3853 replies to this topic

[Bart Declercq]

That is "good" to hear! I'm not alone! Yes, with the mount disconnected from SGP, everything works fine. I still am unable to do automated meridian flips for some reason, but then with the small lens I have on it, I don't need to do a meridian flip anyway. Is the meridian flip working for you?

I also did find the source of the issue for not being able to point to M31: the PC app for SynScan Pro has an altitude limit of 75 degrees by default, but there is a slider to change that.

 

Oh and yes, that thread on SGP forum - I created it

 

Cheers,

 

Yannick

 

I'm also using a small lens and haven't had to meridian flip yet - my last "long-exposure" subject was M81/82 and I suspect I could image that 24h long without the camera bumping into anything. I didn't encounter any altitude limit on the PC app, but I'm using the mount in Equatorial mode, if you're using it in alt-az I can see the sense of having an altitude limit as tracking speed and field rotation issues would be huge at high elevations.

 

I don't like to do meridian flips (and in practice I can't really do it on my main telescope) so I just tend to program in multiple subjects, switching to the next one when it's too far past the meridion. This works well on my big scope because I can go quite a long way past the meridian before I'd need to do a flip - for my CEM60 I'll probably have to do flips, since it can't go more than 15deg past the meridian.

[Bagwell]

My az gti is stuck in firmware update mode, 4 hr reset not working. Anyone encounter and solve this issue? The solution presented on star gazers lounge ( https://stargazerslo...re-update-mode/ ) indicates getting the external wifi dongle is the solution.

Sounds like the dongle has worked for a couple of people.  Thats good that there seems to be a resolve.   Maybe you can borrow a dongle from someone rather than buying it.  Let us know how it works out.  I hope you find success. 

 

Only thing I have experienced with my mount is that I felt the azimuth clutch screw doesnt feel like it is tight enough but I havent had it slip and just last night it seemed like I could hear a slight noise in the mount like it was loaded against the gear it wasnt constant but just a slight tick now and again and I kind of thought it was strange but not something I put as a top priority to investigate at this time.  I will keep an eye on the noise for the next use.   I did run into an out of altitude range or something like that from the goto when I was very near zenith so it looks like the mount is watching out for interference with the tripod and  stuff. 

 

Vaughn

[pferendzo]

I ordered the dongle from Amazon... I live near a college and there are at least a dozen wifi signals that may be keeping the the mount from resetting. As an experiment I placed the mount in a steel pot (cheap faraday cage) to reduce/eliminate extraneous wifi RF that may be keeping it from resetting to factory default.

 

Update: Steel pot didn't work, still in update mode. Dongle should be here tomorrow or the next day...

Edited by pferendzo, 18 December 2018 - 04:56 PM.

[pferendzo]

The wifi dongle worked...

[EastAnglian]

Hi all, merry Christmas!

Okay, I today put some batteries into my new mount and steamed her up. Connected to my iPhone via standard, not pro, app with no problems. This was a surprise considering I have six other WiFi signals showing on my phone including two in my house. My next major surprise was how quiet this thing is! I didn’t realise it was working! I should confirm that this was indoors, not outside. I haven’t as yet attempted any set-up or goto, I’m just playing.

I only bought the head unit, not the pillar and/or tripod. I’m hoping that one of my birding tripods will be sufficient, and on first look on a carpeted floor it seems okay. This tripod has a central pillar that can be raised and has carbon fibre legs. Only time ‘in the field’ will tell if this is going to be okay. 

I’ve found that the installed firmware is 3.14.A5 for which I can find no info; does anybody know about this version please? I didn’t particularly want to update unless there was a good reason. Anything else I should check?

Max

[Bagwell]

They have a few bugs that they fixed with updates, so it might be worth considering..  Just make sure when or if you update that you get the one for either left side mount or right side mount depending on your needs.    
Congrats on the new mount and clear skies. 

 

Vaughn

 

[EastAnglian]

Hi Vaughn

Thanks for that, do you by any chance know of any major fixes that have happened since my iteration? Talking of sides, I’m assuming that my current version is the standard left hand, which means when tube is on the side in front of you it’s pointing left I think?

Clear skies are rare round here at the moment, and look likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future; it almost makes me wonder at times if all the expense and trouble are worth it!

Max

[Astronomy4You]

Hi All,

 

I'm strongly considering one of these mounts as a grab and go for my 80 ED or ETX105 Mak, and as a DSLR/Lens platform for some wide field deep space imaging. 

 

I borrowed one from a friend who runs a local telescope shop to try out before buying. I tried it out tonight and ran into a couple of problems that I'm not sure what the cause is, though I suspect out of date firmware. As the mount is not mine, I 'm not willing to update the firmware on this mount so I have no way of verifying that is indeed the problem. I'm using the latest version on Synscan and the motor controller comes back as 3.12.A5

 

Here's the setup:

Straight out of the box /off the showroom floor AZ-GTI. Mounted on the tripod and pier extension Skywatcher Wedge and then the AZ-GTI in EQ mode.

 

Leveled and centered on Polaris (verified through an image and knowing where Polaris is). I am connected via Syscan on my Android Phone. I tell it to align on Capella. Off it goes in search of the star but when It  stops, it's nowhere near Capella. The mount moved in RA quite a bit, but barely in DEC if at all.

 

I tried aligning on Rigel, and the same issue. I manually moved the the mount to Rigel and told it it was centered. Went o M42, and it was in the area, but not centered. But it didn't track. Even 5 seconds gave trails. 

 

Any idea what's going on with the go tos and lack of tracking?

 

I'm going to try it in Alt-Az mode tomorrow night, and see if that's any better. 

[DIMITRIS K.]

Do you hear motor struggle?
Do a full 360o rotation manually and see if it stuck somewhere. If yes, that means the bolt that adjust backlash is very tight and you must loose it a bit. I'll tell you how

Edited by DIMITRIS K., 30 December 2018 - 04:53 AM.

[Bagwell]

Hi All,

 

I'm strongly considering one of these mounts as a grab and go for my 80 ED or ETX105 Mak, and as a DSLR/Lens platform for some wide field deep space imaging. 

 

I borrowed one from a friend who runs a local telescope shop to try out before buying. I tried it out tonight and ran into a couple of problems that I'm not sure what the cause is, though I suspect out of date firmware. As the mount is not mine, I 'm not willing to update the firmware on this mount so I have no way of verifying that is indeed the problem. I'm using the latest version on Synscan and the motor controller comes back as 3.12.A5

 

Here's the setup:

Straight out of the box /off the showroom floor AZ-GTI. Mounted on the tripod and pier extension Skywatcher Wedge and then the AZ-GTI in EQ mode.

 

Leveled and centered on Polaris (verified through an image and knowing where Polaris is). I am connected via Syscan on my Android Phone. I tell it to align on Capella. Off it goes in search of the star but when It  stops, it's nowhere near Capella. The mount moved in RA quite a bit, but barely in DEC if at all.

 

I tried aligning on Rigel, and the same issue. I manually moved the the mount to Rigel and told it it was centered. Went o M42, and it was in the area, but not centered. But it didn't track. Even 5 seconds gave trails. 

 

Any idea what's going on with the go tos and lack of tracking?

 

I'm going to try it in Alt-Az mode tomorrow night, and see if that's any better. 

If I am not mistaken, the mount comes stock without the ability to GOTO or track properly in EQ mode because it doesnt have the firmware allowing such.  Others will correct me if I am wrong here.  When you connect to the mount does it offer an option to connect in either EQ or AltAz modes?  

Hope this helps.  

 

Vaughn

[Astronomy4You]

If I am not mistaken, the mount comes stock without the ability to GOTO or track properly in EQ mode because it doesnt have the firmware allowing such.  Others will correct me if I am wrong here.  When you connect to the mount does it offer an option to connect in either EQ or AltAz modes?  

Hope this helps.  

 

Vaughn

Vaugn,

 

It doesn't give me the option of Alt-Az or EQ. So I'm guessing I was right in that it needs a firmware update.  How do I do the update? Do I need a cable or can it be done wirelessly over Wifi?

[Bagwell]

Yep, when you update firmware it gives the option but also depending on the version of firmware you update to it can also change from left side mounting to right side mounting of the scope or camera on the mount.

 

Vaughn

[Bagwell]

Astronomy4you, 

 

You do the update wirelessly by connecting to the wifi from the mount after you download the update from skywatcher  and unzipping it to a folder etc. 

[f300v10]

Is there an EQ capable version of the firmware that doesn't force Alt-Az mode to right side mount?  The only one I can find on the skywatcher site is 3.16 that is EQ/right arm.  Or did I miss a way/setting to make 3.16 work left arm as well?

[Bagwell]

I think if I am not mistaken that that is the only one.  I do think they should make a firmware version for a left side alt/az and eq but not sure they have done so.  You can also call Skywatcherusa and talk to them directly about it.   

This is a long thread to read but I read thru it all and there is a lot of information in it.  I would love to see some kind of organization of the information within all of the AZ-GTi threads to make it easier to access the info for everyone and to go directly to the info you need.  

 

Vaughn

[EastAnglian]

I’m still not certain which is left and which is right?! I think that when the tube is immediately in front of you, with mount behind, it’s pointing left? And this is called ‘left’? 

Max

[trurl]

When standing at the eyepiece with the tube in front of you, the mount is on the left or the right side of the tube.

[EastAnglian]

When standing at the eyepiece with the tube in front of you, the mount is on the left or the right side of the tube.

 

Thanks for such a quick reply! So what I described was not left but right?! So does this mean that the firmware it came with 3.14.A5 is the right hand version? I had assumed that they would leave the factory with left hand firmware? I’m very confused about this. 

Max

Edited by EastAnglian, 31 December 2018 - 07:59 AM.

[Bagwell]

The original firmware they come with is for tube on left of mount in alt/az mode. Unless there has been a change somewhere in what they are loading on the mount as far as firmware goes.  If someone were to have a mount in alt/az mode and with the original firmware on it and used align and more than one star and the mount tries to align closely on the second star and is 180 deg off then they most likely have the tube on the wrong side of the mount and pointed the wrong way.  I often try to set up the mount when I do in alt/az mode with the tube pointing north towards polar alignment and I have never had a problem with it being 180 deg out of alignment.  I did the update of firmware right off the bat when I got it because I knew my C5 was a right handed setup tube and my ST80 could go either way with tube rings.  

 

Thanks, 
Vaughn

[EastAnglian]

Many thanks Vaughn! I think I’ve finally got it! I did an approximate goto test in my lounge (leveand north) and both chosen star positions (info from SkySafari) were very close, so it would appear all’s well. I now have to decide whether or not to update to the latest firmware. Although I would, with a computer, do this without thinking, I’m not so keen on taking the chance with the mount. This is especially true as I can find no information about my version 3.14.A5 anywhere. 

Max

p.s. Just noticed you said AT80, which appears to be identical to my Celestron 80mm see here:

https://www.cnet.com...tting-scope-80/

and here: 

https://www.cloudyni...ting-scope-r699

I’d be interested to have your opinion on the scope 

Edited by EastAnglian, 31 December 2018 - 09:14 AM.

[Bagwell]

Interesting.  Im not sure about the 3.14 A5 version.   I believe my mount came with the 3.15 A5 if I am reading my notes correctly.  I dont even see 3.15 versions listed in the release notes of the firmware.  It must have been some factory installed update that was superseeded and not even listed in the notes for some reason.  I bought my mount in November 2018  Can anyone else confirm the motor controller firmware their mount came with?  I updated mine to 3.16 A5 version  in early December 2018 to go to Right side tube mount and both alt/az and EQ mounting options.  

 

Vaughn

[davidparks]

You can download the Motor Controller Firmware Loader, WiFi (currently version 1.70) direct from Skywatcher.  (This is PC/Windows software)

 

Firmware: AZGTi Mount, Version 3.16 - is for AZ only, left side mounting

Firmware: AZGTi Mount, Right Arm, AZ/EQ Dual Mode, Version 3.16 - is for both AZ and EQ modes, right side mounting, SynScan Application will ask you which mode when connecting.

 

For Northern Hemisphere:

Left side mounting has the AZ knob pointing north, or "forward", when in the North-Level position.  Power button will be facing East (to the right) and optics are mounted on the left, pointing North/Forward.  This is how the mount is shipped, and how it is used with the AZ only firmware.

Right side mounting is of course the opposite, in AZ mode, with AZ knob pointing south, when in the North-Level position, power button facing West, and optics mounted on the right, pointing North/Forward.  This is how to use the AZ/EQ Dual Mode firmware in AZ mode.

   for EQ mode the "Home" position, the AZ knob will be pointing West, power button pointing "downward" at your latitude angle. optics pointing at NCP (roughly Polaris).

 

If you are getting wonky goto's, you need to "manually sync" your mounts encoders.  (not an official term or routine)

From the SynScan Home Screen, you can save User Objects, either in Celestial format RA/Dec, or Terrestrial format Axis1/Axis2 (AZ/Alt).  You can also use the Utility function to get current position Information.

 

In AZ Mode:

  Save a Terrestrial User Object with Axis1=0, Axis2=0  (this represents North/Level)

  Slew (Goto) this saved position, with tight clutches.  Your encoders are now at (0, 0) North/Level

  Loosen both clutches and move your MOUNT so that your OPTICS are pointing North/Level.  Re-tighten your clutches.  Now your mount and encoders are in sync.

    Be mindful of your dovetail orientation, specifically if using an L-Bracket, or any other right-angle type of mounting to your optics, as this might change the direction your optics are pointing relative to the direction the mount is pointing.  (your optics may be parallel, or perpendicular to the mounts dovetail)  (scopes are often parallel, DSLR's are often perpendicular). 

 

In EQ Mode:

  Save a Terrestrial User Object with Axis1= -90, Axis2= 90 (this represents EQ Home)

  Slew (Goto) this saved position, with tight clutches.

  Loosen both clutches and move your MOUNT so that your OPTICS are pointing at the NCP (near Polaris).  Re-tighten your clutches.

 

This picture shows EQ Home position

 

 

With these starting and sync'd positions, you should be amazed at how easy and accurate polar alignment, star alignment, goto, and tracking are with this little gem of a mount

Edited by davidparks, 31 December 2018 - 01:34 PM.

[davidparks]

Fellow AZGTi owners, and those considering the purchase of the AZGTi, ASIAIR, or Stellarmate:  I'd like to draw attention to a new thread started which I hope you will find informative, or at least entertaining  

 

 Using the Skywatcher AZGTi with a Windows PC, ASIAIR, and Stellarmate:  Review and Opinion

[Bart Declercq]

 

 

I have the exact same problem wit SGPro and the AZ-GTI - for now I've "solved" it by disconnecting the mount in SGPro after slewing/platesolving but before starting my images, but that obviously means I can't sequence multiple objects in one session without being physically present. With the mount connected to PHD2 but not to SGPro, everything works and I can track for hours&hours (did a 4.5 hour M81/82 last week with zero issues)

 

Edit: an interesting thread to follow on the SGPro forum : http://forum.mainseq...t-tracking/9127

 

I may have found a workaround for the "Mount is parked or not tracking error" issue with Sequence Generator Pro - it's been cloudy so everything was done using "simulator" cameras, but last night I did two test runs - one directly using the Skywatcher Pro Ascom mount driver, which failed with this error after about an hour with that error. Then, I switched to the Ascom "POTH Telescope" which is a kind of middleware which allows multiple devices to connect to drivers which don't support multiple connections. Connecting the POTH driver to the Skywatcher driver, then connecting SGPro to the POTH driver, I managed to have it "image" for an entire night without any interruptions!

[maxsid]

Hi David,

In your setup, could the guider/finder mounted at the bottom side of the dovetail potentially hit the mount?

(I just bought a guider and considering different mounting possibilities. It will be used together with a DSLR).

I think a side-by-side setup should be safer...

 

Your setup:

My setup (haven't tried yet):

 

 

 

Thanks!

Max

 

 

I found the SkyWatcher Latitude Base to be very stable and easy to use.  Using Sharpcap’s Polar Alignment feature, and the Orion SSAIO with 50mm C-Mount Lens, I was able to lock down at 3 arcseconds in just under 6 minutes.  Sorry, I didn’t think to grab any screenshots of Sharpcap’s scene during alignment.

 

Using the 500mm lens with 2x Converter, i was able to get up to 3 minute exposures before I saw a bit of star trail.  I don’t know if this was due to the stepper motor “steps” or to drift.  I also noticed that at 1000mm I cannot focus pinpoint stars, the collimation of the mirror lens leaves odd star shapes.  You get what you pay for... I’m looking forward to receiving a new WO Z61 (backordered til mid-May)

 

The mount successfully tracked and stacked M51 with 60 second exposures for 60 minutes  ... which I lost due to fumble fingers on the mouse pad... but below is a 30s for 30m shot.

 

I’m truly impressed with this little mount