From: "KirkusMcGurkus" <kirk@stenvall.net>

Date: October 1, 2008 12:48:49 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Custom drive ratios disrupt tracking?


--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@...> wrote:


Dear KirkusMcGurkus;


On 1-Oct-08, at 12:11 PM, KirkusMcGurkus wrote:


---- SNIPPED


Which version of Astro IIDC?


3.02.03


Okay - your aware it's dead and won't be any changes made to it,  

right? 4.0x is the supported version going forward.


I am. And I intend to upgrade. But I want to get the mount dialed in

and tracking well (again) before doing so. 4.0 is literally at the top

of my list of new purchases.



When observing the tracking star visually it moves off course very

slowly... my initial alignment has been good. But as soon as  

AstroIIDC

takes over (following successful calibration), these very  

consistent,

smooth errors in both axis appear. I have a screenshot if it would

help to clarify what I'm saying.


Are you sure it successfully calibrated? Did you watch the whole

process to see if when it stops moving that the Red cross over the

star is in the right place and not offset?


I'm really not sure that it calibrated successfully. If I set the wait

time in the calibration box to around 5 sec. or less, I get a "No

movement in DEC up or down" error. If I set the time longer, it does

eventually move and continue with calibration (lag problem?).


Dec is always an issue with Lag on the lower end mounts. My old EQ3/2  

mount had up to 15 seconds delay before Dec started moving, so  

changing form one direction to another takes 20 seconds.


After I adjusted the gear tension on my HEQ5 mount, Dec Lag went from  

4 seconds to maximum 1 second delays.


That doesn't really mean much. Guiding needs repeatable consistent

motion and if there is any lag / delays or over runs in motion, it

won't track.


I guess I was just curious if AstroIIDC assumed the LXD ratios would

be at their defaults and perhaps it was sending info to the mount that

was incorrect due to the modification. It sounds like the ratios don't

matter to AstroIIDC. It just expects the mount to move when it says  

move.


That's correct. However, don't forget that the manufacturer tunes the  

electronics in the mount to compensate for mechanical issues and  

other factors too.


It's no different than putting larger diameter tires on a car and  

expecting the speedometer,  speed control and mpg monitoring controls  

to work as they did before. They won't.



When tracking is started does AstroIIDC take control of the mount away

from Autostar?


No it tells the mount to move in a direction. How the mount does that  

is in the electronics and the motor control - not us.


The reason I ask is that as soon as tracking is

started, that's when the guide star begins moving in the video preview

-- on both axis. As soon as tracking is stopped, the guide star stops

moving in the preview window and remains stationery.


Then something has changed internally. It worked before and now that  

your using the new motors (and likely firmware too?) it changed  

something internally that causes it to behave differently which is no  

longer the same.


There really isn't anything I can do about that, we send it the  

correct commands to move (which worked before) and now it doesn't,  

especially since Astro IIDC 3.x is no longer supported.


I was sure you were going to tell me, "Oh yeah. Go here and so this.

That'll fix the problem." LOL.


I may end up reverting back to the original gears. The thing was a

little noisier and didn't move quite as smooth... but at least I was

further along in the game!


Thanks, Milton. Thanks for the software and for the great support you

give! Back to the drawing board.


HTH..


Milton J. Aupperle