Connecting laptop to ST-4 input on GM8
This is my first post to this group. ?I have appreciated the insights from past messages as I have disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated a new-to-me, twenty-year old, GM8.?
I would like help connecting my computer to the non-Gemini GM8 so that I can guide with a DBK21 color camera and PHD2.? What cable/adapter is suitable to connect a USB to ST-4? ??
Steve
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Way to go Michael,
Those little plugs came up about two years ago and I thought " Hey thats a good ideah.
HAPPY SKIES TO EVERYONE AND KEEP LOOKING UP DERIC
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
I love a happy ending!
Kudo's to Michael for the save!
I got 2 of these and applied them every where I could on my Gemini 2 and mount computer. (I'm still short 3 )?
When I lived in Wyoming, I used a product called Insulex that was a spray. We had a weigh in motion Xray machine on a discharge belt from the crusher building. It had a history of being problematic.
We took all the PS boards out of it, cleaned them well, then sprayed them with the Insulex and dried them well.
That was the end of all erratic behaviors. The ore was metallic (Uranium) and was very hard on the electrical system.
I put the plugs in for dust intrusion. I live in a semi-arid location so dew and damp is a rarity. But still something to consider.
With my Gemini II controller, I have one of those Touch Pad pens I keep in in the coiled wire by the controller. Because like many, touch pads don't work for me, either. But the arrow button pad works fine on the back side.
--
SonnyE
(I suggest viewed in full screen)
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Hi Russ, have a look at ACF50, it is an anti corrosion oil so may be a bit tacky but can be used on any surface including electrical connections, I have been using it for years on my motor bike and I do not worry if it gets sprayed on the electrical components, like you I live near the sea but have never any corrosion issues since using it, apparently it was developed for the US air force to stop thier planes corroding so must be good stuff. Must admit it never crossed my mind but I think I will coat the vulnerable components with it myself.
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Very nice complete report, Russ.? I am happy that repair ordeal is over.? Use it in good health and have fun!
More of the puzzle story....a long story: As Russ said, this was a weird Gemini-1 behavior.? The unit would boot up, then the display would get "stuck" before it would say it was seeking the GPS. A button press on the hand controller would unfreeze the display and it would say waiting for GPS then... get stuck again, with some garbled characters at the end.? Replacing the hand controller, or CPU, or EPROM chips gave the same behavior.? Why would the display get stuck?? And why would the East diamond button on the hand controller not work?
Bren had warned about corrosion effects and I've seen this before.? One unit I got looked like it had been left in the rain and it was just rusting, destroying the copper traces of the board.? So I inspected for corrosion on receipt, but did not see anything noteworthy. I did see some clues though:
The main board inside showed a slight bit of mild corrosion at the bottom where the 5V DC DC converter power circuit resides.? But that voltage converter was working fine.??
Since the CPU, EPROM and hand controller were known good, my suspicions went to the SRAM providing code data to the CPU.? The SRAM was leaking current more than it should.? And the D1 dual Schottky diode was also dropping the 5V supply to the SRAM by 0.37 volts and that causes the CPU chip and SRAM chip connections to fight and damage each other. The chips must see no more than 0.25 V between their Vcc values.? I therefore replaced both chips (D1 first was easiest...but did not fix the trouble) and the voltage drop went to 0.2 volts that was fine.??
But the boot up problem remained.? Then I tried talking to the unit through the serial port (another suspect chip) and...it worked perfectly.? I could operate the Gemini perfectly remotely, just not from the hand controller.? How strange.? I reported my progress and puzzles all along to Bren in Australia and David in UK.? They always help a lot with their experience in these repairs.??
At that point David Partridge suggested looking at the extra hand controller socket at the top left of the Gemini unit and then...voila! I saw the suspicious discoloration.? After scraping away at that, the the unit came back to life.? I then found more corrosion inside the connector, cleaned with Qtips and alcohol.? I tested the unit for motor control, and serial port operation...all good again.??
Curious: one of the front stainless steel button head screws finish was dulled.? The other ones were bright and shiny.??
But I did not look into the extra hand socket connector: I thought, who ever uses that?? The corrosion was inside there in that dark black socket. The copper wires in there had also turned very dark color.
Here is a photo of the damaged corroded area.? I have started scraping out the corrosion with a file.? There was even more corrosion if you view the same connector from the right side if the board looking left.? Strangely, the corrosion was just conductive enough to make Gemini think someone was pushing a hand controller button (probably the East diamond hand controller button).??
I like all the ideas you have mentioned, and Brian's idea of a plug sounds great. I'll buy some of those.? ? ?
The Gemini-1 has many open spaces around the front top connectors, and the side hand controller, for moisture and bugs to enter.? I have used slices of thick felt to stuff into these crevices, to try and better weatherproof my many Gemini-1 units.??
For a better dessicant, there is a benign product called "silica gel". You see this in small packages added to many electronic and optics packages for shipping.? You can reheat those to drive out the moisture, and reuse them.? Stay away from salts... when hydrated they form conductive ionic solutions that corrode and plate too.? Sulfur salts can form a sulfuric acid that eats the copper and replates it (copper dendrites?).? One of our group's chemistry experts is sure to know how this stuff works.? I wonder if living by the nice salt air of the ocean, as Russ does in Coos Bay Oregon may have additional risks (LA beach communities too?).?
Stay well and happy imaging!
Michael
How pleased I continue to be with my 2008 version of Losmandy G-11. After 12 years the?Gemini-1?electronics had quite working. On the recommendation several persons on different forums I entrusted the repair to Michael Herman. So I can add myself to the those who have been vary satisfied with the work he did in getting the repair accomplished. His expertise was very much in evidence. He admitted that the symptoms were very strange, puzzling to himself and the other Losmandy electronic repair specialists in the UK and Australia. But he didn't give up and expeditiously finished the job by an intelligent process - testing, replacing suspect parts. Eventually the EPROM, SRAM chips were replaced along with some smaller discrete components. He eventually tracked down the cause of the issue.
That issue was the result of an accident I had a couple of months ago. Let me explain. My G11/Gemini-1 had resided on a permanent pier in my garden observing site. At the conclusion of each observing session I had been covering the mount and electronics with a Telegizmo cover topped with a large plastic garbage can to provide some protection against our sometimes fierce winds here on the south Oregon coast. Since the mount usually had a significant amount of dew on it I thought it wise to place an open container of Calcium-Chloride crystals to absorb the moisture.?
So the accident I mentioned happened when I uncovered the mount for an observing session. This caused the container of Ca-Cl solution to spill, with significant quantity of the salt solution getting on the base of the mount and the Gemini electronics chassis. I wiped off what I could and continued with the observing session. This was a mistake on my part. I should have recognized the damage this could cause and thoroughly cleaned all mount and electronics components that were covered with this corrosive solution. Yes, I didn't realize that Calcium chloride as a salt solution is corrosive to metal, that could be damaging to all sorts of parts. So the cause of the issue Michael discovered was that some Ca-Cl had gotten into the "Hand Controller" RJ45 socket at the upper left corner of the chassis. This caused a short between some of the contacts there, leading to the bizarre symptoms that had him and the other experts puzzled.
So kudos to Michael for fixing the problem. Since he spent a number of hours over several days on the repair, his charge of $200 plus parts was most reasonable. The only part he charged for was $25 for the EPROM. Along with that came the latest version of software (Level 4, v 1.05). I wholeheartedly recommend him for any repairs to electronics that might be needed.
Moving forward from this I found the electronics works just fine. I needed to set geographic coordinates and mount limits. But everything worked as expected for two observing sessions. First night I used my little Astrotech AT115 EDT triplet APO refractor. The next night I installed my Celestron-11 with the refractor riding piggyback. This requires 53 pounds of counterweights. So no doubt the mount is maxed out.? But these were two most enjoyable observing sessions, examining some clusters and double stars in Cassiopeia. The revelation in moving ahead came when I examined the mount in the daylight, something I seldom do. There I saw that the Ca-Cl contamination had caused some corrosion to the extreme lower end of the mount. The most affected areas were the tabs for attaching the Gemini chassis along with the azimuth adjustment mechanism. Both showed evidence of salt corrosion.
So I removed the entire mount and its adapter clear down to the cast iron flange atop the 4-inch galvanized pipe pier. Everything was cleaned with hot soapy water. There was some surface corrosion on the bronze traveling pin that moves the mount in azimuth. But I removed all corrosion and reassembled everything ?applying lubricating grease where needed. I like to use a special anti-seize compound on all stainless steel and aluminum threads. So everything is back together and functioning properly.
I'm a bit wiser in that I've learned about the dangers of employing Calcium-Chloride. In the future I will refrain from wrapping up a wet mount, and will just place the large plastic garbage container over the mount. Even if it should rain, the mount will be open to the air so dew can evaporate without needing the Ca-Cl. After the mount has dried the next day I can cover the mount with the Telegizmo cover and plastic garbage can as needed.
This brings me to a question for the forum:
To protect unused RJ45 sockets from moist night time air I am considering inserting in each such socket a spare RJ45 jack (with no wire attached). To seal each socket from the moist maritime (salty) air I am inquiring if it would be wise to apply some sort of paste that would further seal the socket. As a HAM radio operator I know of some paste that is applied to coaxial cable connections to exclude moisture. This paste is non conducting and serves to exclude water. With dew settling on the Gemini chassis there is danger of salty deposits (from marine air) on the exposed pins of the unused sockets. I have two potential pastes:
- ?Stuf Dielectric Waterproofing Filler (for coaxial connectors, with Teflon)
- Permatex Dielectric Grease (for automotive connectors like spark plugs and 12 volt lines).?
Maybe I'm trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist. The dielectric paste could be applied around the edges of the inserted plug to exclude water. Maybe there is another technique that would accomplish the same thing. Perhaps just applying some sort of waterproof tape over the RJ45 socket. I know electrical tape would work for a while. But it eventually becomes a sticky mess as it ages. Any suggestions? I'm interested in suggestions from the forum.
Best Regards,
Russ
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
Hi Tony,
Compatibility with the Gemini 2 is pretty easy. ?Years ago, Meade developed the LX200 command set and made that available as a standard to anyone who wanted to use it. Not everyone took them up on their offer ... so the dream of having just one telescope command set never really happened. ?BUT there are a lot of mounts that did take advantage of it ... and that includes the Gemini. ?It is based on the LX200 command set. ? This means if your software specifically says it supports Losmandy Gemini, then that's the choice you would use. ?But even if you don't see "Losmandy Gemini" on the list... just pick a generic LX200 telescope mount and it will work.
I don't think I have ever found a single application that can support "go to" telescope mounts... that did *not* work with the Gemini.
It's hard to say what's "best" because that becomes subjective. ?Also... budgets come into the equation because when some people say "best" what they really mean is "best free software". ? Often times commercial software that isn't free is better (but not always).
When I started, I was mostly looking at The Sky X (Software Bisque) or Starry Night Pro Plus (Simulation Curriculum). ?I went with Starry Night mostly because it was more user-friendly. ?I would later learn it's actually a LOT more powerful (it is a full-on simulation engine ... The Sky is not. ?It has some pretty clever advanced search capabilities that can do event predictions.)
Back in those days, Stellarium wasn't very capable. ?These days Stellarium is much more capable (Stellarium is free). ?It isn't as powerful, but it may be good enough for your needs. ?
But there's also KStars/Ekos (also free) and the benefit of KStars/Ekos is that all the image sequencing and capture software is built-in ... no need for separate apps.
If you run Windows, then you probably want something that supports ASCOM. ?If you are not running Windows (e.g. if you have a mac, Linux, or any other OS) then you want something that supports INDI. ?
ASCOM is developed using Microsoft .Net and that means it *only* supports Windows and is not portable to any other OS. ?
INDI is developed based on POSIX-compliant code (POSIX=Portable Operating System Interchange standard). ?POSIX-compliant code is easy to port to other POSIX-complaint operating systems. ?E.g. Unix, Linux, macOS, etc. are all examples of POSIX-compliant operating systems. ? Windows is *not* POSIX-compliant.
Most target devices are meant to be controlled by just one thing. ?E.g. if the planetarium software is controlling the mount ... and the auto-guider software is *also* trying to control the mount (e.g. to perform pulse-guiding or dithering) then you end up with a conflict. ?ASCOM & INDI solve this by acting as a middle-man. ?It becomes the only thing that has a real connection to your gear ... and everything else talks through it.
E.g. if you order the mount to 'go to' some target, the software really tells the agent (ASCOM or INDI) what you want to do ... and ASCOM or INDI control the mount (or cameras, or filter wheels, or focuser, or dome, etc. etc. etc.). ? It controls your gear and then returns the results back to whichever application made the request. ?ASCOM & INID mediate sharing the gear across all the software (but those software must have support for ASCOM or INDI).
What's "best" for me ... is a highly portable solution. ?I live in a very old neighborhood with a lot of very tall oak trees. ?I don't have a clear view to the sky (other than straight up to the zenith) from any location on my property. ?I *have* to load all my gear into the car and head out to a park to do any observing or imaging. ?
This means "best" for me is small/compact & lightweight. ?I have no power in the park except what I bring with me and 12v lead-acid batteries are heavy. ?A laptop can run for a while on it's internal battery ... but usually not all night. ?And that would mean bringing even more batteries.?
Instead... I use a Raspberry Pi and an iPad. ?The Raspberry Pi is a tiny $35 computer about the size of a deck of cards. ?It uses very little power (runs on 5v and a *maximum* of 3 amps but usually draws less than 1 amp. ?That means the *most* it can draw is 15 watts but usually isn't drawing more than 5 watts (compare that to a laptop which is probably drawing 70 watts even when they are idle). ?BTW, there have been may Raspberry Pi computers over the years. ?When we say "Raspberry Pi" what we really mean is the "Raspberry Pi 4 Model B" -- that's the current best generation. ?
The Raspberry Pi runs the StellarMate OS software. ?What this *really* means is it runs Raspberry Pi OS bundled with a suite of astronomy applications. ? At the core it uses INDI to control all the gear. ? It uses KStars/Ekos as the planetarium software and to set up and run the capture sequence. ?However there is also a StellarMate iPad app (also available on Android ... you can use iOS devices or Android devices). ?But the engine running everything is *really* on the Raspberry Pi. ?This means you do not need to keep the tablet running ... you really just use that as the interface to tell it what you want to capture and launch the job. ? Then you put the tablet down and the Raspberry Pi will take it from there.?
BTW, to avoid confusion (because I know this had me confused when I first tried to find Ekos). ?Ekos is really a module embedded within KStars (I thought it was its own program). KStars is the 'planetarium' software, Ekos integrates with the mount and allows for image sequencing & capture (and a lot of other things). ?But I agree that Ekos is *very* complete. ?
This translate into a lot of choice for you because a lot of software is compatible with either ASCOM (on Windows) or INDI (on everything else).
Clear Skies, Tim
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 8, 2020, at 1:44 AM, Magnus Larsson <magnus@...> wrote:
?
Hi!
I use Ekos/Indi to control everything and capture. and I am more
than happy with it. Fully automatic.
You find it at indilib.org
Best,
Magnus
Den 2020-10-07 kl. 22:51, skrev Tony
Gabriele via groups.io:
I would like to hear from my fellow Losmandy users as to what they
deem the best astronomy software that is most compatible with
Gemini 2 to control the telescope, and which capture software is
also the most compatible.
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Hi Russ
Ethernet is RJ-45. the various serial ports are RJ-11
You can find silicone or plastic port plugs for either
Thanks Brian for your useful comments. So am I correct in identifying the network type connector sockets as RJ-11 rather than RJ-45? If so I can get the correct Teflon plug. This can be inserted with a thin layer of Dielectric/Teflon paste to further seal against water intrusion. This can be renewed as needed.
Next I am going to open the Gemini-1 electronics chassis and look things over for any corrosion needing attention. I know that the chrome plating on the 12-volt input jack has corroded. Seems like at least one of servo-motor jacks has similar damage. I have a product called Ospho which according to the ?causes iron oxide (rust) to chemically change to iron phosphate - an inert, hard substance that turns the metal black. This can be painted with an oil-based paint if desired. The treated surface even without paint is not prone to further rusting. But it might be best to paint the treated surface as well, considering the moist working environment. Maybe a bit of galvanizing paint can be applied. That silvery color would better match the chrome next to the damaged area.
Losmandy mounts and the accompanying electronics are first rate products. But user mistreatment on my part has caused some damage. I'm just so pleased with what Michael Herman has done for me. The alternative would have been as much as $1000 for the Gemini-2 with touch-screen. I wasn't looking forward to that since my fingers on touch-screen iPad and iPhone are somewhat?dysfunctional. There is something about my electrical characteristics that sometimes makes for frustrating touch interaction. I know the Gemini-2 package is quite the improvement as far as features and capabilities. But I know at least 1 person who didn't like the Gemini-2 at all. And I'm quite used the Gemini-1 menu interface.
Best Regards,
Russ
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: Planetary software & capture software
You still need pretty good tracking to keep something on a small sensor for a couple of minutes. Typically focal lengths are above 5m and the ROI is a few arc minutes across. You can actually visualize your PE in the video stream at times.
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
I unfortunately had up scrap a G1 recently. ?Corrosion around main pwr switch fuse, and electro/and pwr DIN sockets. Water had entered and pooled inside the case lower corrosion set in land lifted tracks and pads and spread. ? All DIN sockets were corroded as were the RJ pins ? They all needed replacement ?
?
Scrubbing and cleaning kinda just spread it further making solder joins look decidedly “dull”. ?Since it had lost a lot of large and small tracks, ?and it was effecting joins, you just couldn’t guarantee any repairs done. ?On top .....it also had corrosion up near the Dumb HC socket (This is a common area) ?and PSU.?
Unfortunately as said it became Beyond Economic Repair (BER). ?Sad to see it go. ?Sadly this wasn’t the first I’d seen BER. ?The other so bad the CPU pins corroded the PSU covered in corrosion and again the PCB traces and DIN pwr sockets.?
These must have has water ingress or been in high humidity areas. Sad to see them go like this.?Most users don’t know the extent till it starts to play up ? So pls inspect the PCBs top/bottom ?annually with battery changes?
?
As they say keep your power dry! ?Well done Michael ?
--
Brendan
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Thanks Brian for your useful comments. So am I correct in identifying the network type connector sockets as RJ-11 rather than RJ-45? If so I can get the correct Teflon plug. This can be inserted with a thin layer of Dielectric/Teflon paste to further seal against water intrusion. This can be renewed as needed.
Next I am going to open the Gemini-1 electronics chassis and look things over for any corrosion needing attention. I know that the chrome plating on the 12-volt input jack has corroded. Seems like at least one of servo-motor jacks has similar damage. I have a product called Ospho which according to the ?causes iron oxide (rust) to chemically change to iron phosphate - an inert, hard substance that turns the metal black. This can be painted with an oil-based paint if desired. The treated surface even without paint is not prone to further rusting. But it might be best to paint the treated surface as well, considering the moist working environment. Maybe a bit of galvanizing paint can be applied. That silvery color would better match the chrome next to the damaged area.
Losmandy mounts and the accompanying electronics are first rate products. But user mistreatment on my part has caused some damage. I'm just so pleased with what Michael Herman has done for me. The alternative would have been as much as $1000 for the Gemini-2 with touch-screen. I wasn't looking forward to that since my fingers on touch-screen iPad and iPhone are somewhat?dysfunctional. There is something about my electrical characteristics that sometimes makes for frustrating touch interaction. I know the Gemini-2 package is quite the improvement as far as features and capabilities. But I know at least 1 person who didn't like the Gemini-2 at all. And I'm quite used the Gemini-1 menu interface.
Best Regards,
Russ
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
Hi!
I use Ekos/Indi to control everything and capture. and I am more
than happy with it. Fully automatic.
You find it at indilib.org
Best,
Magnus
Den 2020-10-07 kl. 22:51, skrev Tony
Gabriele via groups.io:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I would like to hear from my fellow Losmandy users as to what they
deem the best astronomy software that is most compatible with
Gemini 2 to control the telescope, and which capture software is
also the most compatible.
|
Re: Astronomy software & capture software
Hey Tony,
SGP has been serving me for about 3 years now and I have found it to be the most useful of those few apps I have tried. The plate-solving feature is super nice, where you can pretty much go exactly back to the same exact coordinates from any old subframe from a previous session to within several pixels. Not too keen on their new subscription plan as I supposedly purchased a lifetime license the first time around. We'll see how long I can go without updates or what happens when a Windows machine needs to be replaced. SGP has some glitches, like it won't run the TEC cooling on my Atik camera anymore. Also I get some bad slews when the mount changes targets or does a meridian flip with clouds overhead. It thinks it's someplace else and goes awry. But 95% of the time it works great.
Several weeks ago I tried the freebie NINA, which has a lot of the same features. But I found you can't change anything, like add extra frames or a new target, while the software is running. You have to come to a complete stop to do that. Also you cannot abort the sequence in the middle of a frame if something is not right, you have to wait until the exposure runs out, a pain during 5 minute or longer exposures. Also It keeps running if guiding goes bad (clouds, etc.) , if you bump the mount, etc. SGP will warn you and stop the run, or restart when things are better. NINA doesn't do that and just keeps generating bad frames.
Plate-solving is a must for me since my runs often occur over numerous evenings to gather enough data. You may want to keep that on your checklist.?
Hope this helps.
John
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Re: Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
Hi Russ
wow that's quite an odyssey. Hats off to Michael for the great repair, it sounds like
regarding protecting the sockets, and more generally protecting the electronics
you can buy soft silicone plugs that could do a great job - very inexpensive?
also if you are worried about moisture and possibly salt type corrosion you might consider a conformal coating, something like this:?
i have a friend whose gemini was eroded due to moisture and possibly salt air, and we coated his board, and have had no issues since. you have to be thoughtful about making sure it doesn't get into the sockets etc.
you can brush it on the PCBs on the motors as well. it's kind of like nail polish
Brian
How pleased I continue to be with my 2008 version of Losmandy G-11. After 12 years the?Gemini-1?electronics had quite working. On the recommendation several persons on different forums I entrusted the repair to Michael Herman. So I can add myself to the those who have been vary satisfied with the work he did in getting the repair accomplished. His expertise was very much in evidence. He admitted that the symptoms were very strange, puzzling to himself and the other Losmandy electronic repair specialists in the UK and Australia. But he didn't give up and expeditiously finished the job by an intelligent process - testing, replacing suspect parts. Eventually the EPROM, SRAM chips were replaced along with some smaller discrete components. He eventually tracked down the cause of the issue.
That issue was the result of an accident I had a couple of months ago. Let me explain. My G11/Gemini-1 had resided on a permanent pier in my garden observing site. At the conclusion of each observing session I had been covering the mount and electronics with a Telegizmo cover topped with a large plastic garbage can to provide some protection against our sometimes fierce winds here on the south Oregon coast. Since the mount usually had a significant amount of dew on it I thought it wise to place an open container of Calcium-Chloride crystals to absorb the moisture.?
So the accident I mentioned happened when I uncovered the mount for an observing session. This caused the container of Ca-Cl solution to spill, with significant quantity of the salt solution getting on the base of the mount and the Gemini electronics chassis. I wiped off what I could and continued with the observing session. This was a mistake on my part. I should have recognized the damage this could cause and thoroughly cleaned all mount and electronics components that were covered with this corrosive solution. Yes, I didn't realize that Calcium chloride as a salt solution is corrosive to metal, that could be damaging to all sorts of parts. So the cause of the issue Michael discovered was that some Ca-Cl had gotten into the "Hand Controller" RJ45 socket at the upper left corner of the chassis. This caused a short between some of the contacts there, leading to the bizarre symptoms that had him and the other experts puzzled.
So kudos to Michael for fixing the problem. Since he spent a number of hours over several days on the repair, his charge of $200 plus parts was most reasonable. The only part he charged for was $25 for the EPROM. Along with that came the latest version of software (Level 4, v 1.05). I wholeheartedly recommend him for any repairs to electronics that might be needed.
Moving forward from this I found the electronics works just fine. I needed to set geographic coordinates and mount limits. But everything worked as expected for two observing sessions. First night I used my little Astrotech AT115 EDT triplet APO refractor. The next night I installed my Celestron-11 with the refractor riding piggyback. This requires 53 pounds of counterweights. So no doubt the mount is maxed out.? But these were two most enjoyable observing sessions, examining some clusters and double stars in Cassiopeia. The revelation in moving ahead came when I examined the mount in the daylight, something I seldom do. There I saw that the Ca-Cl contamination had caused some corrosion to the extreme lower end of the mount. The most affected areas were the tabs for attaching the Gemini chassis along with the azimuth adjustment mechanism. Both showed evidence of salt corrosion.
So I removed the entire mount and its adapter clear down to the cast iron flange atop the 4-inch galvanized pipe pier. Everything was cleaned with hot soapy water. There was some surface corrosion on the bronze traveling pin that moves the mount in azimuth. But I removed all corrosion and reassembled everything ?applying lubricating grease where needed. I like to use a special anti-seize compound on all stainless steel and aluminum threads. So everything is back together and functioning properly.
I'm a bit wiser in that I've learned about the dangers of employing Calcium-Chloride. In the future I will refrain from wrapping up a wet mount, and will just place the large plastic garbage container over the mount. Even if it should rain, the mount will be open to the air so dew can evaporate without needing the Ca-Cl. After the mount has dried the next day I can cover the mount with the Telegizmo cover and plastic garbage can as needed.
This brings me to a question for the forum:
To protect unused RJ45 sockets from moist night time air I am considering inserting in each such socket a spare RJ45 jack (with no wire attached). To seal each socket from the moist maritime (salty) air I am inquiring if it would be wise to apply some sort of paste that would further seal the socket. As a HAM radio operator I know of some paste that is applied to coaxial cable connections to exclude moisture. This paste is non conducting and serves to exclude water. With dew settling on the Gemini chassis there is danger of salty deposits (from marine air) on the exposed pins of the unused sockets. I have two potential pastes:
- ?Stuf Dielectric Waterproofing Filler (for coaxial connectors, with Teflon)
- Permatex Dielectric Grease (for automotive connectors like spark plugs and 12 volt lines).?
Maybe I'm trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist. The dielectric paste could be applied around the edges of the inserted plug to exclude water. Maybe there is another technique that would accomplish the same thing. Perhaps just applying some sort of waterproof tape over the RJ45 socket. I know electrical tape would work for a while. But it eventually becomes a sticky mess as it ages. Any suggestions? I'm interested in suggestions from the forum.
Best Regards,
Russ
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Moving Ahead With My Losmandy G11 / Gemini-1
How pleased I continue to be with my 2008 version of Losmandy G-11. After 12 years the?Gemini-1?electronics had quite working. On the recommendation several persons on different forums I entrusted the repair to Michael Herman. So I can add myself to the those who have been vary satisfied with the work he did in getting the repair accomplished. His expertise was very much in evidence. He admitted that the symptoms were very strange, puzzling to himself and the other Losmandy electronic repair specialists in the UK and Australia. But he didn't give up and expeditiously finished the job by an intelligent process - testing, replacing suspect parts. Eventually the EPROM, SRAM chips were replaced along with some smaller discrete components. He eventually tracked down the cause of the issue. That issue was the result of an accident I had a couple of months ago. Let me explain. My G11/Gemini-1 had resided on a permanent pier in my garden observing site. At the conclusion of each observing session I had been covering the mount and electronics with a Telegizmo cover topped with a large plastic garbage can to provide some protection against our sometimes fierce winds here on the south Oregon coast. Since the mount usually had a significant amount of dew on it I thought it wise to place an open container of Calcium-Chloride crystals to absorb the moisture.? So the accident I mentioned happened when I uncovered the mount for an observing session. This caused the container of Ca-Cl solution to spill, with significant quantity of the salt solution getting on the base of the mount and the Gemini electronics chassis. I wiped off what I could and continued with the observing session. This was a mistake on my part. I should have recognized the damage this could cause and thoroughly cleaned all mount and electronics components that were covered with this corrosive solution. Yes, I didn't realize that Calcium chloride as a salt solution is corrosive to metal, that could be damaging to all sorts of parts. So the cause of the issue Michael discovered was that some Ca-Cl had gotten into the "Hand Controller" RJ45 socket at the upper left corner of the chassis. This caused a short between some of the contacts there, leading to the bizarre symptoms that had him and the other experts puzzled. So kudos to Michael for fixing the problem. Since he spent a number of hours over several days on the repair, his charge of $200 plus parts was most reasonable. The only part he charged for was $25 for the EPROM. Along with that came the latest version of software (Level 4, v 1.05). I wholeheartedly recommend him for any repairs to electronics that might be needed. Moving forward from this I found the electronics works just fine. I needed to set geographic coordinates and mount limits. But everything worked as expected for two observing sessions. First night I used my little Astrotech AT115 EDT triplet APO refractor. The next night I installed my Celestron-11 with the refractor riding piggyback. This requires 53 pounds of counterweights. So no doubt the mount is maxed out. ?But these were two most enjoyable observing sessions, examining some clusters and double stars in Cassiopeia. The revelation in moving ahead came when I examined the mount in the daylight, something I seldom do. There I saw that the Ca-Cl contamination had caused some corrosion to the extreme lower end of the mount. The most affected areas were the tabs for attaching the Gemini chassis along with the azimuth adjustment mechanism. Both showed evidence of salt corrosion. So I removed the entire mount and its adapter clear down to the cast iron flange atop the 4-inch galvanized pipe pier. Everything was cleaned with hot soapy water. There was some surface corrosion on the bronze traveling pin that moves the mount in azimuth. But I removed all corrosion and reassembled everything ?applying lubricating grease where needed. I like to use a special anti-seize compound on all stainless steel and aluminum threads. So everything is back together and functioning properly. I'm a bit wiser in that I've learned about the dangers of employing Calcium-Chloride. In the future I will refrain from wrapping up a wet mount, and will just place the large plastic garbage container over the mount. Even if it should rain, the mount will be open to the air so dew can evaporate without needing the Ca-Cl. After the mount has dried the next day I can cover the mount with the Telegizmo cover and plastic garbage can as needed. This brings me to a question for the forum:
To protect unused RJ45 sockets from moist night time air I am considering inserting in each such socket a spare RJ45 jack (with no wire attached). To seal each socket from the moist maritime (salty) air I am inquiring if it would be wise to apply some sort of paste that would further seal the socket. As a HAM radio operator I know of some paste that is applied to coaxial cable connections to exclude moisture. This paste is non conducting and serves to exclude water. With dew settling on the Gemini chassis there is danger of salty deposits (from marine air) on the exposed pins of the unused sockets. I have two potential pastes:
- ?Stuf Dielectric Waterproofing Filler (for coaxial connectors, with Teflon)
- Permatex Dielectric Grease (for automotive connectors like spark plugs and 12 volt lines).?
Maybe I'm trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist. The dielectric paste could be applied around the edges of the inserted plug to exclude water. Maybe there is another technique that would accomplish the same thing. Perhaps just applying some sort of waterproof tape over the RJ45 socket. I know electrical tape would work for a while. But it eventually becomes a sticky mess as it ages. Any suggestions? I'm interested in suggestions from the forum. Best Regards, Russ
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
I use kstars / ekos / Indi / phd2 on a raspberry pi. It does sequencing plate solving guiding capturing. Just about everything. PEC programing requires pempro to run on windows. Oh and skyfari pro for planing and giving slew commands to the system.?
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
As long as everything is ASCOM compliant you should be OK.? I use the current released of...
- N.I.N.A.
- TheSkyX Pro
- PHD2 Guide
- PoleMaster
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
>>>
if they weren't aware, they are now. I'm not sure I need an upgrade yet but it's not clear if you get a new camera if you have to upgrade to get the drivers!
SGP uses ASCOM so I don't think support for future cameras is in jeopardy (at least ASCOM support: native support may be a different thing)
you're right, if someone buys in right now it's $149. then you have the option of that yearly subscription to keep up with future updates.?
?
Brian
I got the email but was surprised at the renewal fee of $149. I just put it out there so if viewers, if they weren't aware, they are now. I'm not sure I need an upgrade yet but it's not clear if you get a new camera if you have to upgrade to get the drivers!
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:40 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Chuck you should check with them
they will waive the $149 for existing license holders
You can use 3.1 indefinitely. 3.2 is the subscription version
the links etc. were sent out in an email. if you need those again, drop me a line and i can try to dig up that email Brian
My license shows 3 available, subscription ended, $149 & $59/year to continue. My version 3.2 works but updates don't work!!! Looks like they've joined the dark side of the force (AKA $$$).
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:28 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Yes i did.?
i read through that pretty thoroughly because i have 6 licenses for SGP (they sell it in 3 packs and i needed 4 so that's where i ended up)
I decided to give it a year and see what $50+/year subscription gets me. if they do significant improvements that are meaningful to me, i'll continue that.?
If not, i'll just stop and stick with the version i have.? Fortunately they allow you to continue to use the version you have without a subscription, so it seems reasonable
BrianDid you get the same notice from SGP that they've gone to yearly fee service?
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:22 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Hi again Tony
Pretty much all software works great with Losmandy Gemini,?thanks to its excellent ASCOM software program Gemini Telescope.net
For capture software i've?personally used many solutions, including Sequence Generator Pro (my current favorite), NINA, Maxim DL, The Sky X, Sharpcap, ACP, etc. They all work extremely well for me and my Losmandy mounts with Gemini II.
Brian
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 1:51 PM Tony Gabriele via <tgabriele73= [email protected]> wrote: I would like to hear from my fellow Losmandy users as to what they deem the best astronomy software that is most compatible with Gemini 2 to control the telescope, and which capture software is also the most compatible.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
Brian
I got the email but was surprised at the renewal fee of $149. I just put it out there so if viewers, if they weren't aware, they are now. I'm not sure I need an upgrade yet but it's not clear if you get a new camera if you have to upgrade to get the drivers!
Chuck
-----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente <bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:40 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Chuck you should check with them
they will waive the $149 for existing license holders
You can use 3.1 indefinitely. 3.2 is the subscription version
the links etc. were sent out in an email. if you need those again, drop me a line and i can try to dig up that email Brian
My license shows 3 available, subscription ended, $149 & $59/year to continue. My version 3.2 works but updates don't work!!! Looks like they've joined the dark side of the force (AKA $$$).
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:28 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Yes i did.?
i read through that pretty thoroughly because i have 6 licenses for SGP (they sell it in 3 packs and i needed 4 so that's where i ended up)
I decided to give it a year and see what $50+/year subscription gets me. if they do significant improvements that are meaningful to me, i'll continue that.?
If not, i'll just stop and stick with the version i have.? Fortunately they allow you to continue to use the version you have without a subscription, so it seems reasonable
BrianDid you get the same notice from SGP that they've gone to yearly fee service?
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:22 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Hi again Tony
Pretty much all software works great with Losmandy Gemini,?thanks to its excellent ASCOM software program Gemini Telescope.net
For capture software i've?personally used many solutions, including Sequence Generator Pro (my current favorite), NINA, Maxim DL, The Sky X, Sharpcap, ACP, etc. They all work extremely well for me and my Losmandy mounts with Gemini II.
Brian
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 1:51 PM Tony Gabriele via <tgabriele73= [email protected]> wrote: I would like to hear from my fellow Losmandy users as to what they deem the best astronomy software that is most compatible with Gemini 2 to control the telescope, and which capture software is also the most compatible.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Re: Astronomy software & capture software
Chuck you should check with them
they will waive the $149 for existing license holders
You can use 3.1 indefinitely. 3.2 is the subscription version
the links etc. were sent out in an email. if you need those again, drop me a line and i can try to dig up that email
Brian
My license shows 3 available, subscription ended, $149 & $59/year to continue. My version 3.2 works but updates don't work!!! Looks like they've joined the dark side of the force (AKA $$$).
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:28 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Yes i did.?
i read through that pretty thoroughly because i have 6 licenses for SGP (they sell it in 3 packs and i needed 4 so that's where i ended up)
I decided to give it a year and see what $50+/year subscription gets me. if they do significant improvements that are meaningful to me, i'll continue that.?
If not, i'll just stop and stick with the version i have.? Fortunately they allow you to continue to use the version you have without a subscription, so it seems reasonable
BrianDid you get the same notice from SGP that they've gone to yearly fee service?
Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Brian Valente < bvalente@...> To: Losmandy_users < [email protected]> Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2020 02:22 PM Subject: Re: [Losmandy_users_io] Astronomy software & capture software Hi again Tony
Pretty much all software works great with Losmandy Gemini,?thanks to its excellent ASCOM software program Gemini Telescope.net
For capture software i've?personally used many solutions, including Sequence Generator Pro (my current favorite), NINA, Maxim DL, The Sky X, Sharpcap, ACP, etc. They all work extremely well for me and my Losmandy mounts with Gemini II.
Brian
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 1:51 PM Tony Gabriele via <tgabriele73= [email protected]> wrote: I would like to hear from my fellow Losmandy users as to what they deem the best astronomy software that is most compatible with Gemini 2 to control the telescope, and which capture software is also the most compatible.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Dave_Kentsbeer
Michael Herman
Timothy Campbell
Russell Milton
Jamie Amendolagine