Hi Howard,
Excellent work. Thanks for the update.
One suggestion is to put a doucment revision number just under the
manual title, such as:

Keypad Manual Version 4.12
Revision 2008-03-06-6:00PM

I do this with manuals etc. at work where they get revised
frequently. It will help you and others keep them straight. I did
see the March 6th date, but calling it out explicitly helps.
My 2 cents,
Thanks, Rick

--- In ap-gto@..., "howard4ap" <howard@...> wrote:

Hi again everybody!

The latest version of the keypad manual is now posted up on the
website. It has a number of improvements that hopefully will

allow

you to get more out of your Astro-Physics GoTo System.

http://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_v412.pdf

We have tried to give better inclusion to issues affecting those

of

you in the southern hemisphere in this version of the manual. In
particular, see the section on the Park Positions and the Daytime
Polar Alignment Routine.

There has been considerable discussion over the years on the

various

polar alignment methods available to those who use their mounts in
the field instead of in a permanent observatory. This latest

Keypad

Manual for v.4.12 has an expanded section on the GTO Quick Star

Drift

Method that Roland has recommended many times to this group. In
addition to expanded instructions, we have included a table of
suggested stars to make the method much easier to use (Appendix

I).

Check it out and see if it doesn't help you with this little chore
that all of us must face in the field. As always, feedback is
welcome!

If your current keypad manual is several years old, you will also
benefit from the expanded discussion of the Sync and Re-Calibrate
commands in the Advanced Features Section. Also, the Command
Language sections are more up-to-date than those sections were in

the

previous editions of the manual. Finally, there are many small
improvements that come about as customers ask questions that make

us

realize that something wasn't explained as well as it could have
been. We hope that we are always improving our documentation, but
it's of no use if you, our customers, don't see the improvements.

May your skies be clear, dark and steady!
Howard
Astro-Physics

In a message dated 3/26/2008 4:42:59 PM Central Daylight Time,
bcbradford@... writes:

I am beside myself with excitement (my wife thinks I have "gone round the
bend" :>), because I heard from the good folks at Company Seven that my
Mach1 will be shipping soon. Christmas in March. :>)

I will be guiding the mount with my ST-8XME and have a question regarding
the guide cable. With the ST-8 I received an RJ-11 cable. I also have a
serial to RJ-11 adapter that I received a long time ago with my Tak mount.

All our mounts use the same guide cable (see Pinout for Autoguider in the
Technical Support section of our website). This cable is normally supplied with
every SBIG camera and has 6 pins on it. It is a standard 6 pin RJ-11-6
telephone cable available at most electronic stores, if you don't have one already.
Just plug one end into the camera, the other end into the mount servo and you
are done. Nothing else is required.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

In a message dated 3/26/2008 4:40:44 PM Central Daylight Time,
hewholooks@... writes:

As a followup question - what does PEMpro do for us that simply
training the mount's PEM with an autoguider cannot.

It smoothes the curve and takes out the errors of the sky motion.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

In a message dated 3/26/2008 3:27:38 PM Central Daylight Time,
hewholooks@... writes:

Any autoguiding system (PHD, MaximDL, etc) will
send corrections to the servos to keep the mount tracking accurately,
so will the mount's controller remember the corrections and record the
PEM?

Sure.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

And.. you don't even have to power the mount off. Just move it by
hand to center an object in your finder, locate and center it in your
camera, and then synch again (as long as you're on the West side of
the pier facing Eastward)

Dave


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

In a message dated 3/22/2008 2:32:22 PM Central Daylight Time,
taka@... writes:

Note that I am not blaming the mount. The current requirements

just make

it a bit more
difficult for me to use it. Because of the issues I have run

into in the

past, I haven't
developed confidence that I can park/unpark the mount remotely.

You don't have to park this mount. It will not get lost if you

simply turn

off the power with the scope at any convenient place. You don't

need to unpark

the mount either. Just turn the power back on and let a suitable

program

initialize it (Pulse Guide) - no need for the keypad to do

anything. The mount will

not be lost. It knows exactly where it is. The only way it

gets "lost" is if

your external program changes something and re-defines the present

RA position

with a new one.

And yes, according to the post headline, you are blaming the

mount "AP 1200

got lost again!" The fact is that your external programs sent the

mount to a

new place by redefining the present RA position.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?

ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

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

I had an issue for awhile with the mount's lat/long position. For
some reason, it was positioning me somewhere near China (I'm in
California). And the mount was diving under as you say. I'm sure
you have done this, but check the E/W of your longitude setting. If
you are in the USA, it should be W. For some reason that I still
can't determine, between uses, it got changed. Perhaps PemPro is
adjusting that setting for you?

Dave

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

Normally the servo will re-assign a new RA number to the position

where you

are only when you send a new RA number along with a Sync or Rcal to

the mount.

If that is not happening in your sequence, then perhaps something

else is

being sent to the mount. That something might be a new time. If new

time data is

being sent to the mount, the RA position is not altered, however

the horizon

and overhead hour angle position is changed, and this might place

the present

position underneath the mount in the servo logic, so that for the

next entry the

mount will try to acquire the object on the wrong side of the

mount. I'm

betting that the mount is not lost, it is simply getting a signal

from the

external software to redefine the present RA position.

My advice would be to work with Howard here at AP so that he can

recreate

your exact conditions with the same software, while monitoring the

serial port to

see what commands are being sent by the external software during

this cycle

(you can do this too with Portmon).

Rolando

In a message dated 3/21/2008 9:49:46 AM Central Daylight Time,
wskystalker@... writes:

I realize there are situations where the AP mounts can lose it's
orientation...the senarios have been discussed on this group ad
nauseum. It has happened to me multiple times, but I have

usually

been able to figure out why.

In this case, however, I am completely baffled. I turned on my

1200

by applying the power...autostart is ON. I link the mount with

The

Sky and slew to a star in preparation for evaluating PEC with
PemPro. Once I have centered the desired star, I terminate the

link

with The Sky. I open PemPro which has been configured for the
AP1200 and begin collecting data. I collected three cycles of

data

for evaluation and generated a PEC curve which was uploaded to

the

mount. The mount was then disconnected from PemPro. I went back
and reconnected with The Sky and began to slew to another
target...then IT happened...the telescope started slewing to lala
land and going under the pier, which lately has become somewhat
commonplace. I then have to shut down the mount, reposition in
reference park and reboot to regain orienaion. I repeated this 3
times to see if it would continue to happen...it DID.

Now to answer some of your questions...No, I did not sync OR
recalibrate at any time...No, I did not switch between the

computer

control and hand controller...I have read all the posts

concerning

the problem with "getting lost" and I fully understand how the

mount

works (Roland is quite clear in his explainations of the function

of

these wonderful pieces of art and engineering he has produced).

I

just get a little frustrated and disappointed when the mount

seems

to get a mind of its own during times when I least expect it...I
have to be able to trust the mount since I have a TEC 200 and
STL11000 riding on the back of this guy.

What now?

Norm

**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?

ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

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

In a message dated 3/26/2008 2:17:43 PM Central Daylight Time,
mike@... writes:

If I accidentally sync on the wrong side of the mount, is there a way
to tell the mount to simply invert its picture of the world?

Manually slew to the other side of the mount and do another sync.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

Hi Howard,

Just had a brief look at the updated document, but I can already tell
you that I definetely appreciate the numerous additions and hints
made to the section about Quick drift alignment ! I am convinced that
the many graphics added will help me finding my way now.

Considering the very few clear nights I have since the acquisition of
my Mach 1 mount 3 months ago, this will be a timesaver (and gives me
enough readings for cloudy nights !).

Hats off, again, to the team.

Pierre
--- In ap-gto@..., "howard4ap" <howard@...> wrote:

Hi again everybody!

The latest version of the keypad manual is now posted up on the
website. It has a number of improvements that hopefully will allow
you to get more out of your Astro-Physics GoTo System.

http://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_v412.pdf

We have tried to give better inclusion to issues affecting those of
you in the southern hemisphere in this version of the manual. In
particular, see the section on the Park Positions and the Daytime
Polar Alignment Routine.

There has been considerable discussion over the years on the

various

polar alignment methods available to those who use their mounts in
the field instead of in a permanent observatory. This latest

Keypad

Manual for v.4.12 has an expanded section on the GTO Quick Star

Drift

Method that Roland has recommended many times to this group. In
addition to expanded instructions, we have included a table of
suggested stars to make the method much easier to use (Appendix

I).

Check it out and see if it doesn't help you with this little chore
that all of us must face in the field. As always, feedback is
welcome!

If your current keypad manual is several years old, you will also
benefit from the expanded discussion of the Sync and Re-Calibrate
commands in the Advanced Features Section. Also, the Command
Language sections are more up-to-date than those sections were in

the

previous editions of the manual. Finally, there are many small
improvements that come about as customers ask questions that make

us

realize that something wasn't explained as well as it could have
been. We hope that we are always improving our documentation, but
it's of no use if you, our customers, don't see the improvements.

May your skies be clear, dark and steady!
Howard
Astro-Physics

In a message dated 3/26/2008 9:10:44 AM Central Daylight Time,
chris1011@... writes:

I haven't been so lucky. I adjusted my dec mesh with
instructions on the phone from Howard at AP. While it took out the
dec play I was seeing, it did not solve my dec oscillation problem.
Not sure what to try next, as it seems I've tried tweaking every
setting in Maxim. For now I'm relegated to shooting in the eastern
sky, where the dec behavior is stable.

One more thing: On the AP website under Technical Support, scroll down until
you get to the heading: "Mount Troubleshooting - For additional
troubleshooting tips, check the mount and keypad manuals." Click on: "Characterizing the Dec
Axis Motions (09-15-03) - PDF document." Follow the instructions in this PDF
to determine whether your Dec axis is moving properly. The instructions should
be plain enough for you to determine if you have a mechanical problem in this
axis. If so, then we can go to the next step.

Rolando



**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

In a message dated 3/26/2008 12:30:18 AM Central Daylight Time,
capitoladude@... writes:

I haven't been so lucky. I adjusted my dec mesh with
instructions on the phone from Howard at AP. While it took out the
dec play I was seeing, it did not solve my dec oscillation problem.
Not sure what to try next, as it seems I've tried tweaking every
setting in Maxim. For now I'm relegated to shooting in the eastern
sky, where the dec behavior is stable.

Start with both Dec directions turned off to monitor the drift that you are
getting in Dec when you are shooting in the western part of the sky. Next turn
on only one Dec direction and monitor the result. Send me an E-mail to let me
know the results of these tests (please include a screen shot of your tracking
chart).

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

Hmm, not sure how the cable would cause a dec oscillation pattern
like you (and I) were seeing. But I'm glad you solved your problem
nonetheless. I haven't been so lucky. I adjusted my dec mesh with
instructions on the phone from Howard at AP. While it took out the
dec play I was seeing, it did not solve my dec oscillation problem.
Not sure what to try next, as it seems I've tried tweaking every
setting in Maxim. For now I'm relegated to shooting in the eastern
sky, where the dec behavior is stable.

Anyway, congrats on solving your dec problem!

Steve

http://www.picturethecosmos.com



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

In followup to the Dec autoguiding problem I was having (bad
autoguiding only in Dec, not in RA and seemingly limited to

tracking

in certain parts of the sky only) I think now I had two problems:

1) I had a cable bundle dragging/catching very slightly. I have an

AC

adapter (to a PDF focuser which comes with a short cord) mounted on
the side of my pier. The camera cable bundle would drag over that
adapter but only when pointing to targets in the southwest (where I
was having the trouble). Thanks to Paul Mortfield for helping me
track that down. I now have an outrigger (a wooden dowel) to hold

the

cable bundle away from everything as the mount tracks.

2) My worm/worm gear mesh appears to have been a tiny bit too

tight.

The mount was not responding to small AG corrections (this was
behaving differently than just backlash as I saw it, and besides, I
have very little backlash).

When you open the Dec drive to check the gears there is a spur gear
(about the size of a silver dollar) that is "on top." I could turn
that large spur gear easily, but the spur gear gives a mechanical
advantage.

When, on a second trip inside the gear box, I removed the spur gear
and tried to turn the worm itself I found I couldn't 9ie the worm

was

so tight I could only rotate it with the mechanical advantage of

that

larger gear). I loosened the worm/worm gear mesh the tiniest bit

and

now I can rotate the worm by hand and the mount will now respond to
small Dec corrections. So I think that was the second problem.

Thanks very much to Roland in particular and to all the others who
provided useful insights in how to approach this problem logically
and step by step.

Drew Sullivan
California

Hi again everybody!

The latest version of the keypad manual is now posted up on the
website. It has a number of improvements that hopefully will allow
you to get more out of your Astro-Physics GoTo System.

http://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_v412.pdf

We have tried to give better inclusion to issues affecting those of
you in the southern hemisphere in this version of the manual. In
particular, see the section on the Park Positions and the Daytime
Polar Alignment Routine.

There has been considerable discussion over the years on the various
polar alignment methods available to those who use their mounts in
the field instead of in a permanent observatory. This latest Keypad
Manual for v.4.12 has an expanded section on the GTO Quick Star Drift
Method that Roland has recommended many times to this group. In
addition to expanded instructions, we have included a table of
suggested stars to make the method much easier to use (Appendix I).
Check it out and see if it doesn't help you with this little chore
that all of us must face in the field. As always, feedback is
welcome!

If your current keypad manual is several years old, you will also
benefit from the expanded discussion of the Sync and Re-Calibrate
commands in the Advanced Features Section. Also, the Command
Language sections are more up-to-date than those sections were in the
previous editions of the manual. Finally, there are many small
improvements that come about as customers ask questions that make us
realize that something wasn't explained as well as it could have
been. We hope that we are always improving our documentation, but
it's of no use if you, our customers, don't see the improvements.

May your skies be clear, dark and steady!
Howard
Astro-Physics

Hi Everybody!

We have put a new version of our keypad firmware up on the website -
v.4.15. This is NOT a complete new version of the firmware. That
will be the upcoming v.4.20, which is still undergoing some final
tweaking. This version addresses some of the issues that customers
in eastern longitudes were having with their location and time zone
data. All of you in the western hemisphere can simply ignore this
update, but anyone east of the Prime Meridian will want to upload
v.4.15 to your keypads right away. Functionally, v.4.15 is identical
to v.4.12, so you can continue to use your v.4.12 manual. In fact,
there is a newly updated manual for v.4.12 on the website that we
encourage you to download. We have also prepared a v.4.15 Addendum
that goes into a bit more detail on the issues addressed by the new
firmware. Version 4.15 and the documentation can all be found in the
Technical Support Section of our website:

http://www.astro-
physics.com/tech_support/mounts/keypad_update/main_inst.htm

Contact us directly if you have forgotten or misplaced the username
and password to download the keypad firmware.

Howard
Astro-Physics

In followup to the Dec autoguiding problem I was having (bad
autoguiding only in Dec, not in RA and seemingly limited to tracking
in certain parts of the sky only) I think now I had two problems:

1) I had a cable bundle dragging/catching very slightly. I have an AC
adapter (to a PDF focuser which comes with a short cord) mounted on
the side of my pier. The camera cable bundle would drag over that
adapter but only when pointing to targets in the southwest (where I
was having the trouble). Thanks to Paul Mortfield for helping me
track that down. I now have an outrigger (a wooden dowel) to hold the
cable bundle away from everything as the mount tracks.

2) My worm/worm gear mesh appears to have been a tiny bit too tight.
The mount was not responding to small AG corrections (this was
behaving differently than just backlash as I saw it, and besides, I
have very little backlash).

When you open the Dec drive to check the gears there is a spur gear
(about the size of a silver dollar) that is "on top." I could turn
that large spur gear easily, but the spur gear gives a mechanical
advantage.

When, on a second trip inside the gear box, I removed the spur gear
and tried to turn the worm itself I found I couldn't 9ie the worm was
so tight I could only rotate it with the mechanical advantage of that
larger gear). I loosened the worm/worm gear mesh the tiniest bit and
now I can rotate the worm by hand and the mount will now respond to
small Dec corrections. So I think that was the second problem.

Thanks very much to Roland in particular and to all the others who
provided useful insights in how to approach this problem logically
and step by step.

Drew Sullivan
California

In a message dated 3/23/2008 8:50:18 AM Central Daylight Time,
cardiofuse@... writes:

How do you connect to TheSky: Using Telescope API (ASCOM) I assume.

You do not need ASCOM to connect TheSky to the mount. Just run a serial
connection between laptop and servo, and connect TheSky to the mount via Com1
directly. This program has all the necessary software built in to work directly
with the mount servo.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

I don't seem to be having problems either; as long as time and location are precise.

How do you connect to TheSky: Using Telescope API (ASCOM) I assume.

Then do you use: "The Sky Controlled Telescope" for everything else?

Thanks.

Good to here. Just bought my tickets to NYC (Jetblue).See you their.
Joe


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

In a message dated 3/22/2008 3:52:18 PM Central Daylight Time,
jbadal21169@... writes:

Haven't heard much on production progress. Anybody know ETA?

Will it

be displayed at NEAF this Year? Joe

It's in production, and it will be at NEAF.

Rolando


**************
Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on
AOL Home.

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?

ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

It sounds like you have a Full House (3 mounts/two refractors). Are
you trying for a Royal Flush?

Greg

Well, thanks for all the input on my problem with the runaway
AP1200. It seems I committed a grave error when I changed the DST
option in the AP hand controller.

I had a friend over a while back and we had been discussing the DST
issue and how much of a pain in the neck it is to deal with...not to
mention when our lawmakers see fit to change the longstanding rules
on applying DST just when all the software in the world would do it
automatically. Anyway, I fired up the AP hand controller, went to
the menu item dealing with DST and made the change to 1 (summer)
from 0 (winter)...ahh, now comes the problem...did I hit the GoTo
key as I should have or did I hit the Menu key to back out (and of
course not saving my change)...well, unless you are as brain dead as
I must have been at the time, you guessed it!

Needless to say, I am quite embarrassed about the issue and
appologize for wasting the group's time.

Thanks again,
Norm
Proud owner of Mach1, AP900, AP1200, AP130, AP140 and counting down
for the 160 (hint...hint)

Be sure to read the most updated keypad manual in the Technical Support area of our website. We've added more information in recent updates.


Marj Christen
Astro-Physics, Inc
11250 Forest Hills Road
Machesney Park, IL 61115
Phone: 815-282-1513
Fax: 815-282-9847
www.astro-physics.com
Please include this e-mail with your response.