Mesu mount (all versions) owner's thread

[OJ87]

5 hours ago, Neil27 said:

I first enquired in 2016 regarding the mount, then had a 5 year break. Recently enquired about 3 months ago and will hopefully receive it this weekend.

Wish you have fun with it. 

[Skipper Billy]

1 hour ago, OJ87 said:

Wish you have fun with it. 

You won't have any fun at all with it. 

Turn it on - guide to sublime levels of accuracy - turn it off.

Where is the fun in that!!??

Nothing to twiddle with, disassemble, degrease, replace parts, regrease, reassemble, adjust for best performance, fit new bearings to it, swear at, swap parts for belts etc - now that is fun!

😉

[ollypenrice]

For historical accuracy the mount you're calling Mk1 isn't Mk 1 at all! Originally (I think) the mount we know was the Mesu Mk2, so called because the Mk1 was an interesting roller-drive flipless design along the lines of a fork but with one central supporting arm.  The Mk2 was an equatorial familiar to us all and this was renamed the Mesu 200. I have two of these and they use Stellarcat drives and an ArgoNavis handsets. They have no connection with SiTech but are mechanically very like that version. The casings holding the driven wheels are one piece, leaving us all wondering how Lucas got the mechanism inside in the first place! It's a bit of a 'ship in a a bottle' scenario. 😁

While I love the Mesu-Stellarcat-ArgoNavis version and have two of them, the problem was that, not having a park position, it was not suitable for remote or semi-remote operation. I live on site so this is of no importance to me. I do think it's a shame that the mount is no longer available in this version because it has a number of advantages, viz:

- It is dead easy to use. Steve Richards' setup guide simplified the SiTech setup but there is no denying that there are lots of threads from people finding it difficult. I am seriously useless with IT products so I like the handsets!

- It is 100% internet-free.  Try as they might, Microsoft will be unable to get you and sabotage your system.

- It is 100% PC-free as well.

- The design and build quality of the ArgoNavis handset is stunning, better than AP and 10 Micron, and they are inexpensive.

All you do to get going is point the powered-off rig at a bright star, power it up, synch on the star in the handset and then centre it and re-synch. This is slower than the SiTech...  except when something has gone wrong with the IT... 🤣  👹  Well, it suits me and I can't help thinking there may be other steam powered dinosaurs like me who would prefer the ArgoNavis option. 

Reliability: running these two Mesus commercially for years I have had precisely no problems with them whatever. I had a mysterious issue with a cable but it turned out to be just the cable and not the mount. (I tested this cable by trying it on my other Mesu and it worked for a while.) Hey-ho, these things happen. I also host three SiTech Mesus and these, too, are mighty reliable. One of them had a SiTech issue where it would come to life in the day and run to the end of its travel but the owner sorted that out eventually.

I'm now considering a conversion to SiTech so as to be able to spend more time in bed but, knowing me and IT stuff, I think I might end up getting less sleep...

One final thing: many people think I have a commercial connection with Lucas Mesu. I don't, in any shape or form. Indeed both my mounts were bought second hand and I had no hand in the acquisition of the three based here. I simply admire the product very much and wish to see it succeed. I did help Lucas contact some English retailers when he was looking for a UK dealer but that was just as a favour to help with the use of English.

Olly

[mrpizza]

I   placed my order back in September of 2020.  It's now at the FedEx warehouse in Daytona Beach Fl awaiting customs release (been there for a week).  This has been on my bucket list since I first saw a write up of one (7 or 8 years?).  Since ordering I have picked up a new OTA and camera for it.  It's going to be Christmas in spring for me.  Being in the US I don't have many opportunities to see one first hand (actually none for me) so I have been following all the threads  here with baited breath. 

 

Chris

[manoss27]

Hi,

Also I placed order back in October of 2020 and the mount its on the way. Lucas is very responsive and answer to all of my question. As I don't find any video on YouTube about how to setup the mount  I am thinking very seriously to take some videos for my YouTube channel on how to set up the mount and what settings you need to make in the software.

Edited April 28, 2021 by manoss27

[ollypenrice]

On 20/04/2021 at 04:21, mrpizza said:

I   placed my order back in September of 2020.  It's now at the FedEx warehouse in Daytona Beach Fl awaiting customs release (been there for a week).  This has been on my bucket list since I first saw a write up of one (7 or 8 years?).  Since ordering I have picked up a new OTA and camera for it.  It's going to be Christmas in spring for me.  Being in the US I don't have many opportunities to see one first hand (actually none for me) so I have been following all the threads  here with baited breath. 

 

Chris

That might have been my review in Astronomy Technology Today? (My only appearance on American soil!! 😁)

Olly

[Neil27]

On 20/04/2021 at 03:21, mrpizza said:

I   placed my order back in September of 2020.  It's now at the FedEx warehouse in Daytona Beach Fl awaiting customs release (been there for a week).  This has been on my bucket list since I first saw a write up of one (7 or 8 years?).  Since ordering I have picked up a new OTA and camera for it.  It's going to be Christmas in spring for me.  Being in the US I don't have many opportunities to see one first hand (actually none for me) so I have been following all the threads  here with baited breath. 

 

Chris

I know the feeling Chris, Bernard (Modern Astronomy, UK dealer) is hopefully dropping mine off in person tomorrow. Talk about a bespoke service, feel a little ‘giddy’ at the moment. I’m sure it will soon pass when I have to explain to the CFO where that 6k has gone from our joint account! 
Dreading the battle with Sitech, Ascom, Nina and camera drivers. Hope my 8 year old Lenova laptop is up to the job, we shall see!

[Neil27]

13 hours ago, manoss27 said:

Hi,

Also I placed order back in October of 2020 and the mount its on the way. Lucas is very responsive and answer to all of my question. As I don't find any video on YouTube about how to setup the mount  I am thinking very seriously to take some videos for my YouTube channel on how to set up the mount and what settings you need to make in the software.

That would be very helpful for new owners. I know there is a wealth of support on these forums but ‘seeing the set up process’ can make it far easier to understand, a picture speaks a thousand words etc.

Let me know if you need any help, I would be willing to participate in the project or provide my feedback regarding a new owner.

[tooth_dr]

Does anyone know if the Mesu can be guided with ST4 connection?

[tomato]

1 hour ago, tooth_dr said:

Does anyone know if the Mesu can be guided with ST4 connection?

I think in my very early days with the Mesu 200 I used the ST-4 port on the Sitech II controller with no issues, I’m assuming the Sitech controller shipped with the Mk II has an ST-4 port?

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, tomato said:

I think in my very early days with the Mesu 200 I used the ST-4 port on the Sitech II controller with no issues, I’m assuming the Sitech controller shipped with the Mk II has an ST-4 port?

The Mesu e200 has an older version of the Sitech interface, it does have an AUX port from what I can see in my photos.

 

[Jonk]

Here's a photo of my Sitech 1 (teaspoon for size comparison):

 

[Neil27]

Delivered yesterday by Bernard, in several boxes. As the missus said looks like a few boxes of scrap metal 😂

Before and after assembly. Installation documents and PSU to arrive in the next few days.

Managed to get it assembled by looking at various pictures on the internet and the ‘simple assembly guide’ on Mesus website. 

 

[tomato]

Looks great, Lucas has certainly given the mount a streamlined look, the Mk I is festooned with nuts and bolts. 
 

My Mesu is coming up to seven years old, on Friday night it was guiding at 0.35” total RMS, with about 100 kg all up load, with nary a belt mod or DFO tweak in sight.

[david_taurus83]

2 hours ago, Neil27 said:

Delivered yesterday by Bernard, in several boxes. As the missus said looks like a few boxes of scrap metal 😂

Before and after assembly. Installation documents and PSU to arrive in the next few days.

Managed to get it assembled by looking at various pictures on the internet and the ‘simple assembly guide’ on Mesus website. 

 

Even I'm excited looking at that! Hopefully next year!

[ollypenrice]

1 minute ago, tomato said:

Looks great, Lucas has certainly given the mount a streamlined look, the Mk I is festooned with nuts and bolts. 
 

My Mesu is coming up to seven years old, on Friday night it was guiding at 0.35” total RMS, with about 100 kg all up load, with nary a belt mod or DFO tweak in sight.

No, the Mk 1.5 is festooned with nuts and bolts: the real Mk1 is extremely elegant! 🤣

 

2 hours ago, Neil27 said:

Delivered yesterday by Bernard, in several boxes. As the missus said looks like a few boxes of scrap metal 😂

Something tells me it has been a long time since your wife last visited a scrap yard!!! 

You now have the best mount in the business. Bar none.

Olly

[Neil27]

2 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

No, the Mk 1.5 is festooned with nuts and bolts: the real Mk1 is extremely elegant! 🤣

 

Something tells me it has been a long time since your wife last visited a scrap yard!!! 

You now have the best mount in the business. Bar none.

Olly

It’s a long time @ollypenrice since she has been anywhere, but bless it just made me chuckle. Especially when she said ‘it doesn’t look a lot for 6k’! Her opinion improved marginally when it was assembled. 😊

Not looking forward to the battle with Sitech and all the associated software. I’m a little like you, I hope my meagre IT skills are not taxed too much in talking to the mount and setting it up.

[whipdry]

For anyone interest found some info/pictures of earlier Mesu mounts... 

http://www.astro-imaging.com/Equipment.html

[ollypenrice]

5 hours ago, Neil27 said:

It’s a long time @ollypenrice since she has been anywhere, but bless it just made me chuckle. Especially when she said ‘it doesn’t look a lot for 6k’! Her opinion improved marginally when it was assembled. 😊

Not looking forward to the battle with Sitech and all the associated software. I’m a little like you, I hope my meagre IT skills are not taxed too much in talking to the mount and setting it up.

You're aware of Steve Richards' setup guide for the SiTech Mesu? I have never used it but it is universally praised.

Olly

[tomato]

5 hours ago, Neil27 said:

It’s a long time @ollypenrice since she has been anywhere, but bless it just made me chuckle. Especially when she said ‘it doesn’t look a lot for 6k’! Her opinion improved marginally when it was assembled. 😊

Not looking forward to the battle with Sitech and all the associated software. I’m a little like you, I hope my meagre IT skills are not taxed too much in talking to the mount and setting it up.

Don’t be too alarmed by Sitech, I followed the excellent Steve Richards set up guide and although there are pages and pages of parameters to mess with in the Configuration file, I haven’t touched any of them. Sitech.exe links seamlessly to CDC, SGP, NINA etc, or you can use it stand alone like I did for the  first few years. It comes with a comprehensive catalogue of objects so plenty to go at.

The Sitech users forum is great, quite a few Mesu owners on there but I love the posts from the intrepid astronomers using the Sitech module to control a myriad of home made mounts of all shapes and sizes.

[gorann]

One thing, at least with my Mk1 and Sitech run with Cartes du Ciel. To start up the mount each night you need to follow Steve Richards instuctions precicely. Everything has to be done in that exact sequence and missing to press somithing like an "ok" at some point will make the mount unresponsive. But when it is up and running it has never failed me during a night.

Edited May 2, 2021 by gorann

[Jonk]

This is correct, you need to set a park position and park before you power down. On power up, as long as nothing’s moved, unpark and the mount will begin tracking and ready to go, knowing where it’s pointed.

It’s easy to get wrong so if you do, the annoyance of another init will make you remember!

[Neil27]

Thanks for the heads up regarding the set up guides.

I have several now, one is 23 pages long and is the quick guide to installation which is kind of helpful but more related to the previous model to mine. I have another, some 230 pages and is the Sitech Operations manual, updated October 2009? And lastly a 9 page quick set up guide that is very specific to the e200 which I used last night to assemble my mount.

Many thanks to everyone that have sent me these documents recently. Trying to get my head around offset innit etc 😊

[mrpizza]

An update from across the pond.  My package arrived via FedEx minus the wedge that Lucas did include in the package.  A claim was made with FedEx and Lucas has to fabricate a new one.  I have a stern warning for new recipients of this wonderful mount.  In my excitement I set up the mount sans wedge on my coffee table to get familiar with the software.  I just had the counterweight bar attached for balance as the RA was parallel to the tabletop.  I managed to get the meridian flip working with voyager and I was content so I decided to move mount out of the way until the wedge showed up.  I removed the counterweight bar and disaster struck.  In eerie slow-motion I watched in horror as mount flipped off the end of the coffee table once out of balance and heard the worst thud a Mesu 200 owner could imagine as it disappeared over the edge of the table.  The fall was a mere 40cm but the damage was done.  Neither axis would rotate with hand pad command with motors engaged.  According to Lucas the jolt of the fall threw the calibration of the motors and "other" assembly parts off.  To Lucas's credit he was ready to jump in a skype call to assess damage.  He tried to walk me through a few steps but it was determined both assemblies would have to go back for recalibration.  What  bummer after 7 months wait.  It will be at least 2 1/2 weeks for a turnaround but lesson learned.  The saving grace is I got a great deal on shipping (1/3 original cost) and I have to wait for the wedge anyway.  I told a friend who was concerned with my sanity that I have waited a long time to have these problems.

[Neil27]

Ouch, I feel your pain. I hope it’s not too serious and can be repaired easily.

I had a similar warning from Mr Mesu when I sent him a picture of my completed assembly as below. He got a little ‘jittery’ when he saw the location of my mount upon the table. I now understand why …… 

All the best,

Neil.