PhotoGav

Very moody rendition Barry, lovely job. That's certainly some marathon, both of data collection and processing! Interesting to see that you have both Ha and Lum data - do you mix them for the final Lum? For recent projects I have been creating a SuperLum in APP using all subs - it seems to be working quite well. Interested to know what your approach is.

Tom, have you tried using a different USB cable yet?

Interesting Olly, they seem such a neat solution, but by the sounds of it are best avoided for now. I use a cheapish Windows laptop protected from the night in a cardboard box with a decent USB hub. I do always have my fingers crossed whenever it is in use though! Thankfully 2019 is starting well and I have my fingers crossed right now!!

I would say the first thing to try is a different USB cable. Then a different USB port. Then cry helplessly into your hands and send the Eagle back... I hope an alternative USB something cures the problem.

Mmm, good and bad... it sounds as though good progress is being made. I hope the Eagle issue is sorted swiftly. Once the comms are reliable it will be much easier to get the Mesu up and running properly. Good work Scope Doctor!

I agree, the mount is not working at all as it should yet, stars or no stars! Between us all we will get this thing up and running properly.

It is indeed the same init screen. I suppose the difference is that SGP will solve the image and report the exact coordinates to the Init screen, whereas from CDC it is a manual action where you choose an object in CDC and sync the system to that, rather than precise coordinates of where the mount is specifically pointing. I look forward to hearing that Steve finds a simple solution to all your woes very soon!

I'm off to do my homework on that now!

Which Eagle unit do you have?

I will defer to the Scope Doctor, but if he is too hungover from mad celebrations last night or is busy watching the next in his seasonal Bond film marathon, then I can try and suss things out. I am not fully up to speed with the Eagle box, so will do a bit of research on that first as it does seem that it is partly responsible for your angst. I await updates.

Happy New Year everyone! The video is very interesting and suffice to say, Tom, that things are not as they should be, yet... I’m sure Steve will establish a lot more with a TeamViewer session. I would be happy to TV in too and have a look if no response from him.

I wonder whether the CalStar Inits done when things weren’t quite right and saved in the system are messing things up? What does SiTech exe report in the main Scope tab in the Cal Points section? I suggest clearing out any saved points and see if that stops the weird slews.

Yes, sense made, and it is good to understand what the mount / SiTech software is up to, thank you. The important thing is that the system is working... if only sky conditions would allow it to be used! Any progress with Tom’s distant Mesu?!

Fantastic! I’m delighted to see that evidently you aren’t too stressed by all of this!!

Steve, I am not convinced by your statement that the first Init needs to be a CalStar. I am (and many others are) successfully running the Mesu with SGP with no CalStars at all. Now I have turned off Auto Tracking, my Offset Init is persisting between sessions and getting me very close to my target on the first slew. I’m interested to hear your opinion...

I should have added at the beginning to check to see if it is using CalStars in SiTech exe. If it is, delete out that model. All of that is accessed through the big button on the main screen of SiTech exe.

Excellent. Good to hear that some progress is being made. It will all come good very soon. It all certainly sounds like there is some inconsistency with the Mesu com port assignment. That needs to be stabilised first. When the com port is right it sounds as though things are starting to work properly. When I was setting up my Mesu I had very similar issues, but there is a way through it all. When you next have a go, try going through these steps: Connect SiTech exe and check that it does not stay on Reading Servo Parms, if it does, sort out com port. Open SGP and connect to camera and Mesu Open up CDC and connect to Mesu Click ‘Start’ in SiTech exe (rather than Unpark), that sets it into Blind Tracking mode Move the Mesu using the buttons in SiTech exe to a convenient part of the sky, not too near the NCP Do a Blind Solve from within SGP When it solves the image, SiTech will bring up its Init dialog box, Click on Offset Init The mount should now be initialised and tracking properly Slew the Mesu to your chosen park position using the buttons in SiTech exe Click Stop in SiTech exe Click Set Park Position Click Park Phew, all good and working perfectly... Now click UnPark, either from within SGP or in SiTech exe Choose a place in CDC to slew to and click Slew in CDC Hopefully the mount will move to roughly the right place Do a Solve & Sync from within SGP When the Init Dialog comes up it should default to an Offset Init, if it doesn’t, click Offset Init, otherwise let the countdown run out and it will do an auto Offset Init. You now have a perfectly functioning system... slew to your target and get on with everything!

Mmm. Does it still say Reading Servo Parms?

What does the info window in SiTech say when you first open it up and what steps are you taking after opening it up?

Always a good plan. Can you power cycle the mount Tom?

OK. Tom, SiTech exe is not properly connected to the mount. The Reading Servo Parms is key here. When SiTech exe starts up it communicates with the mount and reads in various settings from the mount. The fact that that message is still showing in SiTech exe suggests that it hasn’t connected properly. Check the Com port in SiTech Config (with SiTech exe closed).

Ah... yes, definitely make sure that the mount com port is set correctly. If you disconnect everything and then open up SiTech exe, what does it look like? Do you have the SiTech ASCOM driver installed to connect with that?

I think the best way to sync the mount is with it connected to SGP, then do a Solve & Sync. When the dialog comes up make sure you click Offset Init.

I’m confused as to why SiTech exe says ‘Reading Servo Parms’...?

I don’t think that is true... I have a Mesu and use the SiTech ASCOM driver and connect simultaneously with CDC and SGP with no problem.