Howdy all: I've seen some mentions here and elsewhere about connecting the 12V motors that come with the TI dome rotation kit - something to do with how the motors are wired - that makes it impossible to directly connect them (the motors) to the MaxDome II board. I'm looking for suggestions to make it work as I've just ordered MaxDome II. Thanks! Mike Potter Baltimore, MD
Hi Mike: I have a write up of how I interfaced my TI dome motors with a MaxDome II card here: http://www.greggsastronomy.com/Dome Rotation Automation III.pdf If you purchased the TI power supply, it will not work directly with MaxDomeII because it is an unregulated supply.
Thanks Gregg and Doug: Gregg - I'd seen your write-up. The thing I don't get is how to isolate things properly. I don't understand why the TI-supplied automotive windshield wiper motors present a problem and also don't understand how to work around it. Doug - I'd always planned to use a battery+smart charger setup to power the motors. So how do I proceed from there? Is it as simple as using some external relays? Use the 12v leads from the MaxDome board to trigger the relays? Thanks again! Mike
No you don't need anything external. A decent 12V battery and charger will run the dome directly. You just need to have enough capacity to handle the inrush current when the motors start up. Otherwise the input voltage will drop and the MaxDome card will reset.
Hi Doug- I'm glad I found this thread...my question is: can i use the maxdome 2 rotation card to run two motors as required for a TI prodome? I don't plan on using those windshield wiper motors, all I need is relays for my setup. Thanks