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

Date: October 1, 2008 8:09:22 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Custom drive ratios disrupt tracking?


Milton,


Here's a quick question for you. Because I went from gears to belt,

the actual direction of the gear ratios in my Autostar have been

reversed. "+'s" are now "-'s" and vice versa. I'll bet this is what's

going on.


AstroIIDC is giving the mount commands to move, but because I'm using

belts instead of gears, the motors turn in the opposite direction then

what they used to. AstroIIDC is saying move the motor in direction A

but because of the belts as opposed to gears, direction A moves the

mount in the opposite direction.


Doesn't that sound about right?



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


Hi KirkusMcGurkus;


On 1-Oct-08, at 1:17 PM, KirkusMcGurkus wrote:


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


As a possible suggestion If you were going on upgrading to Version 4

anyhow, why not upgrade (it's $35 USD)


http://www.outcastsoft.com/UpgradingToAstroIIDC4.html


now and see if that works before you un-spend all the time changing

it back to where it was?


We did make changes in Version 4 to only issue a "stop command" in

the direction it's moving when guiding for LX 200  type mounts too,

which might have been part of the issue. And version 4 can optionally

issue 2 commands to guide on both axis at the same time too, so it's

responds and corrects faster too.


Laslty, because Astro IIDC 4.01.00 is still in Alpha - maybe we can

fix the issue your having if it's not too "weird" a behavior with the

new motors.


If I upgrade now, can I go back to my older version in the future if

necessary?


Yes. There is no problem using the old version again or at the the  

same time with the new unlock key. Each unlock key file can handle  

hundreds of thousands of unlock keys from version 1 to version 4, so  

that won't make a difference.


As a rule I don't usually use Alpha or Beta software, but

as long as I have the option to revert without too much hassle, I'll

go ahead and upgrade now.


Version 4.00.04 is officially shipping golden master version of 4,  

and it requires OSX 10.4.x or higher. Version 4.01.00 is an  

experimental version we offer as part of our ongoing open alpha program.


The preferences should not change at all for version 3 app. The old  

software will ignore the new prefs when reading them and when you  

quit version 3 Astro IIDC, the new additional version 4 prefs will  

not be written out by the old software.


So there should be virtually no reverting back if you need to.


I'm going to eventually anyway.


PS - What's HTH?


HTH = Hope That Helps..


Milton J. Aupperle