Meade Autostar causing "Motor Unit Falure" for ETX/90c
JamesH
Autostar, Tripod, etc) and everything seems to work ok - except.......
When trying to initialize the Autostar, i set it to its Alt/Az
position... (All the way counter clockwise, and the fork over the
computer controls..) and try to Align it... Evry which way i try
(polar/Az) I get the "motor unit failure" after the telescope moves a
little left and up...
Without the Autostar hooked up, I can move it left & Right & Up & down
with the standard controller....
Does anyone else have this problem??? It cant be the batteries, because
i put new ones in and I also tried with the electric adaptor.... There
are no (obvious) obstructions either... Ive tried resetting the autostar
and still problems..
Any help here would be appreciated - Hopefully its something in the
settings, and not a faulty motor drive... I really dont want to go thru
the whole 'bringing it back to the store" experience....
-=JamesH
btw, the regular controller works, but sometimes it acts funny...Like
when i hit the right button quickly, it turns the scope as if i held the
button down....
Thanx in advance
Pierre Henrotay
train the drive. This is essential for the Autostar to work properly. I
strongly suspect that in your case the motor is OK.
Pierre
JamesH <pp00...@home.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1261fa7cc...@news.wlfdle1.on.home.com...
pp00...@my-deja.com
I brought the telescope back to where i bought it (discovery channel
store) and the salesguy (who was VERY helpful) allowed me to test
different autostars with different ETX's... All combinations had the
same problem.. The salesguy was able to get it working in the past, but
not tonight (nor with this batch)
It seems that the store had a bad batch of Autostars...They will get a
new shipment in 2 days and tthey'll test em on the store models and if
they work I'll get one of the new ones...If they dont, Meade will send a
fully tested one to me....
Hopefully it will go smoothly...
Thanx
James
In article <7taoua$mkl$1...@news1.skynet.be>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
pp00...@my-deja.com
Jordan Blessing
to a different scope will give motor fault errors until you perform an
alt/az drive training. I doubt they were all bad, just untrained.
--
Jordan Blessing
ScopeTronix Astronomy Products
http://www.scopetronix.com
24 Hr Online Shopping
Meade Upgrades & Accessories
Celestron Showcase Dealer
JamesH
current situation?? I followed the directions as well as I could to no
avail...
I've reset my Autostar numerous times and started from scratch with
different setups.... But I always get the same error...
What should I do to train my drive?
Thanx in advance
-=James
In article <37f96e01...@netnews.worldnet.att.net>,
jble...@scopetronix.com says...
Jeffrey Nutkowitz
To quote the parlance: RTFM
Either read the manual from start to finish, where the procedure is
described, or even better, read the online manual at www.meade.com, which is
better than the printed version. Since you mention you are following the
instructions, it is not clear if you are following the online Autostar
instructions or the manuals. If you are using the manuals, the Train Drive
function is definitely mentioned there, so your question leads me to believe
that you either overlooked it or are not using the manuals, since it is much
more likely to miss this step using just the Autostar's built in
instructions. I have followed this thread for a bit, and I find it VERY hard
to believe that every unit you have tried is defective. Rather, this is more
likely a case of user error, which has proven to be a source of many of the
'defects' attributed to Meade products, even more so with the popularity of
the Autostar/ETX. You WILL get a motor error EVERY time you hook up an
Autostar to a scope and try to use it without doing ALL the preliminary
procedures and calibrations, which is exactly what it sounds like you are
describing below.
Before any Autostar will work, you must initialize it. This includes
Calibrate Motors (which I believe is automatic the VERY FIRST time an
Autostar is turned on, but not after, unless reset, and only needs to be
done once unless a reset is done or the unit is hooked to a different
scope), Train Drives (needs to be done the first time, and once every few
months -according to the manual- which is a VERY critical stage of preparing
the unit for proper functioning, and the procedure for which is already
documented in the manuals and by the Autostar itself. Note..it is a mildly
complicated procedure, and would take more time to describe here than I
have, but suffice it to say that it involves manually aiming the scope
precisely at a fixed target, such as a radio tower light or something, and
then Autostar offsets the scope in 4 directions, one at a time, and you have
to precisely recenter the object each time using only ONE direction key. Be
sure to do it in BOTH modes...alt and az, which are separate menu
selections. This compensates for the backlash in the gear trains and is
CRITICAL for proper functioning.), and then setting date, time, location,
and other needed data.
Hope this helps, because the Autostar does indeed work, quite well in fact
if set up properly, and I don't like to see anyone frustrated by what should
be a very useful device. I also readily admit that it is NOT like a TV or
something...you can't just turn it on, and the documentation, even the much
improved web site version, is not totally clear on all the functions or
procedures, but it is not as hard as it appears to have been for you so far.
--
Jeffrey Nutkowitz/Optiques Classic Photographic Imagery
Freelance Outdoor and Nature Photography Emphasizing a 'Sense of Place'
http://members.aol.com/OptiquesJN
"If you don't change the path you're on, you'll end up where you're already
going."
____________________________________________________________________
JamesH <pp00...@home.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1263b49ff...@news.wlfdle1.on.home.com...
Pierre Henrotay
select Setup
then Telescope
then Train drive
then Az train (and follow instructions)
then Alt train (and follow instructions).
Do this when receiveing a new Autostar, after a Setup>Telescope>Reset, after
a Setup>Telescope>Calibrate Motor or after uploading a new Autostar version.
See Autostar manual, chapter 2 "Training the drive" and chapter 5 on the
Setup menu (the manual is available on the web)
JamesH
says...
> To train the drive:
> select Setup
> then Telescope
> then Train drive
> then Az train (and follow instructions)
> then Alt train (and follow instructions).
>
> Do this when receiveing a new Autostar, after a Setup>Telescope>Reset, after
> a Setup>Telescope>Calibrate Motor or after uploading a new Autostar version.
>
> See Autostar manual, chapter 2 "Training the drive" and chapter 5 on the
> Setup menu (the manual is available on the web)
>
> Pierre
>
> JamesH <pp00...@home.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1263b49ff...@news.wlfdle1.on.home.com...
> > Ok, it sounds reasonable...But the question is: What do I do to fix my
> > current situation?? I followed the directions as well as I could to no
> > avail...
> >
> > I've reset my Autostar numerous times and started from scratch with
> > different setups.... But I always get the same error...
> >
> > What should I do to train my drive?
> >
> > Thanx in advance
> > -=James
> >
Thanx again for your help...
I have tried resetting, recalibrating, and training, but whenever it does
any type of testing the drive (ie moving the telescope)I get the motor
unit fault...
I downloaded the Aug 26th version of the Autostar software and it
installed fine...But now i get the motor error as soon as I hit 1 for
Language and 5 for the Sun warning. (as opposed to getting it when I try
to Align)
I read the documentation and tried everything.. Hell I even called
Meade's technical support and it looks like Ive tried everything...
Hopefully the batch at the store was bad and the new batch wont have this
problem...
Thanx again
Lactoid
a "following error" declaration in a positional feedback loop. Most
all computerized machine-tools have positional feedback loops which
monitor the position of an axis through counting the pulses coming
from a transducer such as an encoder or resolver. These pulses are
expected at a ratio of so many per unit of distance and at a rate,
commensurate to the "commanded" feed rate.
Basically, what transpires is the software looks for so many
pulses to have been counted, as they come from the transducer of the
moving axis and the count is compared to the theoretical number that
should have been received since the command to "start" was given. If
the difference grows larger, the motor is driven harder. If it grows
smaller, the unit is driven less. It is a means by which positional
feed rates can be maintained, reasonably and accurately. However, if
the difference between the desired count (theoretical position) and
the received tally of pulses, from the transducer, becomes too great,
most software is designed to declare a "fault" on the assumption that
something is grievously wrong. It is assumed that the axis is somehow
bound, the motor has gone bad, or that the transducer is not sending
out pulses.
Obviously, your motor is good, for your unit moves. I suspect
that either the coupling from the axis to the transducer is loose or
the transducer itself, is bad and is not sending our pulses. Also the
input card that receives the pulses from the transducer, could not be
making connection with the same, or the input card could be bad and
simply not counting the pulses.
Now that I think about your second characteristic, you could have
a problem with your "velocity" feedback loop, if one is present in the
circuit. This is where a tachometer is attached to the motor, or
driven axis and its generated signal is placed in opposition to the
analog, "command" signal, coming from the computer. The "sum" of the
two is offered to the motor drive. For instance, if the computer is
putting out a positive command signal, to have the motor drive, turn
the motor in a given direction, the tachometer leads are attached so
that they are generate a negative signal, to oppose that coming from
the computer. Through means of resistance, the tach's influence is
always made less than that coming from the computer, so the motor
drive sees the "sum" or what is left of the computer's analog signal.
It then drives the motor proportionally. If the motor or drive choose
to speed up, on their own, the increased tachometer signal cancels
more of the analog, command signal and the "sum" of the two, offered
to the drive, is less. This methodology is used to ride herd on the
motor's rpm.
If your tachometer signal is errantly wired so that its polarity
is the same as that of the computer's analog signal, then the motor
drive sees its added influence and "runs away!" This causes an
uncontrolled movement that would give you a positional "following
error" fault, for when the relieved pulses of the transducer are too
many for the theoretical count expected and difference between the two
is too great, a fault is declared.
I would find it odd, but it may be that when in the "jog"
mode, a "following error" fault is not declared by the software and
when you hit a jog button, the motor simply takes off, with the motor
drive slaving to the tachometer's signal, completely oblivious to the
fact that you have long since released the button and that no further
analog commnad is coming from the computer.
In short, check the "phasing" of your tachometer. Simply
switch its two wires, where they are connected and see if your porblem
goes away.
Your resolver or encoder (transducer) will have at least six
wires. Do not trifle with those. Simply use them to identify the
unit, then check its coupling, to the mechanism. Make sure that when
the axis moves, the transducer moves as well. If these two
investigations prove furitless, then you have one of the other
problems, enumerated above. Take it back to your dealer. It is under
warranty.
Good Luck.
On Mon, 04 Oct 1999 03:39:29 GMT, pp00...@home.com (JamesH) wrote:
>Just got the whole package today for the Meade ETX/90C...(Telescope,
>Autostar, Tripod, etc) and everything seems to work ok - except.......
>
>When trying to initialize the Autostar, i set it to its Alt/Az
>position... (All the way counter clockwise, and the fork over the
>computer controls..) and try to Align it... Evry which way i try
>(polar/Az) I get the "motor unit failure" after the telescope moves a
>little left and up...
>
>Without the Autostar hooked up, I can move it left & Right & Up & down
>with the standard controller....
>
JamesH
that it wasnt me (nor was it the Autostar)!!! The telescope (etx-
90ec) was deemed defective by an experienced astronomer - I brought it
back where i bought it and got a new one - and It works with the
Autostar! (well as much as can be expected with my trying to align it
LOL)
The bad tests for my Autostar on other machines is because I didnt hit
Reset between switching the controller from one to another...
In article <37febc9e...@nntp.we.mediaone.net>, lac...@hotmail.com
says...