Date
1 - 20 of 24
New Mach 1 setup woes behind me.
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John A. Sillasen
I wanted to reach back out to the A-P Group to let you know my initial setup problems are behind me with a replacement Keypad.
George has confirmed that it was indeed the Keypad and not me. Phew! My thanks to Eric Baumgartner especially for helping prove that it was in fact the keypad by letting me test his components against my system. On a Mothers Day Sunday no less. Equally as important is my thanks to Marj for the tech and RA support after business hours and on both Saturday and Sunday! The photos in the link by Peter were equally as helpful as were all of the 'try this and check that' suggestions from several others in this group. Yesterday, I was able to do a first time setup from home routine where the Long/Lat settings were saved as well as date/time and time zone. I then performed a daytime polar alignment and slewed to the Sun without a scope on the dovetail and a Sun slightly below my shed but it still pointed in the right direction in the proper orientation. Tonight, I may just be able to get a chance to take it out in the field and actually use it with a scope. Of course, I will likely spend most of the night with a red head lamp reading the manual for the obligatory next step and the inevitable, ok, that didn't go as expected, now what? Am I right or am I right? What the entire industry needs are simple 3X5 flip card indexed decks that condense big manuals down to field step by step sequences to follow. I can dream now right? Thanks again, more to follow with success being the word of the day. Oh, just bought a cool bubble level with magnets on the base a push button on/off light switch that illuminates in green. That ought to make dusk alignment a whole lit easier. Venus will be the one to slew to for initial alignment. John Sillasen in CT |
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Roland Christen
In a message dated 5/18/2012 12:42:51 PM Central Daylight Time,
JASillasen@... writes: Tonight, I may just be able to get a chance to take it out in the fieldBelieve me, it is not difficult to operate this system. We originally decided to make all instructions easy to follow on the keypad readout. Simply follow the keypad and do what it says on the screen. You will catch on pretty quickly. For normal visual use, the keypad is all you will really need. It is extremely straight forward. When using this mount for remote imaging with 3rd party software, then you can run into unexpected things. Rolando |
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observe_m13
--- In ap-gto@..., "John A. Sillasen" <JASillasen@...> wrote:
Oh, just bought a cool bubble level with magnets on the base a push button on/off light switch that illuminates in green.The bubble level sounds pretty interesting but I'm not so sure that the magnets are going to have much to grab on to. The mount is aluminum, brass, and stainless, none of which are particularly magnetic. ;-) |
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topboxman
Hi John,
I agree. Coming from Atlas EQ-G and Celestron Nexstar, I find operating A-P Keypad more intuitive. It's really easy to use. Even though the display is pretty bright at low settings, the display is hard to see during the day under the sun. One day I was setting up my equipment several hours before dark and powered up the mount while the sun was still up, I could not see anything on Keypad display. At first I thought the keyapd broke but it turns out that it does not display well under the sun. You will love the new Mach1. Peter --- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote: field lampand actually use it with a scope. ok, thatreading the manual for the obligatory next step and the inevitable, Simplydidn't go as expected, now what? Am I right or am I right?Believe me, it is not difficult to operate this system. We originally follow the keypad and do what it says on the screen. You will catch onpretty quickly. For normal visual use, the keypad is all you will reallyneed. It is extremely straight forward.you can run into unexpected things. |
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Roland Christen
In a message dated 5/18/2012 3:29:06 PM Central Daylight Time,
pnagy@... writes: One day I was setting up my equipmentIt has two brightness settings. In the brighter mode I can just see it under a clear sunlit sky, but I have to shade it from direct sunlight. If you shade your head with a dark cloth, you can see it very well. Rolando |
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CurtisC <calypte@...>
I have to use a view camera focusing cloth or a jacket over my head to see the keypad screen in daylight. It helps that I've memorized some of the sequence of button pushes to get it going.
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--- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:
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John A. Sillasen
The counterweight shaft and counterweights and the dovetail and tube rings are all steel. These are where the levels are used anyhow. I also used it on the pier itself since it has no level. Fits right across the top and can be put in any direction.
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it just makes it easier to level the pier before adding the head. Of course I use the level in the Park 1 and Park 2 positions. With three counterweights it is longer then needed. I ended up putting it on the three countwrweights themselves. Fortunately, they are all the same size. A 5" level would be even better than a 7" one. The 7" level was more accurate than a picture hanging spirit level. I know because I tried both and found differences. John --- In ap-gto@..., "observe_m13" <JunkMailGoesHere@...> wrote:
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Joe Zeglinski
Levels can be tricky, some poorly made.
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Always flip the level end-to-end, and recheck. I was using my plain plastic one last night, for that setup, and found it odd that the bubble shifted, on turn around - measured in exactly the same place. Just a word of caution, Joe -----Original Message-----
From: JAS Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 11:51 AM To: ap-gto@... Subject: [ap-gto] Re: New Mach 1 setup woes behind me. The counterweight shaft and counterweights and the dovetail and tube rings are all steel. These are where the levels are used anyhow. I also used it on the pier itself since it has no level. Fits right across the top and can be put in any direction. it just makes it easier to level the pier before adding the head. Of course I use the level in the Park 1 and Park 2 positions. With three counterweights it is longer then needed. I ended up putting it on the three countwrweights themselves. Fortunately, they are all the same size. A 5" level would be even better than a 7" one. The 7" level was more accurate than a picture hanging spirit level. I know because I tried both and found differences. John --- In ap-gto@..., "observe_m13" <JunkMailGoesHere@...> wrote:
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John A. Sillasen
Sound advice. I skipped all the under $10 levels and bought the $25 one. The lighting I'm sure raised part of the price but it is an aluminum one with rare earth magnets. I feel more confident about it than I do the 99cent picture hanging level.
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John --- In ap-gto@..., "Joe Zeglinski" <J.Zeglinski@...> wrote:
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John A. Sillasen
I had this nicely composed reply made out on my nook tablet and a quick touch in the wrong place and I was back to email from my web post and lost the whole thing. I've confirmed it never posted so let me try again with my truly first use report with new Keypad.
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I arrived at 7:10pm to my observing location so I had about an hour of daylight to setup, add scope and balance the system. Then I proceeded to do the daytime polar alignment routine with the aformentioned new level. Turns out the 7" long level is a bit too long to fit on the counterweight shaft with 3 counterweights installed. Fortunately, all the counterweights are the same diameter so they worked pretty well for leveling. I also put the level in a higher position to double check. Then I leveled the scope which is not as orthagonally positioned as I had hoped. I'm using an ADM Losmandy to Vixen adapter for this scope so putting it on the dovetail wasn't going to give me the best results. Fortunately, the tube rings have a nice metal bar that's used to carry the scope. Putting it there and also on the scope's tube near where the focuser attaches to the scope body gave me a place to double check my results for Park 1. Slewing to Park 2 I was able to do the proper leveling with the altitude adjustment, when I slewed to Venus for the final step 4 adjustment, I found that there wasn't enough travel to do the last Azimuth adjustment. I ended up moving the entire system to the east and had to level the pier again and start from scratch. Sigh.... Finally, got Venus in the FOV nicely with an 18mm Plossl on my F5.9 152 Achromat (first light for this public astronomy use only scope). Wanted to have Venus centered better so I did another slight Altitude adjustment. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. By this time, I had wasted 30 minutes trying to attach either of my 50 mm finder scopes that each have cross hair eyepieces. There just wasn't enough height from the finder dovetail to raise the finder above the body of the scope. Even my brand new red dot - used the previous weekend was dead. Must have left bumped the power button putting it back in the box as I know I shut it off. Sigh #2. So no finder at all. By this time, it was approaching dusk and the only objects in the sky visible were Venus, Saturn and Arcturus. With no finder, I wasn't able to do the Quick Drift Polar Alignment Routine so I went with the RA/Dec/Reverse button to calibrate on each object I found. Did really well with pointing in the Southern sky with the session mainly using a 9mm Type 6 Nagler. I was also using a new 4.9 mm StellarVue Planetary EP very nicely on Saturn, Mars and even M13. I loved the tour limited to the constellation of choice menu. I was looking at a variety of objects in Hercules beyond the usual M13/M92. Finally, I slewed over to M82 and could not see it at all. Slewed to Capella by name - not even close. Went back to M13 and recalibrated, then I went over to Vega and back to the 18mm Plossl to locate it and recalibrate. M57 was dead on center. So was the Comet Garrard with the R/D key - a new one for me, that I had I not read the manual about the Alt/Az key and learned it stopped tracking, I wouldn't have known about. The ADS catalog for double stars within Lyra was dead on accurate each time. The one item I could not locate in the hand controller was the Double Double in Lyra. At this time it was quite dark so I gave the headlamp a rest and didn't try searching for it by catalog name, simply because I doggone forgot what it's name was! Sure, it's easy when you know how, but if I hadn't spent a couple of hours with the manual to learn what the keys did, it wouldn't have been as easy. Certainly not without a fingerscope. Sigh #3. All in all, save not getting the offset from magnetic north and not having a useful finderscope, it performed quite admirably. I outlasted my co-observer who didn't have the shoes for the upper 30° it got down to last night. I'm very thankful the keypad was easily viewable in colder - not cold weather. I've had to use a dew heater for years on my Celestron. So daylight viewing isn't the best. If it were, it would never get dark enough to be useful at night without blindng you. Next time - a good solid finder or at least one of my better scopes that already has a finder mounted. The Meridean advance feature for the quick drift polar alighment routine is simply genious. What a neat idea to advance time and use a little knob turning and a little NSEW buttons. One other question, beyond where the Double Double is - what keystroke combination will allow me to change the slewing rates without leaving the screen of theobject I just slewed to? It would be very helpful to be able to change that on the fly to say, slide over to the galaxy next to M13 and back. Oh, another thing - loved the ability to change reverse the direction of NSEW. Using refractors with a diagonal makes going NSEW that much easier. Thank you! John Sillasen --- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:
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Roland Christen
In a message dated 5/19/2012 1:53:42 AM Central Daylight Time,
calypte@... writes: I have to use a view camera focusing cloth or a jacket over my head toI don't need to do anything to get it going, even with a new setup. I always park the scope in one of the 3 park positions before turning power off. I have the keypad always set to Autostart "YES", and that way I dont have to do anything to start things going, even if it is a new setup in a different location near my normal location. Before turning power on I set the scope up the same way that I parked it the last time, turn power on, and I'm ready to go. No muss, no fuss, the mount knows where it was (where you left it the last time) and knows where it is now. You can re-create any of the 3 park positions via a cheap bubble level. No need to sync on a known star, no need to enter location or anything. Just turn it on, and you are in Main Menu. Just remember Autostart YES. Rolando |
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Roland Christen
The counterweight shaft and counterweights are stainless steel. They are
not magnetic. Rolando In a message dated 5/19/2012 10:51:34 AM Central Daylight Time, JASillasen@... writes: The counterweight shaft and counterweights and the dovetail and tube |
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Roland Christen
In a message dated 5/19/2012 1:36:50 PM Central Daylight Time,
JASillasen@... writes: One other question, beyond where the Double Double is - what keystrokeThe Double Double is in the Stars menu. Scroll thru the menu until you get to Dbl Dbl. For some reason it was left out of the Common Objects menu and also Stars per constellation. To change the slewing rates, you need to go to the Main Menu. To change the keypad button rates, just press the +- button. When you go to the Main Menu to change the slewing rates and want to go back to the object on the screen, press Objects Menu, then press the < button. Look on the top of the screen, if you can't remember. There you will see < = Object, which means pressing the < button will get you the last object that you entered and slewed to. Rolando |
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observe_m13
Definitely not AP parts then since they are stainless for the CW and CW shaft and aluminum for the dovetails and sliding bars. Nor can they be Casady CW's since they too are stainless. Why would you get a steel counterweight shaft when the mounts come with nice stainless ones from AP? And steel for dovetails?!? Are you making your own - from steel?
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--- In ap-gto@..., "JAS" <JASillasen@...> wrote:
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There are a number of flavors of stainless steel and some have
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enough iron in them to be mildly attracted to magnets. Christopher Erickson Consulting Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, HI 96738 www.summitkinetics.com -----Original Message-----
From: ap-gto@... [mailto:ap-gto@...] On Behalf Of observe_m13 Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 12:25 PM To: ap-gto@... Subject: [ap-gto] Re: New Mach 1 setup woes behind me. Definitely not AP parts then since they are stainless for the CW and CW shaft and aluminum for the dovetails and sliding bars. Nor can they be Casady CW's since they too are stainless. Why would you get a steel counterweight shaft when the mounts come with nice stainless ones from AP? And steel for dovetails?!? Are you making your own - from steel? --- In ap-gto@..., "JAS" <JASillasen@...> wrote: are all steel. These are where the levels are used anyhow. I also used it on the pier itself since it has no level. Fits right across the top and can be put in any direction. it just makes it easier to level the pier before adding the head. Ofcourse I use the level in the Park 1 and Park 2 positions. With three counterweights it is longer then needed. I ended up putting it on the three countwrweights themselves. Fortunately, they are all the same size. accurate than a picture hanging spirit level. I know because I tried both and found differences. button on/off light switch that illuminates in green. the one to slew to for initial alignment.That ought to make dusk alignment a whole lit easier. Venus will be magnets are going to have much to grab on to. The mount is aluminum, brass,The bubble level sounds pretty interesting but I'm not so sure that the and stainless, none of which are particularly magnetic. ;-) ------------------------------------ To UNSUBSCRIBE, or for general information on the ap-gto list see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ap-gtoYahoo! Groups Links ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2176 / Virus Database: 2425/5009 - Release Date: 05/19/12 |
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John A. Sillasen
What he says. (Chris). The rare earth magnets stuck to the A-P counterweights and shaft w/o issue.
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John --- In ap-gto@..., "Christopher Erickson" <christopher.k.erickson@...> wrote:
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John A. Sillasen
Well thank you. You just answered more questions than I thought to ask. I meant the NSEW slew rates. Didn't know or see +/- on the screen of an object. That's very useful. One for when you didn't nail the object and another when you just want to slew around the neighborhood.
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Main menu slewing rates - do you mean tracking rates? I can check that in the manual. Too tired to setup again tonight. Thank you, John --- In ap-gto@..., chris1011@... wrote:
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observe_m13
OK, I've got to check one of them out. Where did you say you got it and what is the make?
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--- In ap-gto@..., "JAS" <JASillasen@...> wrote:
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roywellington
You must admit the magnetic level is an interesting idea. As it is the first slew sends the level under the table; the second slew sends the Bahtinov mask under the table.
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--- In ap-gto@..., "JAS" <JASillasen@...> wrote:
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Roland Christen
In a message dated 5/19/2012 8:46:21 PM Central Daylight Time,
JASillasen@... writes: Well thank you. You just answered more questions than I thought to ask.The +- is a button on the bottom row. The +- is not on the screen. Rolando |
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