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AZ8 with Gemini 2 and go-to with servo motors

Russ Lynn All Messages By This Member #28278 I'm considering purchasing the apparently fairly new AZ8 with Gemini 2 and go-to with servo motors. But I have some questions that hopefully some people here can help me with. ? First, I'm wondering if after alignment it's possible to manually swing the scope to a different portion of the sky while the power is still on? ?I'm asking about this because I know with the Rowan AZ100 mount its motors must be turned off in the Rowan app before manually slewing the scope. ? If the power to the AZ8 motors has to be turned off to manually move the scope, will the time and location settings have to be reset, or will the mount remember its place in the sky when power to the motors is restored? ? Also, if using my current refractor (Televue NP 101) weighing when configured at the most about 18 pounds (likely less), will I need a counter weight? ? Finally, if I opt for the dual sided version of the mount, can the saddle on one side be removed and the lightweight system with 5 pound head be user installed in lieu of the saddle? ? Thanks for any answers and insights in helping me to decide whether to purchase this mount. ?-- Russ ? ??
[email protected] All Messages By This Member #28279 开云体育 Why not just call Losmandy, the best time to speak to them is in the afternoon. Their mornings are pretty busy which is why I’d suggest an afternoon call. Generally they can answer pretty quickly. toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Mar 5, 2025, at 3:55?PM, Russ Lynn via groups.io <russ.lynn@...> wrote: I'm considering purchasing the apparently fairly new AZ8 with Gemini 2 and go-to with servo motors. But I have some questions that hopefully some people here can help me with. ? First, I'm wondering if after alignment it's possible to manually swing the scope to a different portion of the sky while the power is still on? ?I'm asking about this because I know with the Rowan AZ100 mount its motors must be turned off in the Rowan app before manually slewing the scope. ? If the power to the AZ8 motors has to be turned off to manually move the scope, will the time and location settings have to be reset, or will the mount remember its place in the sky when power to the motors is restored? ? Also, if using my current refractor (Televue NP 101) weighing when configured at the most about 18 pounds (likely less), will I need a counter weight? ? Finally, if I opt for the dual sided version of the mount, can the saddle on one side be removed and the lightweight system with 5 pound head be user installed in lieu of the saddle? ? Thanks for any answers and insights in helping me to decide whether to purchase this mount. ?-- Russ ? ??
Paul Kanevsky All Messages By This Member #28280 Hi Russ, ? Scott Losmandy will likely give you a better answer. I don't own an AZ8,? but just looking at specs, AZ8 implements a variable slip clutch on both axis, just like all other Losmandy mounts. What that means is that you can push-to to the desired sky position without disengaging or turning off the motors or Gemini. What will happen is that Gemini will lose track of the sky position when you do this, because the motor encoders are not used when you push the mount manually, so Gemini is not aware of this type of motion. A simple Sync operation is then needed to let Gemini know where the mount is positioned if you want to continue using Goto's. Or you can just use push-to for the rest of the session -- your choice! ? Regards, ? ? -Paul ? On Wed, Mar 5, 2025 at 06:59 PM, Russ Lynn wrote: toggle quoted message Show quoted text I'm considering purchasing the apparently fairly new AZ8 with Gemini 2 and go-to with servo motors. But I have some questions that hopefully some people here can help me with. ? First, I'm wondering if after alignment it's possible to manually swing the scope to a different portion of the sky while the power is still on? ?I'm asking about this because I know with the Rowan AZ100 mount its motors must be turned off in the Rowan app before manually slewing the scope. ? If the power to the AZ8 motors has to be turned off to manually move the scope, will the time and location settings have to be reset, or will the mount remember its place in the sky when power to the motors is restored? ? Also, if using my current refractor (Televue NP 101) weighing when configured at the most about 18 pounds (likely less), will I need a counter weight? ? Finally, if I opt for the dual sided version of the mount, can the saddle on one side be removed and the lightweight system with 5 pound head be user installed in lieu of the saddle? ? Thanks for any answers and insights in helping me to decide whether to purchase this mount. ?-- Russ ? ??
Rene Goerlich All Messages By This Member #28282 开云体育 Hi Russ, Paul is right. I have a prototype of an AZ8 with servo motors I used to developing a Solar Tracker. This can track the sun all day with a telescope or with solar panels. Keeping the panels perpendicular to the sun all day nearly doubles their efficiency. The nice thing about it is that the tracker follows the sun from dawn to dusk, at dusk it moves to the position where the sun will raise next day and puts Gemini into sleep mode until sunrise, then it restarts tracking. The Solar Tracker is a standalone application for Gemini and wasn't sold as a product. The good thing about an Alt-Az mount is that meridian flips and Safety Limits aren't that important compared to a GEM, alignments are easier and so on. It makes it easy to set it up and use it, it can be fun.? While working on the Solar Tracker I've improved and refined Gemini's Alt-Az operation mode. Alas, there was never much interest in Alt-Az support, so the state is still somewhere between experimental and Beta, despite it is already quite usable. If there would be some people interested in Beta testing and giving feedback I may go on with the development and include the Solar (Lunar, ...?) tracker... 搁别苍é Am 06.03.25 um 05:30 schrieb Paul Kanevsky: toggle quoted message Show quoted text Hi Russ, ? Scott Losmandy will likely give you a better answer. I don't own an AZ8,? but just looking at specs, AZ8 implements a variable slip clutch on both axis, just like all other Losmandy mounts. What that means is that you can push-to to the desired sky position without disengaging or turning off the motors or Gemini. What will happen is that Gemini will lose track of the sky position when you do this, because the motor encoders are not used when you push the mount manually, so Gemini is not aware of this type of motion. A simple Sync operation is then needed to let Gemini know where the mount is positioned if you want to continue using Goto's. Or you can just use push-to for the rest of the session -- your choice! ? Regards, ? ? -Paul ? On Wed, Mar 5, 2025 at 06:59 PM, Russ Lynn wrote: I'm considering purchasing the apparently fairly new AZ8 with Gemini 2 and go-to with servo motors. But I have some questions that hopefully some people here can help me with. ? First, I'm wondering if after alignment it's possible to manually swing the scope to a different portion of the sky while the power is still on? ?I'm asking about this because I know with the Rowan AZ100 mount its motors must be turned off in the Rowan app before manually slewing the scope. ? If the power to the AZ8 motors has to be turned off to manually move the scope, will the time and location settings have to be reset, or will the mount remember its place in the sky when power to the motors is restored? ? Also, if using my current refractor (Televue NP 101) weighing when configured at the most about 18 pounds (likely less), will I need a counter weight? ? Finally, if I opt for the dual sided version of the mount, can the saddle on one side be removed and the lightweight system with 5 pound head be user installed in lieu of the saddle? ? Thanks for any answers and insights in helping me to decide whether to purchase this mount. ?-- Russ ? ??
Sonny Edmonds All Messages By This Member #28283 Rene, I would be interested in Beta Testing with you on this project. It sounds like fun. I even already have a smaller solar panel 7 watt I could utilize for results. And a lot of electrical background, including being a registered solar powerplant, 5.88 kWh with my utility. (Roof mounted} ? But I've always been interested in tracking panels. I live in a "Solar Hotspot" on a finger of the Mohave Desert. (Mo-hav-Ie) ? I would be using my GM811G HD. My thoughts on this would be to do a slip-on mount to my telescope, then let my mount do the guiding. (My telescope is a bit heavy for me to take on and off my mount.) If this sounds interesting to you, please contact me. -- Sonny Edmonds GM811G HD

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