AP 1100 mount compatibility with Satellite Tracker (Started by Mike Magras)

[John Eccles]

Hello John,

I have an AP1100 mount and am wondering if your program will interface with it. I see the following on your site’s home page:

Telescopes with LX200 Emulation:

Telescopes with a LX200 emulation mode are supported starting with version 2.0.4. Losmandy-Gemini mounted telescopes have tested well with this release as well as Astro-Physics mounts.

but I don’t know if that means it works with AP mounts or if I need some additional “emulation” software?

If this question is already answered on the forum somewhere, please just point me in the right direction and I’ll read it.

Thank you!!!

Mike Magras
near Tucson, AZ

[John Eccles]

Mike,

From what I read if you select LX200 compatible it should work okay. If you can provide me with the RS-232 commands set that the AP 1100 uses I will be able to tell if the LX200 emulation will work properly. I do not have that command set information. Sometimes the command set is located in the appendix of the user manual.

[John Eccles]

John,

Thank you for responding and offering to take a look at this. The command language used by, I believe, all the AP mounts, is contained in the attached manual and addendum. The manual has the command language, see Appendices A & B (I am not sure if the info in Appendix B adds to or replaces the info in App A). The Addendum has an update for changes due to the latest firmware revision that is now used in most of the mounts (see Addendum pp. 4-5).

Mike

[John Eccles]

Mike,

Thank you for the attachments.

What is the firmware version of the keypad that you are using?

As you can see Appendix A is associated with GTOCP1 and GTOCP2 Servo Control Boxes Microcontroller chip versions C, KC, D, KD, E, E1, and KE1 in your mount. Appendix B is associated with GTOCP3 Servo Control Boxes Microcontroller chip versions G through O in your mount. Can you tell me which chip version you have? Instructions for determining the chip version is contained in the appropriate appendix.

[Jimmy Andrews]

Here is a pass I recorded with my Astro-Physics 900GTO GEM mount and Satellite Tracker v2.5.1
This is a new ISS web page that I'm having ftp problems with.
Site my come and go until I learn a bit more.

http://jimmyjujames.com


Astro-Physics 900GTO GEM Mount. Purchased new in 2011
Upgraded to Rev ''V'' chip in my CP3GTO

Setup for my 900GTO mount.

Satellite Tracker v2.5.1

   Timing Offset (sec) = 0
   Alignment Adjustment (steps) = 0

   Telescope> Interface Protocol> LX200 Compatible

    Options--> Preferences--> Tracking Factor = 0
 (0 delay between goto's results in about 29 GoTo's per second to mount on my setup)
 
 You will need to change the following 3 options as
 you change your eyepiece FOV
 
 This is what I use for an 18x14 arc-min FOV (about 7mm eyepiece on my setup)
 Options--> Preferences--> Timing Offset Increments Coarse = 0.5 second
 Options--> Preferences--> Timing Offset Increments Fine   = 0.01 second
 Options--> Preferences--> Alignment Adjustment Increments = 1 step
 

Mount:
Astro-Physics 900GTO GEM mount:
Minimize backlash in Dec and RA
Set Mount time as close to the second as possible.
A very good polar alignment will minimize corrections due to drift.

 The 900GTO has features that allow me to track the ISS in the daylight.
 Southwestern horizon to Zenith to NorthEastern horizon and no meridian flip.
 Wow! Super Cool mount.
 Another user said this and I agree,
 "The mount is so good that you just forget about it during the session."

Focused and ReCal on Vega in daylight

Track the ISS from SW to Zenith to NE with no meridian flip.
Start with OTA below horizon in the West pointing above the SW horizon.
After Satellite Tracker connects to mount,
 change mount Keypad ''Meridian'' from 0W to 6W (overhead to western horizon)

Laptop
Download latest TLE's
Set Laptop time as close to the second as possible.

 Jimmy

[John Eccles]

Thanks Jimmy for providing this detailed information about your mount.

[Michael Magras]

John, My mount has the CTO CP3 servo controller running the Rev V ROM. The keypad is running v 4.17 Firmware.

[Michael Magras]

Jimmy, thanks for your detailed post, I will give your suggested settings a try and see what happens!

Mike