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Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Hi!

Yes, of course you are correct. However, the feeling that when the scope just "runs away" is a bit like the mount was suddenly confused. And of course, time and location is the first things to check.

Best,

Magnus


Den 2020-06-16 kl. 21:48, skrev Brian Valente:

>>>That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.


that is not accurate. the firmware update addresses certain situations where the movement in both ra and dec is very small and could result in a runaway condition.?

it is not a "loses all sense of direction" solution

If the mount is pointing 180 degrees the wrong direction that almost certainly a date/time and/or location issue





On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 11:51 AM Magnus Larsson <magnus@...> wrote:

Sonny,

That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.

Best,

Magnus



Den 2020-06-16 kl. 20:32, skrev Sonny Edmonds:
Well, that sucks for you, I think.
My backlash is so minuscule, I often find myself dropping down to guiding speed during my centering process. Because I sometimes overshoot with the tiniest blips.

I've have had unexplainable times when my mount will decide to go 180¡ã to where I know the star is. Not often, but enough to make it memorable. Pointing at the ground is not where it's at.
I can't blame the mount though. Often it is the program in my computer, drivers, or I think a square electron passing through... 8^(
When it does go bonkers like that, it does tend to wrap my bundle. ;^) Argh!
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio


Re: Oldham Coupler replacement success?

 

Hi Taylor,

I forgot to ask which drivetrain are you running on? Classic straight drive with two-piece worm blocks, classic straight drive with gen 1 OPW, tucked-in servos with two-piece worm blocks,?tucked-in servos and gen II OPWs, tucked-in servos with spring loaded gen II OPWs? So many possibilities here.?

Some of the best G11s I've seen are Gemini 1 powered with classic straight drivetrains and 2-piece worms blocks modified with Bellevue spring discs to pre-load the bearings and reporting consistent 0.3" RMS PE which IMO is excellent.?

--

Chip Louie - Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware


Re: Sawtooth pattern in DEC

 

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 10:21 PM, Arun Hegde wrote:
Thanks, Paul. Should I use a different backlash setting in PHD2?
Didn't ask, but do you have a spring-loaded worm? If yes, backlash is less likely to be an issue.?

I don't use PHD, but there's a tool there to measure the amount of backlash and to then automatically adjust for it during guiding. At least that should tell you how large the backlash is on your mount. After you measure it, you could also try to using the TVC setting in Gemini, although PHD is probably better to handle backlash. If backlash is really large, you may want to adjust the worm assembly.?


Re: Sawtooth pattern in DEC

Arun Hegde
 

Thanks, Paul. Should I use a different backlash setting in PHD2?


Re: Sawtooth pattern in DEC

 

Hi Arun,

Possibly backlash. It takes a while for DEC to reverse direction. When it does, you see the large jump resulting in a saw-tooth-like pattern.

Regards,

? ? ?-Paul


Sawtooth pattern in DEC

Arun Hegde
 

Hello,

Attached is my guiding log from last night. I'm looking for some input on a sinusoidal or sawtooth pattern I'm seeing in DEC. Guiding in RA seems reasonable -0.54" RMS. The sawtooth pattern is not something I've seen before. Apart from double checking DEC balance, could there be other culprits? Typically, DEC is better for me than RA. If I had the same performance in DEC as in RA, I'd be where I want to be, so feels like I'm close, just need to solve this "special" cause. For example, if DEC had also been 0.54", I'd be at 0.75" RMS over a 4 hour period, which I'd consider good.

Info on my setup

Stellarvue SVX080T-3SV (80mm f/6)
OAG with ZWO ASI 290MM Mini (2.9 micron pixels)
Mount is a GM811G, main cam is a ZWO ASI1600MM Pro. Other accessories mounted are dew heater, motorized focuser. All cables are bundled into a cable organizer and secured at two points to the DEC axis to prevent drag.

Thanks,


Arun


Re: Another night of Stellar Performance

 

SonnyE,

I'm not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying the PHD2 PE data people use to debug and refine their mount's tracking is not valid and the data cannot be compared between mounts???

--

Chip Louie - Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware


Re: Oldham Coupler replacement success?

 

Taylor,

There are other types of couplers out there but they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. The best results have been produced with Oldham couplers in good condition where the gearbox and worm shafts are well aligned. The main issue with doing this is that there have been multiple versions of the Losmandy mount drivetrains in use over the years. The best version drivetrain was the original OPW setup that carried the gearbox and worm on one platform so there were no changes in the alignment of the gearbox shaft and worm shaft while backlash was adjusted. This has been lost with the gen-2 OPWs but the OPWs are half the cost now. So the best advice is to simple get the shafts aligned as well as possible to minimize the very small angular velocity changes of a misaligned Oldham coupler.?
? ?
--

Chip Louie - Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware


Re: Oldham Coupler replacement success?

Sonny Edmonds
 

Anytime we would change out, or have to dismount a motor with a flexible coupling, we would have our machinist help with the final alignment.
Of course, these were typically pumps running at much higher speeds than ever found in a mounts drive train.

Introducing any different flexture into the tracking, such as a different coupling, can also introduce a different reaction, and cause unwanted results.
What is the cost of the linked bellows type couplers? There is probably some good reason why the Oldham Couplers were chosen by Scott.

--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

 

Sonny

Good results speak for themselves!

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 1:51 PM Sonny Edmonds <sonnyedmonds@...> wrote:
In my experience, the Gemini 2 has been as infallible as it can be. Much better than most.
It was just a strange thing to have happen. And I do believe it was before the Format and Repair of my mounts software.
As I said, I found it quite comical, and unexplainable.

After finding my way with the Gemini 2, I have accuracies most dream about.
But I do my modeling my way, and it works. I wind up with slews generally centered well enough to not need centering further.
I've been very impressed, and very pleased.

But, I don't necessarily do things

Most recently, PHD2 got wonky on me. Removing (uninstalling it) and installing a new copy fixed it and I think made PHD2 work even better than my past experiences with it.
Not mechanical issues, but software getting skewed.

--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

Sonny Edmonds
 

In my experience, the Gemini 2 has been as infallible as it can be. Much better than most.
It was just a strange thing to have happen. And I do believe it was before the Format and Repair of my mounts software.
As I said, I found it quite comical, and unexplainable.

After finding my way with the Gemini 2, I have accuracies most dream about.
But I do my modeling my way, and it works. I wind up with slews generally centered well enough to not need centering further.
I've been very impressed, and very pleased.

But, I don't necessarily do things

Most recently, PHD2 got wonky on me. Removing (uninstalling it) and installing a new copy fixed it and I think made PHD2 work even better than my past experiences with it.
Not mechanical issues, but software getting skewed.

--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: Oldham Coupler replacement success?

 

Taylor,

The only study I found was from Michael Sinescalchi. His website described trying a Ruland coupler.? It did not improve PE, maybe worsened it.? No knowledge of other types of coupler.?

My view is the Oldham works fine, but you need to be sure the gearbox drive shaft and worm drive shaft are lined up, so the coupler only spins, not angles or center white part slides.??

All the best,
Michael

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020, 1:43 PM taylor waber <taylorwab@...> wrote:
Hi All,

Wondering if anyone has had any success with a replacement coupler for the Oldham coupler design, such as a bellows coupler that Real14 on CN
Would this reduce backlash or improve periodic error?

Or any thoughts/advice against replacing this? I have the GM811 w/ OPW and tucked motors (NOT spring loaded worm).?

Thanks?

-Taylor


Oldham Coupler replacement success?

 

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone has had any success with a replacement coupler for the Oldham coupler design, such as a bellows coupler that Real14 on CN
Would this reduce backlash or improve periodic error?

Or any thoughts/advice against replacing this? I have the GM811 w/ OPW and tucked motors (NOT spring loaded worm).?

Thanks?

-Taylor


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

 

>>> But a "Hard Boot" often solves any unusual stuff.

if that's the case with the situation you describe, it's possible that a bad alignment caused the model to get corrupted

I'm not saying the Gemini is infallible (as evidenced by the beta firmware), but things like 180 degrees off are common signs that a setting somewhere was not correct

If that happens again, maybe you can record exactly what happened in what order, and we can look more closely at it



On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 1:02 PM Sonny Edmonds <sonnyedmonds@...> wrote:
On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 12:48 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
If the mount is pointing 180 degrees the wrong direction that almost certainly a date/time and/or location issue
After doing a fresh modeling build up and having successfully slewed around to a few other stars?
Nothing changed the settings, it just got weird.
So I shut down the Gemini 2, re-centered my telescope, and started over.
I was actually laughing at the antics.

But a "Hard Boot" often solves any unusual stuff.
?
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

Sonny Edmonds
 

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 12:48 PM, Brian Valente wrote:
If the mount is pointing 180 degrees the wrong direction that almost certainly a date/time and/or location issue
After doing a fresh modeling build up and having successfully slewed around to a few other stars?
Nothing changed the settings, it just got weird.
So I shut down the Gemini 2, re-centered my telescope, and started over.
I was actually laughing at the antics.

But a "Hard Boot" often solves any unusual stuff.
?
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

Sonny Edmonds
 

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 11:50 AM, Magnus Larsson wrote:

That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.

Best,

Magnus

Hi Magnus!
What beta firmware might that be? I not long ago formatted my Gemini 2, and had to re-install everything. Maybe it was recently enough to have gotten the update?
For me, the loss of intelligence in the software has not been a huge problem.
But one I haven't forgotten, for sure.
It was actually comical to me.

I believe I simply shut down the mount and started over.
It worked fine after, the "hard reboot".
But was funny when my telescope was pointing SSE instead of NNW at the end of it's slewing.
(And really glad I was in attendance at the time. Whew!)
?
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

 

>>>That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.


that is not accurate. the firmware update addresses certain situations where the movement in both ra and dec is very small and could result in a runaway condition.?

it is not a "loses all sense of direction" solution

If the mount is pointing 180 degrees the wrong direction that almost certainly a date/time and/or location issue





On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 11:51 AM Magnus Larsson <magnus@...> wrote:

Sonny,

That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.

Best,

Magnus



Den 2020-06-16 kl. 20:32, skrev Sonny Edmonds:
Well, that sucks for you, I think.
My backlash is so minuscule, I often find myself dropping down to guiding speed during my centering process. Because I sometimes overshoot with the tiniest blips.

I've have had unexplainable times when my mount will decide to go 180¡ã to where I know the star is. Not often, but enough to make it memorable. Pointing at the ground is not where it's at.
I can't blame the mount though. Often it is the program in my computer, drivers, or I think a square electron passing through... 8^(
When it does go bonkers like that, it does tend to wrap my bundle. ;^) Argh!
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio


Re: Another night of Stellar Performance

Sonny Edmonds
 
Edited

You are not quantifying things if all things are not identical.
And none of us have exactly the same things. So anybodies results are never the same as another.

On top of that, none has laboratory grade, certified and tested quantifiers. There will always be differences.
So Your results can never weigh against another's results.
They are your personal results, at your particular place and time, with your atmospheric differences.
Including how you stick out your tongue. (Left, Right, or Middle.)

That's why professional labs share samples with each other to test their results against each other.
And I sure don't see that in this group.
Including any considerations of repeat accuracy.
[edited by moderator]
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Sonny,

That is what the beta firmware is here to solve - when the mount looses all sense of directions! Have you tried it? It works very nicely on my mount, this far.

Best,

Magnus



Den 2020-06-16 kl. 20:32, skrev Sonny Edmonds:

Well, that sucks for you, I think.
My backlash is so minuscule, I often find myself dropping down to guiding speed during my centering process. Because I sometimes overshoot with the tiniest blips.

I've have had unexplainable times when my mount will decide to go 180¡ã to where I know the star is. Not often, but enough to make it memorable. Pointing at the ground is not where it's at.
I can't blame the mount though. Often it is the program in my computer, drivers, or I think a square electron passing through... 8^(
When it does go bonkers like that, it does tend to wrap my bundle. ;^) Argh!
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)


Re: My backlash is larger than yours!

Sonny Edmonds
 

Well, that sucks for you, I think.
My backlash is so minuscule, I often find myself dropping down to guiding speed during my centering process. Because I sometimes overshoot with the tiniest blips.

I've have had unexplainable times when my mount will decide to go 180¡ã to where I know the star is. Not often, but enough to make it memorable. Pointing at the ground is not where it's at.
I can't blame the mount though. Often it is the program in my computer, drivers, or I think a square electron passing through... 8^(
When it does go bonkers like that, it does tend to wrap my bundle. ;^) Argh!
--
SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)