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Re: GM8 alt/az adjustors

 

I can tell you the GM8 adjusters are much better than the CGEM or AVX.? The secret, as has been noted, is not to loosen them more than necessary when you're going to move them.? I installed knobs so no tool is needed to loosen or tighten.? Some backlash is probably desirable, not something to eliminate.
Re: GM8 alt/az adjustors

 

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Thanks, guys. That helps! I have plenty of experience with GEMs and know what great adjustors are like (my A-P 1200GTO) and sketchy adjustors (my MI-250). Adjustors that work properly make PA an enjoyable task and (conversely) those that are sketchy make it truly frustrating. I do indeed use Chip’s methodology (experience tells!) and I infer from Bill’s comment that the GM8 adjustors are good, but not great. They sound good enough to be worth trying.

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Appreciate the help!

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Greg

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From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Chip Louie via groups.io
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:48 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] GM8 alt/az adjustors

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On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM, Greg Hartke wrote:

How good are the alt/az adjustors on the GM8? As someone who has to setup and tear down for each session, it’s important to me that these adjustors work well with minimal backlash to make polar alignment as straightforward as possible. Thanks!

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Greg

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Many of us here are portable mount users, the adjusters and adjustment locks work fine if you know how to use them.? My best advice.on adjustment is to only loosen the adjuster locks just enough to allow the mount hardware to move a little bit as the adjusters are turned.? Once adjusted don't apply excessive torque to hold the adjustment in position, use just enough to hold the setting no more.?

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If you follow this advice you'll have an easy time getting a good polar alignment.??

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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

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Re: GM8 alt/az adjustors

 

On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM, Greg Hartke wrote:

How good are the alt/az adjustors on the GM8? As someone who has to setup and tear down for each session, it’s important to me that these adjustors work well with minimal backlash to make polar alignment as straightforward as possible. Thanks!

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Greg

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Many of us here are portable mount users, the adjusters and adjustment locks work fine if you know how to use them.? My best advice.on adjustment is to only loosen the adjuster locks just enough to allow the mount hardware to move a little bit as the adjusters are turned.? Once adjusted don't apply excessive torque to hold the adjustment in position, use just enough to hold the setting no more.?
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If you follow this advice you'll have an easy time getting a good polar alignment.??
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
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Re: GM8 alt/az adjustors

 

circa '94 GM8. As long as you are reasonably close of course to have the play in the azimuth direction, I have never had an issue.
Bill
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Pictor Observatory

Twitter: @pictorobs

Minor Planet 21350 - billgardner


On Sun, 26 Jan 2025 at 14:36, Greg Hartke via <ghartke=[email protected]> wrote:

How good are the alt/az adjustors on the GM8? As someone who has to setup and tear down for each session, it’s important to me that these adjustors work well with minimal backlash to make polar alignment as straightforward as possible. Thanks!

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Greg
GM8 alt/az adjustors

 

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How good are the alt/az adjustors on the GM8? As someone who has to setup and tear down for each session, it’s important to me that these adjustors work well with minimal backlash to make polar alignment as straightforward as possible. Thanks!

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Greg
Re: Ethernet may be kaput

 

Doh! It's back to life. Somehow the ethernet settings on the PC were trying to connect over tcp instead of udp. It's working now after I put the settings back to where they should be.?
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Ethernet may be kaput

 

I've always used ethernet. Last night my system which was setup for ether wouldn't connect. I can't seem to get it to connect at all, and the lights are not on at the ether plug on the gemini. They are on on the PC side. Probably kaput right??
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Re: 1st time Gemini 1/G11 use

 

On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 04:42 PM, <thomas.clark@...> wrote:
Hi all. I'm new to Groups, and new to the hobby. I am set up with a very old C-11 on a G-11, with G-1 controller. It has power but is not tracking well.?
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I don't want to be in the 'wrong section', ask the wrong questions, or otherwise agitate others.?
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I know that someone knows how to do it/everything the easy way. IDK if I am on the correct settings on the unit itself. It's tracking, but not following the object.?
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What am I doing wrong?
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Thanks,
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TC
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Welcome to the Losmandy groups!? Many of the folks here are long time users and have a ton of useful info and I hope you find us helpful and that you become part of this great community of users.?
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As a G11 Gemini 1 user the best places for you for all things related to the G11 and Gemini 1 are this group, the Losmandy_users group and the Gemini_users group? Joining these two will get you 99% of the applicable information specifically for your G11 mount and Gemini 1 controller.? BUT if you also join the GeminiII group you will also find great nuggets of wisdom as well as get a handle on your next controller for the future time when you want to make the jump to the latest generation of Gemini controllers.?
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If anybody gets annoyed by you asking question related to Losmandy or Gemini gear that's on them.? We all get along here and if the thread is really not related to the sub group or gets out of hand the mods will say so and move the thread.? In other words don't worry about it, easy peasy.
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Anyway - to answer your question the G11 is an equatorial mount and like all EQ mounts it needs to be setup a certain way to work as designed.? The main issue with the actual mount hardware is that the RA axis needs to be pointed accurately at the North Celestial Pole - NCP for short - and if you do not know it Polaris is NOT the same as the NCP.? The other thing is that the Gemini needs to be configured correctly for your location and know what time it is.? Sounds simple but there are also a few other settings you need to get right for it to actually work and a few more to get it to work well.?
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As others have mentioned there is a dated but still relevant manual for the Gemini 1 located here: written by the guy who wrote the internal code the Gemini 1 is running.? The later Gemini 2 controller is based on the same ideas and at its core very similar.? That said the most useful Gemini related website IME is the website which has basically ALL the Gemini 1 and Gemini 2 stuff in one place.? ? ? ?
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Review these sites, ask questions and let us help you find your way through the Gemini and to a happy tracking mount place.??
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My quick off the top advice is to buy some new batteries for the Gemini 1, to find the correct type of batteries go to the Gemin-2.com site and look at the identification photos to determine what version Gemini 1 you have in hand.? A marginal or expired battery is the #1 issue for most new Gemini owners both Gemini 1 & 2 with a used Gemini.? Trust me just get a few new name brand batteries of the correct type and leave them in the case with the Gemini controller as having a couple spares will pay off in the middle of the night at a dark sky site hours from home as the Gemini 1 controllers are known to eat batteries regularly.?
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Next remove the battery and wait 30 seconds then reinstall the battery and immediately manually set up the Gemini 1 to UTC time, set any local time zone offset, GPS coordinates, mount type etc.? This is the minimum data the mount needs to operate but there are other setup requirements to achieve good tracking and GOTOs the obvious being excellent polar alignment and a known good power supply.??
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Keep us posted on your adventure!?
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
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Re: 1st time Gemini 1/G11 use

 

Sorry, forgot to mention, have you read the ? it’s a bit long but a must if you want to make the most of your new mount :)
Re: 1st time Gemini 1/G11 use

 

Hi Thomas, let me be the first to welcome you to the groups. Just FYI, there’s another group tailored more specifically for the Gemini 1 controller. Most of the people who hang there also hang here so this post should do fine here but, if you have more questions relating to the controller, you may want to join that group as well :)
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As for this post, you will need to provide a better description of what’s going on for us to try and help. When you say the mount is not tracking well, what does that actually mean? What are the symptoms you see??

For now I can think of a couple of possibilities:
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1.- Make sure you have the correct settings in the controller, like your location coordinates, time zone, mount type, etc.
2.- make sure your motors are connected correctly and not reversed. Trust me, everyone has made that mistake once or twice lol. Somewhat related, make sure both motors are working when power is applied.
3.- make sure you are properly polar aligned. A gross misalignment will make objects drift off the field of view fairly quickly.
4.- if using a computer, make sure the settings are also correct.
5.- make sure tracking is active in your mount and not set to terrestrial, which basically stops tracking altogether.

There are also physical reasons for the mount to not track well, like a misaligned worm creating a large periodic error or bad bearings causing stiction, but let’s leave those options for last as they tend to be more involved in solving.
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I’m sure others will have more suggestions but, in the mean time try and give a more descriptive explanation of the symptoms.
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Good luck
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Jonathan
1st time Gemini 1/G11 use

 

Hi all. I'm new to Groups, and new to the hobby. I am set up with a very old C-11 on a G-11, with G-1 controller. It has power but is not tracking well.?
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I don't want to be in the 'wrong section', ask the wrong questions, or otherwise agitate others.?
?
I know that someone knows how to do it/everything the easy way. IDK if I am on the correct settings on the unit itself. It's tracking, but not following the object.?
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What am I doing wrong?
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Thanks,
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TC
Re: Cable Snag

 

One thing I noticed is that your cables are going between the RA and DEC wires.? I would redo the cable bundle to one side or the other, based on which way the flip goes.? It's a good idea, cheap insurance, to test your setup inside.? I would just set mine up inside and run slewing tests with targets in Stellarium for future targets. For flip tests, set a target right before the Meridan and watch how the flip would go 10 to 20 minutes later.??
Re: wheels

 

I have ordered the Scope Roller 70: 100mm AlPu? for astrophoto
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Thanks for all help.
Re: Cable Snag

 

What I do with the G11 is mimic what the DEC motor cable does by routing the camera cables (power and USB) between the clamp knobs, contained with a silicone band around both knobs. I use a fairly stiff USB 3 cable and I tape the cables together so that they form a gentle arch that keeps them out of trouble. Note I use a zip tie on the side of the Gemini bracket so I can control the length of the arch.
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I've never had snag.
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Re: G11 is more noisy now when slewing

 

On Mon, Jan 20, 2025 at 04:53 PM, Gary Martin wrote:
It could be the gearboxes. I believe Losmandy refers to these as the Spur Gears, but I could be wrong. The two gears under the oval covers for both RA and DEC.?
This is for tucked-in motor adjustment, but similar adjustment would apply to the older motors, mounted on the outside:
Check out other videos on how to adjust and service G11 mounts in the Losmand Youtube channel:
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Re: G11 is more noisy now when slewing

 

You may want to contact Losmandy about parts for the non-tucked motor design. My tucked motor G11G2 has two outer spur gears under a black oval cover, and the gearboxes go between motor and bottom spur gear. The upper spur gear connects to a shaft linked to the Oldham coupler, and from there to the worm gear. How the older non-tucked design is done I have not seen personally.
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John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, NINA, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user
Re: G11 is more noisy now when slewing

 

It could be the gearboxes. I believe Losmandy refers to these as the Spur Gears, but I could be wrong. The two gears under the oval covers for both RA and DEC.?
Re: G11 is more noisy now when slewing

 

First thought is that your drive motor(s) have loosened up and are not meshing tightly. If you loosen the 2 screws and then try to turn the motor CW or CCW and see which makes the sound less, then retighten. I think Losmandy has a YouTube video on this procedure. After that you may need new gearboxes and/or a teardown and relube with the Losmandy approved greases.
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Good luck.
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John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, NINA, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user
HC Button operation

 

I don't really use the HC much other than to set safety limits and manually slew around after I adjust the worm gear. During the last few days I've been using it more often for those purposes and I noticed something I haven't before:

After powering on the mount (CWD, cold start) and starting a slew in the RA axis (holding the HC screen up and pressing the physical button on the back left with my left index finger) the mount will start to rotate (OTA west and counterweights east). Let's say that I rotate the mount in this fishing by holding the same button until the mount has rotated 45 degrees to the west and then I release the button.
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THEN, when I press the same button again, instead of rotating the same direction, the mount will start to rotate back to CWD... then I actually have to press the opposite button (physical button on back right of HC with my right index finger) for the mount to continue to rotate back to the west... from that point the buttons are reversed until cold start when it starts all over again.

no other settings changed. This has happened enough times that I'm not surprised it is happening.?
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Is this typical? anyone else seeing this?
Is it just a matter of re-installing the HC firmware to maybe fix it?
It is a little annoying but I suppose it isn't the end of the world given how rarely I use the HC.
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Thanks
Ryan
Re: G11 is more noisy now when slewing

 

Gary,
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Are you sure it isn't the motor gearboxes?
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Mark C
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