Re: [APML]: [APML] GM-8 Polar Alignment Scope

[Christopher Go <rigel@mozcom.com>]

The Astro-Photography Mailing List
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Yeah, I checked my reticle and I think I have the old type.  What I mean by
slow motion control is the hand driven one.  I have multiple settings for
my drive similar to that of the G11 but this is rather useless to me
because I'm used to star hopping... 8)

Chris

At 06:37 AM 7/13/98 -0700, you wrote:
>The Astro-Photography Mailing List
>------------------------------------
>
>Maybe these mounts have been shipped with two different reticles.
>My G-11's polar reticle uses 3-star alignment for alignment to
>the north pole; I don't know about southern alignment.
>
>Re the GM-8 having no slow motions: Do you mean hand-driven slow
>motions? Every GM-8 I've seen has had a controller which provides
>multiple speeds from slow to fast. If your controller is like the
>one on my G-11 (I think they're the same) the speeds available
>are 0.3x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x. Is yours not like that?
>
>Wil M.
>
>
>Christopher Go wrote:
>> 
>> The Astro-Photography Mailing List
>> ------------------------------------
>> 
>> But this polar scope if only built for two star alignment...  I do star
>> drifting for better accuracy.  Having three stars would indeed be better
>> but this polar scope is not built for that.  And from what I have been told
>> by other people, the third bar is basically for southern hemisphere use...
>> BTW, I'm not really a GM8 fanatic.  I have one but I get annoyed with it
>> most specifically because it has no slow motion controls!  Worse of all, it
>> has only one port for both the autoguider and the handcontroller.  This
>> really drives me nuts especially when I have to do minor adjustments in the
>> dark!  Sadly, I just live with it.  That is also the reason why I also have
>> an AP900.  Honestly for me I would have prefered an AP400 (but it's more
>> expensive than a G11!!) instead of a GM8.  But for what it's worth, the GM8
>> is pretty good.
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> At 06:00 PM 7/12/98 -0700, you wrote:
>> >The Astro-Photography Mailing List
>> >------------------------------------
>> >
>> >>I have the polar scope for my GM8, I've been using 2 star alignment and I
>> >>get good alignment throughout the night!!   I wonder if you guys read the
>> >>manual before using the polar scope.  The manual states that this IS A
TWO
>> >>STAR ALIGNMENT!!  One of the grids is for northern hemisphere while the
>> >>other is for southern hemisphere.
>> >
>> >Manual? We don't need no stinkin' manual. Actually, if you consider a
>> >handfull of Xeroxed pages to a manual and if you take what it says to
be all
>> >there is to know about the polar scope, then you would believe it could
not
>> >be used in the southern hemisphere. There are no instructions for southern
>> >hemisphere use at all.
>> >
>> >My understanding is that the dotted lines and broken crosses are for
>> >southern hemisphere use, and the solid lines are for northern hemisphere
>> >use. There are three solid lines with gaps for stars. For visual
observing,
>> >two stars are sufficient. I find I get better accuracy if I use three
stars.
>> >
>> >Robin Casady
>> >http://www.CarmelCoast.com
>> >
>> >Casady & Greene, Inc.
>> >http://www.casadyg.com
>> >
>> >
>
>-- 
>Wil M.      
>mailto:wmilan@airdigital.com
>Astrophoto web site: http://www.airdigital.com/astrophoto.html
>---
>"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, 
>the moon and the stars which You have set in place, 
>what is Man that you are mindful of him, 
>or the son of Man that you care for him?"  -- Psalm 8
>
Christopher Go
Christone Industries
Manufacturer and Exporter of Quality Fossil Stone and Wrought Iron Furniture
Cebu, Philippines