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今日David送來18" UC的底座，準備發往美國升級，加入GOTO系統。

Obsession 18" UC、APM-TMB 203APO、Mewlon 250曾多次結伴同行，前兩者亦曾發到台灣參加合歡山星空派對。

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照片中觀看203APO穿間條衫的愛好者，後來也有參加我們去年12月的西藏星空派對。

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現在SkyWatcher Dob 18正限量生產，是採用輕量的蜂巢型主鏡的，稍後更有機會推出Dob 18 GOTO，

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或許我們要比較一下兩套GOTO系統，日後用在計劃中西藏的一台大口徑目視鏡上.....

The scope is back and there is more installation to do.

你先做白老鼠，稍後決定西藏那台大鏡，用SkyWatcher的DOB GOTO系統，或你這套....

http://www.astro.hk/events/activities/id/893

睇到流口水！之前用David支鏡手動高倍睇行星，對我來說，難度極高！ 有了Goto就開心好多！

The installation of the hardware begins and should finish next Monday. Then we will test whether the Argo Navis and ServoCAT systems installed work normally or not. Aim to use this starting from the coming Jupiter season.

Today, we installed the optical encoder for the altitude (up-down motion). As the centre of rotation of the side bearing is 'in the air', 2 bars are there to support the optical encoder.

Having both encoders installed (one for altitude, one for azimuth), we proceeded to test the Argo Navis system. The optical encoder translated the motion into readings which get shown on the hand controller. Everything seems to work well so far.

The Argo Navis system is known as a 'push-to' system (as opposed to 'goto'). Once alignment is done, it knows what and where the objects are in the sky at the time and location of observation. When you want to find M42 (for example), you press the buttons on the hand controller, and the controller screen tells you how far the scope is from M42. Next, you push your scope manually until the difference between the direction of M42 and the telescope's direction becomes zero. The optical encoders in two axes measure how far you have moved the scope convert that into digital readout.

The ServoCAT system turns this manual 'push-to' system into an automatic 'goto' system.

We have finally completed testing all that can be tested in the lab. The 18"UC is now fully upgraded and hopefully it works well under the stars.

The system was tested under the sky tonight and the goto accuracy was spot on. We had fun watching Jupiter and Comet Lovejoy (and a few other objects) at 500x and sometimes more with no more help from me required!

The final piece, a stalk, was installed for holding the controllers.

Congratulation! What is next? Clear sky!

willis 寫:Congratulation! What is next? Clear sky!

I already had a wonderful night with this upgraded setup in January in Shek O. It was an exceptionally clear night with no boats around with strobes. The stars were sparkling. With this motorised setup, about 10 students and I enjoyed more objects with more pleasure in shorter time.

David 寫:I already had a wonderful night

David 寫:The stars were sparkling

原來你浪漫不理性的.....