prefetch

i received the F-710 today, and it works like a charm. the little D-X switch is on D and everything else is default. and it looks like the default on my system is the LT (left trigger) is medium speed, the LB (left button) is fast speed and the left stick is slow speed. thanks everyone. i love it when things work. now if i can just get theskyx and sequence to work together i'll be all set.

i'm having trouble, and i'm hoping someone has been down this path before that can help me out. i am trying to run the following software systems together: TheSkyX Sequence9 Autoslew MaximDL i believe i am supposed to be able to this with POTH. here's the problem. if i start POTH and connect to Astrooptik Telescope, it automatically starts Autoslew. this is fine. but then if i start Sequence9, then it also automatically starts MaximDL (which is fine) and Autoslew! so then i have two instances of Autoslew running, which is bad. here is recipe #1: POTH -> connect Astrooptik Autoslew (automatically starts) TheSkyX -> connect TeleAPI/Astrooptik Sequence -> connect Autoslew (automatically starts) MaximDL (automatically starts) so, two instances of Autoslew. no good. here is recipe #2: Sequence -> connect Autoslew (automatically starts) MaximDL (automatically starts) TheSkyX -> connect TeleAPI/Astrooptik Autoslew (automatically starts) so, two instances of Autoslew. no good. i've also tried TheSkyX -> connect TeleAPI/Generic Hub, but this doesn't seem to work either. it just starts up another instance of Autoslew. so, how do i run all my programs at the same time and get them talking to each other? has anyone else been successful at this? or is it simply not possible to run sequence and TheSkyX simultaneously?

sounds like the F-710 works. i'll keep trying to get my F-310 to work. i'll try the different modes and maybe pay close attention to the slewing rate, but i'll go ahead and order an F-710 b/c it sounds like it'll work for sure. thanks everyone.

i purchased two different controllers, hoping one would work. this one from logitech, which looks almost identical to the one the in the DDM85 manual: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-940-000110-Gamepad-F310/dp/B003VAHYQY and this one from powera: http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Mini-Pro-Controller-Wired/dp/B005761CFO they are USB wired controllers, and windows 8 recognizes both of them, and the drivers seem to have loaded with any trouble, and Autoslew sees them as well - the problem is that they don't actually slew! i can program the buttons with the setting menu in Autoslew, but the actual joy-stick part of the controller does nothing, which is kind of the important part. the DDM85 manual says "any windows gamepad" will work - so far, i'm having no luck. has anyone else gotten controllers to work?

thanks for the tip ian. here's that doc: http://www.astrosysteme.at/images/Autoslew-News_E.pdf it looks like the 'examples' in the back are really useful. i spent most of the day today messing around with ascom drivers and trying to get sequence, autoslew, maximdl and theskyx all talking to each other and playing nice. seems like everything is working now, but i won't know for sure for another 5 hours when it gets dark!

okay, i just spent about 2 hours balancing and tuning. i'm down to 1 little noise when i cross the 'top' of the rotation right near the meridian. RA at sidereal rate is DE at sidereal rate is RA at medium speed is DEC at medium speed is my "Autofind quality" (not really sure what that even means) is 76% in RA and 52% in DEC. what do you guys think? does these readings seem reasonable?

>I see in a lot of places on here the phrase "balancing in different positions". Surely a telescope system is either in balance or out of balance? an equipped OTA is not symmetrical, which makes things complicated. finder scopes on one side, focusers, oblong filter wheels, etc. so my understanding is that this requires things to be balanced in many different ways. i'm still new with my mount, and i'm learning, but this is my understanding. >When the mount is slewing, does the counterweight shaft rotate with rotation of the OTA on that axis? no. the OTA is rotated independently of the counterweight shaft. there is a 'head' that rotates - the rest of the unit (including the weights) does not move >And a supplementary: If it does rotate when slewing, does it also rotate when the mount is unpowered and the OTA manually rotated about its countershaft axis? since the answer to the previous question is 'no', then the answer to this question is also no.

so lukas, should i think something is wrong if it takes an hour or two to tune and balance my C11 for the first time? i spent about 20-30 minutes and it still had problems shuddering, and i adjusted my PDI like the manual suggested, and it still hummed and shuddered so i keep freaking out hoping that my mount isn't somehow defective. but if it takes a long time by balancing the RA axis, repositioning, balancing again, moving it back, balancing again, and then switching to DEC axis, repositioning, balancing again, moving it back, then going back to RA and starting over again...if this is just how it works, then i'll feel better and keep working at it.

since i'm new, and i'm spending a lot of time reading and trying to understand the process, i thought i'd make a quick list of my understanding of how to use this mount. i'm wondering if anyone can tell me if this sounds right, or if you use a different method for setup. during the day: - rough balance - tune PID via auto and/or manual - fine balance (multi-position, multi-axis) at night: - rough polar align - make 4 star pointing file for polar alignment on east or west side - calculate configuration - polar adjust (using the knobs) - clear configuration - use sequence, theskyx, maximdl, pinpoint to make an automated big (10-20?) star pointing file and then something about MPLT which i'll figure out after i get everything else working... here are the documents i'm using to figure this out: david kopacz tutorial this tutorial i found the DDM85 manual

thanks everyone. i'll spend some time today working on balancing some more in different positions. my permanent observatory is still under construction, so for now the mount is on a CGEM tripod which is on a wheeled platform - perhaps that structure is contributing to the problem. i'll keep working at it. some additional questions though: did it take you guys a while to get it tuned correctly? about how many hours did you spend on the initial balancing and tuning?

so here i am on my first non-cloudy night to test out my mount. very exciting! i thought i had it balanced pretty well. the red lines were at or near overlap on both RA and DEC, and then i proceeded to do an auto-tune. it ran through it's paces, and said that it found some better variables and whatnot, and i moved on from there. anyway, i started to slew around and get images of stars in my camera, which is refreshing about every 1/2 second and the stars are all "warbly" - zigzaggy and scribbly. my mount is vibrating. i can move it a little here and a little there and get it to stop, but then if i slew it again it will find some odd harmonics and begin to vibrate again. not exactly sure how to resolve this. i'm using a C11HD with the stock finder scope and a dew shield. again, balance appears to be okay. any advice? i can't seem to get the hums and shudders to subside.

ah - perfect. thanks. now i see. very cool system.

it's difficult for me to understand exactly what is pictured. could you describe what it does and how?

ian, i went back and checked, and i realize that i had read the instructions incorrectly to begin with! i feel stupid now - however, the wiring is still screwy: wrong colors, and the pins don't match up with the wiring document. i'm accustomed of course to having red and black wires represent positive and negative. i don't know if this is simply a USA thing or what, but this is what is "normal" in my mind. but yes, as the instructions indicate, there should be a grey and yellow/green and those don't exist with my setup. mine cable has 4 colors: black, red, brown and yellow. strange. the PDF came with the Autoslew software on the USB shipped with my DDM85:

sebastian! i think i've solved it. you got me thinking about the wire combinations. so, this is what i think happened: - the ASA quality assurance guys hooked it up to their test harness, and everything checked out. - the ASA power cable guys wired the power cable incorrectly - the ASA packing guys grabbed the incorrectly wired power cable and packed it with the mount i got the mount working, but instead of using the black and red lead wires like the instructions say, i used the black and brown wire instead - and even that doesn't match the DDM85 wiring diagram. here are the pics: i opened autoslew, and it detected the mount just fine and the laser was activated, and then i clicked on the manual slew controller and the mount slewed, but not very well because with no OTA and no counter-weights, it's horribly imbalanced. so i'm going to email ASA support and confirm that this is how the mount is supposed to be powered, even though it conflicts with their written instructions and the wiring diagram.

all, ASA replied to me, and suggested that perhaps the internal fuse is blown and told me to open up the case and check it out. they also told me that the system is rated to take up to 15 volts, so 13.9 volts is no problem. and sebastian, thanks for that diagram. it's difficult to see in the photo b/c my hand is in the way, but the pins i am testing are pins 1 and 6 (the two "bottom" pins at about 6 o'clock.) so i did take the back off, and unfortunately, the fuse is intact. i did a visual inspection and i tested it independently with my voltmeter for continuity. i also checked to see if the power was making into the system. you see +12V and -12V coming from the DC-IN input. the -12V follows the black wire, the +12V follows the blue/clear wire. (i unplugged the +12V to take my measurement.) i replied this information to them, and i hope to hear from them on monday. i'm assuming this means i will have to send it back, which is a major drag.

thanks everyone for trying to help out. since pictures are worth 1,000 words, i thought i'd show you what's going on with images. - power up 12V 20A power supply. - test the male plug pins and read 13.91 volts - insert the plug into the DC-IN inlet - no LED light, seemingly no response i haven't heard back from ASA yet, but i'd like to open it up and see if perhaps a power lead wiggled loose in shipping - but i don't dare open it unless i get permission from ASA first. i don't want to void the warrantee.

sigh. thanks for the information. sounds like i've been shipped a dead DDM85. the power cable is securely plugged into the mount and the lock is threaded and tightened. the 12V 20A power supply is on. (this is the power supply.) i used a voltmeter to confirm power output of the power supply, and that the power is actually in the powerpole connectors to the mount. but... no LED lights up on the mount. and the software can't seem to communicate with the mount (which makes sense if there is no power to it.) the only thing i can think to do next is to try a different power source, like a car battery - but given that i've confirmed the power with the voltmeter, i don't see how this would make a difference. i sent an email about 5 hours ago to ASA to the support email and the office email, but i haven't heard back from them. i hope to hear from them tomorrow.

good to know about the laser being activated by autoslew. not sure why they would label the button with 'laser' if that was the case. so, just to confirm, when you guys turn on the power on your mounts, what happens? does the power button light up? or do you have to push it first? i'd like to understand what is supposed to happen. yes, it's a 20 amp power supply, and it outputs 12 volts (measured at about 13 volts though.) as far as polarity goes, i match the red w/ red and black with black - i don't want to attempt to reverse that because i would think it's possible to damage something. i sent an email to ASA to see what they have to say, but i'm thinking that this mount is DOA.

last week my DDM85 Standard arrived. i unboxed it and set it up, and i plugged in the power cable to a 12 volt power supply. i used a voltmeter to confirm that the power supply works, and that the attachment to the mount is receiving power. i push the power/laser button the mount, and nothing happens. no LED lights up. no laser beams. nothing. also, when i start Autoslew, it says that it had a problem during the init of the motor drive. any idea as to what is going on here?

thanks gerald. so, just so i'm clear - the losmandy/vixen clamp is all you needed to connect the C11 OTA dovetail to the DDM85? do you think this would work? http://www.optcorp.com/asa-ddm60-saddle-for-losmandy-dovetail-plates.html

my DDM85 is arrive in just a couple of weeks, and i'm planning on first using my C11 OTA on it until i decide what to upgrade to. it's unclear to me how to connect the C11 OTA to the DDM85. could anyone offer any guidance on this subject? does anyone use the C11 or C14 on this mount?