Since I aquired an Losmandy G11 mount without any goto provision I decided to create my own solution. I was a bit reluctant to use a Gemini, mainly because of the cost, but also due to the reliability since the servo motors are somewhat prone to failure. I also like to have complete control over the software/firmware so that no "show stopper" issues will ever be a problem for me. Looking around the 'net I saw other goto systems that seemed capable, but either they had needlessly complex hardware or were commercial systems that cost about twice what they should.
OnStep is a computerized goto system, usually for stepper motor equipped mounts though any step/dir interface motor driver (including servo) should work. It was designed, from the beginning, as a more or less general purpose system and provisions were made in the firmware to allow for use on a variety of mounts including Equatorial and Alt/Az (GEM, Fork, Dobsonian, etc.) It uses an LX200 like computer command set with a few extensions to suit hand controller-less operation.
There's a telescope hand controller App for Android (free in the Google Play Store,) an option to control through a website (Smart Web Server,) and a dedicated physical hand controller (Smart Hand Controller.) Or, on a PC there's ASCOM and INDI drivers for control. These options allow you to setup and control OnStep using a wide range of software including my Sky Planetarium, Cartes du Ciel, Stellarium, SkySafari, KStars, PHD2, etc. You can see most of the control possibilities in the diagram below:
Also, please visit my StellarJourney.com site for updates, links to OnStep resources, my other astronomy software, or to see some Images taken with the assistance of my OnStep operated mounts.
If you find OnStep useful and would like to show your appreciation and support please consider making a small monetary donation. This keeps me motivated and helps cover expenses associated with my projects.
|
Some Dovetail lifehack
soulvagabond@...
Some lifehack here guys, especially as a temporarily solution...
If you happened to realize, you need a longer mounting plate, the common 2040 aluminum profile works quite well, for the purpose., just need to drill 2 holes and off you go. Just mounted 40cm long plate on my SW 150PDS scope ...
|
|
|
|
Test the harmonic equatorial mount
gs3c@...
Last year I made an equatorial mount using Harmonic reducer.Tested recently, The test was conducted recently, the following are the details and test results of the equatorial mount Reducer: Harmonic reducer Basic load:> 22kg (without counterweight) Total weight: 12.2kg including column stand Structural material: 6061-T6 aluminum CNC machining Latitude adjustment range: 0~90° ASCOM/handle adjustment Mode: EQ/ALZ switchable RA axis: 25-160 harmonic DEC axis: 20-100 harmonics Bearing: Crossed Roller Bearing Counterweight: reserved installation interface Base interface: 120 aluminum profile Maximum GOTO speed: about 8°/s Drive motor: 1.8° closed loop motor 128 subdivision Power source: DC 12V~36V wide voltage input 3A Polar axis: electronic polar axis mirror interface Guide star interface: ST-4 Communication interface: USB WiFi Dovetail seat: wide version dovetail seat Control system: Onstep 3.16 The equatorial mount points to the sky above 70 degrees, with a 6-inch reflecting telescope, and the entire load is about 10kg. Equipment situation: Asi290mc camera/FMA180 guide mirror Balanced state: right ascension without counterweight, declination is not balanced, load is about 10kg Environmental status: medium seeing, wind power is about 4, gust 5, moon phase is about 80% Polar axis error: the main mirror to the polar axis, the error is <4" Guide star setting: PHD2 2.69 dve2, open multi-star point detection. • The guide star rate is 0.7 by default, and the correction frequency is 0.2s • X algorithm lags 0.1, correction intensity 70%, minimum detection 0.19 • Y algorithm resists switching, the correction intensity is 100%, and the minimum detection is 0.19 • Pulse 20ms
|
|
|
|
Re: My 16" dob with Onstep
Butchf
|
|
|
|
Re: SHC Enclosure - Printed, no PCB needed :)
Butchf
Did you post the Wiring diagram somewhere?
thanks, Don
|
|
|
|
Re: EQ5 Build - V1.0 Released
#EQ5
Jesse Lichtenberg
Very nice build - thank you for sharing the information! I am looking to upgrade a manual EQ5 to OnStep and I knew there were some great examples in the showcase, but I hadn't been back recently enough to see this one. I may be following your design more or less exactly!
You'd mentioned having other pulleys and belts on the way - anything you'd care to elaborate on? I'm going to start putting together my parts list!
|
|
|
|
Re: My 16" dob with Onstep
Oscar Lithgow
Butchf... Where did you get those "Latches handles" you are using for engaging the mechanism?
|
|
|
|
Re: Simple question about Onstep Version code
Plamen Dimitrov
Thanks a lot! This is exactly I wanted.
this will be helpful to track how mine maxesp3 responds to future possible updates of the firmware code. thanks. +Plamen
|
|
|
|
Re: Simple question about Onstep Version code
Open the OnStep.ino file, scroll down a page or so, and look at these values:
#define FirmwareVersionMajor 5 #define FirmwareVersionMinor 0 #define FirmwareVersionPatch "f"
|
|
|
|
Re: Simple question about Onstep Version code
Plamen Dimitrov
Thanks Khalid, How do I know the version of onstep to be uploaded into the controller before been uploaded into the controller?
|
|
|
|
Re: Simple question about Onstep Version code
On Mon, Dec 28, 2020 at 03:29 PM, Plamen Dimitrov wrote:
Does anybody knows a simple way to know what version Onstep code (freshly downloaded) was prior uploading on the Onstep Hardware controllers ?If you mean: "what version is my controller running now", then yes. If you have WiFi and use the web interface, it will be displayed on the Status page. The Android app also shows it (press the "i" several times). If you don't have WiFi, you can still know over USB. Use the IDE's Serial Monitor and enter the command: :GVN#
|
|
|
|
Simple question about Onstep Version code
Plamen Dimitrov
Hello every everyone,
Does anybody knows a simple way to know what version Onstep code (freshly downloaded) was prior uploading on the Onstep Hardware controllers ? Thanks +Plamen
|
|
|
|
Re: Combining OnStep with Celestron
#celestron
Egge
Hi Chris,
great documentation! Thank you very much. Based on this, I decided to disasemble the mount and do at lease some improvements (e.g. cleaning; new grease; replace ball bearings,...). After this (and of course testing) I will decide, wether I transform the mount to OnStep... but this will be far in the future... May I ask a few questions, to be prepared for disasembling: 1. you mentioned, to replace the worm shaft bearings... can you please give an example of the bearings you used? 2. you also mentioned, that you have replaced the big bearings (6008-2RS). Can you recommend this? Did you see some improvements? 3. do you also recommend to do something with the teflon washers and/or adding shims (as decreibed in Astro-Baby)? And a few questions for a possible OnStep-transformation 1. since you finally recommended the 48/15 ratio of pulleys, it requires no mechanical adaptions on the mount - only on the width of the 48teeth pulley? 2. center to center distance from worm gear to motor axis is 50-53mm? 3. only reason for you to use MXL was availability? would there be any disadvantages on GT2? 4. how tricky was the asemmbly of motor inside the mount and connect it to the timing belt? 5. I always have problems with my 12V DC power supply connectors - what connector (male and female) did you use exactly? thanks in advance... egge
|
|
|
|
Uploading to MaxESP3
I've built a MaxESP3, based on the ESP-WROOM-32 (Node-MCU), 38-pin board. I got it working with the SHC controller (same board), but the motors would only move if I selected a speed of 8X or slower. I'd like to upload the firmware with a few tweaks, but I can't get it to upload. I'm getting the error message: "A fatal error occurred: Failed to connect to ESP32: Invalid head of packet (0x00)". I tried every possible manipulation of the EN button on the board while trying to upload, but always get the same message.
Has anyone run across this before? Any suggestions? I'm getting so close.
|
|
|
|
Re: Where is the code for the latest Master Version of Onstep?
On Mon, Dec 28, 2020 at 12:07 PM, Gerry Byrne wrote:
The Wiki for the FYSTC S6 contains the following advice.This is the 4.x branch. Perhaps Howard should change the branch name from just "beta" to "beta (4.x)" https://github.com/hjd1964/OnStep/archive/beta.zip
|
|
|
|
Where is the code for the latest Master Version of Onstep?
Gerry Byrne
Hi,
The Wiki for the FYSTC S6 contains the following advice. "To use the FYSETC S6 board, you need to use the latest master version of OnStep (4.7d or later)" Is this the code available from the following location? https://github.com/hjd1964/OnStep.git Gerry Byrne -- Copernicus
|
|
|
|
Re: OnStep up and running!!!
On Mon, Dec 28, 2020 at 05:46 AM, Egge wrote:
I will try both... reducing mechanical backlash by adjusting mount AND balancing the wheight.In addition to the above, or even before that, try to adjust the backlash in OnStep. During daylight, and with the highest magnification, and tracking off, manually slew to a far away land object. Use the Android app or SHC, and press the W button, then reverse it by pressing E. If the object lags, then backlash compensation is too low, increase it. If the object jumps, then backlash compensation is too high, decrease it. Keep trying until you get no jump or lag. Do the same for DEC using N and S. Now, PHD2 has less of the backlash to worry about ... and just for curiosity... what do you think is a reasonable value for guiding deviation (e.g. 1arc-sec) to get good astro-images? Do you think this can be achieved with EQ5?I had good 5 minute images with a total RMS of 1.2". Rarely, I get 0.7" total RMS. No idea what the reasons can be. There are many: seeing, wind, balance, gears, and so on, and it is hard for me to track down what exactly it is. Since the images are acceptable, I don't care much ...
|
|
|
|
Re: Motors not Spinning at Low Rates
#error
On Sun, Dec 27, 2020 at 11:24 PM, Pupper wrote:
So according to this isn't Vref = Imax?Exactly. And all other (non TMC) step stick drivers I know of don't factor in the RMS current (*0.71) with their Vref formulas, so I adopted the convention here that TMC drivers use Vref = Imax for consistency.
|
|
|
|
Re: OnStep up and running!!!
It's possible. I'm getting around 1" with an eq3-2 using multiple stars in Phd2.
On Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 11:46 AM Egge <eckard.deichsel@...> wrote: Thanks a lot!
|
|
|
|
Re: OnStep up and running!!!
Egge
Thanks a lot!
I will try both... reducing mechanical backlash by adjusting mount AND balancing the wheight. and just for curiosity... what do you think is a reasonable value for guiding deviation (e.g. 1arc-sec) to get good astro-images? Do you think this can be achieved with EQ5?
|
|
|
|
Re: SHC Enclosure - Printed, no PCB needed :)
MartinL
I added CAD files as step filesin the Thingiverse repository. Feel free derive your version. Just share your results with community:)
|
|
|