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New Mesu being commissioned

Zakalwe

By Zakalwe
in Discussions - Mounts

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gnomus

gnomus

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Do you need to guide a MESU?  

I am also looking at getting one (and a TEC140 or 160) for when my new obs is complete.  You only live once.

Following thread with great interest.

Everything I've read about them Steve says that they should be guided.

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kirkster501

kirkster501

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Thanks guys, I would have thought so to be honest but glad for the point to be confirmed.

I'd be interested in the workflow for using the MESU.  With my NEQ6 it all goes through ASCOM with EQmod being the front end middleware.  I'd assume that I can still use ASCOM and CdC as my astro program?  Can programs such as PhD for guiding and AstroTortilla still be used with the MESU?

Thanks

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Zakalwe

Zakalwe

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Thanks guys, I would have thought so to be honest but glad for the point to be confirmed.

I'd be interested in the workflow for using the MESU.  With my NEQ6 it all goes through ASCOM with EQmod being the front end middleware.  I'd assume that I can still use ASCOM and CdC as my astro program?  Can programs such as PhD for guiding and AstroTortilla still be used with the MESU?

Thanks

Yes, it's fully ASCOM compliant, so all of the above will work. I'm currently using PHD2 to guide (or will once Ive fully installed it all!) and CdC for GOTO.

However, the SiTech version comes with a complete control system. It has a basic planetarium built in that can be used to issue GOTO commands from. It also have a built in plate solver and a powerful tool called PointXP. This can create a complete sky model which can take into account many of the common pointing errors (cone error, flex in the OTA, focuser flex and so on).

The workflow to start the whole shebang (assuming a planetarium is being used) is:

Use Handpad to center telescope on target

  • Click on Target in the Planetarium Program
  • Select Sync from within Planetarium program
  • For GEM: VERIFY Looking East or Looking West
  • Verify type of init when Init Window opens (default is Offset)
  • Stop timer with left button if desired
  • If timer was stopped, click on type of init, then on OK

Or, if using SGP, then connect, slew to the target and allow SGP to platesolve and issue the initial offset init.

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steppenwolf

steppenwolf

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 I'd assume that I can still use ASCOM and CdC as my astro program?  Can programs such as PhD for guiding and AstroTortilla still be used with the MESU?

Running a Mesu session is as simple as running an EQMod/EQ6 session - the only difference is the virtual hand-controller interface, Sitech v  EQmod. Naturally, there is some one time setting up to but that is where my manual comes in!

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bilgebay

bilgebay

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My procedure is as follows:

 

1 - Power up all the equipment including the mount. 

2 - Do a plate solve (max 10-12 seconds) and Sync (offset-init) the mount

3 - Calibrate PHD ( max 60 seconds with this mount)

4 - Start the sequence...

 

The above is for my semi permanent setup.

 

For my portable setup, there are some additional steps regarding the polar alignment:

 

1 - Do a rough polar alignment with a compass or known geographical landmark

2 - Do a finer PA with the polar scope

3 - Power up all the equipment including the mount.
4 - Do a plate solve (max 10-12 seconds) and Sync (offset-init) the mount
5 - Calibrate PHD2 ( max 60 seconds with this mount)

6 - Do a drift alignment with PHD2 (5-10 minutes)

7 - Recalibrate PHD2
8 - Start the sequence...

 

The single star Sync is quite sufficient and brings the targets to the center of my 80'x60 FOV.

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bilgebay

bilgebay

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If you want to hear the mount (or rather not hear it :lol: ) please watch this short clip -- > https://vimeo.com/138067258 

The mount is being sent to different points in sky by a script... while doing that the script makes use of my horizon file and is not sending the mount to a point where there is a tree or hill which is blocking the fov.

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Horwig

Horwig

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I'm not running a Mesu, but I am running a Sitech controler on my self build fork mount, and good it is too!

I'm using Stellarium and Stellarium scope for pointing, they work a dream with the Ascom Sitech driver, just as easy as with EQmod on my AZ-EQ6.

Huw

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Zakalwe

Zakalwe

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I made some good progress last night. I stripped off the myriad of cables and started re-routing them, and then realised that I will need some new longer USB leads (the old ones will add to the growing collection!).  I then spent a fair bit of time dialling in the polar alignment, but couldn't get it sorted. A "DOH!" moment later I realised that I hadn't ticked the "Freeze Dec" tickbox in the SiTech config, so I had to redo the whole shooting match.  It's somewhere near now, not perfect, but within an arc-minute or two. Everything is now tightened down and that has alleviated some of the jiggling that I was seeing in my initial post.

I did a test 5 minute unguided exposure to see what that looked like- the stars weren't perfect though- not trailled just a bit misshapen. I then ran the PointXP program to build a sky model and to account for errors in the pointing. I didn't take that much time on this as I will be mounting the side-by-side bar at the weekend, but was immediately impressed with the un-modelled pointing accuracy. Every slew put the star within the bulls-eye reticule in SGPro. Once the model was built the pointing improved even further. A guided 10 minute test exposure showed perfect stars (or as perfect as I was going to get last night- the air was murky, there was a gusting wind and the seeing was horrible).

I'm beginning to get my head around SiTech, though I am only scratching the surface of it. It's a bit like the Mesu mount itself- deeply impressive and powerful but without any fancy-pants interface. I also found that you can judge the balance by checking the motor current draw in ServoConfig.

This is a very impressive mount. The slews are bang on accurate, even with less-than-perfect polar alignment. The guiding, again with less than perfect PA, is bang on.  I loved my old EQ8, but it always needed a fettle when going over the meridian. The Mesu is bang on, all over the sky (of course, it's twice the price!).

Next Steps:

Mount the side-by-side bar.

Finish off the cabling

Make a new piggy-back bracket for the guidescope.

Tweak the polar alignment

Fiddle with the PHD2 settings.

Build a new PointXP model

Sort out the horizon file.

Get some clear skies!

[McDonalds jingle]

Doo-doo-doo-be-doo i'm loving it!

[/McDonalds jingle]

:grin:

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Zakalwe

Zakalwe

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Stephen

As regards the connection between the mount and the pier, does the Mesu bolt onto the standard Skywatcher/CGEM adapter plate that Altair Astro make?

Steve

Hi Steve,

The Mesu has a flat mounting surface, 200mm in diameter. It can either sit over a 12.5mm hole through which you pass a bolt which a Tommy nut is then used to clamp the whole lot down. Alternatively, a plate with a M12 stud could be used if you haven't got access underneath.  At the rear, a M8 tapped hole is needed, 86mm from the centre bolt. The azimuth adjustment bolt screws into this. It's a remarkably simple solution. 

My only concern is that the pier top plate has to be very flat (no distortion from welding, for example), otherwise the mount could "rock".

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gnomus

gnomus

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Hi Steve,

The Mesu has a flat mounting surface, 200mm in diameter. It can either sit over a 12.5mm hole through which you pass a bolt which a Tommy nut is then used to clamp the whole lot down. Alternatively, a plate with a M12 stud could be used if you haven't got access underneath.  At the rear, a M8 tapped hole is needed, 86mm from the centre bolt. The azimuth adjustment bolt screws into this. It's a remarkably simple solution. 

My only concern is that the pier top plate has to be very flat (no distortion from welding, for example), otherwise the mount could "rock".

Thanks Stephen.  I already have an M12 hole drilled in my pier top to allow the CGEM to be bolted down through the pier top plate adapter.  Did you have to drill and tap the 8mm hole yourself, then?

I had to widen the original hole on my pier plate just a little and this was straightforward, but nevertheless took a few minutes.  Drilling a new hole afresh and then putting a thread into it sounds a bit complicated. 

Steve

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Zakalwe

Zakalwe

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Thanks Stephen.  I already have an M12 hole drilled in my pier top to allow the CGEM to be bolted down through the pier top plate adapter.  Did you have to drill and tap the 8mm hole yourself, then?

I had to widen the original hole on my pier plate just a little and this was straightforward, but nevertheless took a few minutes.  Drilling a new hole afresh and then putting a thread into it sounds a bit complicated. 

Steve

Steve,

Yes, I drilled and tapped the M8 hole. I used to be a metal-basher (fabricator/welder) in a former life, so it's no bother to me.

Drill a 6.8mm hole (a 6.5mm is a more common drill size and will work fine). Then use a M8 tap and tap wrench to tap the hole. it takes about 10 minutes, and that will include time for a brew and sucking air through your teeth before starting! :-)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/6-Piece-Tap-Wrench-Set/dp/B004084Y00/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1441972812&sr=8-9&keywords=M8+tap+and+wrench

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gnomus

gnomus

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Tapping the 8mm hole is made a bit easier if a block of wood has a clearance hole drilled square, the tap then goes into this hole and can't be anything but square  in the hole......

You ain't seen my attempts at DIY, have you?

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