Thanks but I maybe passing on both tools.? I can see the NCP region fairly well with my scopes however the mounting holes on the G11G are much lower then my scopes so I am not sure I will be able to see the NCP region from this location (roof is just enough in the way I believe).? Once we get some clear skies, I need to go outside and eyeball this and determine with the Losmandy polar scope or the Polemaster would actually work.

I was also looking for AP at NEAF and was very disappointed these groups did not show. I did enjoy the ZWO and SkyWatcher exhibits. Top notch setups.

Joe,
Thats what I thought they were for. But even after tightening, the altitude knob in the back still moves the altitude with little or no resistance compared to when the bolts are loose. The mount is on a permanent pier and will be there 24/7/365.
Just wanted to confirm their purpose. Everything works great so I wont mess with it.
Frank

It seems Stellarvue and Astro Physics aren't there either. I had plans on going but I hurt my leg recently, which also messed up my Eclipse plans. I have their polar scope with illuminator I don't use anymore if you are interested.

Disappointed that Losmandy was not at NEAF this year.? I drove 90 miles to specifically see them and purchase their polar alignment scope/tool and say hello to them.?

Frank,

Congratulations on the new mount.? On my G11T, bought 4 years ago - looks the same as yours, that 1/2" Allen screw tightens the altitude adjustment.? Need to tighten both sides.? The way I did it, I had two Allen wrenches. loosen / tighten both at same time. Reason, the altitude will move very little from the set position.? Loosen just enough so that you have drag when turning the altitude knob, same for the azimuth knobs, both at the same time and just enough to move. Then tighten just that little bit and polar align should not move that much..vs loosen with no drag.?

Are you permanent or portable??? Are you using software to do polar alignment, pointing model??? Or do you slew to an area and plate solve??

I was portable but put the pier down in same location every time. One polar alignment / pointing model would last a year.? I used Sharpcap for initial polar alignment and Sky X for my all sky pointing model.? T Point did an automated mapping run, that was my pointing model and also verified the Sharpcap PA.? I also have a Paramount ME from 24 years ago.

Joe

Hi,
Today I reveived my new G11T from Losmandy. There is a 1/2" allen wrench bolt on both sides of the mount in the middle of the altitude adjustment screws. They were loose when I unboxed that I presumed was for shipping purposes. So my first thought was that the bolts locked the altitude adjustmant in place after polar alignment. But after adjusting the elevation with the large knob in the rear and then tightening the bolts, the elevation still turned without added effort. Any idea what the bolts are for and how tight they should be. I added a photo below. I checked the User Manual?

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On Wed, Apr 10, 2024 at 08:32 AM, BBasiaga wrote:

I have a G11G, and just got a 130mm Stellarvue refractor to image with.? ?I've got an 11lb and 20lb counterweight currently, trying to figure out if I should use more.? The scope weighs I think 21lbs with rings, and adding the camera, flattner etc I expect to be about 25-28lbs.? ?Seems to weigh less than my fully loaded C11, but the 30ish lbs of counterweight didn't seem quite enough for that scope.? The weight is much closer in with this refractor.? I can get it to balance, but won't be able to test under the stars for tracking for quite a while based on forecast and travel plans.??

I had posted here before an a number of folks were using refractors in this class/weight range.? What did you find was the 'right' amount of counterweight??

Brian

Brian,

The best thing to do is to set it up and try it. The counterweights would ideally be located about the same distance from the axis as the center of mass of the scope over the DEC axis. For a refractor on a Losmandy D dovetail this is someplace around mid-shaft of the standard G11/GM8 CW shaft. If your counterweights are not in the middle then just change them up, I usually use a 21# and an 11# for the bespoke Parallax/AT130mm f/6 SDT imaging rig. I place the 21# in the middle and move the 11# in and out depending on what other bits are hung on the tube.?

When I have the 130mm imaging rig and Takahashi FC-100DL for visual with a ADM alignment platform in a side-by-side setup it is pretty heavy and I use 2 x 21# with a 7# on the end for balance.? ? ? ??
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Yup, the GM8G and G11 share virtually all hard points other than those needed to accommodate the larger G11 worm gear mechanics. The GM8 DEC section had to be the same length / height as the G11 to clear the original classic Losmandy straight stepper drive assembly. The worms and blocks are the same only the worm gears and the mechanicals to support them were changed for the G11.?

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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Scott definitely does have a hand in the process all right. A few years ago I bought one of the RA and DEC extenders for my G11 (the semi-permanent ones that bolt on rather than the modern quick removal type). Cheapo that I am, I elected to pick it up at Losmany World HQ in Burbank, while we were on the way to a cruise at the port of LA, rather than paying the expensive shipping. I dealt with Tanya for the order of course, but when we arrived to pick it up, there was the boss, beavering away at assembling a bunch of mounts. He personally marshalled all the parts for my order, even reaching in to his "bolt bins" to grab the exact fasteners I needed.

I don’t know of another major telescope manufacturer that you would be able to call and talk to the owner. He also has his hands in the assembly process. If you buy a Losmandy mount Scott Losmandy has put it together. To me that says it all.?

Thanks for the link. The reviewer pretty much has Losmandy's number, top level craftsmanship with a very good modern control system that works well with modern imaging hardware and software technology. All at a very high value price point for this level of payload, tracking performance and long term company support. Basically what I have been saying for over 10 years or so.?

The reviewer did not cover the real secrets behind why the G11 has continued to be a hit for over 30 years. I imagine probably because he is new to Losmandy ownership and has not had much experience with Scott and the Losmandy community yet.?

This is the secret sauce, GM8 and G11 mounts are mechanically elegant solutions to a simple problem. That elegance has allowed Losmandy to keep the basic mechanical core of the GM8G and G11 mounts the same for over 30 years. To the unsophisticated this might seem a poor practice but in reality the basic design was so good there has been no need to change the core mechanism. In the real world this has meant Losmandy never had to change his core design and all GM8 and G11 mounts ever built enjoy a deep supply of new replacement parts available for repairs and or upgrades. Every GM8 and G11 ever made can be updated to the latest specs and features. Conversely a new GM8 or G11 could also be backdated if needed but I'm not sure that makes a lot of sense given that older used Losmandy mounts are very reasonably priced.?

The elegant, straight forward core modularity and mechanical design also allowed Losmandy to be very forward looking and highly adaptable as the market changed from manual PUSH-TO visual use to computer controlled GOTO visual use to the current rage (or bane), imaging and autoguiding use. Losmandy has never stopped development of the GM8 and G11 mount auxiliary hardware. These are the bits hung off the core GM8 and G11 mechanisms and has allowed the Losmandy mounts their extraordinary flexibility and longevity.? Additionally Losmandy has never compromised or reduced the quality of their finished products.

My favorite and possibly the most important part is that Losmandy has a hard core group of users that support not only each other but also provide Losmandy with vital feed back. A few prime examples I was fortunate to be involved with include the one-piece spring loaded worm blocks and the new Gemini 2 L6.xx firmware.?

Scott and the crew got it right the first time and they continue to get it right. At least this has been what I have observed over the last 30 years.?

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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Dark Rangers Inc recently released this video on the G11 as a new purchase:



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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, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 12:12 PM, crocco1250 wrote:

Chip. Did you ever experience cone error and, if yes, did you adjust the polemaster to align with your scope to make it colinear?

Chuck

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 01:16:43 PM PDT, Chip Louie <chiplouie@...> wrote:

?

?

On Sat, Mar 30, 2024 at 03:56 AM, <kevinwalsh324@...> wrote:

“??You would never be able to use a pole master to polar align with that motor in the way.”

Thanks for the comment.

If I ever need to use a Polemaster, maybe I would. But as I mentioned, after doing a rough polar alignment by ‘eyeballing’ through the RA axis, I built a pointing model and then used the PAC app in the Gemini system to tweak my PA. So for now, I’m satisfied with the mount as is. It’s on a permanent pier, so I may ocassionally check and tweak my PA, but I don’t expect I’d need to use a Polemaster on a regular basis.

?Not true. Do what I do, put the PoleMaster camera on a dovetail saddle clamp and clamp it on the telescope dovetail and then use the PoleMaster or other app to do your PA. I helped prototype this mount from ADM and it has served me and many others well for many years now.?




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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Never had a problem with cone error using the Polemaster on the dovetail clamp. The way the Polemaster software works avoids cone error. I also only use threaded camera attachments for guide scopes and imaging scopes, Losmandy and ADM CNC'd dovetails and mounting hardware which seems to eliminate flexure and misalignment.? ? ?
?
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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

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All 3 of which size??


Sounds like i may be in the ballpark with the 20 and 11 I have....just need a chance to give it a try....

Brian