Date
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AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
hallj1531@...
I have just started having a weird problem with this mount. It has worked perfect from day one for several years now.
Last night I turned on the mount and initialized it with The SkyX as usual. synced on the star and then proceeded to slew to my target.
Instead the mount just began running in RA and would have run into the pier if I had not aborted. This mount has been in my observatory since
day one and nothing has changed hardware or software. The mount refuses to slew to any object and just runs in RA very fast. It doesnt matter if I run it with ASCOM or straight through
The SKY X pro. The DEC motor works fine centering the star on the CCD.
Someone please help!
John
Last night I turned on the mount and initialized it with The SkyX as usual. synced on the star and then proceeded to slew to my target.
Instead the mount just began running in RA and would have run into the pier if I had not aborted. This mount has been in my observatory since
day one and nothing has changed hardware or software. The mount refuses to slew to any object and just runs in RA very fast. It doesnt matter if I run it with ASCOM or straight through
The SKY X pro. The DEC motor works fine centering the star on the CCD.
Someone please help!
John
Roland Christen
Not enough information to go on. So, have to ask some questions:
Does the RA axis track normally if you are not slewing to an object?
Can you move the mount in RA via the buttons on the keypad or via the buttons on the ASCOM driver?
What color is your light in the CP?
Do you have another program that can slew your mount besides SkyX?
What is powering your mount - battery, power supply? How much voltage is at the mount's terminals?
Are you using any other program besides SkyX? Such as ASCOM driver, APCC, or other?
What speed is the RA axis moving at? 1200x or faster? Can you set it to 600x and see if it will slew at a slower speed?
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 10:27 am
Subject: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 10:27 am
Subject: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
I have just started having a weird problem with this mount. It has worked perfect from day one for several years now.
Last night I turned on the mount and initialized it with The SkyX as usual. synced on the star and then proceeded to slew to my target.
Instead the mount just began running in RA and would have run into the pier if I had not aborted. This mount has been in my observatory since
day one and nothing has changed hardware or software. The mount refuses to slew to any object and just runs in RA very fast. It doesnt matter if I run it with ASCOM or straight through
The SKY X pro. The DEC motor works fine centering the star on the CCD.
Someone please help!
John
Last night I turned on the mount and initialized it with The SkyX as usual. synced on the star and then proceeded to slew to my target.
Instead the mount just began running in RA and would have run into the pier if I had not aborted. This mount has been in my observatory since
day one and nothing has changed hardware or software. The mount refuses to slew to any object and just runs in RA very fast. It doesnt matter if I run it with ASCOM or straight through
The SKY X pro. The DEC motor works fine centering the star on the CCD.
Someone please help!
John
hallj1531@...
Thanks for replying!
Yes the RA tracks normal
Yes I can move in both RA and DEC in ASCOM
Light is red. Running a 20 amp DC power supply
I dont have another program besides SKYX but I do have another computer I may try.
Running the latest vers. of ASCOM and the driver.
I have not tried slowing it down. it is set for 600X. but it is slewing much faster.
John
Yes the RA tracks normal
Yes I can move in both RA and DEC in ASCOM
Light is red. Running a 20 amp DC power supply
I dont have another program besides SKYX but I do have another computer I may try.
Running the latest vers. of ASCOM and the driver.
I have not tried slowing it down. it is set for 600X. but it is slewing much faster.
John
Roland Christen
Amps don't mean much, it's the volts that count. Has to be at least 12 volts at the pins.
When you say set for 600x do you mean the button rate or the slew rate? They are two different things. The button rate may be set for 600x but if the slew rate is set to 1200x then it will slew faster than 600x.
Can you move the RA and DEC axes at 600x via the buttons? If so, then the mount is perfectly fine and something external is sending commands to slew continuously. If you can get a hold of a keypad, that would help because the keypad is pretty much bullet proof as far as controlling the mount. External software can have problems. If no keypad is available, use the ASCOM driver to move the mount around via the buttons at various speeds from 1x, 12x, 64x, 600x 900x and 1200x button speeds. If that works, then the mount is ok. The problem would be elsewhere in your other software setup.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 11:06 am
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 11:06 am
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
Thanks for replying!
Yes the RA tracks normal
Yes I can move in both RA and DEC in ASCOM
Light is red. Running a 20 amp DC power supply
I dont have another program besides SKYX but I do have another computer I may try.
Running the latest vers. of ASCOM and the driver.
I have not tried slowing it down. it is set for 600X. but it is slewing much faster.
John
Yes the RA tracks normal
Yes I can move in both RA and DEC in ASCOM
Light is red. Running a 20 amp DC power supply
I dont have another program besides SKYX but I do have another computer I may try.
Running the latest vers. of ASCOM and the driver.
I have not tried slowing it down. it is set for 600X. but it is slewing much faster.
John
Roland Christen
The only keypad I have is for my old AP900 which was a CP2 I believe. Not sure that would work?
Yes, that keypad will work. Start your mount the way you normally do, then plug in the keypad. It will go directly to main Menu. Move the mount around with the buttons. If that works, then go to Objects, Stars, Polaris and press GoTo. It should slew to Polaris.
If not, and it runs off then there may be a problem in the CP. In that case, send it in and we'll test it here. It does sound like the motors and the mount are fine. Could be something in the CP that's not working.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 11:23 am
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 11:23 am
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
Thanks Roland,
Ive got 13.8 volts at the pins.
The only keypad I have is for my old AP900 which was a CP2 I believe. Not sure that would work?
Yes I can my RA and DEC around with the arrows thats what has me stumped. It wont slew to any object
just runs in RA till you abort the slew.
John
Ive got 13.8 volts at the pins.
The only keypad I have is for my old AP900 which was a CP2 I believe. Not sure that would work?
Yes I can my RA and DEC around with the arrows thats what has me stumped. It wont slew to any object
just runs in RA till you abort the slew.
John
On 8/18/2020 12:15 PM, uncarollo2 <chris1011@...> via groups.io wrote:
The Jog utility is an application that USES the ASCOM driver, so if the mount works with it, but not with other software, you know the mount is OK.
The Jog utility lets you specify the distance to move, so start at 1 degree and work upward. See if the mount operates correctly. If so, then, as Roland said, something is going on with other software.
--- Mike
If no keypad is available,That's exactly what I was going to say. If the ASCOM driver buttons work OK at 600X or slower, set the slew speed in the driver to the same speed, then try using the AP Jog Utility to move the mount.
use the ASCOM driver to move the mount around via the buttons at various
speeds from 1x, 12x, 64x, 600x 900x and 1200x button speeds. If that
works, then the mount is ok. The problem would be elsewhere in your
other software setup.
The Jog utility is an application that USES the ASCOM driver, so if the mount works with it, but not with other software, you know the mount is OK.
The Jog utility lets you specify the distance to move, so start at 1 degree and work upward. See if the mount operates correctly. If so, then, as Roland said, something is going on with other software.
--- Mike
Ray Gralak
Hi John,
In case you didn't see it, I sent you a private email with something you should try.
-Ray Gralak
Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro
Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com
Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
In case you didn't see it, I sent you a private email with something you should try.
-Ray Gralak
Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro
Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com
Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
-----Original Message-----
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io [mailto:main@ap-gto.groups.io] On Behalf Of hallj1531@...
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 9:55 AM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
Thank You! I will give it a try with the keypad and go from there.
John
Roland Christen
Sure, why not.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 12:54 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 12:54 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1100 GTO will not slew to target
Thank you all! You,ve been very helpful.
One last question. If all else fails is it possible to plug in my older CP2 from my older AP900 in place of the CP4 just to see if
would eliminate the CP as being the problem?
John
One last question. If all else fails is it possible to plug in my older CP2 from my older AP900 in place of the CP4 just to see if
would eliminate the CP as being the problem?
John
Swapping CPx control boxes will invalidate the PEM curves in both boxes.
On Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 11:54 AM <hallj1531@...> wrote:
Just for future reference the cp2 would only work if I spliced in a different 12 v plug in . They are different.