Re: Keeping the Level 6 Upgrade Kit
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 08:10 PM, @VictoryPete wrote:
Is it worth it to keep the upgrade kit for $30?
It's your decision, Pete. Should you need to reprogram the PIC controllers at some later point, you'll need a PICKit programmer. If you do return it, you can buy a cheap clone later. These run just about $30 or so. But depending on which one you get, it might or might not work (mine did when I bought it over a year ago and I used it multiple times during testing). With the one you have, at least you know that it works. So, your choice :)
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Keeping the Level 6 Upgrade Kit
Is it worth it to keep the upgrade kit for $30?
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:40 PM, @VictoryPete wrote:
It seems every post I make now goes through a moderator and may get edited.
Pete, if you want to continue posting here, you'll need to abide by the rules. I edited a negative personal comment from your previous post as these are not allowed here. Please see below:
1. This forum is here for all of us to share our experiences, ask questions, share results, and to get help from others. This is not the place to lodge complaints or to attack any of the participants, their skills, knowledge, expertise, or opinions. Differences of opinion are fine, as long as the discussion stays civil.?No personal attacks!
2. This is?not a commercial forum. We don't allow advertising or marketing unless done so by permission and with the full disclosure of commercial interests. When in doubt, please contact the owner of the group
3. Please?be considerate?of others when you post
4. Inappropriate topics or foul language will not be tolerated
5. Moderators are here to help, but please realize that they are volunteers. Just like you, they would rather enjoy their time under the stars than to deal with bad behavior, moderate posts or censor or ban users. Please?do?report inappropriate posts or behavior by selecting "Report This Message" option, and moderators will review and deal with these appropriately.
That said, there's only been two individuals who were ever banned from this forum since its inception, and that was a few years ago for personal attacks and inappropriate language. Only a couple more were put on moderation due to violations of some of the above rules.
Everyone is here because of our love for this hobby -- we're all friends. Let's be considerate of each other, stay friends, and enjoy our time together!
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It seems every post I make now goes through a moderator and may get edited.
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:25 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
Peter we're here to help, so we rely on data and observations and isolating issues to find causes,?not imagination
?
As Paul mentioned it may be two separate things interacting.?
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One thing you can do to test this is set a limit that is much different than your current one to avoid any RA Stall interactions. As you approach the limit, it should exhibit the slow to fast beeping. If you can confirm that, then we know that part is working correctly
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:16?AM < peter@...> wrote: On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:12 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
>>>Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
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Not sure what you mean by erratic/random/distorted
?
As you approach the limit, it will beep slowly and then more rapidly until it hits the limit
?
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:03?AM < peter@...> wrote: Okay, but why were the beeps so erratic and random, sounded like it was an issue all on its own. It was right before it reached its limit and there was no normal beeping from the limit being reached. Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
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--
Brian?
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Brian Valente
astronomy portfolio??
nature portfolio?
other astronomy??
--
Brian
Yes, I know what it is supposed to do, this was not that. Use your imagination as to what "erratic/random/distorted" may sound like
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--
Brian?
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Brian Valente
astronomy portfolio??
nature portfolio?
other astronomy??
--
Brian
I already know the limit beeping is operating correctly, after I loosened the spring, I tested it.
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:20 PM, Paul Kanevsky wrote:
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:16 PM, @VictoryPete wrote:
Yes, I know what it is supposed to do, this was not that. Use your imagination as to what "erratic/random/distorted" may sound like
Pete, you had two things going on at the same time. One a warning beep about approaching the safety limit, the second an error condition -- a stall. Both produce beeps, the stall will be random, based on what your worm/gear was doing at the time. The approach to safety limits will beep more regularly but also speed up as you get close to the limit.
Once you eliminate the stall, you should experience just accelerating beep as you approach the limit, as Brian described.
Regards,
? ?-Paul
Thanks Paul, you and some other members always seem to understand me and help.?
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Peter we're here to help, so we rely on data and observations and isolating issues to find causes,?not imagination
As Paul mentioned it may be two separate things interacting.?
One thing you can do to test this is set a limit that is much different than your current one to avoid any RA Stall interactions. As you approach the limit, it should exhibit the slow to fast beeping. If you can confirm that, then we know that part is working correctly
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:16?AM < peter@...> wrote: On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:12 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
>>>Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
?
Not sure what you mean by erratic/random/distorted
?
As you approach the limit, it will beep slowly and then more rapidly until it hits the limit
?
?
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:03?AM < peter@...> wrote: Okay, but why were the beeps so erratic and random, sounded like it was an issue all on its own. It was right before it reached its limit and there was no normal beeping from the limit being reached. Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
?
?
?
--
Brian?
?
?
?
Brian Valente
astronomy portfolio??
nature portfolio?
other astronomy??
--
Brian
Yes, I know what it is supposed to do, this was not that. Use your imagination as to what "erratic/random/distorted" may sound like
-- Brian?
Brian Valente astronomy portfolio?? nature portfolio? other astronomy??
--
Brian
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:16 PM, @VictoryPete wrote:
Yes, I know what it is supposed to do, this was not that. Use your imagination as to what "erratic/random/distorted" may sound like
Pete, you had two things going on at the same time. One a warning beep about approaching the safety limit, the second an error condition -- a stall. Both produce beeps, the stall will be random, based on what your worm/gear was doing at the time. The approach to safety limits will beep more regularly but also speed up as you get close to the limit. Once you eliminate the stall, you should experience just accelerating beep as you approach the limit, as Brian described. Regards, ? ?-Paul
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 02:12 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
>>>Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
?
Not sure what you mean by erratic/random/distorted
?
As you approach the limit, it will beep slowly and then more rapidly until it hits the limit
?
?
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:03?AM < peter@...> wrote: Okay, but why were the beeps so erratic and random, sounded like it was an issue all on its own. It was right before it reached its limit and there was no normal beeping from the limit being reached. Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
?
?
?
--
Brian?
?
?
?
Brian Valente
astronomy portfolio??
nature portfolio?
other astronomy??
--
Brian
Yes, I know what it is supposed to do, this was not that. Use your imagination as to what "erratic/random/distorted" may sound like
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>>>Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
Not sure what you mean by erratic/random/distorted
As you approach the limit, it will beep slowly and then more rapidly until it hits the limit
On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:03?AM < peter@...> wrote: Okay, but why were the beeps so erratic and random, sounded like it was an issue all on its own. It was right before it reached its limit and there was no normal beeping from the limit being reached. Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
-- Brian?
Brian Valente astronomy portfolio?? nature portfolio? other astronomy??
--
Brian
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Okay, but why were the beeps so erratic and random, sounded like it was an issue all on its own. It was right before it reached its limit and there was no normal beeping from the limit being reached. Was the beeping the limit beeps being distorted by the RA Stall!?
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In try, in short: The mount tracks, that means the ARM controller
sends pulses for motor steps. The servo pics try to follow with
small or no lag, David programmed the control loop with P, I and D
parameters. The higher the lag, the higher the power to the motor by
increasing the PWM duty, the more torque it delivers but also the
current thru the motor increases. Too tight a worm, significant
disbalance, ... can cause it. A significantly high power consumption
while tracking is not good for motor and your battery, so this is
one of the indications for a stall condition. Gemini signals to you
with stall messages and beeping that you should improve the
situation. In RA a loose gear mesh is no problem since the motor
always moves into the same direction even with guiding. Temperature
changes may influence the gear mesh a bit, cooling down at night
makes the mesh tighter and if the mount is new the worm and wheel
may need to "run in" a bit like the motor in a new car.
You can watch the current lag and PWM duty needed at the
MENU->MOUNT->Balance screen.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
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Okay thanks, Yesterday I got some strange erratic beeping right
before the mount reached its limit. At the same time, I was
getting "RA Stall!" on the display. The spring-loaded worm was too
tight. Can you explain this please?
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 11:11 AM, Rene Goerlich wrote:
Yes, Pete. All internal calculations are done in UTC anyway, the local time was introduced by the Meade(R) command set. The HC shows the Julian Date and the Sidereal time (MENU->SYSTEM->TIME). This is what's needed, if these are correct then the time settings are correct.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
Oh, I see, so it seems to be working correctly then. Let me ask again, is it okay for me to use UT with offest set to 0 even though I am at Easter Standard time? Will all Gemini features work with this time setting?
Okay thanks, Yesterday I got some strange erratic beeping right before the mount reached its limit. At the same time, I was getting "RA Stall!" on the display. The spring-loaded worm was too tight. Can you explain this please?
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Yes, Pete. All internal calculations are done in UTC
anyway, the local time was introduced by the Meade(R) command set.
The HC shows the Julian Date and the Sidereal time
(MENU->SYSTEM->TIME). This is what's needed, if these are
correct then the time settings are correct.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Oh, I see, so it seems to be working correctly then. Let me ask
again, is it okay for me to use UT with offest set to 0 even
though I am at Easter Standard time? Will all Gemini features work
with this time setting?
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Oh, I see, so it seems to be working correctly then. Let me ask again, is it okay for me to use UT with offest set to 0 even though I am at Easter Standard time? Will all Gemini features work with this time setting?
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Pete,
Once started up the color is not changed automatically thereafter.
It is a startup-only feature.
If the Sun is up in the sky at your location, the HC it should
start up in green daylight mode. If not, please double check the
location and date/time setting, these settings are used to
calculate the elevation of our central star.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sun, Jul 9, 2023 at 06:17 AM, Rene Goerlich wrote:
Peter,
The HC has an "Adaptive Color" option that you find under
MENU->HC->Display. If this is checked it overrides the
color settings for Daytime/Dawn/Nighttime Mode by selecting
the mode that is appropriate, based on your location, date and
time. As long as these values are not set correctly it may
look strange, but once all is set, it is nice. If you don't
like it just uncheck the checkbox.
In L6 there is an additional precaution. If you wake up after
a night of observing, having used Nighttime Mode and having
dimmed the display it is brightened up that you can read the
display although the Sun is in the sky now. If you can't read
it anyway, you can use Gemini.net to adapt the screen
brightness.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
After
the update my screen was green. This morning on power up it is
now blue. Why is this?
Hi Rene
? ?I am not sure this is working correctly; my display was green
all last night. I just powered cycled and the screen is now blue.
I am at Eastern Standard Time.
Thanks for your help
Pete
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 07:28 AM, @VictoryPete wrote:
I would rather not, I needed help 2 days after I got my mount and dealing with Losmandy on the phone and in person at NEAF made me regret the $5700 I had just spent.
Then I'd suggest you continue to ask for help here, but please don't complain if you're not getting an immediate answer -- it is not a requirement for anyone here to answer your questions. It's impolite, and specifically against the group policy. I and others have been more than willing to help you, spending time over the weekend to answer your questions. Again, if you have complaints, regrets, or need an immediate answer -- contact Losmandy. This group is not for official support, and it says so right on the home page:
This users group is here to help you, we want your questions and answers. Now if you have constructive criticism or suggested improvements of the Gemini-2, then please post it. This users group only works if we all do our part. But please no bashing, just for bashing sake. Remember, the Gemini-2 is still under development. Most of us have invested our hard earned money, and and more importantly, many hours, and are proud of our investment. This users group is not run by Losmandy, but by Gemini-2 owners just like you. Lets make it the best!
Regards,
? ?-Paul
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On Sun, Jul 9, 2023 at 06:17 AM, Rene Goerlich wrote:
Peter,
The HC has an "Adaptive Color" option that you find under MENU->HC->Display. If this is checked it overrides the color settings for Daytime/Dawn/Nighttime Mode by selecting the mode that is appropriate, based on your location, date and time. As long as these values are not set correctly it may look strange, but once all is set, it is nice. If you don't like it just uncheck the checkbox.
In L6 there is an additional precaution. If you wake up after a night of observing, having used Nighttime Mode and having dimmed the display it is brightened up that you can read the display although the Sun is in the sky now. If you can't read it anyway, you can use Gemini.net to adapt the screen brightness.
¸é±ð²Ô¨¦
After the update my screen was green. This morning on power up it is now blue. Why is this?
Hi Rene ? ?I am not sure this is working correctly; my display was green all last night. I just powered cycled and the screen is now blue. I am at Eastern Standard Time. Thanks for your help Pete
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I would rather not, I needed help 2 days after I got my mount and dealing with Losmandy on the phone and in person at NEAF made me regret the $5700 I had just spent.
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 06:47 AM, @VictoryPete wrote:
Thanks for your reply, I am relieved that other Losmandy owners are out there willing to answer my questions when they seem to be ignored.
Pete, this forum is for Gemini-2 users and is owned and run by other Gemini-2 users. This is not an official Losmandy support forum. While Brian participates here and tries to help, he¡¯s just another forum user. Everyone else here is just like you ¡ª owners and owner want to be.
If you require official Losmandy support, please open a ticket with Losmandy directly at their support email.
Regards,
? ?-Paul
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Paul Kanevsky