Different tripod for the heck of it
I have used my G11 these past twenty years on a variety of different tripods.? The standard G11 tripod it came with is excellent.? The Berlebach wood tripod is easier to handle in snow.
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Less known and very pricey is the 10micron Aries tripod.? The easiest to pack up and put in the car by a long shot.? And takes up the least space of everything I've tried.? ?(pictured is G11 carrying AP GT130 and CFF 92, with h-alpha and Herschel wedge respectively).? -Greg N
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
Oberon510’s picture shows the hand knobs at the top of extension and hex bolts on the adaptor. You can also switch these bolts so that extension stays attached to the RA rather than tripod/pier when you disassemble (as I do)
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Either way, you need to move the mounting horns for the Gemini from the adaptor to the extension if using the original RA and DEC motor cables.
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Edward
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Re: G11T RA Clicking Sound
Thanks, John. I removed the RA axis cover and did not see anything amiss when slewing. It looked pretty perfect. I fiddled with the SLW. The sound is much fainter now. I don't think it is now imaginary, but the volume is low enough that I'll probably have to ask my wife if she can hear it just to be certain it is still there. I could now be hearing it because I expect to hear it.?
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I also wondered how the old gear aligned with the gearbox. The old motor has only had about 200-250 hours of tracking use (to include slews). I didn't feel the vibration of the ticks in the gearbox, only in the motor, which made me think it was a motor problem at first. With a clearer head, I will check back tonight for both the sound and feel for any rhythmic vibrations.?
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The last thing I feel like doing is removing that motor again. I quite literally bled getting it back on, which included language that earned the outing a solid R rating. It seems like they could design a motor housing that does not impede access.?
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George
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Re: Astroart 8 Not Calibrating / Guiding Gemini 1
Hi Joe,
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I'm not familiar with AstroArt, so these comments are based on some assumptions. A few things worth noting:
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There are two different and distinct methods of autoguiding Gemini, and you need to pick one to configure correctly.
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1. Method 1 uses the autoguider output of your guide camera connected to autoguider input on Gemini. This method uses an ST4 connection and cable. There may be differences between what Gemini expects at the autoguider input and what QHY5Lii outputs. When I used Gemini-1 with an ST4-compatible camera, I had to use a relay box in between to make sure the camera could talk to Gemini.
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2. The other method uses Gemini serial commands to autoguide. In this case, there is no connection to the autoguider port needed, but Gemini must be connected to your PC and the autoguider software must issue what's called 'pulse guide' commands to Gemini over the serial link. This method would use the ASCOM driver in AA, I presume.
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For method 1, the pulse guide settings in the ASCOM driver you mention will not do anything, since the autoguider corrections are sent directly from your camera to Gemini, bypassing ASCOM driver. For method 2, when using Gemini-1, I recommend leaving Async Pulse Guide selected, and turn off Precision Guide setting, as it had quirks when used with G1.?
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Let's decide which method of autoguiding you want to use, and then figure out what's needed to make it work. When you say PHD2 calibrates and auto-guides, what autoguider mount connection option did you select in PHD2? A setting of "On-Camera" will use method 1 or ST4, while a setting of "ASCOM-compatible" will use method 2 using pulse guiding.
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Once we know what method works for you in PHD2, we can then try to configure the same in AA8.
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Regards,
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? -Paul
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On Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 02:19 AM, KC5DFP wrote:
Hello All.
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I have an issue with Astroart 8 and my G11 Gemini 1, specifically AA8 calibrating commands not getting to the mount, or that’s what it seems like anyway.?
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I have a QHY5Lii guide camera output plugged into the autoguider port of the Gemini 1, and tried all available Guide dropdown menu options available under the AA8 Telescope Control panel. I got the “mount didn’t move” error, meaning the mount didn’t receive any commands, no matter what selections used.?Im using the ASCOM Diver from the Astroart website that pulls up the Gemini software and?connects to the mount?successfully.?Lastly, using PHD2 with the same cabling/connections the mount calibrates and guides well, so I know the hardware and cabling are fine.
Just to note I did put the Gemini hand controller in all speed mode and tried all combinations of the Async Pulse Guide and Precision Guide Pulse software settings but to no avail.?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Joe
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
I appreciate all the replies and the pictures. It helped quite a bit. I ordered the 12" extension.
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Thanks,
Joel
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
Hi Joel,
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Some pics of my pier attached. Below the rat-cage, I have a 4" OD solid aluminum cylinder bolted to one side of railroad track cemented into the ground, and another 2x3" aluminum bar on the other side. The aluminum plates under the pier head are 3/4" x 7" OD which are not easy to find. But you can see I drilled and tapped them so they can be leveled as needed - it's hard to get a pier perfectly level so some adjustment is often needed.
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Regards,
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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
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Re: Astroart 8 Not Calibrating / Guiding Gemini 1
Joe, I’m not great on things like guiding but I do know I have read of issues with this very same camera QHY5ver2
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Search all the the Gemini forums. Here’s one to start with.?
/g/Gemini_ASCOM_Driver/topic/qhyccd_5l_ii_vs_phd2/33168724
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I only say this as a search my give better results FWIW
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And welcome to the forum. I’m sure others will chime in?
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Cheers
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Brendan
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Astroart 8 Not Calibrating / Guiding Gemini 1
Hello All.
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I have an issue with Astroart 8 and my G11 Gemini 1, specifically AA8 calibrating commands not getting to the mount, or that’s what it seems like anyway.?
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I have a QHY5Lii guide camera output plugged into the autoguider port of the Gemini 1, and tried all available Guide dropdown menu options available under the AA8 Telescope Control panel. I got the “mount didn’t move” error, meaning the mount didn’t receive any commands, no matter what selections used.?Im using the ASCOM Diver from the Astroart website that pulls up the Gemini software and?connects to the mount?successfully.?Lastly, using PHD2 with the same cabling/connections the mount calibrates and guides well, so I know the hardware and cabling are fine.
Just to note I did put the Gemini hand controller in all speed mode and tried all combinations of the Async Pulse Guide and Precision Guide Pulse software settings but to no avail.?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Joe
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Re: G11T RA Clicking Sound
Hi George,
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A ticking while slewing does not necessarily mean a problem with tracking and guiding. Since you are in slew speed, it's hard to say where a 0.5s noise might be coming from. You may want to take off the spur gear covers and see if you can spot anything. I'd say take all the payload off and try to turn the gears by hand to see if you can feel or spot any hangups. Then try removing the motor and turn things again if the prior test doesn't reveal anything. I wonder how your old pinion gear mates with the new gearbox. This situation might require a call to HGM.
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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
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Re: G11T RA Clicking Sound
I have a G11G and the DEC was making a clicking sound when slewing under load.? I used one of these to isolate the sound.? The SLW needed adjusting.
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Jim W
Phoenix, AZ. USA
Losmandy G11G w/ L6, NINA 3.0 / ASTAP, ASI2600MC Pro, Sky-Watcher Scopes, Canon L Lenses.
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I just received a new Titan axis upgrade for the Losmandy G11. It is a beautiful piece of kit. After balancing the axes and selecting the G11T in the hand controller, I moved the mount on both axes to make sure everything was working smoothly. In the new RA axis, I'd hear a ticking sound. The mount has some weight on it (about 45 lbs) but everything is well balanced. When I removed the RA motor and ran it from the hand controller, there was no ticking sound. Adjusting the tightness of the motor against he gear housing did produce much of a change, though I thought I noticed a much smaller tick slewing eastward versus slewing towards the west. The ticking is at very regular intervals at maximum slew using the hand controller (perhaps every 0.5 sec). It does not seem to affect slewing at all and there is no binding to the point that movement stops in any orientation I've checked.?
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When the RA motor was attached to the G11G, it did not make this sound. The Axis upgrade calls for using the RA axis motor from the G11G for the G11T. Settings in the hand controller are those necessary for the G11T in terms of gearing.?
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My first thought was a possible gearbox issue, though this seems a little less likely coming straight from the factory. Another thought, coming from my G11G days of two days ago, was perhaps the RA worm gear needs some adjusting? There is probably a good 30 degrees F in temperature difference between my location and where the worm gear was originally adjusted; however, I've read that these are properly adjusted at the factory. I'm not a natural tinkerer. I was recently befuddled by a focuser screw. So while I adjusted the worm gear on my G11G, I was absolutely certain I needed to. Now, I'm not so sure and would rather get some further information before taking things apart and coming to the usually problematic realization that there are extra parts.?
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First, is this clicking sound actually normal for a new mount??
If this sound isn't entirely normal but everything is working as it should, should I just use the mount under the rules of engagement regarding things that aren't broken?
If tinkering is required, what are the areas I should look to tinker in? Gearbox and...??
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Thanks in advance for all replies!?
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Regards,?
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George
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Interesting you're dissatisfied with the 858D. I too have one of those plus additional nozzle. Don't use it for anything really sophisticated but find it quite well suited for the occasional job of removing something of the size of 44pin QFPs or smaller. And for the money saved compared to a proper tool you can pay someone to clean up your desk for years.
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? ? ? “Yeah and clean, well ? ? ? ? organized workplace.”
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Hahaha I start every job with a clear desk …..end up looking like that. ?Only takes a few hrs!
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George, you use “Dexion storage bins”! ? A tech’s go to for organising!
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Is that Astrophysics HC I see in one of the bins on the right? ?The 855 hot air is like mine. ?I really should get a proper Quick 861DW. ?
Mine is only good for heatshrink and burning my fingers. ? ?Paul did really well and glad it worked out as it gives confidence. ?
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Brendan
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
Joel,
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I did this same thing several years ago. I pulled the MAL adapter head off the tripod and bolted it to the top of my pier with the center bolt hole. However, I did use a rat-cage with two aluminum plates on top of the pier with three bolts around the outside for leveling. The extensions are just hollow tubes as far as I know, so there may not be anything on the bottom end to bolt through. You want the mount high enough so the polar scope holes will align with a point in the sky above the walls, or your PAs will be more difficult. Besides the center bolt (1/2"?) I put in three smaller cap screws through the other MAL holes into the aluminum plate below, but after I did one PA. After that you have no AZ adjustment other than what the mount AZ knobs will do, so you need to get as aligned with that center screw shaft as possible before drilling more holes. I'll try to find some pics later.
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Regards,
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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
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
Yes? - same as the top of the extension that secures the mount -
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On Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 02:40 PM, George Cushing wrote:
Yeah and clean, well organized?workplace.
How did you get a photo of my desk???
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Yeah and clean, well organized?workplace.
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Re: Cable needed: Gemini2 Serial port to USB connection with FTDI.
Well the UART jack is a RJ-45/12 with 8 conductor connections. Minium UART requires TX, RX and ground connections. You need to know which?connector on the plug gets which signal. Here's the pin outs.?
Easy to make if you?have a RJ plug crimper. I paid $40 for mine in the day.?Under a tenner now. I'd go for a Molex or Dupont type 6 position plug at the?usb to serial adapter. I have another crimper for these but you can get away with needle nose pliers. I generally use Dallas Labs or CKH adapters because they broke the FTDI monopoly and got prices down to under $2.
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Re: Pier Adapter vs. Pier Extension
Just so I'm clear, the three bolts from the top of the base/pier adapter hold the extension in place?
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Thanks,
Joel
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On Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 01:25 PM, George Cushing wrote:
?Another secret is to wick as much of the original solder off as possible. You're never going to get to clean copper, but that's not necessary. Otherwise you risk bridging.?
Here was my first attempt at Gemini dsPIC33 removal (with Brendan's invaluable help) :)
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Edward Plumer
Paul Kanevsky
Joel Black
