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Re: GM8 lubrication

 

Hi Chip

Oh yes I know that, those were the before pictures, I re-greased everything with superlube and put just a small layer this time.



Btw i just noticed is my setting circle upside down? :D

Guilherme


On Tue, Oct 6, 2020 at 9:12 AM Chip Louie <chiplouie@...> wrote:
Guilherme Vênere,

Not only is the grease drying out but that is just WAY TO MUCH GREASE! The clutches must have had grease on them and slipping too.?

I'm sure the mount will operate much better once cleaned up and lubed correctly. Keep us posted.

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
Re: Purchase question.

 

>>> Of course if you get the dedicated Losmandy adapter you can always just tell your observing friends they can only use your PM if they have a Losmandy mount and to buy one. Hmm, maybe that's a better way to go LOL!

i like the way you're thinking there Chip! ;)

I personally have 2 Losmandys, and i test a lot of other ones, so the dedicated adapter to me is much faster and easier to use. But I'm an unusual case :)

On Tue, Oct 6, 2020 at 9:33 AM Chip Louie <chiplouie@...> wrote:
Stosh,

Don't use the mount specific PoleMaster camera adapter, they are only good for the one mount. Buy an ADM universal PoleMaster mount and clamp it to your top or bottom dovetail. Works with any scope with a D or V dovetail. This allows you to PA other mounts with the same PoleMaster camera! This is way more flexible and you will not need to buy more adapters to share with friends and convert non-PoleMaster users.?

Of course if you get the dedicated Losmandy adapter you can always just tell your observing friends they can only use your PM if they have a Losmandy mount and to buy one. Hmm, maybe that's a better way to go LOL!


--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio

Re: Purchase question.

 

Stosh,

Don't use the mount specific PoleMaster camera adapter, they are only good for the one mount. Buy an ADM universal PoleMaster mount and clamp it to your top or bottom dovetail. Works with any scope with a D or V dovetail. This allows you to PA other mounts with the same PoleMaster camera! This is way more flexible and you will not need to buy more adapters to share with friends and convert non-PoleMaster users.?

Of course if you get the dedicated Losmandy adapter you can always just tell your observing friends they can only use your PM if they have a Losmandy mount and to buy one. Hmm, maybe that's a better way to go LOL!


--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
Re: Autoguiding port

 

Michael, Les,

Thanks for your advices. I conclude that it is enough to use a cable DB9 (side camera) - RJ11 (side autoguider port mount). In this case the figures of the "Application Note Relay Box" will be:

Luis


El mar., 6 oct. 2020 a las 2:32, Les Niles (<les@...>) escribió:
The??is also useful. Starting on p. 40 it discusses connecting a camera to the auto guider port, and specifically references the ST-8 camera. ?

With the round DIN connectors, you should have the newer version of the Gemini 1.? It has TTL-level inputs (open collector to ground) for guiding so you don’t need the relay box.? See section 4.2.4 on p. 42 of the Gemini 1 manual.? It even discusses the SBIG cable needed to connect the camera, though it’s easy to make one yourself.

? -Les



On 5 Oct 2020, at 16:56, Luis Barneo <lbarneo@...> wrote:

My mount is a Losmandy G11, Gemini 1 level 4, with servomotors 6 pin DIN connectors.?Recently I got a second hand ST-8XE USB SBIG camera attached to CFW8A filter wheel with many accesories,?The problem is that I'm confused how to connect the camera-filter wheel to the autoguider port of Losmandy.?I think that? my mount does not require the "relay adapter box"?(page 42 Gemini User Manual? 2006: 4.2.4 Connecting an Autoguider to a new Gemini (with DIN connectors): "...The SBIG relay box can be used , but is not necessary..."
But the "Application Note Relay Adadter Box"? ()? recommend the use of realy box with all Losmandy mounts even with the Gemini GOTO electronics (pag 1), and in the page 3 clarify (?) when it is no necessary to use the Realy Adadter Box if:
1. You are using the camera with LX-200 telescopes.
2. Your telescope/drive corrector uses "Open Collector to Ground" inputs for guiding.
3. You are using a Losmandy mount running both the camera and telescope? off the 110V AC wall transformers where the camera and drive corrector do not share a common ground.
I'm a layman in electronics. Someone can help me? Thanks

Luis

Re: GM8 lubrication

 

Guilherme Vênere,

Not only is the grease drying out but that is just WAY TO MUCH GREASE! The clutches must have had grease on them and slipping too.?

I'm sure the mount will operate much better once cleaned up and lubed correctly. Keep us posted.

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
Re: GM8 lubrication

 

Dave,

The problem is that wheel bearing grease generally is not meant to be used the way mounts are used.

The best grease will use a pure synthetic based oil with a high drop point and very low separation and evaporation rate. An ideal mount grease must not dry out and leave any hard material behind as most clay based greases do, think lithium bearing grease. An ideal grease must also stay as soft as yogurt below freezing and add minimal to no additional torque while working in a sub zero temperature. And yet the grease must also be super slippery and have a high resistance to wear and lubricant shearing.?

So far I have only found one grease that does all of this, SuperLube with Teflon. SuperLube does all of the above and it is food safe to boot. Cool huh?

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
Re: Purchase question.

 

Stosh,

The scope I have on a G11G is a C925 EdgeHD topped with an 80mm guidescope, plus focuser, filter wheel, camera, dew shield, dew heaters, etc. (The accessories add up fast :). I use 21, 11 and 7 weights all together, heaviest on the bottom, with about 6 inches of shaft remaining. This combo of weights gives me a lot of flexibility for changing out to smaller rigs. For yours, you may wish to get 2 more 11 pound weights for the increased payload. It's better to use more weight higher up, than less weight at the end of the shaft due to the moment arm torque factor, which you can research. Plus with smaller weights you can more easily fine tune balance than with bigger ones that require more fiddling with exact placement.

Good luck,

John
Re: GM8 lubrication

 

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Superlube …

?

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dave_Kentsbeer
Sent: 05 October 2020 21:33
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] GM8 lubrication

?

When I got my G11 the gears were dry so as a temporary measure I cleaned off the grime I could get to without stripping the whole thing down, so cleaned the worm gears and the large gears they drive, also the motor gearbox and re-greased with high melting point bearing grease that I used for my car repairs as that was all I had, it does not run or clog, when I strip the Ra and Dec and clean it would it be ok to use the same grease or is this too thick for long term use?

Re: Purchase question.

 

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They make an extension tube for the Polemaster to clear the tucked motors. One 21 pound weight will not be enough to balance the C11.


On Oct 5, 2020, at 8:16 PM, Stosh <mike@...> wrote:

?Thanks again.? ?I'm going to try to order tomorrow or Wednesday, and I'm down to just a couple last questions.

Is the one counterweight going to be enough for an 11 inch Celestron SCT?? ?This is my visual OTA, and it would be sad if I had to wait while I ordered another counterweight before I could use the mount.? Guaranteed to have clear skies if I don't have enough counterweight.? ?I figure 30 to 32 pounds with the finderscope, 2 inch diagonal and eyepieces.? ? I believe the G11G comes with 1 21lb counterweight.

Second, I see that Losmandy offers a PoleMaster in the accessory store, but referenced non tucked motors.? ?The pictures of the tucked motors appear to block the opening for the polar scope where the PoleMaster adaptor would go.? Is that the case???
Re: Counterweight bar safety screw

 

I think a Grade 5 is a better choice, they are more resilient and will bend long before breaking.?
--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
Re: Purchase question.

Stosh
 

Thanks again.? ?I'm going to try to order tomorrow or Wednesday, and I'm down to just a couple last questions.

Is the one counterweight going to be enough for an 11 inch Celestron SCT?? ?This is my visual OTA, and it would be sad if I had to wait while I ordered another counterweight before I could use the mount.? Guaranteed to have clear skies if I don't have enough counterweight.? ?I figure 30 to 32 pounds with the finderscope, 2 inch diagonal and eyepieces.? ? I believe the G11G comes with 1 21lb counterweight.

Second, I see that Losmandy offers a PoleMaster in the accessory store, but referenced non tucked motors.? ?The pictures of the tucked motors appear to block the opening for the polar scope where the PoleMaster adaptor would go.? Is that the case???
Re: Autoguiding port

 

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The??is also useful. Starting on p. 40 it discusses connecting a camera to the auto guider port, and specifically references the ST-8 camera. ?

With the round DIN connectors, you should have the newer version of the Gemini 1. ?It has TTL-level inputs (open collector to ground) for guiding so you don’t need the relay box. ?See section 4.2.4 on p. 42 of the Gemini 1 manual. ?It even discusses the SBIG cable needed to connect the camera, though it’s easy to make one yourself.

? -Les



On 5 Oct 2020, at 16:56, Luis Barneo <lbarneo@...> wrote:

My mount is a Losmandy G11, Gemini 1 level 4, with servomotors 6 pin DIN connectors.?Recently I got a second hand ST-8XE USB SBIG camera attached to CFW8A filter wheel with many accesories,?The problem is that I'm confused how to connect the camera-filter wheel to the autoguider port of Losmandy.?I think that? my mount does not require the "relay adapter box"?(page 42 Gemini User Manual? 2006: 4.2.4 Connecting an Autoguider to a new Gemini (with DIN connectors): "...The SBIG relay box can be used , but is not necessary..."
But the "Application Note Relay Adadter Box"? ()? recommend the use of realy box with all Losmandy mounts even with the Gemini GOTO electronics (pag 1), and in the page 3 clarify (?) when it is no necessary to use the Realy Adadter Box if:
1. You are using the camera with LX-200 telescopes.
2. Your telescope/drive corrector uses "Open Collector to Ground" inputs for guiding.
3. You are using a Losmandy mount running both the camera and telescope? off the 110V AC wall transformers where the camera and drive corrector do not share a common ground.
I'm a layman in electronics. Someone can help me? Thanks

Luis

Re: Autoguiding port

 

Louis,

The attached should help you with the Gemini-1 autoguiding.

Best,
Michael

On Mon, Oct 5, 2020, 4:56 PM Luis Barneo <lbarneo@...> wrote:
My mount is a Losmandy G11, Gemini 1 level 4, with servomotors 6 pin DIN connectors.?Recently I got a second hand ST-8XE USB SBIG camera attached to CFW8A filter wheel with many accesories,?The problem is that I'm confused how to connect the camera-filter wheel to the autoguider port of Losmandy.?I think that? my mount does not require the "relay adapter box"?(page 42 Gemini User Manual? 2006: 4.2.4 Connecting an Autoguider to a new Gemini (with DIN connectors): "...The SBIG relay box can be used , but is not necessary..."
But the "Application Note Relay Adadter Box"? ()? recommend the use of realy box with all Losmandy mounts even with the Gemini GOTO electronics (pag 1), and in the page 3 clarify (?) when it is no necessary to use the Realy Adadter Box if:
1. You are using the camera with LX-200 telescopes.
2. Your telescope/drive corrector uses "Open Collector to Ground" inputs for guiding.
3. You are using a Losmandy mount running both the camera and telescope? off the 110V AC wall transformers where the camera and drive corrector do not share a common ground.
I'm a layman in electronics. Someone can help me? Thanks

Luis

Autoguiding port

 

My mount is a Losmandy G11, Gemini 1 level 4, with servomotors 6 pin DIN connectors.?Recently I got a second hand ST-8XE USB SBIG camera attached to CFW8A filter wheel with many accesories,?The problem is that I'm confused how to connect the camera-filter wheel to the autoguider port of Losmandy.?I think that? my mount does not require the "relay adapter box"?(page 42 Gemini User Manual? 2006: 4.2.4 Connecting an Autoguider to a new Gemini (with DIN connectors): "...The SBIG relay box can be used , but is not necessary..."
But the "Application Note Relay Adadter Box"? (https://diffractionlimited.com/downloads/legacy/relay_box_instructions.pdf)? recommend the use of realy box with all Losmandy mounts even with the Gemini GOTO electronics (pag 1), and in the page 3 clarify (?) when it is no necessary to use the Realy Adadter Box if:
1. You are using the camera with LX-200 telescopes.
2. Your telescope/drive corrector uses "Open Collector to Ground" inputs for guiding.
3. You are using a Losmandy mount running both the camera and telescope? off the 110V AC wall transformers where the camera and drive corrector do not share a common ground.
I'm a layman in electronics. Someone can help me? Thanks

Luis
Re: Setup sequence questions

 

>>> I set my Gemini to do a cold boot everytime. There may be a better way, but that's what I do. I then use Kstars/Ekos to do a couple plate solves.?

if you're doing plate solves, cold start is fine


Brian

On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 3:30 PM Jamie Amendolagine <jamie.amendolagine@...> wrote:
For polar alignment I use "drift align" within PHD2. It works really well, and you don't need to see the north star to do it. I've pounded in three threaded pipes with a flange on the end into the ground to make a sort of permanent tripod locator. I'm able to take in my mount every night, but re-locate it back to a pretty precise location, and keep my polar alignment, sometimes for months. This means that I save a lot of time only needing to do polar alignments once in a while. Look at the tripod feet to see what I mean about the flanged pipe:??Here's an image I found of threaded pipe with a flange attached.?

I set my Gemini to do a cold boot everytime. There may be a better way, but that's what I do. I then use Kstars/Ekos to do a couple plate solves. Next I make sure the focus is good using a?bahtinov mask pointing at a bright star. Finally I point to my target and start capturing images.?

Jamie



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio

Re: Setup sequence questions

 
Edited

For polar alignment I use "drift align" within PHD2. It works really well, and you don't need to see the north star to do it. I've pounded in three threaded pipes with a flange on the end, into the ground to make a sort of permanent tripod locator. I'm able to take in my mount every night, but re-locate it back to a pretty precise location, and keep my polar alignment, sometimes for months. This means that I save a lot of time only needing to do polar alignments once in a while. Look at the tripod feet to see what I mean about the flanged pipe:??Here's an image I found of threaded pipe with a flange attached.?

I set my Gemini to do a cold boot everytime. There may be a better way, but that's what I do. I then use Kstars/Ekos to do a couple plate solves. Next I make sure the focus is good using a?bahtinov mask pointing at a bright star. Finally I point to my target and start capturing images.?

Jamie
Re: Setup sequence questions

 

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Thanks?for the tip, Tim. It all helps.

Jeff

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Astronut <hg2u@...>
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2020 9:11 AM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Setup sequence questions
?
PS: I usually also check the orientation of my cameras using Sharpcap's reticle and alternating between E and W movements using the Center speed.
I rotate the cameras (if needed) until the star stays on the reticle line when nudging E and W.
I check this on both my main and guiding camera, as well as my EAA camera on my finder.
I know that I don't have to do this for PHD2, etc. But I believe that it makes everything easier when East = East and not East = North East (or worse).

I know that all the major software out there claims they don't care about this orientation and will compensate for it, but all I know is that?I have gotten consistently better results overall after this step...

Astronut Tim
Re: GM8 lubrication

 

When I got my G11 the gears were dry so as a temporary measure I cleaned off the grime I could get to without stripping the whole thing down, so cleaned the worm gears and the large gears they drive, also the motor gearbox and re-greased with high melting point bearing grease that I used for my car repairs as that was all I had, it does not run or clog, when I strip the Ra and Dec and clean it would it be ok to use the same grease or is this too thick for long term use?
Re: Connect Losmandy mount using router

 

Thank you all very much

Now it works great.
?
Re: Counterweight bar safety screw

 

Pick up a Grade 8 Bolt and Grade 8 Washer as they are the strongest commonly available fasteners.

Frank
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