Date
1 - 20 of 22
GPS Solutions
|
michael mccann
Hi
I’m looking for a GPS solution that I can use with GTOCP4 or windows. Preferably something I can use with GTOCP4. My issue is that I’m so close to AZ and NM border my internet, a mobile phone, can’t always decide whether or not I’m in pacific or mountain time zone. I use the GPS device Losmandy sells for my G11. I’d like to hear everyone’s favorite solution for GTOCP4. I wonder also if there’s a way to adapt the Losmandy GPS to connect to GTOCP4. Cheers Mike
|
|
|
|
Hi Mike i use MGBox v2 for my CP4, which has a lot of other features including GPS https://www.astromi.ch/product/mgbox-v2/ Another option i use is for a windows computer - i picked up a USB GPS and use NMeaTime which is a great GPS-only solution for PC. I use this for accurate time for satellite tracking. hth Brian
On Thu, Oct 21, 2021 at 6:57 AM michael mccann via groups.io <mmccawsprojects=icloud.com@groups.io> wrote: Hi --
|
|
|
|
Dale Ghent
I would definitely go with a USB/serial GPS + NMEATime2 on your computer and make sure that the Astro-Physics ASCOM driver or APCC, whichever one you use, is set to sync the CP's clock with the PC's. GPS -> PC -> mount
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Since it seems that you do have cell phone access, you can also consider just tethering your laptop to the phone and using an NTP client such as Dimension4 to sync the laptop's clock to a time server. Need to be careful about this, though, as Windows might see that it can get out to the net and try to download updates and stuff, which could blow up your data plan. /dale
On Oct 21, 2021, at 11:15, Brian Valente <bvalente@gmail.com> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Bill Long
Another vote for the MGBox v2. Gets you all the data you need for APCC/APPM modeling as well.
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Brian Valente <bvalente@...>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2021 8:15 AM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> Subject: Re: [ap-gto] GPS Solutions Hi Mike
i use MGBox v2 for my CP4, which has a lot of other features including GPS
https://www.astromi.ch/product/mgbox-v2/
Another option i use is for a windows computer - i picked up a USB GPS and use NMeaTime which is a great GPS-only solution for PC. I use this for accurate time for satellite tracking.
hth
Brian
On Thu, Oct 21, 2021 at 6:57 AM michael mccann via
groups.io <mmccawsprojects=icloud.com@groups.io> wrote:
Hi
|
|
|
|
Jeffc
I also use a MGBox v2 here. (Seemed a bit speedy but it seems to work fine, and there’s Ascom drivers.) MGBox v2 also does “environment” - temp and humidity which I’m told APPM can use. I read here that the “environment sensor dongles” attached to a USB port of the laptop can give incorrect readings influenced by heat from the laptop. So at least use a cable and position it away from the laptop.
|
|
|
|
Woody Schlom
Mike,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I don't know about the CP4 controller, but I've used two different Star-GPS units on my Mach1 with CP3. These are tiny little GPS antennas you stick somewhere where they have a view of the sky -- and then there's a thin cable that comes out of the unit, goes to a AA battery power supply, and finally into a DB-9 RS-232 port on your mount. With the old CP3 controllers, they had a built-in 6v power port that worked perfectly with the Star-GPS, but I understand that external power supply port is gone now with the CP4. So you'd need the newer Star-GPS with its own AA battery power supply. And I suspect that's the only one you can buy now. These are made in Canada and you night have to order directly online from them. The actual GPS unit is standard, then you order the correct cable for your specific mount. One cable is included in the purchase price I think. There's a little flashing L.E.D. light in the GPS antenna that lets you know what it's doing (searching for a fix, has a fix, has sent the data to your mount). I then set my AP HC to accept external time/date/location data. I put a little Velcro patch on the bottom of my Star-GPS antenna, and then a matching Velcro patch on the top of my scopes. Of course, once the data is fed to your mount, you no longer need it connected and can completely remove it -- until the next time you fire the system up.. Woody
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Woody Schlom
Mike,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
In reading the other responses to your question I just realized another potential advantage to the Star-GPS I use. It doesn't need a computer or USB or a cellular connection. It's a stand-alone GPS device that directly feeds the controller. So you can use it without a computer using just the HC, or with the mount being controlled by SkySafari running from a phone or tablet. Woody
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Glenn
Here’s another vote for the MGBox v2. It does GPS and environment very well.
|
|
|
|
Tom Blahovici
Comport conflict. The mgbox doesn't show any gps values if the comport is in use by something else nor does it return an error.
Tom
|
|
|
|
Here's another vote for the StarGPS.ca solution. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii
On Thu, Oct 21, 2021 at 11:35 AM Glenn <public@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Glenn
Thanks, Tom.
|
|
|
|
michael mccann
The Canadian solution is more like my Losmandy GPS solution. I’ll look into that first.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Question : are you using the AA battery box or is there another solution
On Oct 21, 2021, at 15:49, Glenn <public@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
fernandorivera3
Mike why not set the CP4, keypad, computer and everything else to UT ??
Fernando
|
|
|
|
Like I mentioned afore, I do everything in UT in observatories. Best solution possible.
On Thu, Oct 21, 2021, 2:21 PM fernandorivera3 via groups.io <fernandorivera3=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote: Mike why not set the CP4, keypad, computer and everything else to UT ??
|
|
|
|
michael mccann
I bet your controlling computers aren’t connected to the internet .
I think I need to learn how to read logs. I need to learn if there is an entry from the mount to its position and correlate it to where Nina is sending it. Or is there a better analysis question/method?
|
|
|
|
michael mccann
I haven’t figured windows yet. It once gave me the message that I didn’t have admin rights. I’m the only user , so I’m going to try again tonight
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Oct 21, 2021, at 19:39, fernandorivera3 via groups.io <fernandorivera3@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Steve Armen
Apologies if this has been asked and answered in the past.
Ray, Would it be possible to consider an APCC feature to use the time reading from whatever GPS is connected and sync whatever system one is using to that timebase? For example windows 10, or mac os. Not required to be automatic. Maybe have an option to sync everything together with one button AFTER the GPS is connected and the mount and any control SW (SGP, NINA, TSX, Maxim) are all connected. That would clearly take some work, however would be mighty handy. Just having this work with APCC, Windows10, and SGP would be very nice :->.
|
|
|
|
michael mccann
So I changed pc manual time settings to UTC, now it’s Friday at 02:35 UTC 0.
Nina sky Atlas even though my lat/long is set to somewhere in New Mexico, sky atlas is showing M31 at it’s western altitude. So when using UTC settings how does one tell Nina the object is up, or even East or west of meridian ? Cheers
|
|
|
|
ap@CaptivePhotons.com
michael mccann wrote:
So I changed pc manual time settings to UTC, now it’s Friday at 02:35 UTC 0.Nina sky Atlas even though my lat/long is set to somewhere in New Mexico, sky atlas is showing M31 at it’s western altitude. So when using UTC settings how does one tell Nina the object is up, or even East or west of meridian ? NINA should take its time zone from the PC's time zone setting, so if you changed the zone (not just the time) it should just know. But you might need to restart NINA if you have not since changing the time zone. Did NINA on the sky atlas have proper times for things like subset, moonise, etc?
|
|
|
|
ap@CaptivePhotons.com
I just finished hauling stuff inside (clouds moved in), so I fired up NINA and tried it. I moved from EDT to UTC with NINA open. It did not adjust on the fly, but I closed NINA and restarted it, and the sky atlas shows M31 appropriately, as well as the correct time for sunrise, set. etc in UTC time.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Note APCC has sites with their own time zone setting. I have no idea how they will react if they are not the same. I don't have the mount hooked up at present.
-----Original Message-----
From: ap@CaptivePhotons.com Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2021 10:50 PM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: RE: [ap-gto] GPS Solutions michael mccann wrote: So I changed pc manual time settings to UTC, now it’s Friday at 02:35 UTC 0.Nina sky Atlas even though my lat/long is set to somewhere in New Mexico, sky atlas is showing M31 at it’s western altitude. So when using UTC settings how does one tell Nina the object is up, or even East or west of meridian ? NINA should take its time zone from the PC's time zone setting, so if you changed the zone (not just the time) it should just know. But you might need to restart NINA if you have not since changing the time zone. Did NINA on the sky atlas have proper times for things like subset, moonise, etc?
|
|
|
