Keyboard Shortcuts
Likes
- Losmandy_users
- Messages
Search
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
开云体育Eric you are correct, my bad. I thought we were talking G11GT ? I’ll have to revisit my comments ? My G11G does not have the 40 second periodic error, so ignore that (I should also clarify I meant 40 second periodicity, the actual error is something like 2.4arcsecs. wow I’m in rare form today) ? SO on my G11G - My experience of getting the tucked in gearing added to my G11G and getting it back sounds the same as Chip’s - the RA performance was basically identical. I think unguided it’s around +/- 5 arcsec ? Rich, Regarding the RA clutch disk, I could have sworn Losmandy switched to a new better clutch system than the plastic ones, or at least they have it as an upgrade, you might call them and ask. ? ? Sorry again folks – messed up my terminology. I’m not used to this renaming of the old mounts. ? I’ll crawl back in my cave now ;) ? Thanks ? Brian ? ? Brian Valente Brianvalentephotography.com ? From: Losmandy_users@... [mailto:Losmandy_users@...]
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 1:47 PM To: Losmandy_users@... Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users] Re: G11G RA Clutch ? ? According to the Losmandy website the G11G is just a G11 with goto. The G11GT the the G11 DEC and Titan RA. ?
? |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
开云体育According to the Losmandy website the G11G is just a G11 with goto. The G11GT the the G11 DEC and Titan RA.
|
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
开云体育Guys ? Just to clarify, are we talking a G11 or a G11G? ? The G11G is the Titan RA with G11 DEC ? The RA portion has nothing to do with the regular G11 RA axis ? I’m confused now, but again, I am here in LA and have both G11 and G11G. I currently have my G11G setup, G11 is semi-retired sitting on the table. ? ? ? Thanks ? Brian ? ? Brian Valente Brianvalentephotography.com ? From: Losmandy_users@... [mailto:Losmandy_users@...]
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 1:24 PM To: Losmandy_users@... Subject: [Losmandy_users] Re: G11G RA Clutch ? ? Hi Rich, ? Where are you located??I'm sure there is somebody near you that has a G11 that can help if you live near a city or large town. I'm in L.A., Michael Herman is up in bay area. I'm sure people are willing to help near you, they just need to know they are needed. Don't get me wrong, I used to mess with mine all the time but when I got my updated G11G back from Scott I wanted to test it as delivered and to see if the mount's PE had changed. When I tested it the tracking error was virtually identical to my modified and carefully adjusted 2-piece worn block and HP worms before I drove over the G11 over to Scott's shop. I'm a car guy and I love working with all things mechanical, I enjoyed playing with the G11 so much I bought a GM8 to play with. Well sort of anyway, I also needed a lightweight mount for wheelie bar driveway duty and the SkyView-Pro was very scarily overloaded at the time with my P/AT130mm f/6 APO and M10" f/6.3 SCT OTA both optically outstanding scopes that I did not want to risk on a mount rated for a 15 lb payload.? ? Chip? |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
Hi Rich,
Where are you located??I'm sure there is somebody near you that has a G11 that can help if you live near a city or large town. I'm in L.A., Michael Herman is up in bay area. I'm sure people are willing to help near you, they just need to know they are needed. Don't get me wrong, I used to mess with mine all the time but when I got my updated G11G back from Scott I wanted to test it as delivered and to see if the mount's PE had changed. When I tested it the tracking error was virtually identical to my modified and carefully adjusted 2-piece worn block and HP worms before I drove over the G11 over to Scott's shop. I'm a car guy and I love working with all things mechanical, I enjoyed playing with the G11 so much I bought a GM8 to play with. Well sort of anyway, I also needed a lightweight mount for wheelie bar driveway duty and the SkyView-Pro was very scarily overloaded at the time with my P/AT130mm f/6 APO and M10" f/6.3 SCT OTA both optically outstanding scopes that I did not want to risk on a mount rated for a 15 lb payload.? Chip? |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
Rich,
There are surely folks here who have more experience of adjusting the G-11 than I have, but mine is a current model and for what my opinion is worth... I have noticed that if I tighten up my RA clutch all the way it puts a substantial drag on the worm gear. I found this out by pulling off the aluminum spur gear at the end of the worm gear and turning the worm using my finger. At full tension on the clutch it's pretty heavy to turn the worm.I am not sure why you would want to tighten up either clutch all the way. Just do it until the OTA doesnt slip. (Please dont get irritated at this remark, but I presume that you have balanced in RA and DEC, so there is no reason why there shoiuld be a lot of torque on the clutches.) Now, if I back off the clutch screw by a half turn the worm frees up BUT it just barely holds the RA axis.If I read this correctly, it means that the there are not many revs of the clutch knob between just beginning to bite and "seizing up". I have read that this may be due to grease on the clutch plate, but since yours is a new mount, how would it have got there? I fitted the expensive fancy knobs, to reduce the effort and effect on my hands: These links may be of interest: Good luck in sorting this out, hopefully without having to send it back to Scott. Best, David |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
开云体育Michael I’m in LA happy to show you what I have ? The 40 arsec is manageable, though I’d prefer to PE correct it out. ? In my last guiding 2 hour guiding session I was around 1 arsec even with that PE, so it’s not a trouble. I also did bunch of widefield (407mm Tak Sky() unguided exposures at 5 and 10 minutes and didn’t have any issues there either. ? The suggestions you are referring to seem to relate more to the G11 than the G11G. ? The G11G RA is basically a Titan RA so you don’t have any G11 components in there. The DEC is completely from the G11 ? ? I’m not saying these mounts are perfect, but I think the answers are more in the software, corrections, and settings for us to get it fine-tuned. That’s where I’m spending my time ? Thanks ? Brian ? ? Brian Valente Brianvalentephotography.com ? From: Losmandy_users@... [mailto:Losmandy_users@...]
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 1:03 PM To: Losmandy_users@... Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users] Re: G11G RA Clutch ? ? Hmmm... not good reports.? That PE of 40 arcsec is a red flag.?? ? I think there were some new "features" added to the new mounts... one of them is some kind of spring that releases the clutch mechanism. I think Hamza Touhami mentioned that and has a YouTube video about his G11.? Maybe I have misinterpreted what Hamza told me.?? But the older mounts like my CG11 do not have any kind of spring in there to push the clutch disks apart...it is just gravity and the clutch knob at the back. ? I do have a better clutch material that clutches more firmly, and requires a very easy knob tightness to really hold each axis firmly.? That saves in case of a slight bump to the scope, and also makes it require far less knob torque to hold the axis position.?? But a 40 arcsec PE?? That is way out of range of these G11 mounts... should be down about 5 arcsec and I have mine down to 1arcsec RMS.? ? Beware too of any side-to-side worm movement along the worm axis, as that worm movement away from the motor direction loosens the Oldham coupler parts between the gearbox and the worm itself. If that gets loose, then nothing will work right.? The worm blocks either need to be pressed in toward the center of the worm threads, ( or I added a Belleville washer to press the rear bearing inward) fixing the problem.? ?? ? I don't know the cause of the problems but these reports of high PE etc are unexpected.? I wonder if one of you nice folks lives near the San Jose CA area (or LA area?) so I might visit! ? Hope you figure out the puzzle soon... Michael ? ? ? ? On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 12:40 PM, bvalente@... [Losmandy_users] <Losmandy_users@...> wrote:
? -- Michael Herman |
|
Re: GM-11 general lubrication
Hi David,
Personally I don't use any additional lubrication, i don't think i would want to either I prefer my alt/az adjustments more sticky than not One thing I do recommend is not loosening them too much when making your adjustments. I keep them pretty close to final tightening to prevent small changes in my polar alignment when I do the last tightening hth Brian |
|
Re: GM-11 general lubrication
David, One thing I found helped:? when you unbolt the AZ bolts to adjust the polar alignment, the vertical axis can become slightly wobbly. I added Belleville washers between flat washers (3/8 inch ID size) and that provides a nice adjustable pressure on the AZ bolts to keep the vertical axis firm while polar adjusting.? You might try that.? I have extra of those Belleville and flat washers if you need some...and also some slightly longer 3/8 bolts with T knobs to fit.? Let me know if interested... - Michael On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 12:55 PM, robert@... [Losmandy_users] <Losmandy_users@...> wrote:
--
|
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
Hmmm... not good reports.? That PE of 40 arcsec is a red flag.?? I think there were some new "features" added to the new mounts... one of them is some kind of spring that releases the clutch mechanism. I think Hamza Touhami mentioned that and has a YouTube video about his G11.? Maybe I have misinterpreted what Hamza told me.?? But the older mounts like my CG11 do not have any kind of spring in there to push the clutch disks apart...it is just gravity and the clutch knob at the back. I do have a better clutch material that clutches more firmly, and requires a very easy knob tightness to really hold each axis firmly.? That saves in case of a slight bump to the scope, and also makes it require far less knob torque to hold the axis position.?? But a 40 arcsec PE?? That is way out of range of these G11 mounts... should be down about 5 arcsec and I have mine down to 1arcsec RMS.? Beware too of any side-to-side worm movement along the worm axis, as that worm movement away from the motor direction loosens the Oldham coupler parts between the gearbox and the worm itself. If that gets loose, then nothing will work right.? The worm blocks either need to be pressed in toward the center of the worm threads, ( or I added a Belleville washer to press the rear bearing inward) fixing the problem.? ?? I don't know the cause of the problems but these reports of high PE etc are unexpected.? I wonder if one of you nice folks lives near the San Jose CA area (or LA area?) so I might visit! Hope you figure out the puzzle soon... Michael On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 12:40 PM, bvalente@... [Losmandy_users] <Losmandy_users@...> wrote:
--
|
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
tom
I adjust the worm at the point that I usually run the clutch tightness. Tightening the clutch should technically not affect worm tension unless there is any give in the clutch pad material which is unlikely, or there is additional material like grease there.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Tom On 10/31/2017 1:30 PM, sornborger@... [Losmandy_users] wrote:
New G11G owner here. |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
I second not messing with the hardware until you've exhausted other options.?
There is a thread in the PHD2 groups from Tucker that is experiencing the same type of issue with the erratic 5-7" spikes, and he too was messing with the hardware. My G11G has a 40sec periodic error that I'm hoping to address with an upcoming version of pempro that enables 2 worm cycle corrections, but I don't have those erratic spikes My clutch works fine, i avoid cranking it hard, but i do try to keep it pretty tight. I have a 40lb ish imaging train based right now on the Skywatcher 120ED Brian |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
Hi Chip,
This is indeed a new mount and I have been fighting this RA problem since day one. ?I've already called Scott and all he said was he's never heard of this problem before. ?Nuff said on that. I'm getting these rapid spikes using PHD2 of 7" peak to peak that I can't figure out. ?Between those I get approx. 1.2". ?My DEC is always low in the .4 to .6 range. Use Polemaster to align and PHD2 drift to fine tune. As for messing with the mount, everything I've done has helped except for these rapid spikes. ?I'm thinking me cranking on that rear knob might be the issue as it smashes the needle bearing tight. If I can't fix the darned thing I'll have to ship it to Scott which I'd like to avoid if at all possible. ?I did tell Scott I have 'messed' with it and he was unfazed about it. -Rich- |
|
Re: G11G RA Clutch
Hi Rich,
Is this a brand new mount? If this is a factory new G11G or a G11 that has been retrofitted by Scott at the Losmandy shop stop messing with it and call Losmandy describe the problem. Your mount is covered by warranty and they will correct any issues as long as they were not self induced.? My own 15 year old G11 has been fully updated to G11G specs and works perfectly. Locks up tight for the Gemini 2-mini GOTOs and yet will slip easily when running the mount in PUSH-TO mode for visual observation. If your mount is still slipping with the clutches torqued down and you have some of Michael Herman's clutch discs you may have a mechanical problem. I have Michael's discs and they grip like crazy.? Chip |
|
G11G RA Clutch
New G11G owner here. ? I have noticed that if I tighten up my RA clutch all the way it puts a substantial drag on the worm gear. ?I found this out by pulling off the aluminum spur gear at the end of the worm gear and turning the worm using my finger. ?At full tension on the clutch it's pretty heavy to turn the worm. Now, if I back off the clutch screw by a half turn the worm frees up BUT it just barely holds the RA axis. I have been tightening it down all the way but have been fighting unruly RA when auto guiding. ?I'm thinking this might be the problem. ?Too much pressure on the needle bearing at the end of the RA shaft. So what do you guys do? ?Back it off and hope nothing bumps the scope? ?That seems iffy especially when you have to move the counterweight to adjust east/west balance during an imaging session. ?I don't know if I could do it without disrupting my image target. I have removed the shiny smooth plastic clutch disk and replaced it with some automotive casketing material and that has helped, but not enough. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. -Rich- |
|
GM-11 general lubrication
Hello!
I am the recent owner of a new ES/Losmandy G-11 (with PMC-Eight) and now I have become accustomed to the impressive engineering and manufacture, I have a question. I notice that the adjustment bolts (eg for ALT and for fixing mount to stand) are not lubricated and wonder whether it would be a good idea to lightly lubricate them to make them easier to undo and stop them seizing up. If members do this, what do you use? A light lithium grease comes to mind. If any of you is in central Europe (I live in Austria) and can recommend a brand, I should be grateful. Many thanks and best to all, David Pickett |
|
Re: G1 on G-11 refuses to go to bright stars
Hi!
It took a few more days than planned, due to windy weather, but tonight I thoroughly tested the setup again. Here are some screenshots of the settings as seen on the HC: It seems that I failed to take a picture of the longitude setting - it is E13 32 (not sure about the minutes right now though). Same behavior as before. I could Go To Bright star Albireo, then Vega, Deneb, and synch with these (Additional alignment - Synchronize). Then going to Mizar (NorthWest of me) renders an Interrupted, GoToBright Star Polaris gives Interrupted. Interestingly enough Dubhe worked OK. Then on the East side: Alpheratz was OK, but Mirfak gives Interrupted. M 31 worked, but M33 gets Interrupted. Aldebaran gives Interrupted but Castor works OK. So it does not seem like a nothern sector that is Interrupted, at least not consistently. Then I experienced that M33 got an interrupted, when closing in on the meridian. However, a few minuted later, it worked, being close to the meridian but not yet there. Anything wrong with my settings? I guess the UTC + 2 is actually wrong, since we switched from summer time this weekend. But CET is corrrect. I found out that with mount on east side pointing west, but very close to the safety limit, there is no meridian flip option on the HC. Should there not be one, even though it is east poiting west? Trying to go even further east from there renders an interrupt, not a meridian flip either. Any idea? What should I try tomorrow? Magnus |
|
Re: G1 on G-11 refuses to go to bright stars
开云体育At the risk of repeating myself, make sure you enter your coordinates only through the hand unit. It’s really finicky about how that data is entered. If you aren’t sure, reset the sites and start again ? ? ? Thanks ? Brian ? ? Brian Valente Brianvalentephotography.com ? From: Losmandy_users@... [mailto:Losmandy_users@...]
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2017 4:23 AM To: Losmandy_users@... Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users] Re: G1 on G-11 refuses to go to bright stars ? ? Hi! |
|
Re: G1 on G-11 refuses to go to bright stars
Hi!
Well. In the evening, at 21.00 to 23.00 circa, when I've been doing this, Ursa Major is North of Polaris, but Andromeda is not - it's to my East. Both those areas were "no-goto". I'll check the latitude again. Although I do not use ASCOM. But the same information is in my Ekos/Indi-software. As for cold start: good, that was my understanding - it starts from scratch, resetting the model. Now: doing 1 star (for instance Albireo), alingning with that, then Goto another that is acceptable (for instance Deneb) places the scope very close to the second star. That would to me indicate that the model at that point in time is fairly accurate (after 1 point). Adding the second, then going to a third (for instance Vega) works nicely - again getting very close to the star and then aligning. THis would indicate to me that the model for the South and South-West is OK. I mean, on the correct altitude. So how then, can it "think" that Dubhe and Mizar are below the horizon? It "knows" the altitude of Deneb, Albireo, and Vega.....? Just trying to understand the model. "It almost seems like the Gemini thinks your Latitude is too far near the equator...and perhaps Gemini thinks they are below your horizon.? My guess is that this could be the source of the trouble" This makes very much sense. But: how can it belive both Ursa Major and Andromeda is below the horizon (not very close in the sky....)? I guess I would need to see if there is anything North of Ursa Major that I can slew to, to see if it is a coherent sector of the sky, or if it is 2 sectors (as have been my understanding up until now). This will be tested tonight. My guess is that there is some setting that is off and maybe my thinking is terribly wrong somewhere, and when I find it, it will be obvious. Best, Magnus |
Michael Herman