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Hello, I'd like to open here a discussion about a possible Wiki. If you know Wiki software, freeware, buy or rent, please post it here. It would be great if you can write something about the software, advantages and disadvantages and your experiences with it. Please keep in mind that we are just brain storming and I can't promise that we will implement one yet. But let us see what possibilities we have Best regards, Michael

Hello, I think we can discuss about making a Wiki, but in this case, I will need your help. I have not that much experineces with Wikies and it will take a lot of time to find one which will work very well and fit the needs we have. So if you know a Wiki software that is good in your opinion, please let me know which one it is and a link where I can find some information about. I will open a Thread about this topic in the Small Talk Board. Best reagrds, Michael

Hi Tim, I don't know why you have theses troubles. I can offer you to become a beta tester for the new sequenz and autoslew, perhaps this solves your problem with the pointing. Please just write me a message to and I will give you access to the beta board. Best regards, Michael

Hello, the update has been done. I think there were no interruptions visible for you Yours ASA Team!

Hello, we are performing several updates und bug releases to this forum. So it's possible that you can't reach the boards for a few minutes or missing the "Downloads" and "GoToASA" tabs. It's to ensure that our forum will be stable and secure. No new features are added. Yours ASA Team!

Beta Tester zu werden ist einfach. Kontaktieren sie Dietmar Weinzinger von ASA unter d.weinzinger@astrosysteme.at und geben sie ihren Usernamen oder die E-Mail Adresse, mit der sie sich in unserem Forum registriert haben, bekannt. Als Beat Tester erhalten sie Zugang zu einem nicht öffentlichen Board in dem sie die letzte Beta Version von Autoslew und Sequenz downloaden können. Hier können sie auch gefundene Bugs posten bzw. bereits von anderen Usern entdeckte Bugs nachlesen. Bitte posten sie gefunden Bugs immer in unserem Beta tester board. Dieses Board wird regelmäßig von ASA Mitarbeiter gelesen. Bitte vergessen sie nicht das sie hier eine Beta Version unserer Programme testen. Sollten Sie eine 100% stabile Version, z.B. für den Betrieb einer remote Sternwarte, benötigen so empfehlen wir ihnen die Verwendung der letzten offiziellen finalen Version unserer Programme. Wir danken all unseren Beta Testern für ihre Unterstützung und Hilfe Autoslew und Sequenz ständig zu verbessern. Euer ASA Team!

Becoming a beta tester is quite simple. Just contact Dietmar Weinzinger from ASA d.weinzinger@astrosysteme.at and let him know that you would like to become a beta tester. Please also tell us what's your user name in our Forum to change your status. Beta tester will have access to a not pubic shown board where they can download the latest beta version of Autoslew and Sequenz. Here you can also post all found bugs and you will also see what bugs are already found. Please always post your bugs into our beta tester board. This board is watched frequently by ASA. Please keep in mind that you are testing a beta version of our programs. If you need 100% stable version eg. for remote use, we recommend to use the latest final version. We thank all our beta testers for their support and help to make Autoslew and Sequenz better. Your ASA Team!

Hello, if you aply for as a beta tester, please send us also your username or your email adress that you have used for your registration. We need one of them to find you in our database for giving you the beta tester status. CS, Michael

Hello, you are welcome to join the beta tester team. Please contact Diemar Weinzinger d.weinzinger@astrosysteme.at for this request. After you have received the software, please send me message to get access for the beta tester board. best regards, Michael

Hello, we have installed the new beta testing board. It is visible for beta tester only. @George, There is no feature list available for the beta version yet. Best regards, Michael

Hello, there are several upcoming questions regarding the availability of new Sequenz and new Autoslew. ASA is always aimed to publish well working products. This means we are testing our products very carefully to ensure that our customers will be satisfied with our products. This means that some products e.g. the new Autoslew and the new Sequenz will take more time till we can ensure a 100% stable working version. We are reading your postings carefully and know that there are some customers who are very curious on the new versions. For all our customers who can't await the official releases, we offer to become a beta tester. If you would like to test our newest versions, please contact ASA directly. Please keep in mind that you are testing a not official release at your own risk and there are maybe a bug that we aware. If you find any problems with the new software, we will open a bug report board here in this forum. So if you become a beta tester, please sent me a message to become access to this board. Best regards, Michael

Hello, no postings are deleted automatically. We keep all for you to read it anytime anywhere. If somebody has a problem with using the forum, you are welcome to get in contact with us. Just send us a PM oder email. Best regards ASA Team

Hi Tim, we have updated our FAQ's. I think this should answer your questions: http://forum.astrosysteme.com/index.php?/topic/103-tracking-issues/ Best regards, ASA Team

The following is an information letter written by Philipp Keller regarding some tracking issues: Dear ASA customers This is going to be a long post… I had some discussion with an ASA customer about tracking problems with his small Takahashi 500mm and I think that this might also be helpful for other astronomers going through the same problems. I have put the email exchange in a PDF which can be downloaded here: http://www.astrooptik.com/asa/Manual%20Optimizing.pdf I had to hear recently all kind of harsh critics about the tracking, pointing files etc. Let me allow some comments: The models and used formula work since 10 years on 100’ eds of telescopes now. Some telescopes perform better, some worse. If there are problems with tracking accuracy it makes more sense to take care about the quality of the input (how accurate and reproducible are my measurements during making of the pointing file) when to think that the software does it all wrong. The funny thing is that some years ago people tried to guide with guide telescopes. At some point they accepted that you have flexure between the 2 scopes and thus the exposure time is limited. Or they tried to make this connection as stiff as possible by all means. Then maybe if they wanted long exposure times they turned to off-axis guiding to get rid of this problems. Today, people buy a mount with very good tracking abilities and expect, that it also takes care of all the same flexure problems they had before with their guide scopes. But trying to blind guide with a precise tracking mount means that you are going all over these flexure problems again. It’s true that to some degree especially if they are reproducible, they can be corrected by software. Software can very well correct polar alignment errors, collimation problems and also flexure that happens regular (in form of sinus waves or multiple of them). But large flexure nearly always means large hysteresis. Hysteresis (pointing errors depending from WHERE you come) can NEVER be corrected by any software. ASA mounts are better than any guide scope because they can to some part model this flexure that guide scopes can’t but there is some limitation, they can’t perform miracles. There really are limitations how accurate things can get. The Autopointing Grid that Sequence creates for you is maybe showing to small errors (compared to reality) because the mount always starts in East and then continues West in a repetitive and regular pattern. Thus, also your pointing errors will show maybe better results compared to real life (where you slew your objects in a random pattern coming from different sky locations). The next myth people like to believe in is that things get much easier with very short focal lengths. This is simply not true because the absolute focuser shift in mm causes the same star trail length in terms of pixel. Sometimes longer focal lengths are thus easier to track because the seeing will blur our small tracking errors whereas with 500mm focal length you will even see sub-pixel elongations. What exposure time can you expect ? I already wrote something to this subject 1 year ago in the pointing manual of the DDM85 and DDM60 http://www.astrosysteme.at/images/DDM60_PointingModel_Manual_E_091124.pdf Limitations of pointing models You can only fit pointing errors if they are reproducible. This means that the pointing error must be the same at a certain location in the sky no matter if the telescope slews to this point coming from deep East or far West. You can test the repeatability of your scope by synching on a star and then slew again to the same star coming from different positions in the sky. If you are more than one arc minute off in this test, try to optimize your telescope (mirror cell, focuser etc.). Your final pointing will always be as good as your telescope. In 99% of all cases where people complain about bad pointing the problem is in the telescope and not the mount. We can build mounts with 5arc sec RMS pointing but with a Schmidt Cassegrain put on this mount with 1arcmin mirror shift you will never reach the mount performance! However, please accept that there is NO telescope in this world that has zero hysteresis. Especially reflectors will always have a little mirror shift and if you try to fix your mirrors until nothing moves you might have the mirror bent in its cell and have good pointing but bad image quality. Try to be realistic with your targets. If you can reach 5m unguided then it’s often easier to stack more CCD frames than to try hard to get up to 20m unguided. I remember one 1m telescope from an Australian company where the mirror was GLUED to the mirror cell. This telescope reached 2arcsec RMS pointing but at the same time the image quality was a disaster. Since the telescope was only used photometric, there was no problem. I still believe that 5 minutes unguided is a goal that is realistic and makes sense. Trying to reach much more will nearly always end in a fruitless and frustrated search for the error sources which will nearly always be within your TUBE and not the mount. This does not mean that in some cases you cannot succeed to make 45m unguided. I did this several times but I could not rely on it that it would work on the next day with different temperature etc… A very common specification for professional telescopes where a 1m costs around a million euros is 0.3 arc sec. RMS in 5 minutes. RMS is always a nice specification since it allows 1 arc sec. PtV deviation or even more and still can be within these tolerances. ASA mounts can do 0.25” RMS in 5 minutes and I can guarantee you that they are much better and we could prove that with ANY of these mounts with a suitable test telescope. We are not able to specify what happens on top of this mount, how could we? The tracking results show what can be expected from the pure mount if you have absolutely no hysteresis or temperature problem in your scope but in my view it’s totally unrealistic to expect this on a regular basis with “normal” amateur telescopes. With today’s CCD with 6 micron pixel size and short focal length you can accept maybe 3 micron trailing. That is 1/300 of a 1 mm. Now please take a look at your focuser chain, mirror cell or whatever and tell me that with your telescopes things will not most likely move 10 x more than that. Please also note that there are seeing conditions which are not isotropic which means that you have seeing influenced image shift that is directional and causes elongated stars (jet stream conditions, slowly rising thermal bubbles). Dome seeing AND tube seeing is nearly always directional and will cause elongated stars. Try to find out with different exposure times if this might be the case.

Why do I get different configuration results with different pointing files one might assume that if you make 2 pointing files you will get the same result regarding the calculation of Polar Alignment (PA) error or encoder resolution and other factors. This is not the case. Why ? Mathematical background: There is a set of formula that describe the pointing error of the mount 1. Polar alignment error in Azimuth 2. Polar alignment error in Altitude 3. Collimation error 4. Mount error (axes not perpendicular) 5. Tube flexure 6. Encoder resolution error 7. etc. What Autoslew does when it gets a pointing file from you is to make a best fit of the variables in these formulas that give a minimum RMS pointing error in this pointing file. If we assume we have a perfect mount and a stiff telescope we can use the configuration and make the same pointing file again and we will get the exactly the calculated RMS error you received as result after optimization. This is definitely true but why is it that your configuration shows different values after every new pointing file ? Reason 1: Different number of stars in pointing file and thus different number of fitted formula When you add more stars in your pointing file Autoslew will automatically increase the number of variables that can be fit. If you take only few stars, it would not make sense to optimize more than PA and encoder resolution. When you add more stars, thus adding another formula to fit (like tube flexure) Autoslew will probably find out that the RMS error is smaller if it adds a certain amount of tube flexure instead of fitting all the error into an Altitude polar alignment error. Thus, you can have a different result now in PA since the extra Formula (in this case Tube Flexure) has Autoslew allowed to make a better fit. The more stars you use the more formula are used and the better Autoslew can find out which error really belongs to the PA (or encoder resolution). Certain errors can cause very much the same pointing error behaviour. As an example, when you slew from SouthWest 60 degree alt to SouthWest 20 degree alt and Autoslew measures 20.1 degree altitude there instead of 20 degree you can exactly explain this result by assuming that a.) You have some tube flexure b.) You have a Azimuth polar alignment error c.) Encoder Resolution is wrong Autoslew has only the chance to find out which of these errors might be the “real” one when you measure MORE stars between these 2 points because each of these errors will cause different slopes between the 2 above measured positions or use stars at different sky positions. For example if you continue the measurement exactly in South direction and measure the same error again the Azimuth alignment error CAN’t be the source because an Azimuth PA error would not be able to cause a Declination error at the Meridian. Of course Autoslew is not so smart to think like that. It does the same thing that all other programs like Pinpoint and programs that do pointing optimization for the very large telescope do: It varies the polar alignment factor, the tube flexure and the encoder resolution until it gets the minimum RMS pointing error of all the measured stars. As you might understand, when you measure only the 2 stars mentioned in above example the result will be random and chaos because it can fit this behaviour with any of the above formula. This changes when you add the 2 stars in South direction because the optimization will now give less RMS error when the Azimuth error is zero but everything is put in the Tube flexure (or encoder resolution...). When you add more stars at the right places, the optimization will also be able to distinguish between encoder resolution error and flexure and so on... Reason 2: The telescope behaviour cannot be perfectly fitted with the used formula This will nearly always the case. The ideal mechanical world will cause the telescope to flex like the assumed Alt-Flex=A*Sin(Z) where Z is the zenith distance. So if the telescope has a flex that is getting stronger towards horizon than the calculated flex constant A will be different depending on the altitude of the stars you choose in your pointing file. It might even try to fit the residual mistake into a PA error or another formula and thus adding 3 arc minutes PA error which in reality is not existent. The problem that you can never find formula that exactly describe YOUR telescope is also the reason why the optimized formula (=configuration) will change depending on which stars you choose to make your pointing file. The next typical question that now comes up is: WHY DON’T YOU ADD MORE FORMULA IN AUTOSLEW? As an example, we could try to fit the Flex by a more complex formula like : Alt-Flex=A*Sin(Z) + B*Z^2 + C*Z^4 etc. If we only add enough factors in this series we can be sure that we can fit ANY flexure behaviour that is purely Altitude dependent. But wait – does that really make sense ? Yes, in case you want to make a pointing file with infinite number of stars it would indeed make sense to fit 50 different variables (assumed that we find a mathematical optimization algorithm that is able to find the exact minimum of a function with 50 variables). If you have only a limited number of stars and you want to make the best of it trying to fit too many variables is a good recipe for a complete desaster. The result will be random and chaos at positions where you don’t have measurements. The rule is: If you have few stars, fit few variables and only the most important once. However you might have noticed that if you add even more stars (like 30) Autoslew will add another fit on top of the formula fit – the Fourier Fit. That is a very powerfull fit to model the residual errors that are left after the Formel Fit. But it makes only sense to use this if you have enough stars. If you do Automatic Configuration Calculation you don’t have to care about all this because Autoslew will calculated how many variables to fit. Reason 3: Hysteresis, non reproducible and random errors This is probably very easy to understand. If you make 2 measurements with different random results (like depending on where you have pointed before), the configuration will also have different results. Sounds logic ? Conclusion and Remarks: You can expect to get different results with every new pointing file. This is NORMAL. From my experience the major error when making pointing files are hysteresis errors followed by flexure problems that cannot be modeled by Autoslew. When you make a 20 star pointing file and you get a residual RMS pointing error of larger 1 arc minute it simply does not make any sense to correct a 5 Minute PA error that Autoslew will show you because the chance is high that even without any change the next pointing file will show a complete different result. In this environment, you would simply not NOTICE any improvement of 5 arc minutes polar alignment because your other errors (Hysteresis, Formula residuals etc.) are much more prominent than the residual PA error. As a rule of thumb the determination accuracy of PA is about 5x the residual RMS error. Another option to find out when to stop PA is when you make a 5 star pointing file in East and then do the same in West. If you get -2’ on one side and +5’ on the other side you should stop the PA process because your measurements are not accurate enough. So people who have such bad results like 1arcmin RMS should (and I am aware that a lot of you will not like to hear this again and again) improve the reproducibility of the telescope and / or selectmore stars to allow also the Fourier Fit to take place. Final remark about encoder resolution of DDM 60: The Encoder resolution of the DDM60 is only another formula (like PA or flexure) and the accuracy of the factor depends on the quality of your measurement. If you get different results you will usually not be hurt by that because the errors during your pointing and tracking will be the same errors that caused your measurements to be non reproducible and they will be larger than the error caused by the error in your resolution error. Tip: When you did a reasonable PA (+-7 arc minutes) make a big pointing file one time, save the resolution and never touch it again. You should only redo this procedure if you have the feeling that you enhanced your telescope flexure and hysteresis problems and thus allowing you to make more accurate measurements. For a manual how to meassure the Hysteresis and Time flex please click the icon below: SequenceHyst-Timeflex.pdf

Hi George, we have limited the editing time to 180 minutes to avoid that User are editing their postings after they receveid an answer. This is to ensure that questions and answers are comprehensible. Best regards, Michael

This is a transfered topic from the ASA Yahoo Group. Posted By: georgecarey47 Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:13 pm I see that Autoslew 5116 is on the ASA website. The history has not been updated yet - does anyone know what 5116 can do? ________________________________ Posted By: schmidmahler Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:49 pm I installed it yesterday to test (Update from 5.1.1.1). Everything works fine with my DDM60Pro as before. The only change that I have noticed so far is the smaller window that pops up during slews (nice if you have a small monitor). An update of the version history document on the ASA Website would be welcome (last update with 5.1.1.1)! Another option would be a post in this forum. ________________________________ Posted By: tomtom2509 Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:43 am Can it be used by people who has the "Debug Assertion Error" with 5.1.1.2? Thx and BR Thomas ________________________________ Posted By: jbaj82 Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:01 pm I believe 5112 fixed the Polar Aligment bug and 5114 fixed the Debug Assertion Error. That's the reason I'm using 5114. I'm also curious about the release notes of 5116. ________________________________ Posted By: jbaj82 Wed May 1, 2013 9:17 pm I'm using 5114 to fix the Debug Assertion Error that I had with 5112. Can someone confirm that 5116 won't give me the Debug Assertion Error again? And any news on the changes of 5116, is it only the slew popup that's different? Best regards, Jeffrey ________________________________ Posted By: jbaj82 Wed May 1, 2013 12:09 pm Hi all, I want to update 5114 to 5116, but I want to be sure that I won't see the Debug Assertion Error, like I saw with 5112 (that's the reason for me to use 5114). Anyone using 5116 with success and also needed 5114 to fix the Debug Assertion Error? Regards, Jeffrey ________________________________ Posted By: tomtom2509 Thu May 2, 2013 8:44 am Hi Jeffrey, I tried 5116 yesterday. It was running fine over two hours without any errors than the clouds come in. So it seems all to be okay. I never get a feedback from ASA or Philipp what was responsible for the "Debug Assertion Error", just the in information that in a few hardware surroundings the problem appear. What I like in the 5116 in the first view is, that the "slewing-windows" have been repaired. Now I can see the movement of both axis again. And the windows is smaller. So I think you can try I without a risk. Best regards Thomas ________________________________ Posted By: nischangde Mon May 6, 2013 5:46 pm Thomas, thank you for your try... with that in mind, I ran 5.1.1.6 last night, though Philipp did not directly recommend it. And I noticed another detail: the bottom status bar shows the remaining "MLPT left=" time. That is very nice ! Due to I examined "first light" with a focal length of 1860 mm with the MLPT function last night, this detail is great. Now that the plate solving problems have been clarified (ref msg # 8265), I only made a 3 star polar align (had polar error below 1,6 in both Az and Alt after the second correction), then LPT recordings with 5 steps for an intended total exposure time of 60 minutes, and got perfect circled stars in 15 minute exposures afterwards ! Thats the perfection I had in mind when going for the DDM drive (mine is a DDM60). Last night it came true. Clear skies to all Martin ________________________________ Posted By: philipp_keller Thu May 2, 2013 11:38 am (ASA STAFF) I think most people should wait for the next release which will also be important for the new Sequence. The new Sequence is now beeing tested on different mounts, looks good !

Hi Bernd, The yahoo group will exist further but without the possibility to write. I'd prefer to get have all important topics from the yahoo group here in this forum, because here you can make a better search and you have all answer in one thread. What I meant with chronological is this. You take a topic from the yahoo group like "How to use PID" and post it here in the correct board in a correct order of posted answers. Chronolocial refers only on the order of answers not which topic has been started in 2010 and which in 2012 or so. To make a link list with a short describtion is also a good idea but there is the danger that yahoo could change their linking structure at any time what will mean that no link will work. Your second idea is very good to cut down interesting topics to the important parts. Best regards, Michael

Hello Luc, it is not possible to import the yahoo group postings. What we want to do is to manually import all the important postings that are showing problems and their solution. Please be patient and give us some time to do this. If there are postings that are a must have to be transferred to this forum, please sent us an email. We will save and upload the postings. If you want to help us you can copy these postings and post it here in a chronological way. Best regards, Michael

Hello, you are welcome to make suggestions. You mean a "How to use the forum manual" ? Best regards, Michael

Wie groß darf ein hoch gelandenes Foto sein? Bilder können mit einer Größe von bis zu 1200 x 1200 pixel im Forum hochgelanden werden. Wir hoch ist die maximale Dateigröße? Die derzeitige Dateigröße ist auf 600kp pro Datei limitiert. Wie viel Speicherplatz habe ich ingesamt zum hochladen von Dateien im Forum zur Verfügung? Der Speicherplatz direkt im Forum ist auf 5MB pro User limitiert. Wir bitten um Verständnis das wir kein hosting Provider sind. Für größere Fotos oder eine größere Menge an Fotos empfehlen wir die Verwendung eines kostenlosen Hostingservices wie bspw. Flickr und das Foto dann direkt in das Forum zu verlinken. Wie groß sollte mein Profil Foto sein? Die ideale Größe liegt bei 150 x 150 px. Kann ich auch Videos hochladen? Nein, bitte verwende für Videodateien kostenlose Plattformen wie YouTube oder Keek und verlinke dein Video direkt in deinem Posting. Welche Dateiformate sind erlaubt? Es sind weitest gehend alle gängigen Dateiformate wie .jpg .gif .png .bmp etc. erlaubt.

What is the maximum image size for uploaded images? You can upload images with 1200 x 1200 pixel. What is the maximum file size? The file size is currently limited to 600 kp per file. How much space do I have for uploading files directly to this forum? We have limited the webspace to 5MB per user. Please understand that we are not a hosting provider. Therefore we recommend to upload bigger images, or if you have a lot of them, to free hosting service like Flickr and just link them into the forum. What is the best size for my avatar in my profile? Please use an image with a size of 150 x 150 px. Can I also upload a video? No, please use for video files YouTube, Keek or any other plattform and link your video directly into your posting. What file format is allowed? You can use most of common imgae format like .jpg .gif .png .bmp etc.

What is the periodic error of the mount DDM 60? Because we use no gears due the direct drive we use, there is no periodic error to indicate and also no backlash. Encoders are mounted direct on the axis to read out 100 times per second and compare target and actual position. Failures are corrected via software in real time. This guaranteed a tracking which is unbelievable accurate. Although the tracking is very accurate, can I connect an autoguider? Naturally one can connect an autoguider via Software to control the mount. What happens at power failure? As you power on again after power failure the mount is searching for the so called Homing Position and is up to know updated for further imaging. That means that you can immediately continue your imaging session. This is a very important factor practice remote imaging. How can I do polar alignments with the DDM60? The DDM60 has a build in laser parallel to the RA-axis. If you turn your RA-axis, the laser will describe a circle on the sky. If you try to place the polar star on that place where Polaris should be actually in relation to the pole you have finalized a raw polar alignment. The fine adjustments are then taken with the assistance of the delivered Software. Can I apply software like "The Sky", "CCD-Autopilot", "Maxim DL" etc.? Naturally Autoslew communicates with all those software. What is the current peak on the DDM60? With maximum load slewing in both axes at maximum speed the current peak is 20 Amps (depending on the weight load). At Standard Operation 0,4 - 0,8 Amps. Is it possible to set limits, so that the mount does not move into blocked zones? Naturally you can set limits to avoid that the mount runs e.g. below the horizon or against a barrier inside the observatory. Why is this mount tracking accuracy much better as other commercial mounts? The secret is that ASA uses Renishaw Encoders, which are verified electronically and resolve to an unbelievable 0,01-0,02 seconds of arc. Positioning information is communicated by the mellow software developed by Philipp Keller. The tracking accuracy is accomplished by comparing the actual position of the system, 100 times per second in real time. This permits any required corrections to be applied immediately. Dependent on the diameter of the encoder a tracking accuracy of 0,2 - 0,4 seconds of arc is provided without guiding. The Torque motors (direct drives without gears and no backlash) we are using could operate in a range of one-hundredth of arc seconds. Where is the difference between DDM 60 and DDM 60 PRO? The difference is that the PRO-version guides the cable through hollow axle. Is it possible to have a precise tracking, also when I can’t see the polar star for a polar alignment? Yes, you will find a detailed description of the whole process in our manual. The rough direction to north will be found with a compass and the pole high with the latitude scale on the mount. The final fine adjustment will be done by our Software Autoslew. What is the difference between a standard mount and ASA direct drive mounts? Direct drive means that power and movement are done without conversion gear. This makes it possible to make a mount without coupler, shafts and other converter. The abdication of these parts has a lot of advantages for dynamic and precise applications in comparison to conventional gears. The result is a very precise tracking on long exposures. The use of direct drive engines means a better precision, dynamic, flexibility, safety and compactness. Finally, they are extremely silent. What are the advantages by using direct drive engines? Positioning accuracy down to the nanometer range, high acceleration and top speeds; programmatic functionality and conversion; wear-free; uniform precision throughout the life cycle; overload protection of the motor and the machine, reducing the number of system components, very small designs; extremely quiet. Has the DDM 60 a periodic error? No. There are no worm gears. We are using torque motors; hence there is no periodic error! How precise is the tracking of the mount? ASA mounts are so accurate that you can use them without autoguiding. Here are the figures: Pointing: RMS with Pointingfile Tracking accuracy: Encoder Resolution: 0.03 "on the axis Positioning speed: 15 ° / sec (25 ° / sec optional) How long can the DDM 60 track without the use of an autoguider? The precision of the DDM60 allows - depending on the focal length and accuracy of polar alignment – a single exposure time of 10-15 minutes. In some cases, tracking times up to 30 minutes have been reported to us. Is it possible to operate the DDM 60 with an autoguider? The DDM60 does not have a separate autoguider port. Due to the tracking precision, single shots, depending on the focal length, with 10-15 minutes are no problem. In some cases it may be desirable to apply an autoguider method. In the following, we briefly describe how Autoslew in conjunction with MaximDL (or similar ASCOM compatible software) auto-guiding can be accomplished: Ensure that the following programs are already installed on your PC or Notebook: Autoslew, Maxim DL and correct driver for your guiding camera. Be sure that they are correctly installed and are working in a proper way. Ensure that Autoslew is running on the same PC/Notebook as your planetary program e.g. “The Sky X” Start Autoslew and make the polar alignment (if not already done) Start your planetary software and synchronize it with Autoslew. Select your webcam or guiding camera in Maxim DL and confirm it as your guiding camera In Maxim DL select “Telescope” as your autoguiding protocol. In Maxim DL connect to the telescope via the Observatory control window Make sure that in Autoslew “high accuracy tracking” is enabled. How much power does the mount need? The operating voltage is 12V/10 Amp. At normal tracking speed, the mount needs between 0,4 – 0,8 Amp. However, due to environmental influences it can occur that the mount will have a current peak from 8 – 10 ampere e.g. on wind gust or when it’s slewing. With a car battery, you’ll be able to use your mount a whole night without any problems. What power supply is recommended for the DDM 60? The DDM60 requires a power supply of at least 12V and 10 amps. Laboratory power supplies are not recommended because it may cause a malfunction. We have adequately tested the VOLTCRAFT FSP-11312 (13.8 V, 10 Amps) power supply. Is there a manual for the DDM 60? In the “download” section of the ASA website, you will find different manuals like these: DDM 60 Product manual: Instructions for DDM 60 DDM 60 Pointing model manual: Instructions how to make Pointing models or files in Autoslew. Sequence04 Manual: Introduction and guide for autopointing with Sequence. What is the instrument weight capacity? The DDM60 can handle 25 kg excluding counterweights. A higher weight of up to 27 kg or more can lead to disruptions in tracking e.g. on wind gusts. Can I buy an original ASA tripod? No, ASA currently not offer this. Which tripod is recommended for ASA DDM 60? We recommend the “G11 tripod” of the company Losmandy: www.losmandy.com/access.html ASA provides an adapter to connect your mount with this tripod. We also recommend the tripod “Stativ Planet” of the company Berlebach www.berlebach.de They offer matching holes for our DDM 60 and DDM 85. Both tripods are tested by ASA. For which tripods/pillars does ASA offer adapters? ASA provides an adapter for the Losmandy G11 tripod (and compatible products). For using an EQ6 tripod, it’s necessary to drill three to six holes into the tripod plate. Berlebach tripods offered with holes for the DDM 60/85. Thus, no adapters are required. What is included in the scope of supply with the DDM 60? The scope of supply includes the following items: - Control software Autoslew and Sequence of Dipl. Philipp Keller (designed for professional observatories) - Two counterweights each with 2.6 kg - Telescope mounting plate - Base plate - Cable Is there for telescope with no ring systems (e.g. Schmidt cassegrain telescopes) with Losmandy/GP plate an adapter available? Yes, you can order our optional Losmandy / GP adapter. The adapter is screwed directly off the top plate of the mount. Price: 150 € (incl. VAT). What cables/interfaces are led through the DDM 60 Pro? Mounts delivered before May 2010: A) Power supply cable with the following wiring (The cables are provided with numbers that match the numbers listed below) No 1: +12V1 + max.5A (fans, lasers, OK3, etc.) - Plus No 2: - 12V1 (fans, lasers, OK3, etc.) - Minus No. 3: + 0 to 48V2 max.5A (freely selectable, galvanically isolated) - Plus No. 4: - 0 to 48V2 (freely selectable, galvanically isolated) - Minus No. 5: + 12 max.10A (Mount control) - Plus No. 6: - 12V (Mount control) - Minus 8-pin shielded cable for data transmission, selectable (eg RS-232 - Serial) C), USB cable (to connect the USB hub on the DEC axis of the mount, for example, a USB camera, a filter wheel or a focuser, etc.) Mounts delivered after May 2010: A) Power supply cable with banana plugs (red, black, with sub wiring as follows): + Gray: 0 to 48 V2 max. 5A (Voltage freely selectable as needed, galvanically isolated) – Plus Yellow / Green - :0 to 48V2 (Voltage freely selectable as needed, galvanically isolated) - Minus Brown +: + 12V max.10A (Mount controls) - Plus Black -: - 12V max.10A (Mount controls) - Minus K) USB Cable (for the connection between the laptop / PC and your mount in the PRO version, this cable is used for the connection between the laptop / PC and the USB hub in the DEC axis of your mount. What is the slewing range in RA and DE – axis? Are there mechanical limits (internal stops)? The slewing range is 355 degrees, secured with a mechanical stop. Are the axes locked in case of a power blackout? No, there are no breaks installed in the DDM 60. In a good balanced system there is no post-pulse oscillation till a speed up to 13 degrees per second. In a good balanced system, you will not have a problem also when strong wind gusts are blowing over the telescope. What should I watch for an optimum performance of the laser? The DDM60 laser for polar alignment is provided with an electric blanket to ensure an optimum operating temperature for the laser. At temperatures below 10 degrees, it can take up to 5 minutes after the start of the mount until the optimum temperature is reached and the laser will reach its full power. Is it possible to see the mount „live“? Yes, you can sign up for an on-site visit in the sales office and experience the ASA mount "live". You can also check on our website about ASA fairs, conferences and workshops in the "Events" section.

Wie groß ist der periodische Fehler der Montierung? Da wir auf Grund des direkten Antriebs keine Getriebe verwenden gibt es auch keinen periodischen Fehler und auch kein Getriebespiel mehr. Da die Encoder direkt an den Achsen 100x pro Sekunde ablesen und Soll und Ist Position vergleichen und per Software korrigieren, wird eine unglaublich genaue Laufgenauigkeit erreicht. Auch wenn die Montierung sehr genau läuft, kann ich trotzdem einen Autoguider verwenden? Selbstverständlich kann man via Software einen Autoguider verbinden und die Montierung steuern. Was passiert bei Stromausfall? Bei Stromausfall tritt eine mechanische Bremse (DDM 85 / DDM 120) in Aktion und verhindert unkontrollierte Bewegungen des Teleskops bei Unausgewogenheit. Bei der neuerlichen Inbetriebnahme sucht das Teleskop die sogenannte Homing Position und ist über alle notwendigen Daten informiert und aktualisiert. Das bedeutet dass man sofort weiter arbeiten kann, was bei Remotebetrieb ein sehr wichtiger Bestandteil ist. Es gibt keinen Polsucher, wie erfolgt die Polaufstellung? Die exakte Ausrichtung der Polachse erfolgt über die mitgelieferte Software innerhalb von wenigen Minuten. Kann ich Programme wie "The Sky" oder CCD-Autopilot, ACT usw. auch weiterhin verwenden? Selbstverständlich kommuniziert die Autoslew Steuersoftware mit all diesen Programmen. Wie hoch ist der Stromverbrauch? Bei Höchstbelastung mit maximaler Geschwindigkeit über beide Achsen ist der Stromverbrauch bis zu 20 Ampere (je nach Gewichtsbelastung). Bei Dauerbetrieb ca. 2 Ampere. Kann ich bei der Montierung auch Limits setzen, so dass sie an keinem Hindernis dagegen fährt? Selbstverständlich können beliebig viele Limits gesetzt werden. Warum läuft die Montierung genauer als alle herkömmlichen am Markt befindlichen? Das Geheimnis sind hochauflösende Encoder direkt auf den Achsen montiert. ASA verwendet Renishaw Encoder, die mittels Spezialelektronik Winkelauflösungen im Bereich von 0,01 - 0,02“ schaffen! Diese Positionsinformation wird von einer ausgereiften Software (Fa. Astrooptik Philipp Keller) verwertet. So werden Soll und Istposition hundertmal per Sekunde verglichen und wenn nötig korrigiert. Derzeit kann so je nach Encoderdurchmesser eine Nachführgenauigkeit von 0,2 - 0,4“ ohne Guiding erreicht werden. Die verwendeten Torquemotoren (getriebelose, absolut spielfreier Direktantriebe) könnten sogar im hundertstel Bogensekundenbereich operieren.

Wie groß ist der periodische Fehler der Montierung? Da wir auf Grund des direkten Antriebs keine Getriebe verwenden gibt es auch keinen periodischen Fehler und auch kein Getriebespiel mehr. Da die Encoder direkt an den Achsen 100x pro Sekunde ablesen und Soll und Ist Position vergleichen und per Software korrigieren, wird eine unglaublich genaue Laufgenauigkeit erreicht. Auch wenn die Montierung sehr genau läuft, kann ich trotzdem einen Autoguider verwenden? Selbstverständlich kann man via Software einen Autoguider verbinden und die Montierung steuern. Was passiert bei Stromausfall? Bei der neuerlichen Inbetriebnahme nach Stromausfall sucht das Teleskop die sogenannte Homing Position und ist über alle notwendigen Daten informiert und aktualisiert. Das bedeutet dass man sofort weiter arbeiten kann, was bei Remotebetrieb ein sehr wichtiger Bestandteil ist. Wie erfolgt die Poljustierung bei der DDM60? Die DDM60 hat einen grünen Laser parallel zur RA-Achse eingebaut. Rotiert man die RA-Achse, so beschreibt der Laser einen kleinen Kreis am Himmel. Setzt man nun Polaris an den Punkt des Kreises, wo er sich zu dieser Zeit in Bezug zum Himmelspol befinden sollte, so ist die Aufstellung bereits sehr genau erfolgt. Der restliche Aufstellfehlbetrag wird mit Hilfe mitgelieferte Software vorgenommen. Kann ich Programme wie "The Sky" oder CCD-Autopilot, ACT usw. auch weiterhin verwenden? Selbstverständlich kommuniziert die Autoslew Steuersoftware mit all diesen Programmen. Kann ich bei der Montierung auch Limits setzen, so dass sie an keinem Hinderniss dagegn fährt? Selbstverständlich können beliebig viele Limits gesetzt werden. Warum läuft die Montierung genauer als alle herkömmlichen am Markt befindlichen? Das Geheimnis sind hochauflösende Encoder direkt auf den Achsen montiert. ASA verwendet Renishaw Encoder, die mittels Spezialelektronik Winkelauflösungen im Bereich von 0,01 - 0,02“ schaffen! Diese Positionsinformation wird von einer ausgereiften Software (Fa. Astrooptik Philipp Keller) verwertet. So werden Soll und Istposition hundertmal per Sekunde verglichen und wenn nötig korrigiert. Derzeit kann so je nach Encoderdurchmesser eine Nachführgenauigkeit von 0,2 - 0,4“ ohne Guiding erreicht werden. Die verwendeten Torquemotoren (getriebelose, absolut spielfreier Direktantriebe) könnten sogar im hundertstel Bogensekundenbereich operieren. Worin liegt der Unterschied zwischen DDM 60 und DDM 60 PRO? Der Unterschied liegt darin, dass in der PRO-Version die Kabel durch die Hohlachsen durchgeschliffen sind. Weiters gibt es bei der PRO-Version in der Software auch die Funktion "Satellitennachführung". Ist eine exakte Nachführung auch dann möglich, wenn der Polarstern für die Einnordun von meinem Standort nicht direkt sichtbar ist? Ja. Im Handbuch der DDM60 wird eingehend beschrieben, wie die Einnordung dennoch erfolgen kann. Die grobe Ausrichtung erfolgt demnach mit Kompass zur Einnordung und über die Breitengrad-Skala für die Polhöheneinstellung. Die Feineinstellung erfolgt dann über die Softwarekorrektur in Autoslew. Was ist der Unterschied zwischen herkömmlichen schneckengetriebenen Montierungen und der ASA Direct Drive Montierung? Direktantrieb heißt, Kraft und Bewegung ohne mechanisches Umwandlungsgetriebe zu erzeugen. Dadurch werden Kupplungen, Spindeln und andere Wandler eingespart. Der Verzicht auf Übertragungselemente bringt für dynamische und präzise Anwendungen deutliche Vorteile gegenüber konventionellen Antrieben. Dadurch wird in der Nachführung bei Langzeitbelichtungen eine hohe Genauigkeit erreicht. Die Verwendung von Direct Drive Motoren bedeutet erhöhte Präzision, Dynamik, Felxibilität, Sicherheit und Kompaktheit. Nicht zuletzt sind die Motoren extrem leise. Welche Vorteile bieten Direktantriebsmotoren? Positioniergenauigkeit bis in den Nanometer-Bereich, hohe Beschleunigungen und Endgeschwindigkeiten; programmgesteuerte Funktionalität und Umrüstung; verschleißfreie, gleichbleibende Präzision während des gesamten Lebenszyklus; Überlastungsschutz des Motors und der Maschine; Verringerung der Anzahl der Systemkomponenten, daher kleine Bauformen; extrem leise. Hat die DDM 60 einen periodischen Fehler? Nein. Nachdem hier kein Schneckengetriebe zum Einsatz kommt (sondern Direct Drive Torque Motoren), gibt es auch keinen periodischen Fehler! Wie genau führt die Montierung nach? ASA Montierungen sind so genau, dass Sie ohne Autoguiding auskommen. Hier die Kennzahlen: Pointing: Nachführgenauigkeit: Encoderauflösung: 0,03“ an den Achsen Positioniergeschwindigkeit: 15°/Sek. (25°/Sek. optional) Wie lange kann die DDM 60 ohne Autoguider nachgeführt werden? Die Präzision der DDM60 erlaubt – je nach Brennweite und Genauigkeit der Polausrichtung – eine Belichtungszeit von 10 - 15 Minuten. In einigen Fällen sind uns Nachführungszeiten von bis zu 30 Minuten berichtet worden. Kann die DDM 60 auch mit Autoguider betrieben werden? Die DDM60 verfügt nicht über einen eigenen Autoguider-Anschluss. Auf Grund der Nachführgenauigkeit, sind Einzelaufnahmen je nach Brennweite von 10 - 15 kein Problem. In einigen Fällen kann es aber erwünscht sein, eine Autoguider Methode anzuwenden. In der Folge wird kurz beschrieben, wie Autoslew in Verbindung mit MaximDL (oder einer ähnlichen ASCOM kompatiblen Software) ein Autoguiding bewerkstelligt werden kann: 1.) Stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie auf Ihrem PC bzw. Laptop (auf dem Autolsew und Maxim DL installiert sind) die korrekten Treiber für Ihre Nachführkamera installiert haben und diese auch einwandfrei funktionieren. 2.) Stellen Sie sicher, dass Autoslew am selben Laptop wie Ihre Planetariums Software läuft. 3.) Starten Sie Autoslew und führe Sie die Polarausrichtung durch (falls nicht schon durchgeführt). 4.) Starten Sie Ihre Planetariums Software und synchronisieren Sie diese mit Autoslew. 5.) Wählen Sie in Maxim DL Ihre Webcam bzw. Nachführkamera, und geben Sie diese als ihre Nachführkamera bekannt. 6.) Wählen Sie in MaximDL als Autoguidingprotokoll “Telescope”. 7.) Achten Sie darauf, dass in Autoslew die Option “High accuracy tracking” aktiviert ist. Wie viel Strom verbraucht die Montierung? Die Betriebsspannung bei der DDM60 ist 12V/Dadurch kann die Montierung mit einer konventionellen Autobatterie eine ganze Nacht lang problemlos betrieben werden. Welches Netzteil ist für die DDM 60 zu empfehlen? Die DDM60 benötigt eine Stromversorgung von mindestens 12V und 10 Ampere. Labornetzteile sind nicht zu empfehlen, da es zu Störungen kommen kann. Anbei ein Link für ein Netzteil, das von ASA ausreichend getestet wurde (13,8 V, 10 Ampere): Getestetes Netzgerät Gibt es für die DDM 60 eine Bedienungsanleitung? Unter der Rubrik "Download" der ASA Webseite befinden sich unter anderem folgende Anleitungen: DDM60 Produkt-Handbuch: Anleitung zur DDM60 DDM60 Pointing Model Manual: Anleitung zur Erstellung von Pointing Modellen bzw. Files in Autoslew Sequence04-Beschreibung: Einführung und Anleitung zu Autopointing in Software Sequence Wo liegt die Belastungsgrenze bei der DDM 60? 25 kg (exklusive Gegengewichte). Bei einem höheren Gewicht bis zu 27 kg und darüber kann es zu Unterbrechungen in der Nachführung kommen (beispielsweise bei Windböhen). Bietet ASA ein eigenes Stativ an? Nein, zurzeit bietet ASA keine eigenen Stative an. Welches Stativ empfiehlt ASA für die DDM 60? Wir empfehlen das "G11 Stativ" der Firma Losmandy: www.losmandy.com/access.html (ASA Astrosysteme bietet dafür einen eignen Verbindungsadapter an) sowie das "Stativ Planet" mit Spreizsicherung der Firma Berlebach: www.berlebach.de (Berlebach bietet für die Montierungen DDM60 und DDM85 passende Lochbohrungen an). Beide Stative sind von der Firma ASA Astrosysteme getestet worden. Für welche Stative/Säulen bietet ASA Adapter an? ASA bietet einen Adapter für das Losmandy G11 Stativ an (und kompatible Produkte). Für die Aufnahme durch ein EQ6 Stativ sind auf der Stativplatte lediglich drei bis sechs Bohrungen vorzunehmen. Berlebach bietet Stative mit DDM85 und DDM60 Bohrungen an. Daher sind hier keine Adapter notwendig. Was ist im Lieferumfang der DDM 60 enthalten (bis Mai 2010)? Im Lieferumfang ist folgendes Zubehör enthalten: - Kontrollsoftware Autoslew und Sequence von Dipl. Phys. Philipp Keller (entwickelt für professionelle Observatorien) - 2 Gegengewichte zu je 2,6 kg - Teleskopaufnahmeplatte - Grundplatte - Kabel Gibt es für Teleskope ohne Ringsysteme (die meisten Schmidt Cassegrain Teleskope) mit Losmandy/GP Schienen einen eigenen Adapter? Ja, Sie können unseren Losmandy / GP Adapter optional bestellen. Der Adapter wird von uns direkt an die Kopfplatte der Montierung geschraubt. Preis: 150 Euro (inkl. MwSt). Welche Kabel/Schnittstellen werden bei der DDM PRP durch die Montierung geführt? Montierungen die vor Mai 2010 ausgeliefert wurden: A) Stromversorgungskabel mit folgenden Adern (Die Adern sind mit Nummern versehen die mit den unten angeführten Nummern übereinstimmen) Nr. 1: + 12V1 max.5A (Lüfter, Laser, OK3, etc.) - Plus Nr. 2: - 12V1 (Lüfter, Laser, OK3, etc.) - Minus Nr. 3: + 0 bis 48V2 max.5A (frei wählbar, galvanisch getrennt) - Plus Nr. 4: - 0 bis 48V2 (frei wählbar, galvanisch getrennt) - Minus Nr. 5: + 12V max.10A (Montierungssteuerung) - Plus Nr. 6: - 12V (Montierungssteuerung) - Minus 8-polige geschirmte Leitung zur Datenübertragung, frei wählbar (z.B. RS 232 – Seriell) C) USB-Kabel (zur Verbindung des USB-Hubs auf der DEC-Achse der Montierung, z.B. für eine USB Kamera, ein Filterrad oder einen Fokussierer usw.) Montierungen die nach Mai 2010 ausgeliefert wurden: A) Stromversorgungskabel mit Bananenstecker (rot, schwarz, mit Subadern wie folgt): Grau + : 0 bis 48 V2 max.5A (Voltzahl je nach Bedarf frei wählbar, galvanisch getrennt) - Plus Gelb/Grün - : 0 bis 48V2 (Voltzahl je nach Bedarf frei wählbar, galvanisch getrennt) - Minus Braun + : + 12V max.10A (Montierungssteuerung) – Plus Schwarz - : - 12V max.10A (Montierungssteuerung) – Minus K) USB-Kabel (für die Verbindung zwischen Laptop/PC und Ihrer Montierung, bei der PRO-Version dient dieses Kabel auch für die Verbindung zwischen Laptop/PC und dem USB HUB in der DEC Achse ihrer Montierung, z.B. für eine USB Kamera, ein Filterrad oder einem Fokussierer usw.) Wie groß ist der Schwenkbereich in der RA- und DE- Achse? Gibt es mechanische Begrenzungen (Anschlag)? Der Schwenkbereich ist 355 Grad, mit einem mechanischen Anschlag gesichert. Werden die Achsen bei fehlender Stromversorgung arretiert (Bremse)? Nein. In den ASA Montierungen sind keine Bremsen eingebaut. Bei einem ausbalanciertem System gibt es bis zu einer Geschwindigkeit von 13 Grad pro Sekunde kein Nachschwingen. Ist die Montierung gut ausbalanciert und die Motoren fallen aus, ist selbst bei starkem Wind ein Problem auszuschließen, da sich die Montierung dabei in einer horizontal Position begibt. Was muss ich für eine optimale Leistung des Lasers beachten? Der DDM60 Laser zur Polausrichtung ist mit einer Heizdecke versehen, um eine für den Laser optimale Betriebstemperatur zu gewährleisten. Bei Temperaturen unter 10 Grad, kann es nach Inbetriebnahme der Montierung bis zu 5 Minuten dauern, bis die optimale Temperatur erreicht wird und der Laser seine volle Leistung entfalten kann. Ist es möglich die Montierung "live" zu sehen? Ja, Sie können sich für eine Besichtigung der Montierung im ASA Verkaufsbüro anmelden und die Montierung "live" erleben. Darüber hinaus können Sie sich in der Rubrik "Events" auf unserer Webseite über die von ASA besuchten Messen, Konferenzen und Workshops informieren. Gibt es für den Vertrieb in Österreich einen eigenen Vertriebspartner? Nein. Derzeit verkauft ASA die Montierungen direkt an Endkunden. Für den deutschsprachigen Raum wird der Support direkt von ASA angeboten. Vertriebspartner in den übrigen Ländern sind auf unserer Homepage ersichtlich.