On Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 04:01 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

Yes it is a newer spec mount.

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It's very well balanced. When it arrived, it had the sound bare and unloaded, but to be clear the sound does not change due to angle or load, it remains constant, so does the speed. I will post a video if I can.

It had excessive backlash on both axis. There was no way it was within whatever specification it requires. It had .258 lash at the end of the mounting plate. So I adjusted the worm gears. Sound did not change, so I checked to see if there was any runout and there was not.?

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AFAIK there is no meaningful way to mechanically measure and set the worm backlash of the current Losmandy spring loaded one piece worm (OPW) bearing carrier.? In fact with a heavy or what is effectively a heavy payload the payload in the saddle will display what looks and feels like backlash, it's not backlash, it's the sprung OPW doing what is supposed to do.? This is normal with the Losmandy spring loaded OPW.?

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With the design of the tucked-in sprung OPWs what matters is worm pressure on the worm gear to maintain good worm engagement depth and the worm hold off adjustment of the OPW to avoid servo motor stall.? There is a balance to be found here and every machine is a little different and needs to be adjusted as they approach the point of break-in.??

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What I have observed over the last several years of using and adjusting the tucked-in, sprung OPWs for friends and club members is that up to a point the higher the payload the more spring pressure is need to maintain correct worm engagement in the worm gear. Past that tipping point wear between the worm and worm gear will become an issue as well as the servo motors' ability to turn the worms at the programed rate.? This boundary is part of what the new L6.x firmware improved with better stall detection using the encoders in the servo motors.?

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Anyway there is a range of payload and polar moment the default spring preload setting can manage well.? Once outside that range the spring preload may be too high or too low.? For most people it will be set correctly.? If you need to adjust the spring OPWs it helps to understand what you are adjusting and why.? You can adjust the preload and lift by ear but using an amp meter is more sensitive.?

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Hmm, there is normally some noise when the servos are running at GOTO or SLEW speeds.? Any and all speeds really but these can be the most obnoxious sounding if not well adjusted.? The key word here is adjustment, oftentimes the mesh between the servo pinon gear and the first reduction spur inside the gearbox are not happy with each other for whatever reason.?

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On Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 08:27 AM, mike bechtel wrote:

? In the process of fixing my ethernet connection ( a long story ) I toggled off and back on the Show Notifications and Show Status Panel property on the Gemini driver. Ever since then I have been unable to see any Gemini notification such as Mount Connected or Mount Disconnected. I have already tried reinstalling the Gemini Driver to no effect. Is there anyone out there who has a clue about how to restore this functionality?

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Mike Bechtel

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Not sure where you are at but the most basic test of an Ethernet connection is to ping the IP address in question.? So I think you are using the ASCOM Gemini.net app so you must be a Wimdoze user.? You can ping an IP address using ping in the command window if you know what the address is, this will tell you if the IP addy used is on you LAN and active.??

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Sent from

Yes it is a newer spec mount.

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It's very well balanced. When it arrived, it had the sound bare and unloaded, but to be clear the sound does not change due to angle or load, it remains constant, so does the speed. I will post a video if I can.

It had excessive backlash on both axis. There was no way it was within whatever specification it requires. It had .258 lash at the end of the mounting plate. So I adjusted the worm gears. Sound did not change, so I checked to see if there was any runout and there was not.?

I might end up going with Stellarmate. Apparently, ASI AIR does not like long focal lengths when plate solving/polar aligning Next Star C8 (2000mm). I will eventually get a focal reducer.

Regardless I like what it has to offer and needed confirmation it would work with Gemeni 2.

On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 01:59 PM, <drice34@...> wrote:

Thanks Chip that helps a lot. I just pulled the trigger on one rated at 16v 5a. An AC voltage regulator will be running off of the battery powering the ASI air and the controller. Yes its clean.

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It's interesting to hear they can pull 5A. I am curious to how much mine pulls. It may not be a problem, but when I slew, I hear only what I can describe as an audio/harmonic oscillation. It's been there since new. I thought it might be a bent shaft, but no. There was excessive backlash on both axis, but that did not change it either.? ?

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The crazy high current draws were seen on mounts in poor mechanical adjustment.? You are asking for trouble if your spring loaded worms are poorly adjusted and you are not well balanced.? The issue was resolved by simply backing off the spring tension and lifting the worm at the tightest spot while slewing.? You can watch the current draw drop as you adjust the drivetrain and balance the payload in the saddle.? ?

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Is your G11 a current spec version with spring loaded worms?? If yes and there is a different sound as the mount slews you may need to adjust the worm lift screw to relieve some of the pressure on the worm, not much just a smidge can reduce the current load significantly.? Balance is also important here as the mount is not designed to carry much imbalance and will wear the drivetrain much faster if not well balanced.? The slowing and harmonic noise is due to excessive load on the worm and worm gear.? ??

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Thanks Chip that helps a lot. I just pulled the trigger on one rated at 16v 5a. An AC voltage regulator will be running off of the battery powering the ASI air and the controller. Yes its clean.

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It's interesting to hear they can pull 5A. I am curious to how much mine pulls. It may not be a problem, but when I slew, I hear only what I can describe as an audio/harmonic oscillation. It's been there since new. I thought it might be a bent shaft, but no. There was excessive backlash on both axis, but that did not change it either.? ?

On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 06:37 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

I get it Chip, I just was not clear I guess. I should have said eliminating instead of consolidating. I have a large power supply and your diagram pretty much summarizes what I planned.

Does anybody know the power requiremen lolts for the G11? The voltage range is on the controller, but the power consumption is not. I can't seem to find it on their website either.

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The Gemini-2 while just sitting there with tracking on pulls about 0.5-0.7A @ 12.5V.? Typical well adjusted G11G with sprung OPWs will pull 2-3A when slewing with a payload at the default slew setting of 800.??

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When slewing this varies as some people have set their slew rates faster than stock, often have tighter worm preload and are poorly balanced.? I have seen G11Gs pull everything from 1.5A to 5A @ 12.5V when slewing.? I get this information from my bench power supply which is fully digital and programmable.??

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This is why I recommend a dedicated CE and/or UL certified regulated power supply that can deliver at least 16V @ 5A or close to it just for the Gemini.? My home brew battery power pack has multiple voltages available, bank 1 - 5V & 13.5V,? bank 2 - 13.5V and bank 3 - 17.5V.?

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For locations with utility? power many experienced Gemini users run the OTS Losmandy power supply with similar specs dedicated to the Gemini.??

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I get it Chip, I just was not clear I guess. I should have said eliminating instead of consolidating. I have a large power supply and your diagram pretty much summarizes what I planned.

Does anybody know the power requirements for the G11? The voltage range is on the controller, but the power consumption is not. I can't seem to find it on their website either.

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Here is how the system is connected.? Sorry for my sloppy illustration.?

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On Mon, Feb 10, 2025 at 03:22 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

What I'm hoping to do is consolidate my power. As it sits, I will need at least 4.

1. Gemnini

2.NUC

3.ASI 2600

4. Mini Router.

Five if I use my multi port USB

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I was hoping the ASI or stellarmate could supply power centrally and eliminate the mini router because I thought it created its own wifi.?

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My 174MINI guider could plug into the 2600 then on to the ASI AIR. Then all I need is 2 fixed power supplies.

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Not sure what you mean by "consolidate my power."? If you mean you need a different power supply or portable power supply that is an easy fix.? Just go to your local hardware store and look for a heavy duty tool box big enough to carry a battery with the required capacity to take you through as many nights as you are likely to need to go without utility power.? Go to Amazon and order some 12V 10A DC-DC boost - buck converters, toggle switches, marine cigarette? sockets and a USB charge port with USB A and C outlets with PD charging, some14-16 gauge wire as well as a 12V LiFePo4 battery with built-in BMS (battery management system) and a charger designed for use with LiFePo4 battery chemistry.?

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You will also need at least a 5 amp charger, 10 is better as it reduces your charging time by half. If you buy a 50AH battery it will take 10+ hours to fully charge from empty OR with a 10A charger oy 5+.? As far as battery capacity goes just add up the current used by the whole system when running and multiply it by the minimum hours you plan to use the rig between charging and add 20% to give yourself some room for growth and the unpredictable, like cold weather.??

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If you always have utility power then a heavy duty 14 gauge extension cord.with a power strip big enough? to fit all your wall warts will work just fine.?

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With an ASIAIR system if you arrange it right by separating the moving parts from the non-moving parts you can optimize your cable requirements.?

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Ethernet OR USB - Gemini 2 control??

12V power - ASIAIR-Pro

12V power - Cooled ASI-Pro camera

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These are my suggestions after running a full ZWO ASIAIR imaging system since before Covid.? Several iterations later this is what it looks like on the little Askar 90mm f/5.6 Petzval out in the garage.?

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I'm still waiting for the ZWO CAA I ordered when they were released but who knows if or when they will show up with the new tarriffs in place after the Chinese New Year shutdown. I'm pretty sure that once I have the ZWO CAA I'll need to add some free length to the cable branch that goes to the back of the ASI2600MC-Pro to assure there is no binding while rotating.??

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I run the same imaging rig on the bespoke Parallax/AstroTech130mm f/6 SDT.? I just swap the OTA with rings out for the other scope as well as carrying over the Stellarvue 50mm visual finder.? The only difference being the stack length of the Baader M68 extension tubes needed and the reducers used inside said M68 tubes.??

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Askar FRA500 main optic with ZWO EFW 2"X5, ASI2600MC-Pro, ZWO EAF, Deep Sky Dad Flat Panel, piggybacked guide scope is a Stellarvue 50mm f/4 with ASI678MM used as a guide camera. The ASIAIR is attached under the focuser which required lifting the mounting rings with spacer blocks.??

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The wrapped umbilical is the black cable coming off the back of the ASI2600 camera.? The umbilical carries 2 power cords and an Ethernet cable.? As configured ASIAIR system consumes 3 USB ports with the 4th used by a USB flash drive.? Once the CAA arrives I'll switch to using the ASIAIR's internal storage and hopefully all the night's data will fit.? Everything else is on the telescope and dovetail.?

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I position the Slate AX on top of the power pack near the power sockets so the Ethernet cable and power cords from the umbilical can follow a natural route to the power pack where they plug into separate dedicated power circuits, 13.5v for the ASIAIR and Camera TEC cooler and a 17.5v circuit for the Gemini 2.??

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If it looks cluttered it may be the fact that the FRA500 is in a Side-By-Side saddle with a Takahashi FS-60Q in an ADM Max Alt/Az aiming device mount.??

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On Mon, Feb 10, 2025 at 03:30 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

I think I will give it a try. I looked at the Eagle while doing my research and can afford it, but I'm not actually sure I actually need it.

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As a controller to control the process of data gathering the Eagle is overkill.?

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I am fairly new to Gemini 11 having acquired a very used G11 with G2 back in November.? I started using it with Stellarmate on a RPI4, mounted on the scope with a homemade power distribution box integrated into the RPI4 case, ASI533MC, ZWO Focuser, and an ASI220mini on my guide scope. I used a travel router on the tripod with a long (stiff) ethernet cable.? With this configuration, I had to run a 12V cable plus the ethernet between the scope and the tripod.? Stellarmate is great when it works, but I was having glitches that I attributed more to the Pi than the software.? So I purchased a $150 N100 mini computer with 16gb RAM with the intention on putting Stellarmate X on it.?

While I was waiting for it, I used an ASIAIR, no problems at all with it, worked great.? The only issue was that I was getting poor guiding and didn't have access to the advanced features of PHd2 to debug it.? (turns out I replaced the 2piece worm with an 1piece and precision worm, stripped the old grease and regreased it, etc.).? But still, I wanted the PHd2 calibration assistant, guiding assistant, and access to different guiding algorithms and of course PEC.? So, a friend convinced me to stay with Windows and try NINA.? I access it through windows remote desktop on my desktop computer in my office or my ipad.? I built a new power distribution box, with three 12V outlets controlled by $5 PWM's and 3 uncontrolled outlets using a 3d printed case.? Cost me about $30. I keep the mini computer on the tripod, run a single USB to the back of the camera and use the camera's hub for the other equipment.? All these configurations run through my home wifi.? The power box runs the camera and the dew heaters.??

NINA was a bear to learn after using the ASIAIR for a year on my AVX, but it's worth it.? So much more control, many more tools.??

In all cases, I power the mini computer, the mount, and the 12V supply from AC adapters running to my greenhouse.??

I think I will give it a try. I looked at the Eagle while doing my research and can afford it, but I'm not actually sure I actually need it.

What I'm hoping to do is consolidate my power. As it sits, I will need at least 4.

1. Gemnini

2.NUC

3.ASI 2600

4. Mini Router.

Five if I use my multi port USB

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I was hoping the ASI or stellarmate could supply power centrally and eliminate the mini router because I thought it created its own wifi.?

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My 174MINI guider could plug into the 2600 then on to the ASI AIR. Then all I need is 2 fixed power supplies.

The AsiAir is running the PhD guide engine. That produces the PhD guide logs you may be familiar with. ?You should remember that the AsiAir requires you use ZWO’s cameras, color wheel etc. ? so if you’re gonna use the Air be prepared to use all Zwo gear.

On Sun, Feb 9, 2025 at 11:21 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

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I just posted this on CN just so I could get as much info as I could.

The other alternative is IF they make a central power distribution block. However I would like to eliminate the mini router and GPS would be nice.

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Bringing up an old thread here...

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Been working a lot lately and found my way to Carlsbad NM for work. Haven't posted here in a while either......

I'm planning on taking my Losmandy G11 with me and have been seriously considering converting from an Intel NUC to ASI air or Sstellarmate Pro. I finally pulled the trigger on an ASI2600 and will be using a large battery bank for power.

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One of my concerns with the current setup with adding the 2600, is the power connections (losmandy/nuc/2600/router). I would have to be creative with the various power supply distribution.

Next is that if I have an issue with the NUC, I have no monitor per-se. Right now, I remote desktop in on my local network.

I also need a mini router for bridging the gap.

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It is my understanding that ASI and stellarmate creates its own WIFI, eliminating the need for a mini router? Is this correct?

I like the power distribution both offer and is one of the most important factors.

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Finally since this is an older thread, I will ask again. Will both of these work with the Gemini 2 V6?

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IME I don't recommend the Stellarmate, too many issues.? If you have the money, a lot of money and feel more comfortable in a Windows environment look at the Primaluce Eagle computers.? Not cheap and they have some issues but overall a high performance option for the people deep, deep pockets.? Even the lowest model will cost you nearly $1,500 and only has an old mobile Celeron with 8GB RAM which in a Windows 11 machine is crippling.? The first real useable version has an Intel Core i5 with 16GB and comes in at $2,500.? The problem is the Eagles don't do anything significantly more or better than an ASIAIR Plus.? ??

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If you are happy on the mini-PC and know the apps you could just stick with that and maybe update to streamline the system a bit.?

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On Sun, Feb 9, 2025 at 11:21 AM, <drice34@...> wrote:

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I just posted this on CN just so I could get as much info as I could.

The other alternative is IF they make a central power distribution block. However I would like to eliminate the mini router and GPS would be nice.

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Bringing up an old thread here...

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Been working a lot lately and found my way to Carlsbad NM for work. Haven't posted here in a while either......

I'm planning on taking my Losmandy G11 with me and have been seriously considering converting from an Intel NUC to ASI air or Sstellarmate Pro. I finally pulled the trigger on an ASI2600 and will be using a large battery bank for power.

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One of my concerns with the current setup with adding the 2600, is the power connections (losmandy/nuc/2600/router). I would have to be creative with the various power supply distribution.

Next is that if I have an issue with the NUC, I have no monitor per-se. Right now, I remote desktop in on my local network.

I also need a mini router for bridging the gap.

?

It is my understanding that ASI and stellarmate creates its own WIFI, eliminating the need for a mini router? Is this correct?

I like the power distribution both offer and is one of the most important factors.

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Finally since this is an older thread, I will ask again. Will both of these work with the Gemini 2 V6?

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Yes!? The ASIAIR Plus and Pro work very well with the G11G.? I have been using them together for several years as well as during the Gemini 2 L6 Beta test.? They work great together with no significant issues.??I have been using the latest Gemini 2 L6 releases and the latest version of the ASIAIR app which sometimes is a Beta with no issues.?

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I will say that I use the ASIAIR Plus and Gemini 2 with a different configuration than most people, I am using the fastest compact travel router with a 3-port 1Gbps switch available (GL.iNet Slate AX travel router) to connect via Wi-Fi to my Google Pixel XL phone or Samsung tablet, both on Android O/S.? Both the Gemini 2 and ASIAIR Plus are connected to the router using common Ethernet patch cables which provides very fast screen update speed, download and screen refresh is very fast and responsive compared to using the native ASIAIR Wi-Fi.? Additionally the connection is reliable and has a much longer range with speed than the notoriously bad native ASIAIR Wi-Fi.? ??

I'm not sure why you would want to go backward and use a desktop or laptop to access a system that is designed with a user interface designed specifically for mobile device use but if you must there is no difference in interface or function when running an Android emulation like bluestacks, LD player or multi.? They all work the same if a bit slower depending on what it is you are doing.?

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If you want to access the ASIAIR from indoors you can configure the travel router to function as a bridge router and allow your mountside travel router to connect to your home LAN via Wi-Fi and you can run the ASIAIR app under an Android emulator.? It all works well but can take a bit of time to set up and get running smoothly. To save time and trouble I use the newer Slate AX in the field or driveway as a standalone system when I will be nearby or outside observing visually on a secondary mount.? If I want to stay indoors I just swap an older Slate that I leave preconfigured in bridge mode just for this infrequent use.? So the best of both worlds.? ?

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