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I have decided that once an initial adjustment has been made using both screws, I will make occasionally needed tweaks by just adjusting the spring screw. It is very intuitive that way.

I have a 120mm refractor on a G11G that works superbly. It's mounted on a pier in my backyard observatory, but even if I had to carry it out to set up, I'duse the same mount - the RA extension means the mount breaks into RA and DEC, basically halving the weight of what I would have to manhandle.

You asked why a GEM is my preference for visual??? Several reasons:

1. tracking
   1. for times when I step away for a moment, or an hour, the target stays in the eyepiece
   2. for sharing the view with family and friends - keeping the target in the eyepiece isn't something I have to worry about or instruct others how to do
   3. because I almost always have two scopes going at once, one for AP and the other for visual, so I'm always going back and forth between the two
   4. at high power (planets, the moon) this factor becomes immensely important
2. The movement of EQ mounts just makes sense to me, because they move the way the heavens do.? Not that Alt-Az doesn't make sense, but for astronomy I have been using EQ mounts since I was a kid, so it just feels right.??
3. astrophotography is always an option

My very first scope was a refractor on an alt-az mount - that grew old pretty quickly.? The moon and planets just whizzed by, and I didn't enjoy tracking by hand.? I know there are plenty of people quite skilled at that, especially with dobs, but it's just not my thing.? There are some awesome quality alt-az mounts that probably hand track quite smoothly, but to me nothing beats the mount doing the work for me!

~~Aaron

I have two G11Gs running Gemini II.? #1 I use ASIair, which plate solves and does its thing, no model involved.? However, when I DID use it for observing, the mount was accurate with a decent PA and 2 or 3 stars in the model - but if I put in more stars the mount became more accurate.? The most stars I ever used was, if I recall, a couple dozen.? But I don't know if you'd notice a difference after 5 or 6.?

Same with mount #2 - it's my visual mount now.? I have 5 or 6 stars in it, and it's extremely accurate on the East side, less so on the West side, which means I need to add more stars on that side of the model.? But even on that side my target is within the finderscope, usually within a low power eyepiece.? In my experience, the more alignment stars you give it, the more accurate it is.

According to my understanding of how the mount and Gemini (or any goto mounts) work, it makes sense.
--
~~Aaron

IME only really need to get a couple of alignment points on both sides of the meridian to have better GOTOs on both sides of the meridian. Also be sure to turn off any auto sync and alignment options after plate solving if you will be doing a lot of GOTOs.with plate solving. The model table can get confusing data that ruins GOTOs that otherwise would have been fine with just the basic 2-4 alignment points on both sides of the meridian to use in the model.

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

I had an RA Stall message on the hand controller, but it wasn't displayed on my laptop in the Gemini App. How would I have known if I was not using the hand controller? I simply loosened the spring screw, and it is now fine. Compared to the complicated adjustment shown in the Losmandy videos, is this a simple way to adjust the spring loaded worm gear?

I have actually? never built a model.? I'm 100% imaging in the 3 month's I've had my G11G.? I have a permanent pier now, and got polar aligned to 30 arc seconds.? I start with CWD set by eye with the levels on the RA and DEC.? My go-to my first target in the Eastern sky is usually only a few arc-min off.? I can tell this by the display on the ASI Air.? It shows the coordiantes of the target, and the plate solved coordinates.? So that seems pretty good to me.? I will then do a sync and center to get spot on.

When it flips to the West, it can be WAY off - like 10+ degrees.? I don't really know if this is an ASI AIr thing, or a gemini thing, as perhaps the gemini having only one sync point on the East and no points on the West doesn't know what to do with itself.? But a plate solve and recent works just fine.??

I add this commentary because I believe the mechanical accuracy is there in these mounts - as evidenced by a very close go-to of the first target from a very accurate polar alignment.? ? I need to explore the software? more.
?
Brian

G11T owner here.? I stopped building models about a year ago as I'm wholly astrophotography on this kit (LX200 10" and ED127 tandem, pier mounted).

When I was building models, I would align 3 stars on East and West sides, always using the LX200 as my alignment scope (as the ED127 is mounted on a TGAD which allows for final alignment of the two telescopes) and the LX200 presents a smaller FOV, thereby a more accurate pointing alignment.? Polar alignment is done with PoleMaster.? Results after model building were "placement" consistent, but not always dead on accurate, meaning sometimes I had to search around a bit to find the alignment star, but not excessively so. If I modeled properly, it worked.? And if it was a bit off, I'd align again when this occurred.

My take on models is that they work but are somewhat subjective relative to model build process and user expectations. How that jives with Losmandy's description again I believe its subjective. Nonetheless it states, "to deliver excellent pointing accuracy across the entire sky using multi-star alignment models".? Consistency in the process of building "multi-star" models is important. If one has built a "bad" model, then the results are not going to be accurate (I've done this many times BTW).? Conversely, if one builds a "good" model and the accuracy is a bit off, e.g. in the eyepiece but not centered, does that constitute accuracy failure?? From my perspective I would say no, I'm good to go with that.? Others may declare its not accurate as it's not exactly centered in the eyepiece.? It's pretty subjective at that point too.

As Paul asked, defining how you build a model would help members here help you.

- Jerry

Clayton,

As a previous owner of a G11T, I can tell you that Gemini 2 and the Losmandy mount is very accurate,? repeatable, and reliable.

Not sure what scope you use, I have used a 2600mm fl Maksutov to a 550mm fl refractor.?? I have done visual through the scope to line Polaris up and used Sharpcap.? Sharpcap was on the refractor.?

That being said, the first modeling star, I do modeling, is always off but generally in the FOV of a low power eyepiece, Maksutov scope being used here. After centering and aligning, that second star is closer, the third closer yet.? I typically do 5 - 6 stars per side, east and west.? When I use Sharpcap for polar aligning the first star is off,? but always in the FOV of my 533 chip camera. Again, after aligning 5 or 6 stars everything is pretty much in the center.

I use Sharpcap with the refractor, don't have a big chip camera to allow use for the Mak.?? I do have the luxury of using Sky X T Point for PA, using it the mount is always dead on with either scope.

It seems to me that Gemini builds two models, one east and one west.? Now my ground is marked, I have plates on the concrete to put the legs of my portable pier in, so I am in the same location every night.? If you can, I'd recommend marking the ground where you set up.

The mount is very accurate, model a bunch of stars east and west or plate solve.

My experiences,?? Joe

Paul,

I apologize, I did not read all of the post in entirety.? As for a C14 on a G11T, my G11T threw my C14 around like nothing, and that was with a Homemeyer Cradle too.? I did have the Losmandy power supply too.

I say no more.??? Joe

On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 08:34 PM, joe kuhl wrote:

That's what I thought the OP was talking about.? Random stalls.? To be honest, this seems to be a long conversation to solve that kind of problem.

I'm not sure what you're reading, Joe, but there are multiple conversations going on here, with different topics. The topic of stalls has been covered at least a few hundred times here and elsewhere. Nearly all stalls are the result of incorrectly adjusted balance, worm, bad lube, other incorrect adjustments, and sometimes, malfunctioning servos. The OP has some significant weight on the mount, so all adjustments are doubly important. The rebooting of Gemini controller during a stall is almost certainly caused by an insufficient power supply that can't deliver current and maintain voltage under load. All of this has been covered.

If you have other ideas or suggestions, you're welcome to share them. Complaining about why it's taking so long to resolve someone else's problem isn't helpful.

Regards,

? ? -Paul

Paul,

That's what I thought the OP was talking about.? Random stalls.? To be honest, this seems to be a long conversation to solve that kind of problem.

Just me, again, I don't have a dog in the fight.

Joe

On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 04:03 PM, joe kuhl wrote:

My question is, What does Scott say about this??
Was Losmandy contacted ?? ?
Why is it taking so long to get a solution to a simple problem??

Just asking,? no dog in the fight here.

Joe

My question is: what problems are we talking about? Stalls?

My question is, What does Scott say about this??
Was Losmandy contacted ?? ?
Why is it taking so long to get a solution to a simple problem??

Just asking,? no dog in the fight here.

Joe

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 11:46 PM, Mark Eastman wrote:

I just purchased an ASI Air plus and I would like advice on step-by-step process to get started using it with my G11 Gemini 2 mount.? I haven't used my G 11 and four years. I purchased the mount 12 years ago and I have never updated the firmware. So that is my starting point. I would appreciate a step-by-step guide if one exists.?

thanks, Mark E.

Just to clarify, is your Gemini controller is a Gemini 2 with a color touchscreen hand controller or a Gemini 1 with a single line LED display? My comments are for Gemini 2 though some others are talking about Gemini 1.??
?
--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Pablo,

Looks like you and Gcernie have the same RA setup with hardware.? Questions for you both, by tightening the black Allen screw on the top plate you're only locking in the Allen bolt (chrome color).

Second question, where the chrome Allen bolt screws into the RA worm block, does the hole on the RA Plate allow up and down movement of the RA worm block (so you could pivot the worm block to either side of the RA ring.? Are those holes oval like shaped?

- Jerry

And the original Titan also looks different, although I suppose the wing-nuts can just be missing from Gerard's mount:

Wow...? very different hardware than my setup.? I see now where the Allen screws lock in the bolts that secure the RA Worm block.

- Jerry

On Sat, Nov 4, 2023 at 01:21 AM, Chuck Schreiner wrote:

Anyone else find the axis to be too stiff initially?

I have. I recently did the same, upgraded my G811 to the G11 Dec. I've been using mine for about a month now and can't say its got any looser yet. I did noticed the G11 Dec was pretty smooth unloaded with the counter weight bar horizontal to the ground, but when I park it at CWD position it's stiff and with a scope mounted its worse. But I think this is just how the clutch plate feels when the knob is loose. I also took the gear box off and checked it. It's really smooth like that, no binding at all. With the clutch knob tight and a scope attached, I looked at the mount balance screen (on the hand controller) and the servo PWM to motor position offset display doesn't look like its working any harder, that's with the scope reasonable balanced. Mine seems to be work okay, but it does feel different than the G8 Dec.?