From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: December 22, 2009 9:19:41 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] guiding

Hi Milton, 

I`ve done some more testing & the Scorpion & Flea 2 will open simultaneously through my Unibrain Firerepeater 400 on the Mac Mini as will the Scorpion & DBK 21A...Over on the iBook the Scorpion & DBK will open simultaneously but not the Scorpion & Flea 2. I guess the power is lacking for the FW 800 to 400 converter cable on the iBook through the hub. I probably tried the 2 PGR cameras together previously through the hub on the iBook. So I guess that gives me one further alternative (Scorpion & DBK) through the iBook. A problem is with the 12" screen on the iBook that you`re constantly having to shift windows around to find what you want! Not up your street of course but I was just testing the long VGA cable I have with the PC (it works if I want to try say, Metaguide-which seems like an excellent program & will operate through FW using the DBK ). I have to use a usb hub in this case as the keyboard & mouse for the PC are separate...

Mark.

On 23/12/2009, at 2:43 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Mark;

The iBooks likely do not have enough power to run both cameras at the
same time.

The same thing happened with the old iMac G3s, they were under powered
and could not run multiple bus powered devices at the same time. I
know of other people running 2 scorpions at the same time on G4 Mac
Minis (a proto type for stereoscopic Mars Rover project), but Apple
varies the specs on all there products without notifying anyone of
what the actual draw limits are.

I've previously outlined a procedure to force the power draw to come
off a powered FireWire Hub on this list. I don't recall the message,
but it's there if you want to look for it.

HTH..

Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1106 - 428 Chaparral Ravine View SE.
Calgary Alberta T2X 0N2
1-(403)-453-1624
milton@outcastsoft.com
www.outcastsoft.com

On 22-Dec-09, at 6:55 AM, gaffney.mark wrote:

> I`ve added 2 new photos to my set-up C9.25XLT OTA folder..I`ve found
> that since the iBook only has 1 firewire port & the Scorpion CCD
> won`t share my current FW hub with another camera the only
> alternative (using the Scorpion) is back to bringing out a monitor
> connected to another indoor computer, on a long VGA cable to be in
> range of the screen when focusing. This means using usb extension
> cables for the keyboard/mouse. My filter wheel, (an ATIK Fira 1)
> should be in the mail by Christmas eve..then it`s down to saving for
> some Astrodon E-series LRGB filters..
>
> Mark.