Re: Need Obsession 15" UC manual
Does anyone one have the digital copy of the 15" UC that you can send me?
thanks
Jim
Someone shared one on this page about a year ago.? If you can¡¯t?find it I can take pictures of mine and send it.
Chris?
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Need Obsession 15" UC manual
Does anyone one have the digital copy of the 15" UC that you can send me?
thanks
Jim
|
Re: An Eagle for the UC18
Very nice! I like the Com Block Diagram!
You're the first one ever to build a changing mechanism for my FilterSlide set up. Congratulations, it looks like it's working great!
-Roger
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On Apr 8, 2023, at 9:37 PM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
?
Roger,
?
See the red Eagle4S mounted on the wheelbarrow mounts with it¡¯s eye SQM pointing up parallel to the UC18.
?
Richard
?
?
Got a pict of that setup? Sounds awesome!
On Apr 8, 2023, at 10:37 AM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
?
All,
Just thought I describe the configuration details of making a remote obsession UC18.
Putting an Intel I3 on your Obsession might seem a bit extravagant, but Primaluce offers a line of computers targeted at the Telescope market.
Start with the power that is available in remote locations:? battery power.? The Eagle4S that I purchased will use up to 1 amp at 12 volts.
My 55 amp hour battery is an AGM type so I outfitted it with a voltage regulator to maintain 13.8 volts until it runs out of power (about 11 hours driving my rig).
The Obsession gets all of the power through the powered ground board with a pair of rotating contacts.
The Eagle4S has:
1. Power distribution (2 ports that can provide up to 8 amps and 2 ports that can provide up to 3 amps).? There are also 3 ports that have programmable voltage output for dew heaters and fans etc.
2. an onboard SQM that measures the sky quality in a 5 degree FOV of the sky where the Obsession is pointing.? When I record my observations, I like to know the quality of the sky and record that value in a database.
3. an onboard GPS to know time and location of the observations.
4. 8 GB of DDR3 memory to run all my software:
? ? ? a. Stellarium to slew my obsession and help me plan my evening targets
? ? ? b. Pegasus control for my fancy USB hub (operates on 12 volts) that can run each port with a different protocol (USB1 - USB3) at the same time
? ? ?c. My own software written in Visual Basic to change filters, and collect data from all the sensors and Argo Navis and weather station
? ? ?d. Focus motor software control with temperature compensation
? ? ?e. and most importantly, Eagle Manager that allows remote control of the entire system.? The Eable Manager supports a web query so you can ask the Eagle to report all of it's sensor measurements.
A custom wooden bracket mounts the eagle4S where the wheelbarrow handles normally attach on the side opposite the alt encoder mount and points the SQM in the direction of the telescope target.
Argo Navis is tightly integrated with the ServoCat makes remote slewing possible after a 2 star alignment and setting the mode to "From Planetarium".
When I slew to the next target (from my recliner) the ServoCAT servos can use up to 4 amps (I normally see only a couple amps going to the servos).
At the end of the observation session, I copy all the new directories on the Eagle SSD drive to my NAS for post processing at a later date including the database updates that include all the "meta" data (about 50 fields) from the SQM, GPS, Argo Navis metrics,
weather station parameters, battery monitor at the time of each image capture.
Post processing will include importing all the harvested data into a database.
Richard
|
Re: An Eagle for the UC18
Roger, ? See the red Eagle4S mounted on the wheelbarrow mounts with it¡¯s eye SQM pointing up parallel to the UC18. ? 
Richard ?
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From: [email protected] < [email protected]> On Behalf Of Roger Greenwood Sent: Saturday, April 8, 2023 6:32 PM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [ObsessionUsers] An Eagle for the UC18 ? Got a pict of that setup? Sounds awesome!
On Apr 8, 2023, at 10:37 AM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
? All,
Just thought I describe the configuration details of making a remote obsession UC18.
Putting an Intel I3 on your Obsession might seem a bit extravagant, but Primaluce offers a line of computers targeted at the Telescope market.
Start with the power that is available in remote locations:? battery power.? The Eagle4S that I purchased will use up to 1 amp at 12 volts.
My 55 amp hour battery is an AGM type so I outfitted it with a voltage regulator to maintain 13.8 volts until it runs out of power (about 11 hours driving my rig).
The Obsession gets all of the power through the powered ground board with a pair of rotating contacts.
The Eagle4S has:
1. Power distribution (2 ports that can provide up to 8 amps and 2 ports that can provide up to 3 amps).? There are also 3 ports that have programmable voltage output for dew heaters and fans etc.
2. an onboard SQM that measures the sky quality in a 5 degree FOV of the sky where the Obsession is pointing.? When I record my observations, I like to know the quality of the sky and record that value in a database.
3. an onboard GPS to know time and location of the observations.
4. 8 GB of DDR3 memory to run all my software:
? ? ? a. Stellarium to slew my obsession and help me plan my evening targets
? ? ? b. Pegasus control for my fancy USB hub (operates on 12 volts) that can run each port with a different protocol (USB1 - USB3) at the same time
? ? ?c. My own software written in Visual Basic to change filters, and collect data from all the sensors and Argo Navis and weather station
? ? ?d. Focus motor software control with temperature compensation
? ? ?e. and most importantly, Eagle Manager that allows remote control of the entire system.? The Eable Manager supports a web query so you can ask the Eagle to report all of it's sensor measurements.
A custom wooden bracket mounts the eagle4S where the wheelbarrow handles normally attach on the side opposite the alt encoder mount and points the SQM in the direction of the telescope target.
Argo Navis is tightly integrated with the ServoCat makes remote slewing possible after a 2 star alignment and setting the mode to "From Planetarium".
When I slew to the next target (from my recliner) the ServoCAT servos can use up to 4 amps (I normally see only a couple amps going to the servos).
At the end of the observation session, I copy all the new directories on the Eagle SSD drive to my NAS for post processing at a later date including the database updates that include all the "meta" data (about 50 fields) from the SQM, GPS, Argo Navis metrics, weather station parameters, battery monitor at the time of each image capture.
Post processing will include importing all the harvested data into a database.
Richard
|
Re: An Eagle for the UC18
Got a pict of that setup? Sounds awesome!
-Roger
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Show quoted text
On Apr 8, 2023, at 10:37 AM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
?
All,
Just thought I describe the configuration details of making a remote obsession UC18.
Putting an Intel I3 on your Obsession might seem a bit extravagant, but Primaluce offers a line of computers targeted at the Telescope market.
Start with the power that is available in remote locations:? battery power.? The Eagle4S that I purchased will use up to 1 amp at 12 volts.
My 55 amp hour battery is an AGM type so I outfitted it with a voltage regulator to maintain 13.8 volts until it runs out of power (about 11 hours driving my rig).
The Obsession gets all of the power through the powered ground board with a pair of rotating contacts.
The Eagle4S has:
1. Power distribution (2 ports that can provide up to 8 amps and 2 ports that can provide up to 3 amps).? There are also 3 ports that have programmable voltage output for dew heaters and fans etc.
2. an onboard SQM that measures the sky quality in a 5 degree FOV of the sky where the Obsession is pointing.? When I record my observations, I like to know the quality of the sky and record that value in a database.
3. an onboard GPS to know time and location of the observations.
4. 8 GB of DDR3 memory to run all my software:
? ? ? a. Stellarium to slew my obsession and help me plan my evening targets
? ? ? b. Pegasus control for my fancy USB hub (operates on 12 volts) that can run each port with a different protocol (USB1 - USB3) at the same time
? ? ?c. My own software written in Visual Basic to change filters, and collect data from all the sensors and Argo Navis and weather station
? ? ?d. Focus motor software control with temperature compensation
? ? ?e. and most importantly, Eagle Manager that allows remote control of the entire system.? The Eable Manager supports a web query so you can ask the Eagle to report all of it's sensor measurements.
A custom wooden bracket mounts the eagle4S where the wheelbarrow handles normally attach on the side opposite the alt encoder mount and points the SQM in the direction of the telescope target.
Argo Navis is tightly integrated with the ServoCat makes remote slewing possible after a 2 star alignment and setting the mode to "From Planetarium".
When I slew to the next target (from my recliner) the ServoCAT servos can use up to 4 amps (I normally see only a couple amps going to the servos).
At the end of the observation session, I copy all the new directories on the Eagle SSD drive to my NAS for post processing at a later date including the database updates that include all the "meta" data (about 50 fields) from the SQM, GPS, Argo Navis metrics,
weather station parameters, battery monitor at the time of each image capture.
Post processing will include importing all the harvested data into a database.
Richard
|
All,
Just thought I describe the configuration details of making a remote obsession UC18.
Putting an Intel I3 on your Obsession might seem a bit extravagant, but Primaluce offers a line of computers targeted at the Telescope market.
Start with the power that is available in remote locations:? battery power.? The Eagle4S that I purchased will use up to 1 amp at 12 volts.
My 55 amp hour battery is an AGM type so I outfitted it with a voltage regulator to maintain 13.8 volts until it runs out of power (about 11 hours driving my rig).
The Obsession gets all of the power through the powered ground board with a pair of rotating contacts.
The Eagle4S has:
1. Power distribution (2 ports that can provide up to 8 amps and 2 ports that can provide up to 3 amps).? There are also 3 ports that have programmable voltage output for dew heaters and fans etc.
2. an onboard SQM that measures the sky quality in a 5 degree FOV of the sky where the Obsession is pointing.? When I record my observations, I like to know the quality of the sky and record that value in a database.
3. an onboard GPS to know time and location of the observations.
4. 8 GB of DDR3 memory to run all my software:
? ? ? a. Stellarium to slew my obsession and help me plan my evening targets
? ? ? b. Pegasus control for my fancy USB hub (operates on 12 volts) that can run each port with a different protocol (USB1 - USB3) at the same time
? ? ?c. My own software written in Visual Basic to change filters, and collect data from all the sensors and Argo Navis and weather station
? ? ?d. Focus motor software control with temperature compensation
? ? ?e. and most importantly, Eagle Manager that allows remote control of the entire system.? The Eable Manager supports a web query so you can ask the Eagle to report all of it's sensor measurements.
A custom wooden bracket mounts the eagle4S where the wheelbarrow handles normally attach on the side opposite the alt encoder mount and points the SQM in the direction of the telescope target.
Argo Navis is tightly integrated with the ServoCat makes remote slewing possible after a 2 star alignment and setting the mode to "From Planetarium".
When I slew to the next target (from my recliner) the ServoCAT servos can use up to 4 amps (I normally see only a couple amps going to the servos).
At the end of the observation session, I copy all the new directories on the Eagle SSD drive to my NAS for post processing at a later date including the database updates that include all the "meta" data (about 50 fields) from the SQM, GPS, Argo Navis metrics, weather station parameters, battery monitor at the time of each image capture.
Post processing will include importing all the harvested data into a database.
Richard
|
Re: My wireless remote UC18
Roger - That is almost out of control. And yet, also the bare minimum. Keep going. -yurij
|
Re: My wireless remote UC18
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On Mar 25, 2023, at 9:05 AM, Roger Greenwood <roger@...> wrote:
?
Fantastic journey!
While they did not take exactly the same path,
our experiences are shared by many in this
group. I bought my 18 inch classic in 2001 and haven't really stopped the upgrades¡
Thank you so much for sharing this! And love
that motorized FilterSlide!! ;-)
-Roger
<image0.jpeg> <image1.jpeg> <image2.jpeg>
On Mar 25, 2023, at 8:53 AM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
?
Hi all,
When I purchased my UC18 i ordered it without the ServoCAT or powered ground board and enjoyed visual observing. The Argo Navis helped me find all those fun objects. ?Describing my views to my friends and family was not very satisfying. <848B6C9C-6708-49FA-B705-CC6770994D67.jpeg> <EA2C4E81-F9A7-4A22-BD00-E393C10426CA.jpeg> <3F14CA69-757A-4F39-8F51-4C714365D891.jpeg> <1D2CB95F-E620-433F-837D-6CC42E6CCAB9.jpeg>
Then I purchased a Mallincam DS287m camera. ?I pointed the telescope to the west of M42 and set the camera to take a 100 ms exposure once every 6 seconds as the very large/ very bright nebula drifted through my field of view. ?Then using free software ( MS
ICE) i stitched 30 images to create a mosaic that blew me away!
No tracking required (for bright objects).
I so enjoyed sharing the experience i sent the mosaic to be printed on glass by one of those internet fab companies.
I came down with a serious case of UPGRADE FEVER.
Add ServoCAT and the powered ground board to my UC18.
Wow! ?I was now fully hooked on EAA but the upgrade fever got worse!
I added an Eagle4S to my telescope so I could remotely and wirelessly observe on my big screen TV while the telescope remained outside on my deck.
A 55 amp hour battery powers the telescope for about 11 hours before recharging. ?A single wire is placed between the deck boards ¡°well under foot¡± to connect the battery/ voltage regulator to the powered ground board.
But the upgrade fever did not subside! ?I really like to filter. ?I bought a cool filter to pass OIII and Ha. ?Wow M1 really popped! ?I needed more filters! ?LRGB set of filters colorized my life! ?M27 is awesome!
A Filter Strip gets added. ?How cool, if only I had a remote way to change filters¡.I added a stepper motor and a threaded rod with a bit if Visual Basic software to slide the filter slide to the desired filter¡ªworks great! ?
But¡changing filters means i need to refocus. ?If only I could remotely focus¡.I purchased a remotely controlled motorized focus. ?
wow, now I can slew, change filters and focus from my recliner with the rig sitting out on the deck!
The upgrade fever persists! ?What if i could place my telescope at a remote mountain top and I could live near my family?
Can i avoid having to be present to do a 2 star alignment for the Argo Navis? ?Rumors are flying over the speculation to be able to control the telescope prior to the 2 star alignment next year-with the next upgrade!
Please be careful / responsible with the upgrade fever!
Richard
|
Re: My wireless remote UC18
Fantastic journey!
While they did not take exactly the same path,
our experiences are shared by many in this
group. I bought my 18 inch classic in 2001 and haven't really stopped the upgrades¡
Thank you so much for sharing this! And love
that motorized FilterSlide!! ;-)
-Roger
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mar 25, 2023, at 8:53 AM, Richard via groups.io <rmille64@...> wrote:
?
Hi all,
When I purchased my UC18 i ordered it without the ServoCAT or powered ground board and enjoyed visual observing. The Argo Navis helped me find all those fun objects. ?Describing my views to my friends and family was not very satisfying.   
Then I purchased a Mallincam DS287m camera. ?I pointed the telescope to the west of M42 and set the camera to take a 100 ms exposure once every 6 seconds as the very large/ very bright nebula drifted through my field of view. ?Then using free software ( MS
ICE) i stitched 30 images to create a mosaic that blew me away!
No tracking required (for bright objects).
I so enjoyed sharing the experience i sent the mosaic to be printed on glass by one of those internet fab companies.
I came down with a serious case of UPGRADE FEVER.
Add ServoCAT and the powered ground board to my UC18.
Wow! ?I was now fully hooked on EAA but the upgrade fever got worse!
I added an Eagle4S to my telescope so I could remotely and wirelessly observe on my big screen TV while the telescope remained outside on my deck.
A 55 amp hour battery powers the telescope for about 11 hours before recharging. ?A single wire is placed between the deck boards ¡°well under foot¡± to connect the battery/ voltage regulator to the powered ground board.
But the upgrade fever did not subside! ?I really like to filter. ?I bought a cool filter to pass OIII and Ha. ?Wow M1 really popped! ?I needed more filters! ?LRGB set of filters colorized my life! ?M27 is awesome!
A Filter Strip gets added. ?How cool, if only I had a remote way to change filters¡.I added a stepper motor and a threaded rod with a bit if Visual Basic software to slide the filter slide to the desired filter¡ªworks great! ?
But¡changing filters means i need to refocus. ?If only I could remotely focus¡.I purchased a remotely controlled motorized focus. ?
wow, now I can slew, change filters and focus from my recliner with the rig sitting out on the deck!
The upgrade fever persists! ?What if i could place my telescope at a remote mountain top and I could live near my family?
Can i avoid having to be present to do a 2 star alignment for the Argo Navis? ?Rumors are flying over the speculation to be able to control the telescope prior to the 2 star alignment next year-with the next upgrade!
Please be careful / responsible with the upgrade fever!
Richard
|
Hi all,
When I purchased my UC18 i ordered it without the ServoCAT or powered ground board and enjoyed visual observing. The Argo Navis helped me find all those fun objects. ?Describing my views to my friends and family was not very satisfying.   
Then I purchased a Mallincam DS287m camera. ?I pointed the telescope to the west of M42 and set the camera to take a 100 ms exposure once every 6 seconds as the very large/ very bright nebula drifted through my field of view. ?Then using free software ( MS ICE) i stitched 30 images to create a mosaic that blew me away!
No tracking required (for bright objects).
I so enjoyed sharing the experience i sent the mosaic to be printed on glass by one of those internet fab companies.
I came down with a serious case of UPGRADE FEVER.
Add ServoCAT and the powered ground board to my UC18.
Wow! ?I was now fully hooked on EAA but the upgrade fever got worse!
I added an Eagle4S to my telescope so I could remotely and wirelessly observe on my big screen TV while the telescope remained outside on my deck.
A 55 amp hour battery powers the telescope for about 11 hours before recharging. ?A single wire is placed between the deck boards ¡°well under foot¡± to connect the battery/ voltage regulator to the powered ground board.
But the upgrade fever did not subside! ?I really like to filter. ?I bought a cool filter to pass OIII and Ha. ?Wow M1 really popped! ?I needed more filters! ?LRGB set of filters colorized my life! ?M27 is awesome!
A Filter Strip gets added. ?How cool, if only I had a remote way to change filters¡.I added a stepper motor and a threaded rod with a bit if Visual Basic software to slide the filter slide to the desired filter¡ªworks great! ?
But¡changing filters means i need to refocus. ?If only I could remotely focus¡.I purchased a remotely controlled motorized focus. ?
wow, now I can slew, change filters and focus from my recliner with the rig sitting out on the deck!
The upgrade fever persists! ?What if i could place my telescope at a remote mountain top and I could live near my family?
Can i avoid having to be present to do a 2 star alignment for the Argo Navis? ?Rumors are flying over the speculation to be able to control the telescope prior to the 2 star alignment next year-with the next upgrade!
Please be careful / responsible with the upgrade fever!
Richard
|
Re: Slippery azimuth movement
¡ and one way that bent pins occur, especially on 8p8c Telecom modular female connectors (aka RJ-45) is by inserting a smaller male connector such as the 4p4c (RG-handset) or 6p4c (RG-11) into the 8p8c connector. ?So, be careful about connecting your equipment. ?It¡¯s easy to grab the wrong cable when setting up in the dark.?
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On Mar 12, 2023, at 11:23 PM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:
?You can set your Argo Navis into the Encoder test mode and check the wiring/connectors. ?I had a bent gold pin on my encoder connector. ?Just corrected the bent connector¡ªno more missed encoder ticks.
|
Re: Slippery azimuth movement
You can set your Argo Navis into the Encoder test mode and check the wiring/connectors. ?I had a bent gold pin on my encoder connector. ?Just corrected the bent connector¡ªno more missed encoder ticks.
|
Re: Slippery azimuth movement
One idea from past experiences: If you set up on grass and not on some protective matting or concrete, grass can clog the gnarled knob that rests against the wooden ground board, thus making it slip and even wear into the wooden board. If that is the case, a thick rubber floor mat from a box store will prevent that issue from happening. I do cut a hole to allow the power cord to run under the matting to its plug.
However, there may be other issues that need checking.
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Slippery azimuth movement
I have since 2004 and Obsession 18" with Servocat and AN which is a fantastic scope.
However I have a little issue right now: the azimuth movement (in goto mode) is on some places "slippery".
What could be the reason? Could it be the ground board is worn out on those places (I don't see anything "wrong" there) ,
or could it be the tension of the spring which somewhat getting loose over time? But then why only on some places?
Did anyone experience this issue too?
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Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
Hello All,
? I picked up my 22" UC in October of 2019 and like most of us have
added a couple of tweaks. In my my case I have a 360 dew/light
shield made of Kydex. I need in my neighborhood. My location in the
eastern panhandle of West Virginia gives me Bortle 4.5 skies at best
(SQM 20.8-21.05). I also have a dark sky location 2 1/2 hrs away in
central WV (~ SQM 21.7). I've thoroughly enjoyed using this scope
after star hopping for over 30 years.? At this stage of my life I'd
rather spend more time looking at something than looking for
something(:>? Star hopping taught me the night sky however and I
treasure all the searches of the past. My current major observing
project is seeing all of the Herschel Objects (557 to go). I'm using
the baseline created by the Astronomical League Herschel Society
observing program. I enjoy reading what other are doing with their
UC's in this group.
Since Oct. 2019 I've logged 1,124 new observations so the scope is
definitely being used(:>
Clear Skies,
Matt Orsie - Hedgesville, WV
On 2/17/2023 4:23 AM, ¹ó°ù¨¦»å¨¦°ù¾±³¦ Ruciak
wrote:
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Hi Tom,
I own a UC22 too, the very first one indeed and I am an absolute
fan eventhough I have to drive one hour to my dark site in le
Perche region, south west of Paris. I am a visual observer too and
If you are, as I am, fan of very detailed images with tiny stars
all over the 100¡ã apparent field of view of Ethos or equivalent, I
have to say that adding a Starlight SIPS changed the way I enjoy
the views with my scope. This integrated televue paracorr in the
feather touch focuser, tuned once for all eyepieces, is just
awesome and highly simplifies the use of paracorr with all
eyepieces and gives you tiny stars all over the field.
¹ó°ù¨¦»å¨¦°ù¾±³¦
Classic15 and UC22 AN/SC
|
Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
Hi Tom,
I own a UC22 too, the very first one indeed and I am an absolute fan eventhough I have to drive one hour to my dark site in le Perche region, south west of Paris. I am a visual observer too and If you are, as I am, fan of very detailed images with tiny stars all over the 100¡ã apparent field of view of Ethos or equivalent, I have to say that adding a Starlight SIPS changed the way I enjoy the views with my scope. This integrated televue paracorr in the feather touch focuser, tuned once for all eyepieces, is just awesome and highly simplifies the use of paracorr with all eyepieces and gives you tiny stars all over the field.
¹ó°ù¨¦»å¨¦°ù¾±³¦
Classic15 and UC22 AN/SC
|
Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
You can read about the intentions of Wildcard Innovations to develop the ServoCAT alternative on their website forum if you have interests.
Richard
?
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Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
Tom,
when your telescope casts a shadow you are in Bortle 9. ?My sky quality meter never gets better than 18.5.
My favorite filter is the Optolong LeNhance for Ha and O3 which I use for nebula.
I also purchased a RGB clear set of filters.
the clear filter cuts my light pollution.
Richard
|
Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
Richard, Great images. Great news about Gary offering ServoCAT alternative. Thanks for that info. Look forward to it.? What¡¯s your NELM or Bortle rating? What filters do you use for your local light pollution? Thanks Tom
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On Feb 16, 2023, at 6:07 AM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:
? <E55C4906-0E0F-4DC9-A501-8BC6B9732B5A.jpeg>
|
Re: Finally pointed the UC18 at the green comet
|
Christine Zeltner
Netscape
Al Lamperti
¹ó°ù¨¦»å¨¦°ù¾±³¦ Ruciak