Re: ASIAIR Plus and Losmandy GM8 mount Gemini one
Update: The GM8 works just fine (indoors still) using ASCOM from my laptop with a USB-RS232 adapter cable.? AsiAir doesn't do hardly anything - it recognizes the mount, will send location data and that's about it.? I feel like I'm missing the "Big Picture" somehow...
|
Re: Gemini-1 SkySafari Wireless Control - WiFi or Bluetooth?
Thanks for the offer. I have since purchased a . This will replace the SkyFi adapter that is need of repair. I'm still hoping it can be fixed.
?
Russ
|
Re: ASIAIR Plus and Losmandy GM8 mount Gemini one
Hi Folks,
Just started with my new AsiAir and GM8 (latest update) last night - indoors with my Win10 laptop.? Got the mount to "home", but it only worked once.? Thereafter, the hand-box indicated the mount had moved, and then displayed "finished", but the mount did not move. Transferring the lat/lon info to the mount indicated success, so this is something of a 'head-scratcher'.? I am going to try using the RS232-USB cable direct to the GM-8 to insure everything is ok.
Tnx, Will
|
Re: Gemini-1 SkySafari Wireless Control - WiFi or Bluetooth?
?
I sold it so that option is off the table now.? ?
?
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Gemini-1 SkySafari Wireless Control - WiFi or Bluetooth?
?
Hi Russ,
?
So did you resolve the SkyFi3 issue?? If you still need one I have one that has been lightly used.? It's a backup that I never really needed.? A friend was going to buy it but he bought a new G11G and now doesn't need it.??
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
?
Hi Greg,
?
I had a 914S 2.0l which was a terrible car in most ways other than the quality of life while in the driver's seat speeding through Mulholland canyon, on the 110 and Angeles Crest highway.?
?
I later had a 1973 G body 911, that CIS 2.7l was not a powerfull engine but a joy to wind up to redline until it abruptly didn't. Needless to say that engine dropped a valve at 100K but it was reborn as a high compression 3.0l with a pair of Weber downdrafts, S cams in ported roller rocker heads with ti locks, hard seats, tubular headers (I live in SoCal, who needed a heater?) pinned cases, high-end crank and head bolts Turbo clutch etc., sort of a half race engine for the street by Pete at Redline - Santa Monica. I paid more for that engine than the car.?
?
I never found out how fast it could go because it hit the rev limiter at 7,200 RPM before it stopped accelerating but it was a freight train. I should have swapped out the gearbox but ran out of money.? ???
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
Darned right, Chip. I was thinking the same thing. I don’t have a Turbo, but my Cayman S is very entertaining and gangs of fun for autocross (which I do a lot). It’s a different kind of fun from my Gemini 1 equipped MI-250, which I also enjoy. ;) ? Greg ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Chip Louie via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2025 10:10 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Gemini_users_io] Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1? Which car to take to the corner store largely depends on where the corner store you want to go to is located.??Have you driven a twin turbo Porsche?? The saying "Porsche, there is no substitute" didn't come out of nowhere.? But these days I'm really more of AMG E63S Wagon guy.? They ride nicer are quieter have lots of room for astronomy gear and you are very unlikely to see another car quicker to 60 while you drive to your corner store.? ??
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
?
Which car to take to the corner store largely depends on where the corner store you want to go to is located.??Have you driven a twin turbo Porsche?? The saying "Porsche, there is no substitute" didn't come out of nowhere.?
?
But these days I'm really more of AMG E63S Wagon guy.? They ride nicer are quieter have lots of room for astronomy gear and you are very unlikely to see another car quicker to 60 while you drive to your corner store.? ??
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
Thanks, folks!
MH and I have already "talked" and I'll be sending the unit to him for repair.
?
I do like this particular Gemini because all the connections echo the 492 drives I have on my four other mounts.
While tucked in motors might be a nice to have form factor, I have no need for Gemini 2 for what I do. It would be akin to driving a twin turbo Porsche to the corner store when the VW bug will do. :D
?
If the encoders are fried that wouldn't be the end of the world - a quick search shows they are still being manufactured, so that's something for me to hope for.
?
I'll try to report back what Michael finds.
|
Re: Help troubleshooting after replacing Gemini 1 internal bettery
As others have said. ?It’ll be the motor (encoder pickup) or mainboard encoder read ICs PLDs. ? ? If you put Ra motor on DEC and it comes good. ?Then it’s a motor or cable issue.?
You don’t need any settings in the gemini for it to boot and work. ? But it will default all setting back to Losmandy Titan mount and Losmandy lay/long. ?But it won’t know it’s dtg etc?
?
But it will or should work! ? Changing the battery did not cause this unless you managed to stress the DIN socket solder joints and crack one. ? This would be very unlikely.?
Might be an ESD Issue? ? Hard to say really ? ?If the board is bad. ?Send it to one of repairers.?
cheers
--
Brendan
|
Re: Help troubleshooting after replacing Gemini 1 internal bettery
On Wed, Mar 12, 2025 at 08:24 AM, Franco Meconi wrote:
Hi all! I'm new to the group. I recently bought a Losmandy G11 running on Gemini 1 v1.04 from a friend. I've been setting it up and trying to configure it with NINA. I'd been having issues with the automated meridian flip with NINA issuing multiple flip commands when I came across a forum post where someone with the same issue had resolved it by changing the internal CR 2354 battery on the Gemini 1, which I did because I had no idea how long it had been since it had been replaced, and here's where my problems started.
?
As soon as I powered up the mount the RA motor started slewing at a very high speed, I had to almost immediately shut down the gemini to prevent the telescope from crashing into my pier. When I turned it back on the same thing happened, so I disconnected the motor cables from the Gemini and ran the setup using the hand controller (date and time, location, mount type, etc). I then switched it off, reconnected the motors and switched it back on for a warm restart, it seemed to be ok at first but as soon as I pressed one of the RA buttons on the hand controller the RA motor ran wild again at max speed, trying to slew west (I'm on the southern hemisphere, so that would be slewing east in the northern hemisphere, or lets just call it clockwise if you're behind the mount facing the celestial pole). When I tried to counter this slew with the hand controller it would show a MOTOR STALLED message on the hand controller. I tried replacing the battery again for the old one but the problem is still there.?
?
Any help will be very appreciated!
?
Thanks,
?
Franco.?
?
It seems that if the Gemini was working before the battery replacement that you have disturbed something when you pulled off the front panel and replaced the coin cell.? I don't know which version you have but if this is an old one with RJ connectors for the servo motors they would be the first place to look.? Try swapping the RA servo cable with the DEC servo cable, using the original Gemini.? Does the issue remain?? If run away slew is gone then replace the cables, be sure to use the right wiring orientation, there are at least two commonly being sold.??
?
If the issue remains you may have a servomotor encoder issue or the Gemini has failed.? Static discharge is a real danger and in opening the case you may have in advertently damaged something.? It happens when no static precautions are used in the wrong conditions.??
?
But lucky you have another working unit to use, hopefully while the other Gemini is being repaired.? Good luck and keep us posted.??
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 01:45 PM, Rene Goerlich wrote:
This was my original design. Aveox soldered the green power LED instead of the red one onto it because their rules said that power LEDs have to be green, night vision wasn't that important then...
It's part of history... Please keep it alive and get this DEC PAL chip replaced 8)
搁别苍é
?
LOL, I am sure that Brendan would replace the offending green LED with an appropriate red LED of Warren asked him to.??
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 10:29 AM, @wrvond wrote:
Well I did it.
I inadvertently used the wrong cables for the motors and smoked something. I used 6 pin RJ connectors instead of 8 pin RJ connectors. The display was working fine until I pressed a button on the hand control and it clicked, went blank and I smelled it release smoke inside.
Pulled the cover but don't see anything obviously fried. Installed the correct cables and powered up (cover removed).
?
It powers up but the Dec starts running - not exactly slewing but moving pretty fast. As soon as I touch an arrow button the Ra starts slewing. The only way to stop either is power off.
?
?
I appreciate your help.
?
Warren
?
?
Hi Warren,
?
Rene and the others here are right, the first generation Gemini controllers are an elegant solution at the advent of amateur astronomy's move to mechanisation and automation.? It was a time when GOTO mounts were still still new and the old gods could still be seen.??Of course that's just my OG romanticized view of my favorite hobby that has slipped into being monetized, over simplified and reduced to it most base for the masses.??
?
Anyway, Michael Herman is our guy here in the USA to repair first gen Gemini 1 controller.? If Michael can't fix it, he is a busy guy, I am confident that Brendan can but he is $100 round trip away in shipping.? Brendan has my classic Gen I Gemini 2 Tall Boy to repair.?
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astrospheric - South Pasadena?
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
I have two of the original gemini 1 's 4 buttons on one side and no screen on the other side Of the hand controller
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message -------- From: Rene Goerlich <Rene@...> Date: 4/7/25 3:52 PM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [Gemini_users_io] Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
Paul,
Don't duck! There are screws to tilt the board upwards ;) ROTFL?
8) Also,? you can use the DeLuxe in parallel and get the
information twice? 8)
搁别苍é
Am 07.04.25 um 22:18 schrieb Paul
Kanevsky:
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 03:48 PM, David C. Partridge wrote:
PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity
before!!!
I have one of these. It originally came with a simple, four
button hand controller. You had to be next to the Gemini CPU to
actually read anything on the LED, while simultaneously ducking,
as soon you select a Goto :) The "Deluxe" hand controller with
its own display came later.
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
Warren. ?I cannot see anything obvious but I’d be looking at the two motor encoder PLD ICs (top right, Encoder 5V ) and D10/D9 dual diodes in sot23-3 package (bottom left, 5V lines).
?
This is fully repairable and as Rene’ says “a classic”!
?
cheers
--
Brendan
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
Paul,
Don't duck! There are screws to tilt the board upwards ;) ROTFL?
8) Also,? you can use the DeLuxe in parallel and get the
information twice? 8)
搁别苍é
Am 07.04.25 um 22:18 schrieb Paul
Kanevsky:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 03:48 PM, David C. Partridge wrote:
PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity
before!!!
I have one of these. It originally came with a simple, four
button hand controller. You had to be next to the Gemini CPU to
actually read anything on the LED, while simultaneously ducking,
as soon you select a Goto :) The "Deluxe" hand controller with
its own display came later.
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
This was my original design. Aveox soldered the green
power LED instead of the red one onto it because their rules said
that power LEDs have to be green, night vision wasn't that
important then...
It's part of history... Please keep it alive and get this DEC PAL
chip replaced 8)
搁别苍é
Am 07.04.25 um 22:18 schrieb Paul
Kanevsky:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 03:48 PM, David C. Partridge wrote:
PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity
before!!!
I have one of these. It originally came with a simple, four
button hand controller. You had to be next to the Gemini CPU to
actually read anything on the LED, while simultaneously ducking,
as soon you select a Goto :) The "Deluxe" hand controller with
its own display came later.
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
If you're willing to invest the money, you should consider sending the mount to Losmandy and upgrading to Gemini II, tune up and perhaps tucked motors. I did this with my old Losmandy and I have no regrets.?
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 03:48 PM, David C. Partridge wrote:
PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity before!!!
I have one of these. It originally came with a simple, four button hand controller. You had to be next to the Gemini CPU to actually read anything on the LED, while simultaneously ducking, as soon you select a Goto :) The "Deluxe" hand controller with its own display came later.
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 03:48 PM, David C. Partridge wrote:
PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity before!!!
I have one of these. It originally came with a simple, four button hand controller. You had to be next to the Gemini CPU to actually read anything on the LED, while simultaneously ducking, as soon you select a Goto :) The "Deluxe" hand controller with its own display came later.
|
Re: Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1
You almost certainly burnt out the motor encoders or decoders – there may be other damage as well resulting from 12-18V getting into the 5V circuits. ? Where are you based?? That determines the choice of repairer … Bren Smith in Australia, Michael Herman in California, and myself in the UK. ? Looking at the “flying PCB” I suspect you’ve sent this to Michael before now for repair. ? PS I’ve not see a Gemini-1 of that antiquity before!!! ? David ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of wrvond via groups.io
Sent: 07 April 2025 18:29
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Gemini_users_io] Thoughts/recommendations concerning repair of Gemini 1? I inadvertently used the wrong cables for the motors and smoked something. I used 6 pin RJ connectors instead of 8 pin RJ connectors. The display was working fine until I pressed a button on the hand control and it clicked, went blank and I smelled it release smoke inside. Pulled the cover but don't see anything obviously fried. Installed the correct cables and powered up (cover removed). It powers up but the Dec starts running - not exactly slewing but moving pretty fast. As soon as I touch an arrow button the Ra starts slewing. The only way to stop either is power off.
|
Chip Louie
Paul Kanevsky
David C. Partridge