A minor thing... but it would be nice if the app checked with an internet time server to make sure the time on the mount is set correctly. I've been bitten by having set the time on the keypad incorre

A quick question... In adjusting my DEC backlash today (which seems to be at about 3 seconds at 0.5x speed), I noticed that RA "jumps" a bit down when DEC is reversed. Is this a normal thing? Can it b

I recently started using my AP900 here again after getting the DEC upgrade done to it. Which is wonderful by the way - the test images from pulseguide are great. Unrelated, occasionally when I am tryi

I'll check the next time - I've never actually let it run. I panic and hit the stop key. I've never used the encoder mode. Pete get direction. continues where it encoder mode that the time. Try it

Just thought I'd post a quick link here to a project I recently completed. Many months ago I had an idea to create a large, lightweight scope that could go on my AP900 mount. I wanted to test out some

Geometry seems to count as much as weight for mount capacity - my guess is that a folded scope like the RCOS would be fine, I believe because the tube length is not that big in comparision to some oth

Different strokes for different folks. I personally find narrow band images pretty unattractive. But I have no ambitions to do science, which is difficult, but clearly possible for amateurs - just ask

For a few years my AP900 has shown an odd behaviour with slewing manually with the keypad. Occasionally, when I release a direction button, it doesn't stop, but just keeps on going. I've been meaning

It's a simple JMI focus motor plugged into the AP900, then controlled via the mount and the ASCOM driver. It *should* work with focusMax. Pete

Sorry, I guess I'm not being clear about the setup. - The focusser is a JMI DXF3M with built in motor. - The motor is plugged into the AP900. - The focus commands are being generated by FocusMax, whic

I never run above 600. I seem to remember it happens when I'm centering, so anything 64x and up. It's a scary/startling enough thing when it happens that I've never let it run forever just to see what

Thanks! I just did an archive search, and found an interesting thread. It seems that some people had issues with power cables that lead to runaway slewing. I *have* been having occasional power cable

Sadly, while setting up today in my yard, I went to tighten one of my RA clutch knobs on my AP900 and it snapped off in my hand. It broke off about 5mm down, so that I can just see about 2 mm of the b

Unfortunately, the piece that remains in the mount is 3mm INSIDE the casting (the knob came off with 5mm - enough to leave the rest truely embedded). Pete

Good suggestion. I was thinking about something like this. Pete which is a assistant hold a hole to may be necessary the

Maybe a picture is indeed worth 1000 words... Here is a shot of the broken knob: http://www.santangeli.net/knob.jpg As you can see, the device is actually a hollow threaded aluminum tube with the knob

Indeed the problem is bad... that part I'm holding is supposed to be at least 3/4 of an inch long. The rest is in the mount. Pete has used the pilot punch recipes > > > > > (http://food.aol.com/top-ra

I haven't checked yet, but my gut is that the piece that is still in there is not extraordinarily tight. I don't think it broke due to tightening (I don't keep them that tight). I think what happened

Do you know if anyone has tried Pempro under Parallels? It's quite an impressive virtualization package, and I would be very surprised if it didn't work. Runs Windows applications side by side with Ma

Sigh. Off topic, and I didn't want to start a Mac/PC war, or proprietary/open-standards war, just solve a problem, but let's put the record straight. Parallels is virtualization software that runs on