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Re: Issue with DOVELM162

DiscoDuck
 

Thanks Cytan. So you release the knobs by hand or using the Allen key?
Re: Who needs absolute encoders!

Joseph Beyer
 

This is interesting.  One of the best things I've done to help my imaging with my 2017 Mach1 is to buy APCC-Pro and build a model each time I set up and just retire the guide scope.  I live about 25 miles south of San Francisco on the peninsula and it's common to have several 20-30 minute periods or more during the night when the seeing just goes crazy bad and the guide plot is everywhere.  Later in the night, say 2-3 am, while the telescope is pointing west over the ocean things often smooth out incredibly well.  

Since I started using the model and removed the guide scope I routinely take 3 minute sub images with perfectly round stars through my FSQ-106.  There are nights where there's no doubt the seeing is distorting the star shape but it's not as bad as the effect of the seeing in the image plus the guider trying to adjust for the degradation in the atmospheric conditions. 
Re: Help Parking AP 900 in TheSky #ASCOM_V2_Driver

Ray Gralak
 

Hi Bob,

Question remains: does the AP driver 5.30.10 (which I have still installed) provide an operational window for
tracking rates and park, including Park 4? In my restored TheSky, I still have only Park 1, 2 and 3.
Yes, the ASCOM driver has Park 4 and Park 5. However, by setting TheSky to use AP GTO Equatorial Mount, you have circumvented using the ASCOM driver. However, you could connect disconnect from TheSky and connect an ASCOM client application to the AP V2 ASCOM driver just to park your mount.

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Bob Gillette via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2021 11:08 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Help Parking AP 900 in TheSky #ASCOM_V2_Driver #ASCOM_V2_Driver

All, thank you fur your inputs. Problem now basically solved, and it was unrelated to Ray's AP driver.

In TheSky6 Settings, I had changed the mount chooser from AP GTO Equatorial Mount to Telescope API, at what I
took to be guidance from the ASCOM website. Have now changed chooser back to AP GTO, and the missing
options in TheSky6 -- setting tracking rates, park, and recalibration -- have now reappeared.

Question remains: does the AP driver 5.30.10 (which I have still installed) provide an operational window for
tracking rates and park, including Park 4? In my restored TheSky, I still have only Park 1, 2 and 3.

Bob
Re: Help Parking AP 900 in TheSky #ASCOM_V2_Driver

Bob Gillette
 

All, thank you fur your inputs. Problem now basically solved, and it was unrelated to Ray's AP driver.

In TheSky6 Settings, I had changed the mount chooser from AP GTO Equatorial Mount to Telescope API, at what I took to be guidance from the ASCOM website.  Have now changed chooser back to AP GTO, and the missing options in TheSky6 -- setting tracking rates, park, and recalibration -- have now reappeared.  

Question remains: does the AP driver 5.30.10 (which I have still installed) provide an operational window for tracking rates and park, including Park 4? In my restored TheSky, I still have only Park 1, 2 and 3.

Bob
Re: Who needs absolute encoders!

Tom Blahovici
 

Yes, the more and more experience I get, the more I notice the effects of seeing. In fact, the drift I would see imaging east of the meridian did not show up like other days. Dec guiding was great. Only RA was off .
Not only that, the abberatiins I have seen in my FSQ, are pretty well non-existent.
Tom
Re: Who needs absolute encoders!

Jeff B
 

Either way it shows what the old iron...I mean aluminum.....is capable of.


On Sun, Mar 21, 2021 at 11:28 AM Ray Gralak <iogroups@...> wrote:
Excellent result, Tom!

Could the West's better tracking be that seeing was better later in the evening or in that part of the sky?

-Ray


> -----Original Message-----
> From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Tom Blahovici
> Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2021 11:37 PM
> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
> Subject: [ap-gto] Who needs absolute encoders!
>
> Seriously, tonight I had an amazing session with my AP600 but only later at night imaging west of the meridian (
> 0.45).   When on the east it was much worse. 0.8RMS tracking.  The mount is balanced to be heavy, on the east
> side of the mount
> Balance? I can't seem to figure it out.
> But excellent results.
>






Re: APPM Attempt Failed - Clearly I am doing something wrong #APCC #Mach2GTO

Bill Long
 

I run focus right before a model run. That should be more than sufficient for the task. I don't think ultra critical focus is needed, although Ray would know best.

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of David Johnson <dajohns37@...>
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2021 9:04 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] APPM Attempt Failed - Clearly I am doing something wrong #APCC #Mach2GTO
 
Last night, it was obvious my focus was changing while I was doing point mapping.  This is probably not an unusual problem since we tend to do point mapping early in the evening when the optics are cooling down relatively rapidly.  Fortunately, it was able to solve at all points.  However, I was thinking that maybe I could put APPM on Pause and then go over to SGPro and do an quick autofocus.  Would this be possible and/or advisable?

Re: APPM Attempt Failed - Clearly I am doing something wrong #APCC #Mach2GTO

David Johnson
 

Last night, it was obvious my focus was changing while I was doing point mapping.  This is probably not an unusual problem since we tend to do point mapping early in the evening when the optics are cooling down relatively rapidly.  Fortunately, it was able to solve at all points.  However, I was thinking that maybe I could put APPM on Pause and then go over to SGPro and do an quick autofocus.  Would this be possible and/or advisable?
Re: Video of Mach2 tracking #Mach2GTO

Ray Gralak
 

Hi David,

I am glad you got it working!

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of David Johnson
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2021 5:13 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] Video of Mach2 tracking #Mach2GTO

YouTube link. <https://youtu.be/-Q4K78YBrC8>
Re: Mobile app --> APCC connection

Ray Gralak
 

Hi Bob,

From the archives a while back there was official talk that a mobile app like Sky Safari
would be able to communicate with the mount via APCC. Was this ever achieved or
did the idea get abandoned?
This particular feature was forgotten rather than abandoned. However, before a new APCC feature can continue, A-P must approve it, so I can't promise anything.

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Bob
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2021 12:47 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] Mobile app --> APCC connection

From the archives a while back there was official talk that a mobile app like Sky Safari would be able to
communicate with the mount via APCC. Was this ever achieved or did the idea get abandoned?

Thanks
Bob
Re: Who needs absolute encoders!

Ray Gralak
 

Excellent result, Tom!

Could the West's better tracking be that seeing was better later in the evening or in that part of the sky?

-Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of Tom Blahovici
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2021 11:37 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: [ap-gto] Who needs absolute encoders!

Seriously, tonight I had an amazing session with my AP600 but only later at night imaging west of the meridian (
0.45). When on the east it was much worse. 0.8RMS tracking. The mount is balanced to be heavy, on the east
side of the mount
Balance? I can't seem to figure it out.
But excellent results.
Re: APPM Attempt Failed - Clearly I am doing something wrong #APCC #Mach2GTO

Ray Gralak
 

Hi Marty,

It worked. Only built a 35-point model, just to test the process. One failed solve -- I think it was related to focus.
Need to figure out how to embed autofocus routine into APPM. I guess I can do that within SG Pro. No need for all-
sky solve. My solutions took about 5-10 seconds.
I'm glad you got it working!

About needing to do autofocus midrun, is each point taking too long because it is waiting for dome movement to complete?

-Ray



-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of mjb87 via groups.io
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2021 6:43 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] APPM Attempt Failed - Clearly I am doing something wrong #APCC #Mach2GTO

Thanks, Ray and everyone else,

It worked. Only built a 35-point model, just to test the process. One failed solve -- I think it was related to focus.
Need to figure out how to embed autofocus routine into APPM. I guess I can do that within SG Pro. No need for all-
sky solve. My solutions took about 5-10 seconds.

Did a five-minute unguided image and got nice round stars. Good pointing. Good tracking.

However, I need to redo my horizon limits. I started getting star trails -- then realized I was outside the horizon limits
(though I was getting good images) and I had set "turn tracking off." So of course I got trails. Once I realized that all
was good.

Thanks for the help.

Marty
Re: Issue with DOVELM162

Cheng-Yang Tan
 

Update: I had to remount everything again after my imaging session last night. And after tightening the knobs by hand, I tightened it by another 1/8 turn with the Allen key -- not 1/4 turn. It's plenty solid with the 1/8 turn.

cytan

On Sunday, March 21, 2021, 08:29:19 AM CDT, Cheng-Yang Tan <cytan299@...> wrote:


I had the same issue when I first got the DOVELM because I’m stronger than I look :) Now, I just go finger tight and then 1/4 turn with my Allen key. Scope is held very tightly and the knobs release without problems.

On Sunday, March 21, 2021, 12:25 AM, DiscoDuck <montagoo@...> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

I've always used an allen key to tighten up the knobs on the 16" saddle plate (DOVELM162) when mounting the scope. And then an allen key to untighten them when packing up

However, when packing up this morning, the inner bolt on one of the knobs unscrewed rather than the whole knob. Have I just been lucky so far that this hasn't happened before? Are there any tips/tricks on how to ensure it is in there tight and tight enough to allow me to tighten/untighten the main knob with the allen key without this inner bolt  unscrewing when loosening the main knob? Was there perhaps some sort of adhesive fixing it in that may have come loose and caused this?

Pic attached to show the knob I mean.

Are the knobs/bolts attaching the Mach1 to its base the same, i.e. is the inner bit the allen key goes in separate from the main knob/bolt and likely to unscrew before the knob does, as I also usually nip them up with an allen key too when setting up?

Comments appreciated.

Paul

P.S. I had to use a monkey wrench in the end this morning, as I just could not loosen the knob by hand.

Re: Issue with DOVELM162

Cheng-Yang Tan
 

I had the same issue when I first got the DOVELM because I’m stronger than I look :) Now, I just go finger tight and then 1/4 turn with my Allen key. Scope is held very tightly and the knobs release without problems.

On Sunday, March 21, 2021, 12:25 AM, DiscoDuck <montagoo@...> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

I've always used an allen key to tighten up the knobs on the 16" saddle plate (DOVELM162) when mounting the scope. And then an allen key to untighten them when packing up

However, when packing up this morning, the inner bolt on one of the knobs unscrewed rather than the whole knob. Have I just been lucky so far that this hasn't happened before? Are there any tips/tricks on how to ensure it is in there tight and tight enough to allow me to tighten/untighten the main knob with the allen key without this inner bolt  unscrewing when loosening the main knob? Was there perhaps some sort of adhesive fixing it in that may have come loose and caused this?

Pic attached to show the knob I mean.

Are the knobs/bolts attaching the Mach1 to its base the same, i.e. is the inner bit the allen key goes in separate from the main knob/bolt and likely to unscrew before the knob does, as I also usually nip them up with an allen key too when setting up?

Comments appreciated.

Paul

P.S. I had to use a monkey wrench in the end this morning, as I just could not loosen the knob by hand.

Re: Who needs absolute encoders!

Dean Jacobsen
 
Edited

I do!  I haven’t used my guidescope/guide camera for so long I have forgotten where I put it. 🙂

All of my non-encoder AP mounts were phenomenal performers though. 
--
Dean Jacobsen
http://astrophoto.net/wp/
Image Gallery - http://astrophoto.net/wp/image-gallery/
Astrobin Image Gallery - https://www.astrobin.com/users/deanjacobsen/ 
Amateur Radio Call Sign - W6DBJ
Re: Starting with counterweight up in SGPro #Mach2GTO

David Johnson
 

As you can see by the video in the other topic, I did get this to work.  Thanks for the help.
Re: Video of Mach2 tracking #Mach2GTO

David Johnson
 

You can download the video here to see it in better quality.  Warning:  350 MB.
Video of Mach2 tracking #Mach2GTO

David Johnson
 

Mobile app --> APCC connection

Bob
 

From the archives a while back there was official talk that a mobile app like Sky Safari would be able to communicate with the mount via APCC. Was this ever achieved or did the idea get abandoned?

Thanks
Bob
Who needs absolute encoders!

Tom Blahovici
 

Seriously, tonight I had an amazing session with my AP600 but only later at night imaging west of the meridian ( 0.45).   When on the east it was much worse. 0.8RMS tracking.  The mount is balanced to be heavy, on the east side of the mount
Balance? I can't seem to figure it out.
But excellent results.
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