steppenwolf

Additional Note 19 - Dome Ancillary Control Components have arrived My two sons very kindly bought me the two circuit boards - mentioned in post #140 - that I need to complete my ancillary control module, as a Christmas present! The first circuit board is a digital input/output board controlled via a USB port and it is the same board as the one used to control all movements of the dome in azimuth as well as opening and closing the aperture slit. The digital board has 8 outputs that are pulled to ground when activated under software control. Coupled to this board is a simple relay board with 8 relays capable of handling up to 5 amps at 230VAC but the relays can also be used to switch 12v DC and signal levels. This combined control module will allow me to carry out the following updated actions under software control:- 1. Turn on/off the dehumidifier 2. Turn on/off the ancillary equipment 12v PSU The above two work together via an external relay unit. The normally closed (NC) contacts supply 230VAC to the dehumidifier when the relay is un-powered. Operating the relay switches the power over to the observatory's ancillary equipment 12v PSU in readiness for switching each component's power line in turn thus avoiding any chance of a 'spike'. 3. Turn on/off the dome control PSU 4. Turn on/off the mount 5. Turn on/off the focuser 6. Turn on/off the AAG CloudWatcher 7. Open and close the telescope's dust cap 8. Turn on/off the observatory light to allow the dome's webcam to see what is going on. Circuit Diagram Software Virtual Controller I have plans for the extra digital inputs and analog outputs that are available on the primary board but haven't fully formulated these yet - watch this space!

Hi Jake, Thanks for taking the time to comment on my thread at such a difficult time for you and your family. A step too far! I love the post processing part as it allows me to get a little bit creative so I'm more than happy to keep this 'hands-on'. Although I can now run the observatory fully automatically, it is my intention to generally run it 'remotely' so that I am still very much involved.

Indeed it is, Martin, very satisfying as this was not an 'out of the box' working solution as you know!

Additional Note 18 - Finally a fully automated session including a meridian flip A break in the awful cloudy skies on the night of 07 - 08 December gave me an opportunity to continue with the final testing phase. I managed 12 subframes of 600 seconds of Ha on the Rosette Nebula before cloud forced an automatic close-down but frustratingly this occurred before the system had completed a meridian flip so this remained untested as part of a fully scripted imaging run. However, the next night was even clearer and FLO's 'Clear Outside' app had good news so I set another fully automated run in progress to capture OIII data from the same object. Despite some dome tracking issues (yet to be fully resolved) earlier in the evening while waiting for the Rosette to rise, this run went perfectly and whilst I was in the 'land of nod', a refocus was carried out every hour, a meridian flip with re-acquisition of the guide star was completed without a hitch (according to the log) and a well-mannered close-down including incremental warming up of the camera's sensor took place. So, a fully automated imaging session including meridian flip has now been completed satisfactorily and I'm starting to collect worthwhile image data again ........

Hi Mike and Julian, I am sorry to hear of the failure of the IP 9258 unit. This IP switch was recommended to me but I have decided on a different route to control my dome ancillaries under USB control as I can wake my PC from anywhere with an Internet connection so USB is then available to me. I have previously experimented with an Energenie power controller but this proved to be poorly constructed so I have decided to make my own. I have the Rigel dome controller and this uses a Velleman K8055N USB controller for azimuth and aperture control and I use a spare port on the board to switch my automatic 'flat-flap'. However, the LesveDome control software that operates the dome drive motors can also address a further 8 ports under ASCOM Switch protocol using a second Velleman K8055N USB board. My requirements would be neatly served by the following switches:- 1. General Accessory 12v PSU (Mount, Focuser, Flat-Flap, AAG Cloudwatcher) 2. Dome Controller PSU 3. Accessory (12v) switch 4. Camera 1 PSU 5. Camera 2 PSU 6. Observatory Illumination 7. Dehumidifier 8. Intruder Tazer - only joking, (or am I?) So, with Wake Up On LAN using a 'magic packet' to fire up the PC from anywhere with an Internet connection and the ability of that PC to control all the equipment in the observatory, a new phase begins! I hope the APC 7920 proves to be reliable, Mike.

Additional Note 17 - Bug in FocusMax Version 3.8.0.20 I sometimes feel that astrophotography is a case of one step forwards, two steps back and that has certainly been the case at times with this project! However, as anyone reading the account of this project will have realised, I don't give up easily! So, the latest issue to raise its head:- I have discovered a bug in FocusMax 3.0.8.20 that has been confirmed by the developer but the only solution offered is to buy the latest version (V4) at $149.95 !! This may not seem like a lot of money but the version I have was free and I have implemented a self-imposed cap on any further expenditure on this project apart from the acceptance of family gifts at Christmas and birthdays where I have a small list including the control boards mention in post #140! The night before last, I was running a test session and re-focusing every 30 minutes using AcquireStar in FocusMax. The original focus run and the first re-focus at 30 minutes into the session ran perfectly. However, the second re-focus at 1 hour into the session, failed to focus on any of the three stars suggested by PinPoint. A second AcquireStar run then started automatically and successfully carried out a focus run BUT instead of returning to the original coordinates, the telescope was directed to return to the location of the last failed potential focus star and my system happily imaged for the rest of session in the wrong place!!!! On a positive note, the area it imaged was perfectly in focus so if anyone wants an image of a random star, let me know! SOLUTIONS 1. spend more money 2. find a free work-around Here's the free solution:- To ensure that focus is maintained throughout an imaging session despite temperature changes, I arrange for a re-focus to take place automatically every 30 minutes. This is carried out by a CCD Commander sub-action that focuses using the Luminance filter, selects the correct filter and applies an offset if required, captures ‘n’ images and repeats the sequence ‘nn’ times. All I need to do is add a third command - between these two command sets - that instructs the mount to move to the original object's RA/DEC. This information is already recorded by CCD Commander at the start of the session so it is easy to implement. It is rare for focus to fail with the choice of three suitable stars supplied by PinPoint (in fact this is the first time I have seen it fail) but my work-around will catch it if it ever happens again and the worst case scenario is that I will simply waste a small mount correction if there is no fail. However, I will always be pointing at the right object! Master Action Focus and Image Capture Sub-Action

Thanks for that wiring diagram, Martin, ironically I haven't seen that one - I must have skipped it as it was for a ROR but there is some useful information in there. My aperture control is similar in most respects but my current flow direction control is different as you can see below:-

Right, I have a single 12v (actually 13.8v) PSU that runs the mount, focuser, weather monitor and 'flat-flap' a second unit that powers the azimuth controller and a solar charged 12v Battery that runs the aperture controller - I was going to leave the latter on 'permanently' when anticipating total unattended operation. Of course, most of the time I will be operating 'remotely' but from within my home so a quick trip out to the observatory to turn everything on manually would be my normal way of doing things. Oh does it indeed! I wonder why they have written the LesveDome control software like that rather than just make it a 'simple' switch like Ch #7? Not difficult to resolve though as you have discovered.

Oooh, can you indeed - do you have a recommendation?

Hi Martin, I have seen that there appear to be three 'spare' ports on the original board 1. one is digital and pre-labelled 'ScopePower' 2. a second is analogue and labelled 'Slider' 3. the third is digital and Channel #7 I am using Channel #7 for the 'flip flat' module and I am assuming that the 'Scope Power' port is identical in operation to Channel #7. I did consider using the ScopePower port to turn on the 12v PSU but that would not power up everything else in the observatory. Your method for turning everything on at once sounds good and for my system, would work well for the CCD Camera with its built in filter-wheel and the SharpSky focus unit as there are no 'ON/OFF' switches for either of these items anyway. However, I want to be sure I don't 'spike' any of the other gear with a start-up surge and in particular, I don't know how reactive the Maplins XM21X PSU is and I would hate to spike the SiTech mount controller which is why I have allowed for items1 and 3 in my list in the earlier post - item 1. turns on the PSU itself, then item 3. connects all the 12v devices to the (now) fully stabilised output of the PSU. I no longer own an oscilloscope (lapsed radio ham!) so can't check to see what appears on the PSU output immediately after switch-on - Perhaps I am worrying unnecessarily here? With regard to the de-humidifier, my plan was to power this with a N/C output from a beefy relay so that switching on item 7. would switch the N/C relay to 'open' thus turning off the de-humidifier. The thought behind item 6. (Observatory Illumination) is that I have a webcam trained on the mount so that I can see what it is up to but in the dark of the observatory, I'd need to illuminate it! Food for thought, thank you for the suggestion and I hope it works well for you.

Additional Note 16 - Extra hardware project Some time ago, before I started this project, I was experimenting with remote operation from my home and I bought a USB controlled power strip to allow me to turn ON/OFF up to four AC Mains powered components. The unit I bought was from a company called Energenie and on the face of it, their product was just what I wanted. However, the first unit that arrived 'rattled' as the insides had broken away in transit so although it worked, I was not confident that it would work for long! The replacement unit didn't rattle but it had an intermittent USB port connection so it too went back and I lost confidence in the product. At this point, I decided to call it quits and just go out there and turn everything on manually. When I started the current automation project, the need for accessory control raised its head again but I could only find IP addressed controllers and this did not really float my boat as I had already decided that a USB solution would make the most sense as, at the end of the day, a PC would always be in operation in the observatory anyway. The dome rotation/shutter opening system that I use is controlled by a Velleman K8055N USB control board and LesveDome ASCOM driver. A rather nice feature of the LesveDome software is that it comes with a GUI that includes the ability to control a second K8055N USB control board using the ASCOM Switch protocol. This gives the user access to an 8 port USB switch that can control up to 8 circuits using open collector circuitry. A little research found that Velleman also produce an 8 port relay switch unit that will connect directly to the 8 digital ports of the K8055N USB control board and protect it fully. The additional board is rather snappily called a 'VM129' and it can handle up to 5A at 230VAC on each of its 8 relays but as each port is isolated from its neighbours, a mix of connections can be made. This opens up the possibility of switching not only AC mains but, say, 12v or even signal level circuits and this piqued my interest. My requirements would be neatly served by the following switches:- 1. General Accessory 12v PSU (Mount, Focuser, Flat-Flap, AAG Cloudwatcher) 2. Dome Controller PSU 3. Accessory (12v) switch 4. Camera 1 PSU 5. Camera 2 PSU 6. Observatory Illumination 7. Dehumidifier 8. Intruder Tazer - only joking, (or am I?) So, with Wake Up On LAN using a 'magic packet' to fire up the PC from anywhere with an Internet connection and the ability of that PC to control all the equipment in the observatory, a new phase begins and the fact that it is pouring with rain again, couldn't matter less - I am having so much fun just fiddling!

Additional Note 15 - Success with restarting autoguiding after a meridian flip with POTH engaged. Following my success with re-acquiring a guide star and holding on to it automatically after a meridian flip, I realised that excluding POTH from the control equation made auto-connection of the mount and dome at start-up a little problematic. Tonight was the first opportunity I have had for some time to try the tests again with POTH in line and I am delighted to report that its re-introduction has been seamless. Not bad tracking either - the peak figures (pixel values) are the result of the dithering between each subframe:-

I believe that Olly meant 'less' depth of field here? However, I do agree with Olly completely that you have a well optimised system with regard to the sampling - you are comfortably in the right area in my opinion as well - hang it, I bought the same 'scope BECAUSE it was a good match to the 8300 chip! I am sorry to hear that the supplier has had a change of mind as I am not sure where that leaves you except perhaps checking out the tilt that I suggested earlier on in this thread but as for the pixel size being too small, although I was told something similar, I am far from convinced.

The TS 65 had a bad start in life (especially when cold) but in fairness, the one that I had for a magazine review was very good indeed. I have no direct experience of the WO 71 but will be watching with interest to see how well it is received over time. Imaging should not be this fraught!! [emoji16] Sent from my iPhone from somewhere dark .....

When I had the same issue with my Tak 85, it was suggested to me that I should try offset focusing. Now, I was prepared to consider this on a camera lens or cheaper telescope but not on an instrument at this price point - that was not what I bought in to! I expected a flat field on an 8300 sensor but that's not what I got so it went back. Perhaps my expectations were too high (?) but then, so too was the promise! Offset focusing might be worth a try for you and if you are happy with the results - and many owners must be - then you have the solution. At least you can now rule out focus slop leaving you with CAA adjustment, sensor tilt or the plain fact that the field is not perfectly flat for your sensor size. I hope this turns out to be an adjustment for you because the potential FOV of the Tak 85 makes it a very desirable instrument. Sent from my iPhone from somewhere dark .....

Now, I do know how you feel here!

I suspect that you are quite right about this being another challenge - I'm getting used to it now!!. Luckily, cloud is not as much of a problem as actual 'rain' and, thus far, the AAG seems to be acting correctly in this regard - wasted images (and lost guide stars) are one thing, wet gear is quite another! I recall in an earlier post you said that re-calibration through the seasons was a 'must' and I have no doubt that you are right - sadly, because it has taken me all summer to reach this stage, I have only calibrated the system once!

I was prepared to go to great lengths to resolve this issue by a process of careful experimentation and results collation as the following spreadsheet demonstrates - how ironic then that the first permutation was the right one! :grin:

Thankfully, it has! :grin: CCD Commander will do a close down and restart if conditions change although I have not put that fully to the test yet although the close-down works perfectly. I have just one more thing to test out now - cloud 'management' - and I guess that includes a restart.

Just getting the right set of control permutations and removing POTH from the equation so that MaxIm DL and CCD Commander were directly connected to the mount and dome ASCOM drivers. There doesn't seem to be anyone else using my exact system but in case there is in the future, these are the parameter settings that worked:- SiTech GEM Autoflip GoTo - enable GEM Auto Flip Track - disable Reverse Guide Mode when Looking East (Dec) - enable Reverse RA Guide Mode when Looking East (RA) - disable Meridian Overlap (Degrees) - 03:45:00 MaxIm DL Auto Pier Flip - disable Reverse X -enable Reverse Y - disable Use Scope Flip - disable Thanks to 'gnomus' (a fellow member, Steve, here on SGL) who let me know his basic settings for Sequence Generator Pro, PHD2 and SiTech - I used those as the basis for CCD Commander and MaxIm DL.

Additional Note 14 - NAILED IT - restarting autoguiding after a meridian flip! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Did I tell you that I had nailed it? Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Nailed it!! Happy? Oh yeah ....................

I use a 'momentum' check on mine. I manually rotate the axis in question (having locked the other axis with the 'hooks') fast enough for there to be sufficient momentum for it to continue moving a little - just a couple of centimetres is fine - then I reverse the rotation and gauge that too. I now have a 'feel' for when the dynamics are the same for both directions and thus the axis is balanced.

The image (Pelican Nebula) is pretty much square on the RA/DEC so RA is left-right DEC is up-down with the centre of the image showing a 49 degree slant?

It was a couple of years ago, Olly so it could well be that the tilt adjuster that I am referring to is only used with the reducer (that I also bought). I'd prefer that choice as the load will be spread over a wider contact area.

That word 'Ouch' and your subsequent paragraph has given me a terrible feeling that you may have thought I was in some way criticising you or your methods - please be absolutely assured that that was not my intent and please accept my apologies if that it how you read it! On the other hand, if the 'Ouch' was because you have spent more money but not found this to be a panacea then you have read me correctly! Nincompoop - no, you may recall that I have sought your advice on a Mesu related issue and I wrote the flippin' manual!! The tilt adjuster module. Your cable management looks pretty good to me but I would rather see the loom attached to the base of the clamshell as it could pull on the Sky-Watcher adjustable guide scope mounting. I have one of these mountings and found that it was very good but I also made the following comment when I reviewed it although it should be borne in mind that I was already suffering from differential flexure before I installed this adaptor:- You could try removing this to see if it makes any difference to your results - without doubt, the guiding system should be as rigid as possible - did you use this guide scope mounting with your ED 80 as well? Having both guide telescope and imaging telescope perfectly aligned is not a pre-requisite for accurate guiding.