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Gemini 1 Automated Meridian Flip Settings
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Hello Group
Looking for advice on setting up Automated Meridian Fiip on my Gemini 1/G11/APT setup. After watching Brian's various videos on automating the Meridian Flip I applied the the priciples to my own Gemini 1 and G11 setup. Here are my derived measurements which I input to the Gemini 1 controller:- Eastern Safety Limit = 88 deg, Western Safety Limit = 114 deg, Western GOTO Limit = 23 deg. Last night we had our first brief spell of clear weather so thought I would try an Automated MF. Chose the star Regulus which was about 1.25 hrs from transiting the Meridian. I also configured my aquisition software, APT, to automate the MF. Not sure I interpretted APT's instructions correctly but set this up as "Flip Moment (mins)" to = 5 mins, "Delay Flip Move (mins)" = 8 mins and checked "Delay is counted after Meridian passing". I Cold Started Gemin1 and selected Regulus from the Bright Star List in the Hand Controller but the mount did not move and the Hand Controller displayed "Interrupted'. Lots of double checking everything and reading the Gemini 1 Manual (should have done that earlier) and it would seem that I have a problem with my Safety Limits. Following a statement in the G1 Manual I changed my 1Western GOTO Limit' from my calculated value of 23 deg to 95 deg and the mount went straight to Regulus. APT seemed to behave as I concluded it should of by stopping 5 mins before the Meridian, taking a 10 sec image then attempting to Plate Solve it and use these coordinates after the flip to recentre but by this time the conditions had deteriated and the plate solve failed so APT left the mount with tracking off . I thouhgt I would try and get something from the evening so I tried a Manual Flip using the Gemini net ascom driver which was successful.? I then called it a night and read some more of the Gemini 1 Manual on the topics of Safety Limits and Meridien Flips. I am confused by what I read in the Gemini Manual which mentions possible problems with setting your Western GOT Limit between 1 - 89 deg. It also talks about Western GOTO Limits with values of 2.5 and 95 deg which I find hard to equate with Brian's videos. I am starting to believe that Gemin 1 and Gemini 2, for which the videos were produced I believe, might handle the Meridian Flip differently, for example having to set the Weastern GOTO limit referenced from the CWD position hence angle such as 95 deg etc. Any assistance or guidance on how to apply Brians AMF videos to a Gemini 1 setup would be very welcome and appreciated as would any APT users who have successfully configured APT's Automated Meridian Flip instructions. Regards Terry (uk) |
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Hi Terry There was some recent threads specifically regarding APT and meridian flips you might try installing the latest beta for Gemini Telescope.net which seemed to help in several instances with similar setups to yours: On Tue, Mar 28, 2023 at 1:24?AM Terry Pullen via <tpullen152=[email protected]> wrote: Hello Group --
Brian? Brian Valente astro portfolio? portfolio astrobin? |
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On Tue, Mar 28, 2023 at 07:11 AM, Brian Valente wrote:
Hi Brian Thanks for your response to y AMF/APT query. I do actually already have the latest ,net beta ASCOM driver installed (v18) but failed to include this info in my post. I've looked at the recent AMF/APT posts you suggested but these seem to be more involved with backlash issues preventing recentering after a flip (I think). With regard to my interpretation of APT instructions for automating the Meridian Flip I need to test further. My only attempt thus far was partially successful in that APT paused the running plan 5 mins before the Meridian, then took a 10 secexposure, to solve as a record of where to recentre to after the filp, and then stopped the mount. Unfortunately the plate solve failed due to deteriation in the conditions. Had it succeeded in solving I believe it would have waited until the time for the meridian passing had lapsed and then done the flip. I'll attempt tp prove this behaviour on the next clear night which is forecast to be 4 days away. I'l report back on the results. With regard to setting up my Gemini 1, after watching you excellent videos a few times, I felt relatively confident and was able to check and then enter both East and West Safety limits respectively 88 and 114 degs.Following the calculation, in the video, I arrived at my Western GOTO limit value 23 degrees. With Gemini 1 configured with these values I was unable to GOTO Regulus, which at the time was about 1 hr east of the Meridian, due to the `Interrupted' message being displayed on the Handset when I attempted to slew to Regulus.. What I am really struggling to get my head round is in adapting and applying the concepts and calculations, defined in the videos, to my Gemini 1. I am very confident with my Safety Limits which I am assumming will prevent any pier collisions and I plan not to change. I guess I'll just experiment with the Western GOTO Limit value. The calculate d23 deg did not seeming work resuting in the `interrupted' message, whereas changing this value to 95 did work ie no `interrupted message and an accurate slew to Regulus. I plan to experiment with this setting when possible, and note the results and hopefully refine from there - we'll see. Regards Terry (uk) |
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On Wed, Jan 24, 2024 at 02:31 PM, Noxinox wrote:
I have same question and struggle with my gemini./g/Gemini_ASCOM_Driver/message/5389 |
Noxinox
Paul Kanevsky
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