Ad Astra Observatory

I really like the NJP. It’s the best mount I’ve had so far without question. Tak mounts don’t get the respect they deserve. They are always compared to AP. Sight unseen, I really think 4026 could give an AP900 a run for its money. Maybe the AP900 would come out on top, but from where I sit, it’s hard to imagine how.

This upgrade was supposed to “get the mount out of the way”. I am apparently sold on that concept, because I am convinced that the tracking errors that I’ve had are my fault. Either I’m not guiding the mount correctly, or I have some imbalance, cable pull, or other problem that is preventing the mount from doing its job. With any previous mount I’ve owned, I would be looking for a screwdriver, because clearly there’s something wrong with the mount. 4026 and I are just getting to know each other; we’ll work it out, without resorting to violence.

I admit that the Temma system feels very incomplete. It feels like the configuration just isn’t there to do some stuff that I have learned to depend upon in other goto systems. On the other hand, being forced to run the GOTO through the computer has really opened up another level of automation to me. This will be of great benefit once I can fully take advantage of it.

Any new piece of hardware requires some configuration before it works at its best. 4026 is as close to a “drop in” replacement for the G-11 as I could expect. It will take some time for me to get the hang of the new mount, to really get everything I can out of it.

I have every reason to believe that the mount will do 20m guided images at 1000mm all over the sky. I just have to figure out what to do to help.

I’m having fun again.