SMM's 16-inch MEADE LX200GPS TELESCOPE PROBLEMS

[Joan Guarro Flo]

Hello at all,

After some weeks when the bad weather and other things caught my attention and time, yesterday night Toni, and I tested how the OnSept works with the 16-inch LX200GPS SMM telescope, all the tests we made were successful !! 

The remote SMM Meade telescope works well again !! It was dead, and thanks to the enormous work of almost seven years Howard Dutton has dedicated to making and improving the OnStep system, which works with all types of telescope mounts, the SMM Meade LX200 it's ready again,with an imperceptible backlash in its axis !! This one was a nightmare with Meade's original system.

OnStep is designed to work with a lot of electronic cards, stepper motors, and electronic drivers, so you can choose a lot of possibilities and fit the one that you need. Howard Dutton is doing a great help, I want to express my sincere gratitude to him.

Also, it would have been impossible without Toni Jové's effort, he had studied thoroughly OnStep software and hardware and chose the best option for the Meade SMM LX200 mount. I believe that he is one the most expert people on it.

After six months, only lacking now the use of the OnStep Align option, it permits tuning the finding stars and objects, aligning the telescope using between three and nine control stars. Also, PHD2 guide calibration. That is all.

I'll show the outcomes of the first observations here.

Cheers, J.Guarro.

[Joan Guarro Flo]

Hello at all,

Last night, Toni and I were making the last tune-up in the sky with the 16-inch OnStep ( Meade LX200 ?) telescope, we made a 9 stars alignment, new features maximum error go to precision 30" arc minutes on next stars tours Mizar to Denebola, Denebola to Alphecca, Alphecca to Vega, Vega to Arcturus, Arcturus to Spica, Spica to Antares, Antares to Alkaid and Alkaid to Dened.

All without backlash, of course.

We also tested the SMM equipment by taking a Del Sco spectrum, you can see it below.

Many thanks to Howard Dutton not only for making the Onstep but for your daily work expanding and improving it !!

If somebody wants to or needs more information about how to make and apply the Onstep on their telescope, don't hesitate to get in touch with Toni Jové at, tonijove@outlook.com

After this experience where we got lost at first, then when we finished it, we realized that putting the OnStep system into any setup is not a difficult task.

Cheers, J. Guarro

[umberto sollecchia]

Joan, give lots of compliments to your friend Antoni Jove'!
A strong hug. Umberto

[Joan Guarro Flo]

Grazie mille Umberto per le tue gentili parole.

In questo grafico potete apprezzare un po' meglio i risultati del telescopio.

Un grande abbraccio, Joan.

[umberto sollecchia]

Exceptional result! They all say that you are
the "King" of spectroscopes!
An affectionate greeting

[James Foster]

Nice work Joan!
I'm making slow progress on getting my eShell2 up after over 2 years of downtime.

James

[Joan Guarro Flo]

Many thanks, James,

Really without Howard Dutton's OnStep, and the Toni job, I wouldn't have the SMM telescope ready now.

I know, I know, I saw you at the Spectroscopy Discussion Group and followed your explanations with attention.

Let me know If I can help you with something.

Cheers, Joan.