foto1 wrote:

Greetings,

I started a new topic because Josef thinks maybe there is a problem in the head.

When I go thru the procedure usung the Touch control to shoot a mosaic it is as if I never did the lower left position.

Once the last right arrow is sellected to begin shooting it moves from right to left taking three pictures.

I have reviewed with Josef the way I move from lower left to upper right. I am following the directions.

I sent him my saved lens file so we know that is okay.

thanks

Can we establish just where we are now please.

You started out reporting problems with the software used to 'program' the Touch controller.

Have all those problems now been resolved?

Is that software now thought to be working correctly?

Do you and Josef believe that the Touch controller is being 'programmed' correctly from your PC?

The only thing I know for sure is that the file that the software made, I guess it is a profile of my camera and lens, worked on Josef's unit.

I have no idea if my controler is using this data properly or not.

Josef just said it has not happened before and it could be something loose or wrong in the head.

I know that I am doing the movement with the controler right. lower left then upper right.
Once this is done the controler shows it is only going to take 3 pictures and it does do that very well.
However, the mosaic should be at least 18 exposures.

For the spherical it just spins and you need to stop it before it strangles itself with eh pc cord.

I started a new topic because of loose connection or something wrong with the head thinking by Josef. If it is something like that it might attract the right forum user to the problem.

After saying all of that, the short answer is, after 3 days of trying to figure this out, I am absolutly sure I am no farther along than I was when I started. I am not mad or blaming anyone just frustrated.

mediavets wrote:

If you don't get the standard hand controller for the Merlin mount with the Panogear package then it seems to  me that the only alternative is to try and see if we can get the Merlin head working with Papywizard and we can't do that until you have a BT device working on your laptop. How soon might you be able to get hold of a(nother) USB BT 'dongle'?

Original wired standard hand controller is included in Panogear kit so you can test that way if at least head itself works correctly, so we may know for sure it's not an hardware issue in it and concentrate on either Bluetooth connection or controller to get it working !

Vincèn

foto1 wrote:

BT Dongle is defective.

So you say.

It has also been decided by Josef that the vertical sensor in the head is also not working.

Oh, and by what means did he determine that?

Did you attempt a test using Angle mode (as opposed to the mosaic mode)?

So I can not do anything with the touch control either.

You seem to have been exceptionally unlucky, you appear to have a defective USB Bluetooth dongle, a defective Merlin mount, and possibly a defective Touch controller.

What are the odds of that happening? Could there be some truth in the old saying that bad things come in threes?

If anyone has experience with vertical sensor problems I would like to hear about it.

Thanks.

I've never heard of anyone having vertical sensor problems. Slippage on that axis (where the motor runs but the arm doesn't move), yes, but not a sensor problem.
............

Vincen says that you will have received the standard Merlin mount hand controller with the Panogear package.

Do you have it with you?

If you do perhaps you would be willing try using Cruise and Shot as documented on page 7 of the Merlin mount manual:
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swts … 0mount.pdf

...........

As a matter of interest what camera and lens are you trying to use with the Touch controller?

What values did you enter for this combination in the Touch controller software for the various parameters:

Foto1,

This may seem like a silly question but...

When you had the Touch controller connected to the Merlin head did you also have the Bluetooth device or the Merlin hand controller connected in the second socket on the head?

claudevh wrote:

Hi all,

According the descriptions made by "foto1", I come also to the same conclusions:

The small BT dongle is defective !
Something of the "vertical part" of the Merlin is defective (Pitch axis) and probably the sensor part !

We can't say if the "tactile pad" and/or the "BT module" are defectives !

Hi Claude,

How did you reach the conclusion that "Something of the "vertical part" of the Merlin is defective (Pitch axis) and probably the sensor part !"?

I don't recall anyone else ever reporting such a fault do you? Still there's a first time for everything.

I was hoping that trying to set up Cruise and Shot using the standard Merlin hand controller might confirm a possible sensor fault on the vertical/pitch axis - do you think it would?

Josef had me do a test with the touch pad.

In the angle mode if you add 1 deg more to the hor. and vert angles of view of your lens data it will effectivly add a row and column to the shot. You end up with the controler showing that it is going to make 4 shots. When we did this the head spun vertically until I turn the switch off. He said this is what told him it was the vet sensor. we do not know if it is defective or just not hooked up.

I sent him my files showing how I had set up the lenses. He said I did it right.
He tested them on his machine.

I did not have BT and Touch pluged in at the same time.

I tried the Cruise and shoot. It will not do anything that is saved for a vertical movement.

foto1 wrote:

Josef had me do a test with the touch pad.

In the angle mode if you add 1 deg more to the hor. and vert angles of view of your lens data it will effectivly add a row and column to the shot. You end up with the controler showing that it is going to make 4 shots. When we did this the head spun vertically until I turn the switch off. He said this is what told him it was the vet sensor. we do not know if it is defective or just not hooked up.

I sent him my files showing how I had set up the lenses. He said I did it right.
He tested them on his machine.

I did not have BT and Touch plugged in at the same time.

I tried the Cruise and shoot. It will not do anything that is saved for a vertical movement.

Thanks for the details. Now I understand better how Josef reached his conclusion.

And the Cruise and Shot test confirms it.

How frustrating for you.

I think that the Merlin does not read the sensor when moving in manual, but it does need it when using the goto function, whatever controler you use.

@foto1, you may try to open the head to check the cables; a connector is may be just not correctly plugged...

foto1 wrote:

I do not know what area to look do you?

No, but this is what it looks like inside:

Problem Fixed!

The red arrow points to the verical sensor plug.

Mine was put together just like the picture sent to me mediavets.

Notice how the wire of the white plug over on the right goes underneath the vertical sensor plug wire.
It was lifting up on the vertical sensor plug. It had pulled up enough to break the connection.

By putting that right plug wire over the top of the vertical sensor plug it can not do this again.

It should not be put together like this.
I can see where over time of use, packing up gear and getting bumped around a little this could easily happen.
In fact when you put the other wire over instead of under they all hold each other in place better.

To do this < 2 minute procedure;
Take the 4 screws off of the bottom plate.
Take out the 2 screws that have been just revealed to you that hold the bottem end of the outside shell.
Take out the 2 screws that are just under where the head rotates.
Switch over-under as described above.
Put the screws back and you are in business!

Thank you everybody for your help! I'm sure I will need you again!
foto1

claudevh wrote:

Andrew,

What is the blue part on the bottom of your Merlin ?

The picture was taken from the French part of the Wiki, it's not my mount but the blue part is (I think) a Q-top QR plate.

Here's the current version from MK - now red:
http://www.marc-kairies.de/english/q-top/index.html