Hi,
Any argument for advising against lithium grease?
Thanks
Claudio

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Hi!

And at the base of the ASIAir, is Indi :)

Magnus

I found and fixed the DEC movement bug in my OnStep system.? I had assigned the DEC step pin to the same pin used for LED controls.? As a result, every time the LED was blinked, it turned my DEC motor instead.? Redefining the LED pin fixed it so I can declare victory on the OnStep front, everything seems to be working quite well as far as I can tell.

I created an album for the image I described earlier in this thread, at least it shows the same resolution as the image on my laptop.? I can't get it to show properly otherwise so?here's the link.? Again I'm very pleased with the stars especially as it was unguided.? I hope to take many good images with my G11S now that it works well.

I use ZWO ASIAir pro which you can control wirelessly from your IOS or Android device.?

if you are a ZWO camera, filter wheel or electronic focuser unit, it can also control those. It can also control few heaters.

you can connect it to the mount using a serial cable or via a wireless interface into the Gemini 1.

I connect to it via my home WiFi, but it also has its own WiFi hotspot, but it’s pretty weak.

Basically it’s a well packaged raspberry pi based system that you can do DSO imaging, plate solving, goto, guiding and now planetary video with. Very good system, even better if you are a ZWO camera, and now ZWO ecosystem user.

Thanks all. I'm currently using a PC (Win 10 laptop) for this application though any platform could be an option in future (e.g. I have several RasPi's at hand). Just wanting to get up and running in short order and check mount operation. I used Stellarium about 10 years ago. I guess it has improved since then. Due to backyard conditions my plan for next year is a ROR obsy and moving toward imaging, with longer term software integration/automation for roof, sky conditions, etc.. Thanks for the tip about fake IC's. I'm OK with basic DIY electronics and competent with software. I'll be sure to call if I need help, which might be more around getting the mount performing to its best after the rebuild.?

I think I understand what you mean Chip, relative to the rotation axis, tangential pressure by the Belleville washer and radial pressure by a spring plunger.? It seems like part 1 requires the outer block to be in a fixed position by attaching it to the cover, while part 2 requires the outer block to be movable.? I did not quite get that part, a verbal description can do so much.?

Regardless, I'm not ready for placing McMaster-Carr orders.? What I have works, it's non-destructive and I had fun doing it. And I took the sharpest image I ever took, with it BTW.? I could change it to a sheet metal brace that encloses a tangential spring for perpendicular pressure instead of pulling on a screw.

In the end, using the worm cover for spring loading is an afterthought and a kludge.? That worm cover has 4 screws that need to be positioned carefully, and that also serve to protect the motor couplings from being pulled on.? I just spent over an hour getting the RA motors attached and having the the worm positioned such that it moves freely.? The aluminum flexible couplers that I use make the tolerances even tighter.? It is enough trouble by itself let alone adding a loaded spring in the mix.? A good spring loaded worm system should be designed up front and center so it can be installed and adjusted independently of the other parts.

Henk,

That is a very wonky system done long ago by others and found wanting in reliability and consistency. But I offer you a much better solution here for the insult.

It looks like you have already drilled and tapped the worm cover to hold the worm bearing blocks in place, if this is true you will get better consistency by installing a in the outer bearing block using the well proven methods of either reducing the 4RZZ bearing's outer shell OD just enough to allow the bearing to float in the outer bearing block or by honing the outer bearing block enough to do the same thing, floating the bearings on a layer of fine lube, both work well. The Belleville spring disc is oriented with the large cone pressing on the worm bearing outer shell, you may need to put a shim under the small cone to get some preload depending on your particular outer bearing block cavity. Next you snug down the fasteners to tie the blocks firmly in the worm cover now acting as a bearing block carrier and at this point your worm should have zero endplay in the carrier and the entire assembly should behave as a solid single piece. You can stop here and you will have a massively improved worm carrier system and then just adjust the backlash on the mount after it has been chilled outside on a cold night in the usual way.??

But this next step should get you pretty close to where those with sprung gen II OPWs are. Your mount appears to have a drilled and tapped hole in the deck/base plate in line with the outer bearing block. If this hole has been drilled and tapped all the way through to the outer bearing block post you might find a to fit the tapped hole to make this setup behave as a spring loaded loaded worm system. The spring plunger if you find one small enough yet long enough would act on the outer bearing block post in the hole preloading the now mechanically bridged bearing blocks. You would need to use a fine grease under both blocks and under the bottom cap screws and set the cap screws the tiniest bit loose to allow the 0.001-0.002" movement needed to float the worm, it should not be loose but just able to move in and out. You will also want to use a mild thread adhesive on the retaining cap screws. If you cannot find a spring plunger small enough, I don't know the hole and thread size, you can in essence make your own by using a short piece of solid SS rod with an OD to closely fit the threaded hole and chased by a small block of rubber and caped with a long inside hex cap screw for an adjuster. Again you only need to allow 0.001"-0.002" of movement so this should be nearly as effective as the real spring OPWs.?

Cheers!

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

?ruasonid@...

10:17am???#68025??

What are the options and preferred software(s) for control via a PC/laptop?

For a Windows 10 based PC/laptop you first need to install ?and the Gemini.net driver/applet with the appropriate USB to RS232 serial converter cable. If you want to buy a known to work setup PM Michael Herman for the right modular cable and 9-pin D-Sub modular connector you will need. He might also have the but I think normally you can get these directly from the manufacturer website to avoid getting a fake IC in the cable, yes fake ICs - some work some don't.??

Then depending on what you want to do the planetarium app Stellarium is an excellent simulation of the night sky with many ways to view the sky. The Cartes du Ciel app is really better as a charting program for planning but also usable as a sky simulation but it not as realistic being chart oriented. Both are free and can get you started as a first step. You can add imaging apps to control the imaging and guide cameras along with the mount if you want to image but it is a lot simpler to get the mount control working with a planetarium app first before jumping into imaging control which is a lot more involved.??

If this sounds difficult I assure you it is not! As long as you have the right parts and software it pretty much is a plug and play thing.? ?

--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

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Hi!

There are a lot. I can chip in with my system: Ekos/INdi. It is linux-based but if you run a Raspberry Pi on the telescope, you can control this from any OS. Have a look at stellarmate.com. (Stellarmate is a packaged version of Ekos/Indi in a Raspberry or just the system if you already have the device).

Best,

Magnus

What are the options and preferred software(s) for control via a PC/laptop?

Hi Seb,

As I have said many times the gen I OPWs were a much better design from the purely mechanical perspective. But they were expensive because the took many small pieces and a lot of time to make and assemble. The performance differences are very small and most likely not reliably measurable. The Oldham is designed to allow for a small misalignment between axes that are parallel. The issue here is that there are slight velocity changes produced by the shaft misalignments not being parallel and varies depending on the angle of the axles. In this case the difference is very small so it works ok.?
? ? ?
Unfortunately the gen I OPWs are long out of production and nobody has stock of them any more AFAIK anyway. Anybody who know the differences is not likely to sell them as they are the best version with the most potential to produce extremely low PE.

So with your gen II OPW you can simply pull the black plastic T-cap off or replace it with the same size cap screw. That T-adjuster is used to lift the worm from the worm wheel and limits the worm's inward travel on the current gen II OPWs when used with the spring stack used in the current version mounts. I'm pretty sure the hardware is available off the shelf from Losmandy or you can turn them on a lathe from 1" aluminum rod stock and supply your own springs.? ?

With either the gen I OPW or gen II OPWs you can spring load the OPW by drilling and tapping a small hole in the base or deck plate where the empty hole in the gen II OPW is and run a small cap screw through the hole in the OPW. I am telling you this assuming you know that if you screw this up you are on your own. To drill and tap the hole is trivial but requires a quality machine shop with a mill and skilled operator. You will damage the existing hole in the deck plate for the OPW if you drill too deep, there is no reason to drill through so make sure you do not. Also don't do this at home!??

Anyway you can then put machined spring seats on both ends of a small stack of Belleville discs and use the cap screw length or shims to limit outward travel of the OPW. The springs only need to allow the OPW to move in and out maybe 0.002" total run out while keeping the worm fully engaged in the worm wheel and to minimize bouncing from face to face between the worm and worm wheel surfaces. This is a very small range of motion and obviously the block surfaces and the OPW retaining screw seats need some slick but thin lubricant and the inner mounting post needs to be loosened slightly, just enough so the gen I OPW can rotate and the outer mounting post needs to be set about the same and both need a mild thread adhesive to retain the fasteners and prevent excessive movement. The OPW only moves a very small amount depending on the concentricity of the bearings and worms gears you have.??

Good luck!
??
--

Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

Wow nice Brian!? Even when I load up the full resolution, when clicking on the attachment it is still only 1024 times something.

I figured I'll wait until the Moon is gone, my main goal was to test the equipment.

I am stoked about how well everything worked though while not even trying hard.

--

The attachment worked, it is larger than the inline image but still smaller than when I look at it on my screen.? That was actually not full size but this one is, attached.? You can see the lack of dithering, I can't recall having that with an unguided image, I guess that means something.

On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 06:55 AM, Henk Aling wrote:

The OnStep part can be a few minutes but what took me a lot of time is debugging my CNC v3 board (I had two, not all pins were working as advertised) and making cables for SPI, etcetera.? Plus, one of my two Wemoses was broken as well (but not badly enough to make it obvious).? Debugging all that took a lot of time.? But it's OK, I enjoyed learning everything.

Well in theory, 5 minutes. I spent a day trying to figure out what was not working to find out I had the wrong pin map defined. I also waited 5 days to get new CNC board because I thought my old one was broke, it was not plugged in :)?

Well I tried again and found that OnStep is moving in DEC for some reason, I am checking with the OnStep group.?

After unplugging the DEC cable I got this image of Andromeda by Moonlight.? I don't think I can salvage the colors but what matters is that the stars are very crisp and round.? ?G11S with OnStep and DIY SL Worms unguided, Fuji X-a1 @ 6400 ISO, 178x30s lights, 24 flats, DSS (stack+edit).

I can't get the image any larger maybe there's a limit so just take my word for it.? Thanks for looking.

Hi,

got if from teleskope-express.de. They still have them in stock (for GM8). It is written OPW8 on the box. I didnt get any spring and screws with it. Should I?

I have installed this new worm block today. What a pita ! Here are my thoughts

Cons:
1. Well, in fact its not a ONE piece worm block. Its a bunch of several pieces screwed together.
2. The biggest issue is that it's impossible to be 100% sure that the coupler is good aligned. The coupler is hidden. I think its a bad design. There should be a window in the cover of the worm. It may be covered with a flat metal piece and two screws. Not a big problem to make this.
3. If you dont have a tucked motor version of the mount, it is impossible to manually check if the worm is to much pressed to the worm gear. You have to turn on the mount, slew and you may have a RA stall. If you see the stall message, just adjust the thumb screw (not so easy, but I will write about it later). Then you can use the balance function to perfectly adjust the worm mesh.
4. There is another design flaw. It is impossible to turn the thumb screw, because the wings of the this screw are to long and hit the mount !

Pros:
1. Hmmm. Still dont know. I think only the original OPWB is a good idea. All in line for 100%: gearbox->coupler>worm. BTW how long is the waiting time for original OPWB and is it still offered?

Seb

Hi all,

I am trying to run a Titan mount with TheSkyX. ?I can connect, and point, and drive, and PHD guiding appears to work pretty well. ?However, I am having issues parking the mount when done. ?I first move the scope to approximately counterweight down position and have tried various combinations of "Set Park Position" and just "Park", but it gets stuck on "Parking" and never shows up as finally "Parked". ?The hand paddle (trying not to use this if possible) keeps switching between screens and one of the screens has the big stop sign. ?It is as if the Gemini is fighting with TheSkyX. ?(???) ?Is there some easy procedure I am missing? ?Turn off sidereal tracking and just leave it at that? ?I am trying to get things set up for completely remote operations, so this is just one more step. ?Thanks for any suggestions on things to try.

regards,
Charlie

Nice, I also have the??Wemos R32 with a CNC v3 shield for an OnStep using the original hurst stepper motor. I just have a GM8 RA base so it serves as a heavy duty star tracker and solar scope mount. The whole OnStep was also a 5 minute mod :)?

The OnStep part can be a few minutes but what took me a lot of time is debugging my CNC v3 board (I had two, not all pins were working as advertised) and making cables for SPI, etcetera.? Plus, one of my two Wemoses was broken as well (but not badly enough to make it obvious).? Debugging all that took a lot of time.? But it's OK, I enjoyed learning everything.

Last night I took the system under the stars and found that it was not tracking well (unrelated to the mod of this thread, I ran it with and without).? So I have more debugging to do.? The battery was at 11.5 V so maybe that was it, otherwise I may need to increase the Vref of the stepper drivers, check the connections, etcetera.? I will figure it out but it always takes more time.