Chris Rowland

Are you the same proflight2000 who posted a rather abrasive message on TeamCelestron saying that you had sent it back? Chris

Post #93 in this thread explains how to download the CFM and how it updates things. Bear in mind that the CFM version is NOT the SSA code version. The CFM version is irrelevant to the SSA version. And running on 1.07 is asking to have problems. It behaves a lot differently, especially in calibration. I've fired off about three feature requests as a result of these recent posts (Improve Centre Calibration, Improve web site description for CFM, Don't use Polaris for centre calibration). Chris

The 1.07 HC version is out of date, the current one is 1.10. Things like needing to cycle power are what's changed most recently, the 1.10 version definitely seems to be better, especially for the AVX (I've got one). Proflight doesn't say but what he describes is for aligning an AltAz mount. The GEMs need to start with the mount at the index positions. I know it doesn't mention the index marks but it's where the starting position is. The critical point is his (10) where you don't power cycle or move the mount. The mount knows where it is because you haven't power cycled so can do the alignment from there and will go to the usual positions. You can power cycle if you like but then you need to set the mount to the alignment position when prompted. Earlier HC versions need the mount to be power cycled. The HC will say what to do. Hope this helps, Chris

This sort http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/ALPS-STEC12E08-Encoder-With-6-MM-D-plastic-Shaft-Vertical-with-Switch-49-6180 is what's used and at £2.09 isn't hugely expensive. Chris

Everyone, PLEASE say what scope/mount you have and - for a fork mount - if you are on a wedge. The alignment process is different for GEMs, Altaz mounts and Fork mounts on a wedge. Also say what version software you are using. "The Latest" tells us nothing other than that you believe it it the latest. UNDO == BACK. They changed the name on the button but it does about the same. As for Polaris, I wouldn't use it for calibration for the reasons I mentioned above and which see to be borne out by proflight's report but if your intent is to make the centre calibration as inaccurate and difficult as possible then that looks like a good way to do it. As I've said before, the most reliable information on how to operate the HC will be shown on the HC itself. Read and follow the instructions there. Remember that the up and down buttons (6 and 9) can be used to scroll through the full message. If that says to set the mount to a particular position then do so. If it doesn't then don't. Try not to over think this. Chris

Total change in reply in response to your last message, good to hear that it's working. Chris

Set the bench power supply to 13.8V and the current limit to 0.7A and charge. That's very similar to the float charger that's used with these batteries in emergency lighting and burglar alarms. The current taken by the battery should drop to something pretty low after a while - 20 to 40mA. It isn't the fastest way to charge but a whole lot better than letting the batteries go flat. Chris

There's a commercial focus motor driver that uses a rotary encoder to do this, the only difference is that it has one encoder and uses presses on the push button on the end of the knob to change the rate. http://www.wa-chur-ed.com/perfectstar.html Chris

Are you using Polaris as a calibration star? That's so close to the pole that tiny errors in position could make a big difference in Ra and Dec and these will affect pointing everywhere. Also, what software versions are you using? The latest 8th January version doesn't need power cycling after centre calibration, it takes you to the align menu, you choose the option you want and off it goes. No need to power cycle or set the mount to the align position. Chris

My NS11 on a wedge likes to start pointing South with the OTA at right angles to the forks. Or you can do a 2 star alignment and manually point the scope at the first star. It will then slew to the second star that you choose and should get pretty close. People obsess about how close the scope gets to the alignment stars before it's aligned but it doesn't seem to matter. Once you have centred the first star the mount uses this as a preliminary alignment. If you are about 15 degrees out in hour angle then check the time and DST values to see if the recent change to DST makes a difference. Chris

You have to set the align mode to EQ N. Two up button presses and Enter. Then you get to the equatorial alignment modes. The alignment may work if you don't do this but the tracking will not work. Chris

Thanks for your offer Per. Sequence Generator has just moved to a new platform - Discourse I think - and seem to be hosting it themselves. That seems to be showing promise and we may consider moving to that. I'm not sure what Yahoo are playing at. From their perspective their system is a means of delivering adverts to our desktops and it only has to be good enough to do that but as it is it's driving people away. Maybe they want to close it. Rather like the UK railways in the 1960s. Chris

All that happened was that none of the ASCOM-Talk moderators were around for about 36 hours. We've tried several alternatives to Yahoo over the years and none of them worked. The most hopeful was StackExchange but they pulled the rug out from under us. Chris

Albeiro is a good calibration star, when it's around, it's difficult to mistake it for anything else. I use Betelgeuse or Procyon at the moment. The prompts on the HC are likely to be more accurate than the manual because the prompts were written by the developer at the same time as the code. Chris

Calibrate Centre is a once only operation (well until you move it). It's an electronic equivalent to aligning a finder scope. Select a star in the Star - named Star menu. Press Align and you are told what the offset is, Follow the prompts on the HC, I think it's Centre the star, press Enter, do a fine alignment and press Align It says Acquiring Image, then solving and finally solved with a new centre position. Press Enter to accept it, then press Undo to back out of the Calibrate Centre menu system. You may need to do a new alignment. This may not be quite right, I just follow the HC prompts. The only trick is to press Undo once the calibrate has completed. Chris