Mesu Mount 200

[ollypenrice]

Curses.

We just guide conventionally with a Lodestar talking to PHD via ST4. It just works sweetly.

I admire your sang froid!!

Olly

[ollypenrice]

PS, Neil, Yves and I just did a conventional drift alignment and it took no more than 15 minutes. Less, acutually. We have done that twice since we moved the mount once and both times we went straight back to 30 minute subs.

Olly

[Jessun]

I wonder if the Mesu one day will have an optional 'conventional' handset, or if someone clever will come up with a mod for it. I never worked with Stellarcat or Argo Navis so don't know a jot about these devices or their history and previous use - but I wonder why two are needed.

On the video I think I saw some mechanical lock, is that right?

Anyways enjoy the mount!! Such a piece of clever kit.

[ncjunk]

On the video I think I saw some mechanical lock, is that right?

If you mean where as I was slewing it the mount paused or locked up for a bit then yes that was a problem which Mesu helped me solve.

If you mean the mechanical lock to stop the axis from turning then yes there is a small metal arm that looks like a "1" that you can move into the slot on the plate which will lock the axis and stop it from turning.

Olly:-

The 4 hours was because I had problems setting up PAM. First i couldn´t connect and then it wouldn´t accept the Catalogue I was using for the Pin point plate solve (I have two large catalogues GSC1.1 and usnao 2.0 and both work in maxim). In the end I had to install PAM in its own directory as in Windows 7 64 it can´t write files to the Program files directory without permission and program files is the default install selection.

The Polar align itself took about 30 minutes but I did it a few times and over corrected on one-

I did a "manual" drift align on Friday but I got it horribly wrong somewhere....I think I was moving the wrong axis when producing the CCD images.

The guiding problem is because I am used to using the Ascom driver on the LXD or EQ6 for pulse guiding but I didn´t realise that this Ascom driver is only for Goto and has no guiding instructions configured. Fortunately I have two cameras with ST4 ports which I can use....as long as I can find a driver that works. The QHY6 seems to be a bit problematic but I think the QHY8L should work ok (had a quick web search this morning and guide images with qhy6 and guide pulses via qhy8l should work fine).

[ncjunk]

I wonder if the Mesu one day will have an optional 'conventional' handset, or if someone clever will come up with a mod for it. I never worked with Stellarcat or Argo Navis so don't know a jot about these devices or their history and previous use - but I wonder why two are needed.

There is actually nothing wrong with the two handset configuration. I think the Stellarcat controls the servo motor and encoder side of things and the Argo Navis the Goto side. This works well and the only problem is the lack of Park instructions to retain Alignment.

The only other thing is that guiding needs to be done via the st4 port but to be honest if you are spending this amount of money on a mount I would expect you to have a camera with one on somewhere in your setup.

[Jessun]

Yeah, I meant the metal lock. I though that looked clever.

Cheers!

[ncjunk]

ok the cable i thought was an ST4 isnt an ST4 so I now have one on order and will hopefully be able to do finish this review next week end.

soooo close...soooo very close.

I keep having to remind myself that the graph i posted is unguided as it's flatter than some of my eq6 traces guided.

[Jessun]

Is it not simply enough that you have to wire the ST4 straight? A normal ST4 cable will as far as I'm aware flip the cable 180° to maintain pin order.

Just a thought.

[ncjunk]

It is straight through but i have no tools to make one and the cable i have is reversed.

its on a 24/48 hour delivery so will be here wednesday

[ncjunk]

I'll double check that cable i ordered.

[ampleamp]

I have used this, http://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/st4-guide-cable.html and the one that comes with Lodestar, both no problems.

[ollypenrice]

Yes, this whole 'ST4 cable' terminology is up a gum tree though it is widely used. The real ST4 did not use a 'phone cable-like thing' at all. The phone cables which are reversed 180 as Jesper says are not really 'ST4' at all.

If things go belly up, Neil, I dare say I have a spare 'reversed phone cable' so PM me.

Olly

[FarSide]

I'm on the edge of getting myself a Mesu from MA; Olly has been trying to persuade me for days. This review has really helped me swing a little bit in the + direction.

[JamesF]

I'm on the edge of getting myself a Mesu from MA; Olly has been trying to persuade me for days. This review has really helped me swing a little bit in the + direction.

I think Olly must be on commission

James

[ollypenrice]

I'm on the edge of getting myself a Mesu from MA; Olly has been trying to persuade me for days. This review has really helped me swing a little bit in the + direction.

You asked me to persuade you!!!!!!!!!

Olly

[ollypenrice]

I think Olly must be on commission

James

Nope. No commission from Atik or Takahashi either but Atik are very helpful (unlike Takahashi!!) I know you're joking, of course, but I push the Mesu because, like Atik CCD cameras and Tak FSQ85s, they just blinking well work. And in my line of work, trust me, that merits a Glory Hallelujah!

Olly

[ncjunk]

I have used this, http://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/st4-guide-cable.html and the one that comes with Lodestar, both no problems.

Thats the same as i have on order and is atik compatible so should be a straight through.

I read up on this "standard" and like olly says it started off as a 15 pin which had an adaptor so it was never an rj11/12 connector.

the + and - on the dec and ra arent important if swapped but there is one configuration thats slightly different.

anyhoo thanks for the comments I think i have the correct one.

[ncjunk]

Nope. No commission from Atik or Takahashi either but Atik are very helpful (unlike Takahashi!!) I know you're joking, of course, but I push the Mesu because, like Atik CCD cameras and Tak FSQ85s, they just blinking well work. And in my line of work, trust me, that merits a Glory Hallelujah!

Olly

Atik are great and their support is good as well. I'll get an atik next....welll...er..when the wife forgets about the mesu mount that is..

[JamesF]

Nope. No commission from Atik or Takahashi either but Atik are very helpful (unlike Takahashi!!) I know you're joking, of course, but I push the Mesu because, like Atik CCD cameras and Tak FSQ85s, they just blinking well work. And in my line of work, trust me, that merits a Glory Hallelujah!

Absolutely. I'd not expect you to call it any other way. And I personally find it very useful when thinking about where I'm heading in the future. Astronomy kit is not cheap -- if I bought a Mesu it would be one of the most expensive things we own -- and it's reassuring to know from someone who depends on things for their livelihood that when I'm contemplating spending a fair chunk of cash on something that it's going do "what is says on the tin".

James

[FarSide]

You asked me to persuade you!!!!!!!!!

Olly

I knew Olly would perk up to this haha. In all seriousness though, i listen to people like Olly on here because the bloke knows what he's talking about. I would be a fool to come on here, ask people's opinions and then go off and do something completely opposite. I bought both my FSQ85 and my QSI 583 only after talking to Olly for a while about it; you only have to look at his own work to see he knows the bizzo'. And Neil, i've get to get forgiven for buying my new AP gear from the other half let alone for it to be forgotten, you're lucky she's forgiven you so far!

[ncjunk]

Update on the Park function:-

Having talked to various people I can confirm there is an update due which is to the Argo Navis and the Servocat which will provide, among other things, a Park instruction (I believe it will be via the Ascom driver).

You can also turn off the ServoCat and leave the Argo Navis powered which will keep alignment.

Or there is a possibility to add a switch to the AUX/AG port, which you can buy from ServoCat, which can perform a Park (this exists in the firmware).

So there are a few options so I will use the one where you power down the servocat for now and wait for the official Firmware and Ascom driver updates.

That fixes my major issue with the mount but I´ll see if I can think of anything else while I am waiting for the ST4 cable.

[FarSide]

This is another plus in my books. Thanks, Neil.

[ncjunk]

I finally got the ST4 cable last night and tested the mount and it is fantastic.

I found that for the first 20mins I couldn´t get it tracking and had no idea how to start it. After

pressing a few buttons and slowing getting more frustrated I found that if you go to the alignment

menu on the Argo navis and align the mount (doen´t matter if it is correct or not) it will then

start tracking. It´s the first time it has done this so I must have pressed a wrong button or

turned it off incorectly.

You can then align the mount correctly.

Next I aligned as best I could on Alpheratz which was at about 40 deg and then calibrated the guider.

Attached is the guiding graph from Maxim not bad considering I am useless at these things but thats

down to the mount and not my ability to set it up:-

Finally I did some twenty minute test shots of NGC281. The position you see it on the ccd is where it

slewed to from Alpheratz, a pretty accurate slew:-

A very nice mount all in all. I´ll post a summary later when I have time. To automate it for now I will attach

the servocat power to a relay and remotely send the mount to a Park position and cut the power to

the servocat. should work perfectly.

[ampleamp]

Hi Neil,

you sound a lot happier, it is good to hear after some of your trials, and your graph looks pretty good as well!

When you aligned, you will notice that the little red DSC led on the servocat will have stopped flashing and stayed on; at that point the mount is tracking and accuracy will be dependent on PA - it is pretty good although I have never left it to run on its own. I have blatantly copied Olly's method, in that the Mesu is set to "GEM - aligned", then I rough align from the finder. I then re-align when I know that the alignment star is bang on the crosshairs. The accuracy of your slew from Alpheratz to NGC281 would match my own experience, always on chip, usually centre but always visible.

I am intrigued by your powercut park method, but as I don't need it, I will wait for the Servocat upgrade. The manufacturers of Servocat and Argo Navis must be getting close!?!

[ncjunk]

Thanks, yes a lot happier but it was mainly frustration at losing four good nights where i wasnt working and the family werent around.

They have a beta version of the driver but I dont think its for general release. The question is being asked to see if they can send me a copy but I can manage until general release.

Just have to learn these little things like the tracking as i would have thought the tracking was enabled after a slew, it was on my first night but i had probably already.pressed the align button once.

all my settings are default mesu settings so I'll reread your post!

It's a very good setup this. I am a great example of how any idiot can put a mesu and ed80 together and get great tracking, it is so nice not to have the mount fighting against me (eq6) but working for me.