开云体育

Strange behavior of my G-11 Gemini-1

YAMADA masami All Messages By This Member #68234 Hi, My G-11 Gemini-1 system, which is more than 15 years old, showed strange behavior last night. While capturing the Mars image, suddenly the image went somewhere out of the FoV of my ASI224MC. I powered down the system, and restart it, then I found the SRAM was reset somehow.? I noticed that because the location info were zero, and the mount type became Titan. After several restart attempts, now I cannot control the mount via deluxe HC nor PC, because the menu on the HC was cyclically changing and sometimes shows garbage characters.? The system does not accept any interruption.? I replaced a CR2354 battery and EPROM.? But no avail. I'm afraid my Gemini-1 seems broken.? Maybe is it time to upgrade to Gemini-2? masami Gifu-city, Japan ?
Michael Herman All Messages By This Member #68236 Yamada-san, Contact expert repairer Brendan Smith, who is closest to you, in Australia, at: ?brenatlilydale@... He knows the Gemini-1 inside out and I'm sure will get it back to health. Best, Michael toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 9:32 AM YAMADA masami <yamada@...> wrote: Hi, My G-11 Gemini-1 system, which is more than 15 years old, showed strange behavior last night. While capturing the Mars image, suddenly the image went somewhere out of the FoV of my ASI224MC. I powered down the system, and restart it, then I found the SRAM was reset somehow.? I noticed that because the location info were zero, and the mount type became Titan. After several restart attempts, now I cannot control the mount via deluxe HC nor PC, because the menu on the HC was cyclically changing and sometimes shows garbage characters.? The system does not accept any interruption.? I replaced a CR2354 battery and EPROM.? But no avail. I'm afraid my Gemini-1 seems broken.? Maybe is it time to upgrade to Gemini-2? masami Gifu-city, Japan ?
David C. Partridge Member Profile All Messages By This Member #68239 开云体育 Yamada san – you should consider sending your Gemini-1 to Brendan Smith in Australia for repair: ? ? David ? toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of YAMADA masami Sent: 11 October 2020 17:32 To: [email protected] Subject: [Losmandy_users_io] Strange behavior of my G-11 Gemini-1 ? Hi, My G-11 Gemini-1 system, which is more than 15 years old, showed strange behavior last night. While capturing the Mars image, suddenly the image went somewhere out of the FoV of my ASI224MC. I powered down the system, and restart it, then I found the SRAM was reset somehow.? I noticed that because the location info were zero, and the mount type became Titan. After several restart attempts, now I cannot control the mount via deluxe HC nor PC, because the menu on the HC was cyclically changing and sometimes shows garbage characters.? The system does not accept any interruption.? I replaced a CR2354 battery and EPROM.? But no avail. I'm afraid my Gemini-1 seems broken.? Maybe is it time to upgrade to Gemini-2? masami Gifu-city, Japan ?
Brendan All Messages By This Member #68240 Edited Yamada If it’s “cycling” it Initially it sounds like the HC “menu” button is stuck or shorted. ? But this does not explain why it reset nor garbage characters. ?Even with a bad battery your system will run fine until you shut it down. Next boot it will then show “SRAM reset”. Garbage characters .....comes straight from CPU and EEPROM.? I suggest the issue is CPU related thus your Gemini unit needs repair. ?You can see if Losmandy is exchanging G1’s in an upgrade programme but I doubt it. ?It’s a long way to send a G1 to me (Australia) for repair? ? Yes I can repair them but the post could be costly.? Cheers -- Brendan
YAMADA masami All Messages By This Member #68241 Hi Michael, David and Brendan, Thank you for your quick reply.? Maybe it's unlikely, but I've asked Losmandy whether there is any upgrade program to Gemini-2. If such path is not available, I will have my unit to be repaired.? I might request Michael in the U.S. or Brendan in Australia. I will check with my nearest post office about the cost and delivery time of EMS first.? I don't mind the time because I have a Gemini-2 unit for my another G-11, but if the delivery cost is high, I need to reconsider the new Gemini-2. ? Thanks in advance, masami
Michael Herman All Messages By This Member #68242 This sounds surprisingly like my last repair in which the extra serial port had corrosion...or a wire touching. The corrosion was shorting some wires leading to the CPU thinking it was getting a signal.?? Inspect those serial port and RS232 sockets for trouble.?? Best, Michael toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:27 PM Brendan Smith <brenatlilydale@...> wrote: Yamada If it’s “cycling” it Initially it sounds like the HC “menu” button is stuck or shorted. ? But this does not explain why it reset nor garbage characters.? Even with a bad battery your system will run fine until you shut it down. Next boot it will then show “SRAM reset”. Garbage characters .....comes straight from CPU and EEPROM.? I suggest the issue is CPU related thus your Gemini unit needs repair.? You can see if Losmandy is exchanging G1’s in an upgrade programme but I doubt it.? It’s a long way to send a G1 to me (Australia) for repair? ? Yes I can repair them but the post could be costly.? Cheers -- Brendan
Brendan All Messages By This Member #68244 Hi Michael... I was thinking the same. -- Brendan
John Schaub All Messages By This Member #68245 开云体育 I had the same issue with my Gemini -1. The problem went away when I replaced the hand controller John On 10/11/2020 6:26 PM, Michael Herman wrote: toggle quoted message Show quoted text This sounds surprisingly like my last repair in which the extra serial port had corrosion...or a wire touching. The corrosion was shorting some wires leading to the CPU thinking it was getting a signal.?? Inspect those serial port and RS232 sockets for trouble.?? Best, Michael On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:27 PM Brendan Smith <brenatlilydale@...> wrote: Yamada If it’s “cycling” it Initially it sounds like the HC “menu” button is stuck or shorted. ? But this does not explain why it reset nor garbage characters.? Even with a bad battery your system will run fine until you shut it down. Next boot it will then show “SRAM reset”. Garbage characters .....comes straight from CPU and EEPROM.? I suggest the issue is CPU related thus your Gemini unit needs repair.? You can see if Losmandy is exchanging G1’s in an upgrade programme but I doubt it.? It’s a long way to send a G1 to me (Australia) for repair? ? Yes I can repair them but the post could be costly.? Cheers -- Brendan
Michael Herman All Messages By This Member #68247 Very interesting John. (If you still have the faulty hand controller, I'd like to get a chance to repair it.? I have repaired at least one other hand unit.? Let me know if you still have it! ) Folks should know that corrosion of the copper traces on and in the circuit boards can occur.? The boards are not "conformal coated" with any kind of moisture repelling varnish.?? Corrosion is accelerated by 2 things:? ?a) Moisture (salt water is very corrosive) ?b) Voltage (DC voltage is a stronger corrosion driver than AC) So: Keep condensation and certainly rain or dew from dripping into your Gemini systems.? ?Keep the units well covered from any precipitation.?? Remove the DC power from your Gemini when you are done using it.? Even with the Gemini power switch off, the voltage is present on the board up to the switch traces. Better to just pull out the power input or be sure it is not putting out DC voltage (shut off the AC if using an AC/DC brick.) With those precautions, the Gemini-1 units should last many many years.? Gemini-2 units may be better sealed up, but not having one I can't say for sure.?? All the best, Michael toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 7:27 PM John Schaub <bsa1313@...> wrote: I had the same issue with my Gemini -1. The problem went away when I replaced the hand controller John On 10/11/2020 6:26 PM, Michael Herman wrote: This sounds surprisingly like my last repair in which the extra serial port had corrosion...or a wire touching. The corrosion was shorting some wires leading to the CPU thinking it was getting a signal.?? Inspect those serial port and RS232 sockets for trouble.?? Best, Michael On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:27 PM Brendan Smith <brenatlilydale@...> wrote: Yamada If it’s “cycling” it Initially it sounds like the HC “menu” button is stuck or shorted. ? But this does not explain why it reset nor garbage characters.? Even with a bad battery your system will run fine until you shut it down. Next boot it will then show “SRAM reset”. Garbage characters .....comes straight from CPU and EEPROM.? I suggest the issue is CPU related thus your Gemini unit needs repair.? You can see if Losmandy is exchanging G1’s in an upgrade programme but I doubt it.? It’s a long way to send a G1 to me (Australia) for repair? ? Yes I can repair them but the post could be costly.? Cheers -- Brendan
YAMADA masami All Messages By This Member #68249 Hi, I went to the local post office in order to know the EMS cost and dispatch time.? Sadly the EMS service from Japan to most of the countries including the U.S. and Australia is now suspended due to COVID-19, though I recently imported an item from Taiwan.? Maybe the suspension is applied to the outgoing service. Regarding the trouble, today I've checked my G-11 Gemini-1 during daytime.? The following shows what I did. 0. setup Gemini-1 w/ motors and HC connected 1. power on w/ GPS receiver attached to the serial port 1-1 "Losmandy Gemini System Level 4, Version 1.05" displayed 1-2 "querying GPS" <- GPS no signal reception, red indicator not blinking 1-3 "SRAM/RTC Updates" ?1-4 "Warm Start / Warm Restart / Cold Start" ?1-5 choose "Cold Start" ?Gemini-1 looked working well .? However no UTC Date/Time and Coordinates set.? I manually set them. Then, 2. power on? w/o GPS receiver 2.1 "Losmandy Gemini System Level 4, Version 1.05" 2.2 "Querying GPS" 2.3 "GPS Timed Out" 2.4 "Warm Start / Warm Restar / Cold Start" 2.5 choose "Cold Start" 2.6 UTC Date/Time, Mount Type and Coordinates Long already set correctly.? Gemini worked normally. Again, 3. power on w/ GPS receiver again 3.1 "Losmandy Gemini System Level 4, Version 1.05" 3.2 "Querying GPS" <- GPS no signal reception 3.3 "Warm Start / Warm Restart / Cold Start" 3.4 UTC/Date Time, Mount Type set correctly, but no Coordinates data, manually set Long and Lat, 3.5 power off, then power on 3.6 UTC/Date Time and Coordinates data kept correctly, As a result, my Gemini-1 seems back to normal right now.? I could not reproduce the problem last night so far. I remember it was very very humid last night.? So maybe the humidity caused the strange behavior.? Also I usually keep the Gemini-1 box attached to the pier, which is covered with Telegizmos 365.? I think I'd better remove the controller and keep inside during off-time. I will check my Gemini-1 whether the same issue happens or not tonight, if the weather permits. masami
YAMADA masami All Messages By This Member #68255 Michael, David and Brendan, Tonight I'm checking my G-11 Gemini-1 while capturing Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. So far the system is working flawlessly as before.? It is very dry tonight compared yesterday, no dew. I believe the strange behavior last night was caused by high humidity.? Somewhere in the system temporarily became short? I appreciate your support. masami
Michael Herman All Messages By This Member #68256 Masami, When convenient, open your Gemini-1 front cover, as if you were changing the battery. You will find 6 hexagonal "standoff" posts that support the front cover. Use a tool to unscrew those 6 posts, and put them in a container. Then the circuit board can be lifted up and out. Carefully inspect the inside of the metal case for evidence of moisture or other contamination. Carefully examine the front and back of the circuit board for discoloration.? If you see any, use isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab ("Qtip") to scrub off the contamination.?? If you can get a head magnifier, like this one, it will help your look down into the black phone jacks at the copper wires, and also look into the inside view of the phone jacks wires.?? Sometimes these copper wires get corroded and make intermittent contact.? Again, clean out all corrosion you find and be careful not to bend the copper wires.? If any touch it will lead to false signals to the CPU.?? Also examine the side large handset connector. Remove the handset cable on both ends and inspect the socket and cable ends for corrosion.?? Now take apart the handset unit by removing the 2 screws in its back.? The top display diamond pad will remain attached by its ribbon cable so be careful not to break that.? Again look for corrosion on the top and bottom of the handset circuit board.? Clean any discoloration with a Qtip? and isopropyl alcohol. I think you will see something and will clean it out and your problems will be fixed.?? All the best, Michael After examining the main Gemini board, put the main unit back together. toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Mon, Oct 12, 2020, 7:07 AM YAMADA masami <yamada@...> wrote: Michael, David and Brendan, Tonight I'm checking my G-11 Gemini-1 while capturing Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. So far the system is working flawlessly as before.? It is very dry tonight compared yesterday, no dew. I believe the strange behavior last night was caused by high humidity.? Somewhere in the system temporarily became short? I appreciate your support. masami
YAMADA masami All Messages By This Member #68259 Michael, Thank you for your detailed explanation on how to clean up my Gemini-1 controller.? Actually I've bought an plastic airtight container and desiccants to store the controller and HC set while not used. I will look into several contacts of the unit if there is any corrosion. Best regards, masami

Previous Topic Next Topic