you are one

hour

behind GMT instead of one hour ahead. When you initialize with the
keypad, it does so correctly, so the servo is correct and the mount
operates properly. This hasn't proven to be a significant problem

over

the years, which explains why it has only recently surfaced. For a

bit

more detail, see:

http://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_v417.pdf



I should point out to everyone that the EXT setting and the 3 = Get

Time

/ Loc. From Mount command should not really be used under almost all
normal observing and imaging situations. They are not normally

needed.

You don't gain anything in terms of pointing accuracy or mount
performance, and you can create more problems than you solve if you

do

not fully understand the way in which the servo, the keypad and an
external computer do, and do not, interact. They were put into the
firmware for a few very specific circumstances in remote operation

of

the mounting. Using these features simply because you are also

using a

computer is not a good idea.



Since you have already used the 3 = Get Time / Loc. From Mount

command,

we may need to undo what has occurred and get you re-oriented. I

would

start by double checking the time and location data in the keypad to
make sure they are correct. Since you can't sync the keypad's

time to

the computer's time using the command in the keypad, try this
alternative method: Go into setup and first double check that the

date

and daylight savings part of the settings are correct. (You may

have

forgotten to reset the DST in the keypad this past weekend,

although the

computer will have done so automatically.) Then, reset your time

to

match the computer clock as closely as possible. I usually look

at my

computer clock and set the keypad several seconds ahead. Then I

wait

for the computer clock to catch up and press GoTo at the moment

that the

two are equal. I can usually get my keypad clock and computer clock
within a second or two this way. (I have had to do this quite

often

for various testing purposes.)



To reestablish the correct orientation after doing this, first set

your

auto-connect to NO, then power down the mount. Position the mount

in

the correct Park 1 position manually and re tighten the clutches.
Power up the mount, enter your location, and then select 4 = Resume

from

Reference Park 1. You should now be able to go to any object,

center

it and then re-calibrate to nail down your pointing. Now, if you
return to Park 1, it should do so correctly. You can also reset

the

keypad to auto-connect = YES at this point.



Fortunately, the DST issue disappeared this past weekend for you and
will do so next weekend for us in the US when we all "fall back" and
return to standard time.



Finally, as far as I know, the current ASCOM driver uses the mount's
time settings if it is connected to a mount that has already been
initialized. ASCOM uses the computer's time settings if it is
initializing the mount. To change the time for the driver, you

must

change the time for the computer. Keep in mind that the offset to

GMT

as stated at the top of the ASCOM driver is the net offset including
DST, not the time zone. As Roland advised earlier, I would

always let

the keypad initialize the mount if practical to do so.



Mag. 7 skies!



Howard Hedlund

Astro-Physics, Inc.

815-282-1513

________________________________

From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...] On

Behalf

Of Richard Kinsey
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:12 PM
To: ap-gto@...
Subject: [ap-gto] Re: AP1200 Park position no.1 reversed - ASCOM

driver

showing incorr...



Hi Ray, I have checked the time zone setting of the PC and it is
correct. The automatically adjust clock for daylight saving was
checked. How the ASCOM driver is using the wrong time zone remains

a

mystery.

Besr wishes, Richard

--- In ap-gto@... <mailto:ap-gto%

40yahoogroups.com> , "Ray

Gralak" <rgr@> wrote:

What still puzzles me is
how to set the ASCOM driver to the correct time zone.

Richard, did see my previous post on how to check that your

Windows

Time

Zone is correct? Also make sure that "Automatically adjust clock

for

daylight saving changes" is checked.

-Ray

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Richard,



I did a bit of hunting to find an answer, and the problem was right
under my nose, as is often the case. I checked your customer file, and
when I learned that you were located in western England, the whole
problem suddenly made sense. There is a minor issue that has been
present in the keypad firmware from the beginning, that we have only
recently become aware of, and that only affects customers in western
longitudes with time zone zero when daylight savings is in effect. The
problem should be addressed in the next major release of the keypad
firmware, which will be v.4.20. In a nutshell, you can NOT use the 3 =
Get Time / Loc. From Mount command or the EXT setting in the keypad from
western England (or from Portugal or parts of western Africa) in the
summertime. It will cause the keypad to think that you are one hour
behind GMT instead of one hour ahead. When you initialize with the
keypad, it does so correctly, so the servo is correct and the mount
operates properly. This hasn't proven to be a significant problem over
the years, which explains why it has only recently surfaced. For a bit
more detail, see:

http://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_v417.pdf



I should point out to everyone that the EXT setting and the 3 = Get Time
/ Loc. From Mount command should not really be used under almost all
normal observing and imaging situations. They are not normally needed.
You don't gain anything in terms of pointing accuracy or mount
performance, and you can create more problems than you solve if you do
not fully understand the way in which the servo, the keypad and an
external computer do, and do not, interact. They were put into the
firmware for a few very specific circumstances in remote operation of
the mounting. Using these features simply because you are also using a
computer is not a good idea.



Since you have already used the 3 = Get Time / Loc. From Mount command,
we may need to undo what has occurred and get you re-oriented. I would
start by double checking the time and location data in the keypad to
make sure they are correct. Since you can't sync the keypad's time to
the computer's time using the command in the keypad, try this
alternative method: Go into setup and first double check that the date
and daylight savings part of the settings are correct. (You may have
forgotten to reset the DST in the keypad this past weekend, although the
computer will have done so automatically.) Then, reset your time to
match the computer clock as closely as possible. I usually look at my
computer clock and set the keypad several seconds ahead. Then I wait
for the computer clock to catch up and press GoTo at the moment that the
two are equal. I can usually get my keypad clock and computer clock
within a second or two this way. (I have had to do this quite often
for various testing purposes.)



To reestablish the correct orientation after doing this, first set your
auto-connect to NO, then power down the mount. Position the mount in
the correct Park 1 position manually and re tighten the clutches.
Power up the mount, enter your location, and then select 4 = Resume from
Reference Park 1. You should now be able to go to any object, center
it and then re-calibrate to nail down your pointing. Now, if you
return to Park 1, it should do so correctly. You can also reset the
keypad to auto-connect = YES at this point.



Fortunately, the DST issue disappeared this past weekend for you and
will do so next weekend for us in the US when we all "fall back" and
return to standard time.



Finally, as far as I know, the current ASCOM driver uses the mount's
time settings if it is connected to a mount that has already been
initialized. ASCOM uses the computer's time settings if it is
initializing the mount. To change the time for the driver, you must
change the time for the computer. Keep in mind that the offset to GMT
as stated at the top of the ASCOM driver is the net offset including
DST, not the time zone. As Roland advised earlier, I would always let
the keypad initialize the mount if practical to do so.



Mag. 7 skies!



Howard Hedlund

Astro-Physics, Inc.

815-282-1513

________________________________

From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...] On Behalf
Of Richard Kinsey
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:12 PM
To: ap-gto@...
Subject: [ap-gto] Re: AP1200 Park position no.1 reversed - ASCOM driver
showing incorr...



Hi Ray, I have checked the time zone setting of the PC and it is
correct. The automatically adjust clock for daylight saving was
checked. How the ASCOM driver is using the wrong time zone remains a
mystery.

Besr wishes, Richard

--- In ap-gto@... <mailto:ap-gto%40yahoogroups.com> , "Ray
Gralak" <rgr@...> wrote:

What still puzzles me is
how to set the ASCOM driver to the correct time zone.

Richard, did see my previous post on how to check that your Windows

Time

Zone is correct? Also make sure that "Automatically adjust clock for
daylight saving changes" is checked.

-Ray

Hi Ray, I have checked the time zone setting of the PC and it is
correct. The automatically adjust clock for daylight saving was
checked. How the ASCOM driver is using the wrong time zone remains a
mystery.

Besr wishes, Richard

--- In ap-gto@..., "Ray Gralak" <rgr@...> wrote:

What still puzzles me is
how to set the ASCOM driver to the correct time zone.

Richard, did see my previous post on how to check that your Windows

Time

Zone is correct? Also make sure that "Automatically adjust clock for
daylight saving changes" is checked.

-Ray

Rolando, I do have the keypad set to autostart and did not use any
extrenal programs with the mount last night and it still parked on
the wrong side of the pier.

Richard
--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/28/2008 10:03:52 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, thanks for explaining that. I have found the relevant
section in the 4.12 manual. What still puzzles me is how to set

the

ASCOM driver to the correct time zone. Perhaps I should post a
message on the ASCOM user group.

There is no reason to send site information to the mount from

ASCOM. The

mount's own keypad has all the correct information in its memory

and if you use

Autostart Yes, it will do a bangup job of starting the mount and

parking it on

the correct side. No need to use Get Time From Mount, etc.

Some time down the road, AP will make the new control paneel

available with

built-in ASCOM that does work. Right now there are problems with

using ASCOM to

control the startup of the mount. Please understand that you can do

100% of

the control of the mount via any external program, but the startup

function

should be left to the keypad, unless you really know what you are

doing. Leave

the keypad set to Autostart YES and you will be fine.

I will let Howard explain further. Howard is our mount control

expert and

knows all the ins and outs of Pulse Guide, ASCOM and the new AP

control program

for contolling the mount from your laptop.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics â€" check it

out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)

Hi Ray, thanks for your message. I will check the time zone settings
on the PC. Presumably that is where ASCOM obtains its information
from.
I have been somewhat confused with the ASCOm driver for s few weeks.
When I used it a week or so ago with PEMPro, the calibration wizard
in PEMPro was showing the scope to be pointing considerably further
west than it actually was. I checked the ASCOM driver and the time
was wrong, even though the computer's time was correct. When I used
the slew function in PEMPro the mount slewed way past the meridian. I
gave up with it after a while.

Best wishes,

Richard

--- In ap-gto@..., "Ray Gralak" <rgr@...> wrote:

Hi Richard,

Double check your PC's time zone and daylight savings time settings

by right mouse clicking on the system time on the lower right of the
task bar. Next, select "Adjust Date/Time" and click the Time Zone
tab. Here is a link with a picture:

http://windows.about.com/od/customizingwindows/ss/time_zone_2.htm

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...]
On Behalf Of Richard Kinsey
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7:49 AM
To: ap-gto@...
Subject: [ap-gto] AP1200 Park position no.1 reversed - ASCOM
driver showing incorrect time zone

Rolando, I have used the Get Time From Mount option on the
keypad and established that it is the correct time (within a
few seconds). I have also re-visited the ASCOM driver and
discovered that it is showing the correct time, but the time
zone is incorrect by one hour.
I have also checked the time zone within the keypad and that
is correct, so it is a bit of a mystery as to why the ASCOM
driver is showing the wrong time zone. There doesn't appear
to be any means of changing the data shown in the ASCOM
driver. Your advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks, Richard

--- In ap-gto@...
<mailto:ap-gto%40yahoogroups.com> , chris1011@ wrote:

In a message dated 10/27/2008 6:23:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@ writes:

For some strange reason, no1 park position on my AP1200 has

changed so

that the scope is now on the east side of the mount, facing

north, with

the counterweight shaft horizontal. In other words, as park

position

no.1 should be, but with the scope on the wrong side of the

mount. The

mount otherwise appears to be working normally.

You probably are using the EXT mode and feeding your mount with

time data

from your laptop that is a few seconds different from the time

in

the keypad.

Park position 1 is due north, and that can be either with the

scope

on the east

side or on the west side. In the keypad, we send the scope to

the

west side by

calculating an RA position that is approximately 10 seconds

early

from true

north. If your laptop is off by 10 seconds or more from the

keypad,

you could

very easily be on the other side of the meridian line. Therefore

when you send

the mount to Park1, it uses the time in the keypad, and when the

mount servo

looks at the requested RA position, it will decide that it is

past

the meridian

and sends the scope to the east side of the mount.

In order to avoid timing issues when using EXT mode, please use

your external

computer program for all your needs. In EXT, the keypad is

really

no longer

in charge. If you really need to go back and forth between

keypad

and laptop,

then you should upload the mount's time to the keypad by using

the "Get Time

From Mount" function in your keypad.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites,

no

registration required and great graphics â€" check it

out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

<http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?>

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001
<http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001> )


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

What still puzzles me is
how to set the ASCOM driver to the correct time zone.

Richard, did see my previous post on how to check that your Windows Time
Zone is correct? Also make sure that "Automatically adjust clock for
daylight saving changes" is checked.

-Ray

Rolando, thanks for explaining that. I have found the relevant
section in the 4.12 manual. What still puzzles me is how to set the
ASCOM driver to the correct time zone. Perhaps I should post a
message on the ASCOM user group.

Thanks, Richard
--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/28/2008 9:49:29 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, I have used the Get Time From Mount option on the keypad

and

established that it is the correct time (within a few seconds). I
have also re-visited the ASCOM driver and discovered that it is
showing the correct time, but the time zone is incorrect by one

hour.

I have also checked the time zone within the keypad and that is
correct, so it is a bit of a mystery as to why the ASCOM driver

is

showing the wrong time zone. There doesn't appear to be any means

of

changing the data shown in the ASCOM driver. Your advice would be
gratefully received.

When you use "Get Time From Mount" in the keypad, then you have set

the

keypad to EXT. From then on, you no longer have the keypad in

control and really

should not use any of the keypad functions, except for the

direction buttons.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics â€" check it

out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Richard,

Double check your PC's time zone and daylight savings time settings by right mouse clicking on the system time on the lower right of the task bar. Next, select "Adjust Date/Time" and click the Time Zone tab. Here is a link with a picture:

http://windows.about.com/od/customizingwindows/ss/time_zone_2.htm

-Ray

Rolando, thanks for your reply. Can you please tell me where the Ext
setting can be found? I have looked in the 4.12 manual and have been
unable to find it.

Many thanks, Richard

--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/28/2008 4:31:03 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, many thanks for your reply.

I am sure that you are right about the probelem being caused by a
time discrepancy. I noticed that the ASCOM driver was showing a
different time to that in the hand-controller by around one hour,
even though the PC's time was correct. I must confess that I am a
little confused on this issue because I had presumed that the

ASCOM

driver would obtain the correct time from the mount. Also that

the

time stored in the mount would be the same as that displayed by

the

keypad. From what you have said, this is not the case.

I understand that I can obtain the mount's time by using the Get

Time

from Mount function in the keypad, but how can I correct the time
held in the mount? Also, I am correct in assuming that once the

mount

is holding the correct time, the ASCOM driver will also show the
correct time? If not, how does one set the time in the ASCOM

driver?

Many thanks, Richard

Check to make shure that you do not have the keypad set to EXT.

When the

keypad is in EXT, it is no longer in charge and all site data must

be sent

correctly to the mount from your external program (if this data is

not correct, then

you can have problems with using Park functions in the keypad, as

well as

meridian flip discrepancies). You would use EXT only if you are

doing remote

imaging and will not be present at the telescope. You can also

disconnect the

keypad if you do remote imaging. If you are present at the scope,

there is no

reason to set the keypad to EXT. It just complicates matters.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics â€" check it

out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rolando, I have used the Get Time From Mount option on the keypad and
established that it is the correct time (within a few seconds). I
have also re-visited the ASCOM driver and discovered that it is
showing the correct time, but the time zone is incorrect by one hour.
I have also checked the time zone within the keypad and that is
correct, so it is a bit of a mystery as to why the ASCOM driver is
showing the wrong time zone. There doesn't appear to be any means of
changing the data shown in the ASCOM driver. Your advice would be
gratefully received.

Many thanks, Richard

--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/27/2008 6:23:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

For some strange reason, no1 park position on my AP1200 has

changed so

that the scope is now on the east side of the mount, facing

north, with

the counterweight shaft horizontal. In other words, as park

position

no.1 should be, but with the scope on the wrong side of the

mount. The

mount otherwise appears to be working normally.

You probably are using the EXT mode and feeding your mount with

time data

from your laptop that is a few seconds different from the time in

the keypad.

Park position 1 is due north, and that can be either with the scope

on the east

side or on the west side. In the keypad, we send the scope to the

west side by

calculating an RA position that is approximately 10 seconds early

from true

north. If your laptop is off by 10 seconds or more from the keypad,

you could

very easily be on the other side of the meridian line. Therefore

when you send

the mount to Park1, it uses the time in the keypad, and when the

mount servo

looks at the requested RA position, it will decide that it is past

the meridian

and sends the scope to the east side of the mount.

In order to avoid timing issues when using EXT mode, please use

your external

computer program for all your needs. In EXT, the keypad is really

no longer

in charge. If you really need to go back and forth between keypad

and laptop,

then you should upload the mount's time to the keypad by using

the "Get Time

From Mount" function in your keypad.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics â€" check it

out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks, Roland! Hopefully some day I will be able to share an image
through one of your scopes on this mount :)

Eric

--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/27/2008 11:48:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
eja24601@... writes:

LRGB version:
http://tinyurl.com/67khsv

H-alpha version:
http://tinyurl.com/5dzspk

I like both versions. Very nice results.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics â€" check

it out!

(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?

redir=

http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 10/28/2008 10:51:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, I do have the keypad set to autostart and did not use any
extrenal programs with the mount last night and it still parked on
the wrong side of the pier.

1) You may have started with the keypad in Autostart, but if you did a Get
Time From Mount function with the keypad, it will set it automatically to EXT
mode.

2) if you used any ASCOM function to set a new time in your moutn servo, then
it will indeed set the mount to the wrong side in Park 1.

The mount servo uses its internal time setting to determine which side the
commanded Park will be. The keypad will calculate the Park 1 point to be 10
seconds before the Due North point according to its internal clock. Let's say that
this RA point is 21hrs 59 min 50 seconds. This then is the RA data that gets
sent to the servo. However, you must understand that 11 seconds later, this RA
point will be on the East side of the mount. Now, if the servo has an
internal time 11 seconds later than the keypad (because you sent a different time to
the servo via ASCOM at some time during your session), then this RA point will
be interpreted by the servo to be on the east side. Do you understand this?
The servo has no choice but to respond to your commands, whatever they may be,
right or wrong.

What I am trying to say to you is this: The mount is NOT PARKING WRONG. The
mount is doing exactly what you commanded it to do. If you always want the
mount to park correctly then you must always use the same time base for
everything. The best way is to NOT SEND to the mount another time base.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 10/28/2008 10:03:52 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, thanks for explaining that. I have found the relevant
section in the 4.12 manual. What still puzzles me is how to set the
ASCOM driver to the correct time zone. Perhaps I should post a
message on the ASCOM user group.

There is no reason to send site information to the mount from ASCOM. The
mount's own keypad has all the correct information in its memory and if you use
Autostart Yes, it will do a bangup job of starting the mount and parking it on
the correct side. No need to use Get Time From Mount, etc.

Some time down the road, AP will make the new control paneel available with
built-in ASCOM that does work. Right now there are problems with using ASCOM to
control the startup of the mount. Please understand that you can do 100% of
the control of the mount via any external program, but the startup function
should be left to the keypad, unless you really know what you are doing. Leave
the keypad set to Autostart YES and you will be fine.

I will let Howard explain further. Howard is our mount control expert and
knows all the ins and outs of Pulse Guide, ASCOM and the new AP control program
for contolling the mount from your laptop.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)

In a message dated 10/28/2008 9:57:12 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, thanks for your reply. Can you please tell me where the Ext
setting can be found? I have looked in the 4.12 manual and have been
unable to find it.

There are 3 settings in the keypad under Keypad options: "Autostart No",
"Autostart Yes" and "EXT". Please use "Autostart Yes" for all fixed location
operations, Autostart No for setup in the field and EXT for all remote operations.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 10/28/2008 9:49:29 AM Central Daylight Time,
richard.kinsey@... writes:

Rolando, I have used the Get Time From Mount option on the keypad and
established that it is the correct time (within a few seconds). I
have also re-visited the ASCOM driver and discovered that it is
showing the correct time, but the time zone is incorrect by one hour.
I have also checked the time zone within the keypad and that is
correct, so it is a bit of a mystery as to why the ASCOM driver is
showing the wrong time zone. There doesn't appear to be any means of
changing the data shown in the ASCOM driver. Your advice would be
gratefully received.

When you use "Get Time From Mount" in the keypad, then you have set the
keypad to EXT. From then on, you no longer have the keypad in control and really
should not use any of the keypad functions, except for the direction buttons.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)

In a message dated 10/28/2008 5:02:33 AM Central Daylight Time,
astrogroups@... writes:

I reckon you could get similar improvements to the 'low end' mounts
shown on the shotglass web site by just cleaning, re-lubing and
carefully seting up.
I doubt the WS2 has much to do with the reduction in PE.

If you read the information carefully, the reduction of PE is due to their
modification and blueprinting of the worm. By the looks of it, the worm is
measured on a gear tester and probably hand filed to reduce the runout of the
bearing journals. This is the biggest contributer to periodic error. Adding the
lubricant only allows the gears to be pressed closer together without binding up,
which might reduce the backlash in Dec. This would help autoguiding. RA
backlash has no effect on autoguiding.

Rolando


**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your
favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)