I am sorry Geoff, I will remove all my files.  I didn't mean to post
anything misleading or incorrect.

Sandy
===
--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "Kiwi Geoff" <geoff36@g...>
wrote:
> Steve Welch wrote:
> > Just to clarify this, those of us who have or will order the
Garmin
> > 18 with our KIWI-OSD orders will not need to do this updating
or
> > configuring, is that correct?
>
> Steve to put your mind at rest - if you order your Garmin 18 thru
> Vince as per his website:
>
> http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html
>
> then the "18" is configed (wired and tested) to work out of the
box
> with KIWI OSD.
>
> You do not need to go thru the "ordeal" that Sandy just went
through,
> which is common for people who "config" their own GPS's.
>
> Sandy's saga at configing is a good example of the often
frustrating
> time one can have when you do it for the first time! The DELUO
is
> even more fickle to config - it can only be done at certain
phases of
> the Moon and you have to wear the right colored hat! (well it
seems
> that way ;-)
>
> > Will they also be updated to the latest and greatest firmware
> > version?  Is that necessary or desireable?
>
> The 18's are all fresh from the Garmin factory, and have the
latest
> firmware Steve.
>
> I do not suggest people "ever" attempt to upgrade their
firmware
> (unless for a very good reason). Reading the Internet, there is
a
> history of people that have come to grief - it is very easy to end
up
> with a GPS that is useless. It is a safe to tinker with the
"CONFIG"
> changes though - as far as the GPS goes.
>
> Sandy did not use the "config" file I had sent him, and has
enabled
> ALL NMEA sentences. This is a huge workload for the GPS to
manage at
> 4800, and in marginal conditions, you can get the GPS
"stamping"
> the "wrong" second - so the precision of the OSD is
compromised.
>
> In our KIWI OSD config for the "18" we only enable the GGA and
RMC
> sentences. If RMC is left out - then the OSD will not give you
> the "UTC date" - as explained on my webpage.
>
> We will post the "official" KIWI OSD config (for the Garmin 18)
on
> this website, once I have cleared it with Sandy about amending
his
> document.
>
> > Just checking...  Over the weekend, I got my invoice, so I'm
> > guessing shipment is imminent, eh?
>
> Vince shipped a batch of OSD's on "your" Monday morning
Steve.
>
> > I'm getting excited!
>
> Very good ;-)
>
> I will be very interested to see how you get on Steve.
>
> Regards, Geoff.

Steve Welch wrote:

> I'm turning the kit over to my daughter the moment it arrives,
> so you can expect some pretty harsh criticism, if your instructions
> aren't perfect (she's her mother's daughter, and not a patient or
> understanding person).

I'm trembling already ;-)

Steve your daughter (and other folk sitting on the fence wondering
whether to "build themselves") may like to have a look at the:

"KIWI-OSD Assembly Manual" that Vince has just posted on:

http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html

It is a PDF file that I think explains very well (with lots
of good photos) how to put the KIT together.

Steve, please download the file, and ask your daughter to have a
quick read before the KIT arrives.

We all have different "experience" levels, and so what is 'easy' for
me is total confusion for someone else (and vice versa).

Regards, Geoff.

On Jul 11, 2005, at 6:08 PM, Kiwi Geoff wrote:

> Steve Welch wrote:
>  > Just to clarify this, those of us who have or will order the Garmin
>  > 18 with our KIWI-OSD orders will not need to do this updating or
>  > configuring, is that correct?
>
>  Steve to put your mind at rest - if you order your Garmin 18 thru
>  Vince as per his website:
>
> http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html
>
>  then the "18" is configed (wired and tested) to work out of the box
>  with KIWI OSD.

I figured as much, I just wanted to make sure and be reassured by
hearing you or Vince say it.  Thank you Geoff--my mind is now
officially resting, if not pining for the fjords (slightly obscure and
somewhat inappropriate Monty Python reference ;-).

>  ...Sandy's saga at configing is a good example of the often
> frustrating
>  time one can have when you do it for the first time! The DELUO is
>  even more fickle to config - it can only be done at certain phases of
>  the Moon and you have to wear the right colored hat! (well it seems
>  that way ;-)

A 90 year old master machinist who I used to work with when I was a kid
gave me this expression: You to do this, that, and the other thing, and
then, "you have to hold your mouth just right, or this last step won't
work".  Of course, when he imparted this wisdom to me, he invariably
didn't have his teeth in, so I had little chance of "it" ever working
right for me! ;-)

>  ...I do not suggest people "ever" attempt to upgrade their firmware
>  (unless for a very good reason). Reading the Internet, there is a
>  history of people that have come to grief - it is very easy to end up
>  with a GPS that is useless. It is a safe to tinker with the "CONFIG"
>  changes though - as far as the GPS goes.

Yeah, I'm familiar with that concept!  Don't break it, if it ain't
fixed, or something like that, isn't it?

> ... Vince shipped a batch of OSD's on "your" Monday morning Steve.
>
>  > I'm getting excited!
>
>  Very good ;-)
>
>  I will be very interested to see how you get on Steve.

Thanks!  I'm turning the kit over to my daughter the moment it arrives,
so you can expect some pretty harsh criticism, if your instructions
aren't perfect (she's her mother's daughter, and not a patient or
understanding person).  I'll try to filter her feedback and keep it
civil (or at least remove the profanity ;-) before forwarding it to
you.  I hope to use your device with her telescope and my homemade
epoxy-the-KT&C-KPC.EX20-(Supercircuits-PC180)-circuit-board-into-the-
eyepiece-tube camera to observe an asteroid occultation next week, so
I'm hoping for a smooth and error-free kit experience, myself.

Wish us luck!

Steve Welch

Steve Welch wrote:
> Just to clarify this, those of us who have or will order the Garmin
> 18 with our KIWI-OSD orders will not need to do this updating or
> configuring, is that correct?

Steve to put your mind at rest - if you order your Garmin 18 thru
Vince as per his website:

http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html

then the "18" is configed (wired and tested) to work out of the box
with KIWI OSD.

You do not need to go thru the "ordeal" that Sandy just went through,
which is common for people who "config" their own GPS's.

Sandy's saga at configing is a good example of the often frustrating
time one can have when you do it for the first time! The DELUO is
even more fickle to config - it can only be done at certain phases of
the Moon and you have to wear the right colored hat! (well it seems
that way ;-)

> Will they also be updated to the latest and greatest firmware
> version?  Is that necessary or desireable?

The 18's are all fresh from the Garmin factory, and have the latest
firmware Steve.

I do not suggest people "ever" attempt to upgrade their firmware
(unless for a very good reason). Reading the Internet, there is a
history of people that have come to grief - it is very easy to end up
with a GPS that is useless. It is a safe to tinker with the "CONFIG"
changes though - as far as the GPS goes.

Sandy did not use the "config" file I had sent him, and has enabled
ALL NMEA sentences. This is a huge workload for the GPS to manage at
4800, and in marginal conditions, you can get the GPS "stamping"
the "wrong" second - so the precision of the OSD is compromised.

In our KIWI OSD config for the "18" we only enable the GGA and RMC
sentences. If RMC is left out - then the OSD will not give you
the "UTC date" - as explained on my webpage.

We will post the "official" KIWI OSD config (for the Garmin 18) on
this website, once I have cleared it with Sandy about amending his
document.

> Just checking...  Over the weekend, I got my invoice, so I'm
> guessing shipment is imminent, eh?

Vince shipped a batch of OSD's on "your" Monday morning Steve.

> I'm getting excited!

Very good ;-)

I will be very interested to see how you get on Steve.

Regards, Geoff.

Just to clarify this, those of us who have or will order the Garmin 18 with our
KIWI-OSD
orders will not need to do this updating or configuring, is that correct?

That is, our "KIWI-GPS" units will be pre-configured by Vince (the  vinenator
;-) at PFD
systems, right?  Will they also be updated to the latest and greatest firmware
version?  Is
that necessary or desireable?

Just checking...  Over the weekend, I got my invoice, so I'm guessing shipment
is
imminent, eh?  I'm getting excited!

St

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "sandybumgarner" <sandy@v...> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> During lunch time at work, I took advantage of the PC I have there
> to update the GPS-18's software and configure it to output 1PPS.
>
> I went to the Garmin site...

At 07:00 PM 7/10/2005, you wrote:
>G'day Steve,
>
>I'm glad you've got a handle on the process.
>
>Re your GVD-1000 and the 4inch LCD monitor... I use a 6inch black and
>white CRT monitor and when comparing what's is displayed on it and the
>small LCD screen on the Canon camcorder, I find the LCD doesn't show
>nearly as fainter stars as the CRT monitor can.  Have you had this experiance?
>
>Regards
>
>Dave

I've never tried it on faint stars. My portable scopes are a C-5 and a C-8.
I'll try some tests when it clears again. If stars show up on the computer
file that weren't visible on the monitor, I'll know there's a problem. But
if they are that faint, I probably won't be attempting the occultation. The
only occultation I've tried was one that came over Houston. I set up my PEP
and data capture programs, but we got clouded out! I had spent hours of
enjoyable time writing the AI and timing programs, and was so frustrated by
the clouds that the next night I timed a stellar occultation by my
flagpole! :-)  I got a beautiful graph, with millisecond precision, but of
no scientific value!

With my arthritis, I have no desire to drag a lot of heavy equipment
around, hence the smaller set-up. My idea of fun is sitting in the
observatory, out of the dew, enjoying what I can see of the heavens in a
light-polluted suburb of Houston! Once a year I make the trip to West Texas
for TSP, to remind myself what dark skies are!

                    Dave, thanks for all the great info you have posted!

                                                                                           
-
Steve -


Stephen M. Linscott                           Baytown, TX
<mailto:linscott@...>linscott@...
http://www.linscott.org

Dave, I think I answered my question. I can enter DV to the computer with
the USB port. It works OK with the PIXELA software that came with the
GVD-1000, and with Ulead VideoStudio 9. When my time inserter arrives, I'll
be able to tell if the fields are stepping sequentially as the frames are
stepped forward and backward in Pause mode.

If anyone is curious about the GVD-1000, information can be found at:
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=GVD1000&Dept=cameras&CategoryName=dcc_DICamcorders_VideoWalkman

Ignore the list price shown on the page! Street price is lower. The reason
I love it is that it measures 5" x 5.25" x 2.25", has a built in monitor
and a Lithium battery that will run it for 2 to 3 hours. It has lot's of
built-in editing software that I never use.

                                                   Clear Skies!

                                                                 - Steve -

Dave, I think I answered my question. I can enter DV to the computer with
the USB port. It works OK with the PIXELA software that came with the
GVD-1000, and with Ulead VideoStudio 9. When my time inserter arrives, I'll
be able to tell if the fields are stepping sequentially as the frames are
stepped forward and backward in Pause mode.

If anyone is curious about the GVD-1000, information can be found at:
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_Display\
ProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=GVD1000&Dept=cameras&CategoryName=dcc_DICamc\
orders_VideoWalkman

Ignore the list price shown on the page! Street price is lower. The reason
I love it is that it measures 5" x 5.25" x 2.25", has a built in monitor
and a Lithium battery that will run it for 2 to 3 hours. It has lot's of
built-in editing software that I never use.

                                                    Clear Skies!

                                                                  - Steve -

Great answer, Geoff.  I hope to do those kinds of experiments in
early August, and I will pass on the results.

Walt

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "Geoff" <geoff36@g...> wrote:
> Hi Walt,
>
> It is nice to see you planning how to use your new technology.
>
> > Adding the time inserter box and Garmin 18 will increase current
draw
> > by only 70 ma, so it seems reasonable to just splice in another
power
> > line from the gel cell - unless there is the prospect of
electrical
> > interference.  Is there any reason to expect a problem there?
>
> One of the aspects of using KIWI OSD that has not really been
discussed yet,
> is using it to trouble shoot interference issues.
>
> Just a little background:
>
> Because we are using domestic video equipment, the wiring
is "unbalanced",
> where we have a common earth as a reference for our video, audio
and power.
> Unlike professional video equipment (which uses "balanced" signals
that are
> common mode to earth) using unbalanced systems - can lead to
electrical
> interference that is spread among the interconnected equipment
through the
> common ground system.
>
> The interconnection between the GPS and OSD is part of
this "unbalanced"
> system, so if you have a "noisy" part to the system then this could
cause
> "false triggering" of the timing system.
>
> This is where you can use KIWI OSD to sniff out "noisy systems". If
you set
> up your equipment as you have outlined Walt, you can run KIWI OSD,
and just
> leave it running, and try different things, drive motors on and
off, wiggle
> connectors etc, and keep an eye on the video screen. If you have
injected
> "noise" into the common ground, the OSD could detect a "phantom"
1PPS signal
> (rather than a true one from the GPS). Because the OSD measures
each 1PPS
> duration, if it is not 1,000 milliseconds it will place XXXXXXXX on
top of
> the HH:MM:SS. So Walt one evening (when it is cloudy) connect up
your gear
> and have a play - can you force a XXXXXXX situation on the screen?
>
> If on the other hand, you can run the OSD for a several hours, and
even
> though you try and cause "noise" you get no XXXXXXXX's, then you
know you
> have a "clean" electrical set-up, and so do not need to play around
with
> different configurations (to isolate the noise).
>
> I would be interested in any experiments you do like this Walt.
>
> > There is also the consideration of physical positioning.
>
> Indeed there is, and you can increase timing quality by paying
attention to
> this aspect.
>
> > I believe the Garmin has a magnetic base,
>
> Yes it has (it's also waterproof).
>
> > so I could just park it on a leg of the tripod, unless the
relatively
> > close proximity to the scope would block a significant part of the
> > sky.
>
> I would not recommend this Walt, it would restrict the GPS "seeing"
the sky.
>
> > Another possibility would be to make a bracket that would clamp
to the
> > scope
> > tripod and elevate the GPS a metre or so, roughly to the level of
the
> > scope, thereby improving the GPS's view of the sky.
>
> That is a lot better thinking Walt. Something simple like the
bottom of an
> old  lid to a tin of paint, nailed onto an old broomstick, and
clamped to
> your tripod. The magnetic base of the GPS would cling to the tin
lid. This
> would also double as a "ground plane" for the GPS antenna, so
increasing
> signal level. So yes, make the GPS higher than you or the scope so
it has
> lots of sky to use for good timing.
>
> Once you get the OSD Walt and have a play, let us know how you get
on. I'm
> especially interested in the concept of using the OSD to sniff out
> "interference" as explained above.
>
> Regards, Geoff.

Hi Walt,

It is nice to see you planning how to use your new technology.

> Adding the time inserter box and Garmin 18 will increase current draw
> by only 70 ma, so it seems reasonable to just splice in another power
> line from the gel cell - unless there is the prospect of electrical
> interference.  Is there any reason to expect a problem there?

One of the aspects of using KIWI OSD that has not really been discussed yet,
is using it to trouble shoot interference issues.

Just a little background:

Because we are using domestic video equipment, the wiring is "unbalanced",
where we have a common earth as a reference for our video, audio and power.
Unlike professional video equipment (which uses "balanced" signals that are
common mode to earth) using unbalanced systems - can lead to electrical
interference that is spread among the interconnected equipment through the
common ground system.

The interconnection between the GPS and OSD is part of this "unbalanced"
system, so if you have a "noisy" part to the system then this could cause
"false triggering" of the timing system.

This is where you can use KIWI OSD to sniff out "noisy systems". If you set
up your equipment as you have outlined Walt, you can run KIWI OSD, and just
leave it running, and try different things, drive motors on and off, wiggle
connectors etc, and keep an eye on the video screen. If you have injected
"noise" into the common ground, the OSD could detect a "phantom" 1PPS signal
(rather than a true one from the GPS). Because the OSD measures each 1PPS
duration, if it is not 1,000 milliseconds it will place XXXXXXXX on top of
the HH:MM:SS. So Walt one evening (when it is cloudy) connect up your gear
and have a play - can you force a XXXXXXX situation on the screen?

If on the other hand, you can run the OSD for a several hours, and even
though you try and cause "noise" you get no XXXXXXXX's, then you know you
have a "clean" electrical set-up, and so do not need to play around with
different configurations (to isolate the noise).

I would be interested in any experiments you do like this Walt.

> There is also the consideration of physical positioning.

Indeed there is, and you can increase timing quality by paying attention to
this aspect.

> I believe the Garmin has a magnetic base,

Yes it has (it's also waterproof).

> so I could just park it on a leg of the tripod, unless the relatively
> close proximity to the scope would block a significant part of the
> sky.

I would not recommend this Walt, it would restrict the GPS "seeing" the sky.

> Another possibility would be to make a bracket that would clamp to the
> scope
> tripod and elevate the GPS a metre or so, roughly to the level of the
> scope, thereby improving the GPS's view of the sky.

That is a lot better thinking Walt. Something simple like the bottom of an
old  lid to a tin of paint, nailed onto an old broomstick, and clamped to
your tripod. The magnetic base of the GPS would cling to the tin lid. This
would also double as a "ground plane" for the GPS antenna, so increasing
signal level. So yes, make the GPS higher than you or the scope so it has
lots of sky to use for good timing.

Once you get the OSD Walt and have a play, let us know how you get on. I'm
especially interested in the concept of using the OSD to sniff out
"interference" as explained above.

Regards, Geoff.

On Sat, 9 Jul 2005, dave g wrote:

> G'day Stephen,
>
>> and wonder what software I will need in the PC.
>
> I use Ulead Studio7 that came with the Avermedia grabber.
>
> I hope this helps
>
> Regards
> DaveG

Does this mean I should use USB input to the PC? The input to my PC is
USB2.0, but the recorder output is plain USB. Will Ulead Studio 7 be able
to produce the step file with this arrangement?

                       Thanks!

                                - Steve -

******************************************************************
*   Steve Linscott                          Baytown, Texas       *
*   linscott@...                  http://www.linscott.org/  *
******************************************************************

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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On Sat, 9 Jul 2005, DaveGee wrote:

> When using these USB grabbers you have to make sure your port is
> USB2.0 otherwise you can't get the frame rate.  When doing movies of
> the kids I get better results with firewire but for making the
> step .avi file for occultations I use the Avermedia grabber as the
> firewire is too smart and takes control of the camera.

Dave, what do you mean by the firewire taking control of the camera?
My experience has only been with video imaging of the moon. I have a KT&C
650, which replaced my PC-23. I record with a Sony GVD-1000, and input to
my PC via firewire using Ulead Video Studio to produce an .avi file. I use
QuickTime to single step through the frames and select the ones I want.

I realize that with occultations I will be dealing with fields instead of
frames, and wonder what software I will need in the PC. The GVD-1000 can
output to USB, FireWire, and memory sticks, as well as S-Video and
composite. It doesn't seem to make much sense to convert back to analog
from mini-DV, so that leaves USB and FireWire as input to the PC. The PC
is a 3 GHz desktop with USB2.0 and FireWire - only the camera and the Sony
go in the field.

I would be delighted to hear suggestions from the group.

                  Thanks and Clear Skies!

                                       - Steve -

******************************************************************
*   Steve Linscott                          Baytown, Texas       *
*   linscott@...                  http://www.linscott.org/  *
******************************************************************

Anticipating receipt of my Kiwi OSD in a couple weeks, it is time to
consider its deployment within the overall video system, specifically
routing of power and possible RF/electrical interference.

At present my GoTo scope, radio, and hand-held GPS each have their
own re-chargeable AA cells.  I have found that it is important to
keep the radio two metres or more from the scope, to avoid RF
interference, so I place the radio and GPS together on a separate,
light-weight tripod.  The rest of my equipment --  a 9-inch TV,
microphone, and PC164C camera – are powered by a 12-volt, 18-ampere-
hour gel cell.  Power distribution from the gel cell is via a harness
that is part of a base that keeps the TV out of the dirt and tilted
for good viewing from a standing position.  This has all been quite
satisfactory.

The radio, microphone and hand-held GPS all become redundant when
Kiwi OSD becomes operational, but they are also back-ups, so it is my
plan to keep them all in service just as at present.

Adding the time inserter box and Garmin 18 will increase current draw
by only 70 ma, so it seems reasonable to just splice in another power
line from the gel cell – unless there is the prospect of electrical
interference.  Is there any reason to expect a problem there?

There is also the consideration of physical positioning.  The time
inserter logically goes close to the TV (and perhaps I will even add
a bracket to the TV base).  I believe the Garmin has a magnetic base,
so I could just park it on a leg of the tripod, unless the relatively
close proximity to the scope would block a significant part of the
sky.  If it is appropriate to move the GPS further away (maybe
placing it with the radio and hand-held GPS), there is the
possibility that the cable becomes a tripping hazard.  Another
possibility would be to make a bracket that would clamp to the scope
tripod and elevate the GPS a metre or so, roughly to the level of the
scope, thereby improving the GPS's view of the sky.

Any thoughts on these topics would be welcome.

Walt Morgan

Hi Brian and all,

> The Belkin only manages to capture every other field when capturing
> from the VCR tape at full speed, and even then sometimes misses a
> field.

When using these USB grabbers you have to make sure your port is
USB2.0 otherwise you can't get the frame rate.  When doing movies of
the kids I get better results with firewire but for making the
step .avi file for occultations I use the Avermedia grabber as the
firewire is too smart and takes control of the camera.

> 1.  Is the Canon ZR65MC camcorder specifically for NTSC
Mine is NTSC which I purchased from Amazon.com. I have not tried it
with a PAL camera but I have tried to use a friend's PAL camcorder to
record images from the PC164 which wasn't pretty. The ZR70 looked a
good camcorder too.

> 2.  I assume the Canon records onto tape?
> What capacity does a tape have?
Yes, miniDV tapes  You can get them up to 2 hours but I go for 1 hour
tapes and I get about 10 to 12 lunar occultations onto each tape.

> 3. "Indeo Codec" Does this mean anything to you, and do you know if
> the AVerMedia USB capture also needs it?

No, I have not seen such a message.  I just did a google search and
there's heaps of places where you can download the code for free or
unfree...  With the Avermedia I use a 3.0gighz DELL laptop and I
simply loaded the driver that came with the grabber.

If you are not happy with the USB grabber, a better soultion if you
have a desk top machine might be a TV card that plugs into the PCI
slot on the motherboard.  Just make sure it has video in.

Regards

dave

Hi All,

KIWI OSD has been designed to have "predictable" behaviour with
regard a leap second.

If the OSD is used during an epoch that straddles from 2005 to 2006
UTC, then up to 0h 2006 the OSD will display the correct time, after
0 h 2006, the timestamps will ALL be exactly 1 second fast UNTIL the
OSD is restarted. The OSD once restarted in 2006 will show the
correct time.

So it is "only" if the OSD is used during the 2005 - 2006 transition
that one must correct the time by subtracting exactly 1 second from
the displayed (or derived time using the field counter) after 0h 2006.

Pressing the "info" button (to restart timing function) after 0h Jan
1 2006, will load the correct time into KIWI OSD.

We advise using WWV as a "backup" during this time.

Regards, Geoff.

Sandy,

I noticed the same thing when i kept "playing" with the cable to the
point where I had to strip off more shielding. I called Garmin and
they told me they were all the same, ground. I took the chance based
on that info and probed them and it appears that they were telling
the truth.

so, if you wish, you can connect all three together or only two, but
connect them both to Pin 2 (GND).

Vince

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "sandybumgarner" <sandy@v...> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I wanted to alert folks that at least on my Garmin 18 LVC, S/N
24901913 (I guess it is the
> serial number on the bottom), there are three (3) black wires.
This particular unit has two
> small black wires and one larger black wire about the same wire
gauge as the red power
> wire.  Also, it has a drain or shield wire that is bare.  This
Garmin 18 LVC was purchased
> 10 or so months ago and may be different than current units.
>
> So, absent a direction as to tell which small black wire was
which, etc. what I did as a
> guess was to solder all three black and the bare wire to pin 2,
the GND pin of the DIN-5
> male connector.  The Green, Yellow, White, and Red wires were
soldered to pins 1,3,4, and
> 5 (RCV, 1PPS, TXD, and 5V respectively) as per the direction sheet
I received.
>
> When turned on and left to acquire GPS satellites and ephemerides
for an hour or so, the
> OSD unit still is displaying "RS232 OR 1PPS ABSENT".
>
> The grandkids are returning from the ice cream shop soon so I will
not have time to even
> take the connector apart and meter the pins but the error message
is clear and steady and
> nothing is hot so I hope it is benign!
>
> More adventures later ...
>
> Sandy

I hope to have orders out within a week.

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "Dale Ireland" <drdale_com@y...> wrote:
>
> > Once i have the order ready, i'll invoice you.
>
>
> How long is the wait? Are you talking days? weeks? months?
>
> Dale

Hi Dave and Vince

Like Dave I have been using PC164C, (without manual gain control) and a
KIWI OSD supplied by Geoff since January for total lunar occultations and
one part graze (before it was clouded out).  So far events and weather have
prevented me getting any MP occultations.   At present I record onto a VCR
and afterwards transfer to computer using a Belkin USB VideoBus II.

This has some problems.   The VCR doesn't have a true step through, only a
slow forward, ca 3 frames per second.   The Belkin only manages to capture
every other field when capturing from the VCR tape at full speed, and even
then sometimes misses a field.  Fortunately the slow forward of the VCR
usually puts out (repeated images of) the alternate fields.   The Belkin
saves the images as avi, or individual images as jpg.

The whole thing is a bit clunky, especially as the VCR is showing signs of
protesting at numerous forwards and reversals.  So I am looking for a
better system.

So, thanks Dave for posting your info.  I had been intending to find out
more about your system.   Not being well up in video systems, there are one
or two points you can probably clear up.

1.  Is the Canon ZR65MC camcorder specifically for NTSC or can it be used
NTSC or PAL?  (I have just acquired a second PC164C through Graham Blow,
which is PAL.)

2.  I assume the Canon records onto tape?   What capacity does a tape have?

3.  When I tried to use the Belkin on a recent lap-top, (windows XP), I got
a message that it requires a current "Indeo Codec" driver, which is
apparently present on my slight older PC (also windows XP).   Does this
mean anything to you, and do you know if the AVerMedia USB capture also
needs it?

Best wishes,

Brian


========================

Brian Loader
14 Craigieburn Street
Darfield 8172
New Zealand

Phone:  +64 3 3187659
    mob:  0212 646460

Email:  palbrl@...

We would love to see images of occultations or other uses of the KIWI-OSD posted here. If you have a video, we prefer that you post it on your own webpages and post a link to it here as space is limited.

I would love to hear about the hardware setups in which the KIWI-OSD is a part of. Telescope model, camera model, recording device, etc.

This forum is also a place to share information. For example. Which model of camcorders can single frame the recorded video. my Sony TRV-8 can only display even fields, both forward and backward. when i
get time i'll set up a DB for this info.

Enjoy the form and feel free to ask questions or comment.

V

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "Kiwi Geoff" <geoff36@g...> wrote:
> Hello Rudy,
>
> > Anything new in the last week?
>
> Yes, there are photos of the KIT and the ordering page.
>
> > I think Graham Blow suggested to purchase a bundle with a group.
> > Graham knows what I am looking for: Camera as shown at the Nelson
> > RASNZ Conference and kiwiosd system with GPS. I presume it is
> > still Graham looking after me???
>
> You need to ask Graham if he is looking after you Rudy.
>
> Vince is the man in the USA who is marketing and building the OSD.
>
> > But who is thevinenator?
>
> Rudy, it is like someone saying who is "rz_downunder"
>
> "thevinenator" is just the yahoo name for "Vince" who is the man
in
> the USA who built the pcb and is marketing the OSD.
>
> By the way, Nelson is my favourite (non scuba diving) holiday
spot.
>
> Regards, Kiwi Geoff (Christchurch, New Zealand)

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Sandy wrote:
> I wanted to alert folks that at least on my Garmin 18 LVC,
> S/N 24901913 (I guess it is the serial number on the bottom), there
> are three (3) black wires.

Yes indeed, the batch of GPS's that Vince has just received from
Garmin are the same Sandy, 3 black wires, that all go to GND.

Just a note to readers, folk who get the Garmin 18 GPS LVC from
Vince, have the wiring all completed and tested, and the firmware in
the GPS 'configed' (and tested) to operate correctly with KIWI OSD.

> When turned on and left to acquire GPS satellites and ephemerides
> for an hour or so, the OSD unit still is displaying
> "RS232 OR 1PPS ABSENT".

The fact it is saying that Sandy - means all the video side is
correct and the OSD is working. What it is now waiting for, is a
valid FIX to be received on the serial port (4800 baud) and the 1PPS
to be toggling once per second (as indicated by the LED pulsing once
a second).

The 18 LVC as received from the Garmin factory has the 1PPS turned
OFF.

Using the OSD 'pass-thru' cable, connect to a PC and use the
"snsrcfg.exe" software that I sent (some time back) and ensure the
1PPS is turned ON, enable only GGA and RMC sentences, and the baud
rate has to be 4800. Once these parameters have been set, they are
held for ever in the Garmin - so this only needs to be done once.

Vince does all this 'configing' on GPS's sourced through him.

> I will not have time to even take the connector apart and meter the
> pins but the error message is clear and steady and nothing is hot
> so I hope it is benign!

It should be fine Sandy, however until the Garmin sensor is
configured correctly, the wee machine will spend the rest of its life
just saying "RS232 OR 1PPS ABSENT".

The other issue - is the GPS sensor getting a good signal from the
sky? We had an email from a Research Institute who were trying to use
their GPS 'inside'. If you have a window with a good view of the sky
(no trees) then you can use the GPS on a window ledge, but I do not
recommend it. A GPS (is like a telescope) it needs to see the naked
sky to work properly.

Email me direct Sandy, if still having problems, we can provide a
summary to folks of your adventures later!

Regards, Geoff (NZ).

Hi everyone,

I wanted to alert folks that at least on my Garmin 18 LVC, S/N 24901913 (I guess
it is the
serial number on the bottom), there are three (3) black wires.  This particular
unit has two
small black wires and one larger black wire about the same wire gauge as the red
power
wire.  Also, it has a drain or shield wire that is bare.  This Garmin 18 LVC was
purchased
10 or so months ago and may be different than current units.

So, absent a direction as to tell which small black wire was which, etc. what I
did as a
guess was to solder all three black and the bare wire to pin 2, the GND pin of
the DIN-5
male connector.  The Green, Yellow, White, and Red wires were soldered to pins
1,3,4, and
5 (RCV, 1PPS, TXD, and 5V respectively) as per the direction sheet I received.

When turned on and left to acquire GPS satellites and ephemerides for an hour or
so, the
OSD unit still is displaying "RS232 OR 1PPS ABSENT".

The grandkids are returning from the ice cream shop soon so I will not have time
to even
take the connector apart and meter the pins but the error message is clear and
steady and
nothing is hot so I hope it is benign!

More adventures later ...

Sandy

> Once i have the order ready, i'll invoice you.


How long is the wait? Are you talking days? weeks? months?

Dale

Thanks for the intro, Geoff.

Yes, my name is Vince and as Geoff stated, 'thevinenator' is just a
handle. A long story but it is a cross between the 'terminator' and
that silly way the the character who sat by the copy machine on
Saturday Night Live would name all the people who used the machine.
so a friend nicknamed me that and it stuck.

We/I am taking orders now but I want to emphasize that I won't be
invoicing the orders until the order is complete. I would rather
have an customer wondering where their order is than where there
money is! Once i have the order ready, i'll invoice you. if you are
paying online then payment is posted by PayPal very quickly and i
should be able to ship the next day. If you are sending payment via
the postal service, then the order will be delayed until payment is
receveived and has cleared the bank. (sorry for that but my
collector "Bruno" is on vacation....that is a joke, of course!)


This forum should not be used to address personal order issues.
those should be sent to kiwiosd@... .

Geoff, the technical guru of the KIWI-OSD monitors this forum and
can answer any technical questions that I cannot. So enjoy the forum
as it is you who can make it work.

We would love to see images of occultations or other uses of the
KIWI-OSD posted here. If you have a video, we prefer that you post
it on your own webpages and post a link to it here as space is
limited.

I would love to hear about the hardware setups in which the KIWI-OSD
is a part of. Telescope model, camera model, recording device, etc.

This forum is also a place to share information. For example. Which
model of camcorders can single frame the recorded video. my Sony TRV-
8 can only display even fields, both forward and backward. when i
get time i'll set up a DB for this info.

Enjoy the form and feel free to ask questions or comment.

V

--- In kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com, "Kiwi Geoff" <geoff36@g...> wrote:
> Hello Rudy,
>
> > Anything new in the last week?
>
> Yes, there are photos of the KIT and the ordering page.
>
> > I think Graham Blow suggested to purchase a bundle with a group.
> > Graham knows what I am looking for: Camera as shown at the Nelson
> > RASNZ Conference and kiwiosd system with GPS. I presume it is
> > still Graham looking after me???
>
> You need to ask Graham if he is looking after you Rudy.
>
> Vince is the man in the USA who is marketing and building the OSD.
>
> > But who is thevinenator?
>
> Rudy, it is like someone saying who is "rz_downunder"
>
> "thevinenator" is just the yahoo name for "Vince" who is the man
in
> the USA who built the pcb and is marketing the OSD.
>
> By the way, Nelson is my favourite (non scuba diving) holiday
spot.
>
> Regards, Kiwi Geoff (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Hello Rudy,

> Anything new in the last week?

Yes, there are photos of the KIT and the ordering page.

> I think Graham Blow suggested to purchase a bundle with a group.
> Graham knows what I am looking for: Camera as shown at the Nelson
> RASNZ Conference and kiwiosd system with GPS. I presume it is
> still Graham looking after me???

You need to ask Graham if he is looking after you Rudy.

Vince is the man in the USA who is marketing and building the OSD.

> But who is thevinenator?

Rudy, it is like someone saying who is "rz_downunder"

"thevinenator" is just the yahoo name for "Vince" who is the man in
the USA who built the pcb and is marketing the OSD.

By the way, Nelson is my favourite (non scuba diving) holiday spot.

Regards, Kiwi Geoff (Christchurch, New Zealand)

----- Original Message -----

From: thevinenator

To: kiwiosd@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 1:56 PM

Subject: [kiwiosd] PFD Systems is now accepting orders for the KIWI-OSD!

If you are interested in purchasing a KIWI-OSD, please browse to the
KIWI-OSD web page.

http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html

SPONSORED LINKS

Business finance course	Business to business finance	Small business finance
Business finance consultant	Business finance schools	Business finance schools

If you are interested in purchasing a KIWI-OSD, please browse to the
KIWI-OSD web page.

http://www.pfdsystems.com/kiwiosd.html

Hi! Im Dr. Armando Lee. New to occultation but already
veteran in Astronomy. A Physician by profession but
Astronomer by "heart". I joined this group to know
more about occultation video time stamp overlay
equipments, etc. I would like to get one of those PFD
units once it becomes available. Any news yet
regarding this?
Thanks and Clear skies to all!

Doc Lee

__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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Do You Yahoo!?
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http://mail.yahoo.com

Hi! Im Dr. Armando Lee. New to occultation but already
veteran in Astronomy. A Physician by profession but
Astronomer by "heart". I joined this group to know
more about occultation video time stamp overlay
equipments, etc. I would like to get one of those PFD
units once it becomes available. Any news yet
regarding this?
Thanks and Clear skies to all!

Doc Lee

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Welcome to the KIWI OSD egroup,

This is a place where users of the Video Time Inserter can ask
technical questions and discuss issues about using this type of
technology.

For the most part, you simply apply power to the OSD and let it do
its thing - no real knowledge is required to use it. How to interpret
the times on the screen and use the 'backup' feature, require more
information and this is provided in the online documentation found
here:

http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_36_nz/kiwi_osd/example.htm

which is a living document, that will be added to as required.

You are most welcome to ask questions here, although please not
something that is otherwise covered in the documentation - so we can
maintain a high signal to noise level.

I have just added a new section to the above document - how to
determine the reaction time of the video camera, as per:

http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_36_nz/kiwi_osd/example.htm#rt

this allows you to determine (using a known precision optical event)
that the OSD is correctly time-stamping the video data.

Regards, Geoff.