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Re: Camera Wiring
Derek, Some cameras draw their power from the USB cables. Having a powered hub helps. I use the hub with 6' and 9' USB3 cables going to my cameras. But, I run an active USB3 cable to the hub from my computer. The hub is attached to the mount with velcro, and excess cable is coiled and attached to the tripod as well. This way, there is ample power, ports, and you don't have the mount dragging around a lot of cable (which can affect goto and tracking). Matt On Wed, Jan 15, 2020, 4:26 PM Stu Beaber <wd4sel@...> wrote:
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Re: Camera Wiring
I use a hub at the mount and 4 usb cables plug into it...from the hub I run a 32 foot usb cable to the computer (inside the trailer) the key is it's a powered hub. It has it's own 5vdc power source and that makes it possible. Also some guide cameras (like I use a DSI guide camera) draw a lot of usb power and you probably need the extra power for that anyways. You can also (I think) buy powered usb cables. I've got 12vdc at the mount anyways so I just knock it do to 5vdc for the hub... HTH's Stu On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 5:08 PM Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...> wrote:
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育tripods is aluminum, which is non-magnetic *** LMAO! Holy cow, am I an idiot or what?? I should have known this! I hope my new question doesn’t show off more of my “brilliance”.. ? What’s that quote?? “It’s better to have people think you are a Fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt” or something of the sort.. I blame it on the stress of losing my “observatory”.. ? Derek ? ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Les Niles
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Initial Setup of the Mount ? Most of the metal in our mounts and tripods is aluminum, which is non-magnetic. As for the rest, just take the compass a few feet away from the mount, sight some distant object roughly in the direction of true north, then set up the mount using that as a reference.? ??-Les ?
On Jan 15, 2020, at 1:14 PM, Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...> wrote:
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Camera Wiring
开云体育So.. New subject.. How do *you* connect up cameras so the scope can access everything it normally can access (in the sky).. ?? My CMOS cameras both have short USB cables, which I plug into the computer that sits on a table right next to the scope to the East of the mount.. For Planetary imaging, for instance, this means I can only image from slightly before the Meridian to the Western Horizon.. I can’t image, say, 45 degrees up in the East.. When I move and get back into Astronomy, I hope to be able to operate – i.e. place the table – to the north of the mount, and I assume that will give me some access to both sides of the mount, such as from 45 degrees up in the East to 45 degrees up in the West.. ??? BUT! What does it take to get farther from the mount, say ten feet?? I have a multi port USB hub, so do I just plug both cameras into that and then run a new USB cable from the hub to the laptop?? And do I mount the hub to the tripod?? ? ??? I ask, because I have previously tried to run the camera with a 6’ cable instead of the 3’ cable it came with and it dropped almost all the frames, so I am *ASSUMING* USB has severe cable length issues??? Some Notes.. The 6’ cable was “good”, as at the time I had two ASI cameras and both camera cables came with them.. the ASI178 came with the 3’ and the ASI120 came with the 6’.. Since I wasn’t guiding at the time, I could use either cable.. Also, these *ARE* USB3 cameras and my laptop only has USB2 ports.. This hasn’t been a problem yet.. I have imaged at 200 fps, albeit not full frame, and I don’t see that transmission rates over the USB cable would be an issue when only sending an image downline no faster than every 60 seconds.. ??? So how would I “move away from the mount”?? What are my options?? Please speak slowly, as “USB Hub” is the only phrase I know in this “foreign language.. :-)) ? Derek ? |
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育Most of the metal in our mounts and tripods is aluminum, which is non-magnetic. As for the rest, just take the compass a few feet away from the mount, sight some distant object roughly in the direction of true north, then set up the mount using that as a reference.???-Les On Jan 15, 2020, at 1:14 PM, Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...> wrote:
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育That’s not necessary, Chuck, as it is simple enough to Google “Magnetic Declination”.. I won’t end up far enough from where I already live for it to be an issue anyway.. (I have to move from my nearly perfect Astronomy location..) ? But I see it is already obvious that everyone *does* use a compass in proximity to the mount.. That’s what I wanted to know, as I thought that wouldn’t work because of all the metal.. ? :-)) ? Derek ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of crocco1250 via Groups.Io
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 9:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Initial Setup of the Mount ? This is for anyone who regularly “goes mobile” to do Astrophotography.. How do *you* determine how to initially place the tripod?? ? I envision putting the mount in the center of the Azimuth adjustment range, but when you go to a location you have never been before, how do you determine where the tripod should be pointing?? I would be seriously bummed if I assemble the whole system, tried to polar align, and run out of adjustment so that I would have to disassemble and rotate the tripod.. ? Can you just place a compass on the tripod and use that, taking magnetic declination into account?? I would think the metal in the tripod would make the compass inaccurate?? ? Anywho.. I would like to know the various methods people use.. ? Derek |
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Re: Not keeping date up to date; + lunar tracking speed error:
OK,
Thanks to all who replied, for some reason I could not get back to or find this message...? Anyhow to get back to it.... I have used both the HC and the regular web interface to try to set the times, both in UTC and local, as for the lunar problem It seems to have "self corrected" for now.? This occurred again last night (the time error) and the time and date was still correct in the web interface while the HC was reporting the correct time, but the wrong date.? It had "Jumped" back to 01/01/2020 instead of the correct o1/14/2020 on the HC, the web interface was once again still reporting the correct date in its date format of 14-01-2020.? The HC behaved oddly along with the date error it was showing all but Venus as available to "goto" @ 18:30 EST-DST (23:30 UTC).? After manually correcting the date in the HC it then reported the correct planets available for the date and time here; Neptune, Uranus, and Venus.? The web interface when checked again still had everything (time, date, & UTC offset correct).? The other interesting thing about this whole time error thing is the mount has been powered up and on since the last outing.? I parked it CWD and left it on but parked in the observatory, which I do if I am not going to be out of town.? Just been a rather odd behavior,? I checked it again this afternoon while I was out there changing out a USB 3.0 hub and it was still holding the correct date set last night.? I also changed the HC cable out with a newer one I had this afternoon, I had upgrade the HC cable to a longer one when I first got the Titan in October of 2015.? That longer cable was getting kind of gnarled up from use when I am doing visual observation stuff. Maybe I need to set a gremlin live trap or something!! ;^)? Anyhow I'll check it all out again in a couple of days to see if the correct time and date hold on the HC. |
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育Michael, that it the $1,000,000 question. Why is a cheep cell phone smarter than expensive telescope mounts?
Sent from my Boost Mobile Phone.
-------- Original message --------
From: Michael Herman <mherman346@...>
Date: 1/15/20 1:19 PM (GMT-06:00)
Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Initial Setup of the Mount
These days, you might get good luck using a cellphone GPS app.??
They are amazing for showing the correct orientation not depending on magnetic field lines at all.??
Also the app will give the correct Latitude and Longitude.? If the app is installed, it doesn't need cellphone network access to work (the phone has GPS detection off line).
Have fun,
Michael??
On Wed, Jan 15, 2020, 9:37 AM crocco1250 via Groups.Io <crocco1250=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
These days, you might get good luck using a cellphone GPS app.?? They are amazing for showing the correct orientation not depending on magnetic field lines at all.?? Also the app will give the correct Latitude and Longitude.? If the app is installed, it doesn't need cellphone network access to work (the phone has GPS detection off line). Have fun, Michael?? On Wed, Jan 15, 2020, 9:37 AM crocco1250 via Groups.Io <crocco1250=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: Losmandy G11G and Gemini2 with SGP
Hi Les if you could, please start a new thread and we'll hash this out - if you can include in the title something about meridian flip and SGP that will help future viewers.? On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 10:07 AM <lesleyrgreen@...> wrote: Brian, --
Brian? Brian Valente portfolio |
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Re: Losmandy G11G and Gemini2 with SGP
Brian,
Not to drag this on, but I am still trying to sort this all out for myself so if this needs a new thread, apologies and I'll be glad to start another. No disagreements here, we are saying the same thing only you know how to put it. Totally agree on the "when a goto is initiated", in this case SGP is initiating the goto and if Gemini isn't ready to flip it won't as I understand it. Setting the Western Goto limit to zero or editing it out will make Gemini do the flip at Western safety limit - 90degs (When a goto is initiated). Lets say your Western safety limit was 100 degrees, this means Gemini will go until 10deg after the meridian before it will flip, and if SGP initiates a goto? at the meridian Gemini will say I can get there from this side of the pier, no need to flip and of course SGP won't ask it again in 10 more degrees. Now SGP does its flip request in "minutes" past the meridian not degrees to confuse the matter even more. So just to get a successful flip I entered 7:00 in the "Western GoTo Limit:" with a 97deg Western safety limit, in both the ASCOM driver and the Gemini hand controller/webpage and this told Gemini, if a goto is requested at the meridian (97:00 - 7:00) do a flip. SGP is set by default to 0 minutes after the meridian. This made everything work at the meridian. Some day I may try to adjust Gemini's Western goto limit so the mount can go past the meridian but I will first have to figure out how many minutes that will equal in SGP. Bottom line, you need to adjust SGP's "minutes past meridian to flip" to be close enough to Gemini's ("Western Safety Limit" - "Western GoTo Limit") to have SGP's goto request force a meridian flip in Gemini.? Correct? Les |
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育Good question Derek, I have found that I use a compass on the ground then do a polar align.Anything I can do to help Gemini do it's job better. I find works. I am new to this and Lately I have been practicing drift alignment just in case I need to for
a back up plan.
Sent from my Boost Mobile Phone.
-------- Original message --------
From: Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...>
Date: 1/15/20 11:02 AM (GMT-06:00)
Subject: [Losmandy_users_io] Initial Setup of the Mount
This is for anyone who regularly “goes mobile” to do Astrophotography.. How do *you* determine how to initially place the tripod?? ? I envision putting the mount in the center of the Azimuth adjustment range, but when you go to a location you have never been before, how do you determine where the tripod should be pointing?? I would be seriously bummed if I assemble the whole system, tried to polar align, and run out of adjustment so that I would have to disassemble and rotate the tripod.. ? Can you just place a compass on the tripod and use that, taking magnetic declination into account?? I would think the metal in the tripod would make the compass inaccurate?? ? Anywho.. I would like to know the various methods people use.. ? Derek |
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
Derek I have an old manual that makes the fact that magnetic and polar north are not aligned everywhere.?? The earth's core generates a magnetic field that wanders (there was an article recently showing wandering at a rate of several feet a week,? if I remember correctly) so you align your compass to magnetic north then make a correction based on the latest geomagnetic map.?? So,? in my area, I note magnetic north then move the compass left or right by the offset degrees for my area.?? If you want,? I'll dig it out and and post it here Chuck On Wednesday, January 15, 2020 Derek C Breit <[email protected]> wrote: This is for anyone who regularly “goes mobile” to do Astrophotography.. How do *you* determine how to initially place the tripod?? ? I envision putting the mount in the center of the Azimuth adjustment range, but when you go to a location you have never been before, how do you determine where the tripod should be pointing?? I would be seriously bummed if I assemble the whole system, tried to polar align, and run out of adjustment so that I would have to disassemble and rotate the tripod.. ? Can you just place a compass on the tripod and use that, taking magnetic declination into account?? I would think the metal in the tripod would make the compass inaccurate?? ? Anywho.. I would like to know the various methods people use.. ? Derek |
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
I set the tripod up then set a compass on the ground more or less centered between the 3 legs and look down thru the top of the tripod at the compass and adjust accordingly...do account for the declination...always within the adjustment range of the tripod. Stu On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 12:02 PM Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...> wrote:
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Re: Initial Setup of the Mount
My first choice is to see where everyone else is pointing and mimic them :) but usually i just use an iphone compass app. i don't sweat the initial setup too much because i'll use polemaster or sharpcap to fine tune the PA On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 9:02 AM Derek C Breit <breit_ideas@...> wrote:
--
Brian? Brian Valente portfolio |
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Initial Setup of the Mount
开云体育This is for anyone who regularly “goes mobile” to do Astrophotography.. How do *you* determine how to initially place the tripod?? ? I envision putting the mount in the center of the Azimuth adjustment range, but when you go to a location you have never been before, how do you determine where the tripod should be pointing?? I would be seriously bummed if I assemble the whole system, tried to polar align, and run out of adjustment so that I would have to disassemble and rotate the tripod.. ? Can you just place a compass on the tripod and use that, taking magnetic declination into account?? I would think the metal in the tripod would make the compass inaccurate?? ? Anywho.. I would like to know the various methods people use.. ? Derek |
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Re: Loading Pempro PE Curve to GM811
开云体育
Ah thank you guys for the help! I'll check the gemini controller to make sure that wasn't sending an incorrect value. I was able to push once I manually changed inside Pempro, but I'm going to check if this is why it had ended up 215 after using the Mount wizard.
Thanks again!
Ross
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Brian Valente <bvalente@...>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2020 6:32 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Loading Pempro PE Curve to GM811 ?
>>> ?and that the mount type is set correctly in the Gemini controller.
Ross - doublecheck this part in your gemini controller
On Sun, Jan 12, 2020 at 1:06 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote:
Hi Brian and Ross, Brian?
Brian Valente
portfolio
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Re: Loading Pempro PE Curve to GM811
>>>
?and that the mount type is set correctly in the Gemini controller. Ross - doublecheck this part in your gemini controller On Sun, Jan 12, 2020 at 1:06 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote: Hi Brian and Ross, --
Brian? Brian Valente portfolio |
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Re: Loading Pempro PE Curve to GM811
Hi Brian,
When I used the mount wizard, i was not connected to the mount, so I assume there is some default value?Yes, the default is 239.x seconds, which will update if needed once the mount connects. Once updated it will remember that value and only be updated if the value returned from the Gemini changes. -Ray Gralak -----Original Message----- |
Michael Herman
Ross Abel