martin_h

I get the same effect...... and no I don't know why either.

Counter intuitive I know, but I painted mine white, the idea being it would reflect the red light better, so as not to need such a bright light. I have no stray light entering from outside so not a problem there.

Looks just like mine!!

As you can see I use a lot of brash chippings

We use chippings on our allotment paths and we get it for free, now its not pure bark but bark/wood/brash from a tree surgeon, he has to pay to dump it...so we get it for free-ish ( 4 cans of cider per load) and as its free and we get a tipper truck load at a time we can afford to pile it on thick as it being brash soon treads down, but being free who cares? Our last load was eucalyptus and laylandii, so the allotment smelled rely nice for a while!

Sorted then!

Well done!! its great when it all comes together.

It actually uses 2 ports to latch, one to turn on and one to turn off, with a manual over ride, I think the 2 ports and 2 relays may be there to as a failsafe............. It stays latched until it recieves an OFF command ...the power stays on if the computer fails, perhaps. (as yet untested), I may fire it up tomorrow and pull the USB lead and see what happens! http://www.dppobservatory.net/ROR/ED-ROR-V04.pdf Relays K1, K2 leading on to K3....this is the circuit I use........ 2 x 12V relays operating a 230V relay for power switching

All my obs gear runs off individual 12V supplies so there is no problem for me to just shut off the mains power. The "Scope Power" port on the main board needs 2 relays to operate as a latch.....as per the wiring diagram on the web site...it uses a feedback to a digital input port to work correctly.....as I found out!

There is a "spare" switch on the original control board, I know you are using one for your "flip flat" unit, I too am using the same port for my flat screen. I have just added a relay to turn on/off the mains power to the scope room - I had the warm room and scope room on separate circuits so it was easy enough to break in to the wiring and add a 2 pole relay, this way I can turn on/off the mount, ccd, and focuser - my filter wheel is USB powerd so stays on with the obs computer.

I'm sure there is a solution, and I'm sure you will find it to be something simple(it usually is). I have now added observatory power to my automated system, I have yet to test this in a full run, but after some trial and error - mainly error, everything up to the full shut down works ok - including the flip and restart.

I'm not 100% in the SGP camp yet, Maxim/CCD commander still have the edge I think. CCD/Maxim weather reporting is much more flexible at the moment. And the other night SGP shut down my sequence, parked the scope and shut the roof because a cloud passed over just as the guider was dithering so it couldn't reacquire the star and settle, took me a while to sort out what had gone wrong there!

Certainly in SGP this is the case...from the help file....... Blind Failover: This option will allow the Astrometry.NET blind solver to function as a backup plate solver to the primary solver (Pinpoint or Elbrus). Since the local (primary) solvers can fail under a variety of circumstances, it is ideal to have this option checked so you can keep a sequence on tack (especially if you rely on unattended meridian flips or auto centering routines). You must have an Internet connection to use this feature!

I also purchased the full version PinPoint 6 because I was hedging my bets between Maxim/CCD Commander and Sequence Generator Pro (PP 6 will work with both programs)I use both functions ie an accurate solve with coordinates, but if it fails to solve it will attempt to blind solve as a fall back.

http://www.orrerymaker.com/meccano/meccano.htm

Like you, my first run was a mixed bag of results and ended up abandoning the auto and taking control manually....didn't want to waste a clear night! But after some tinkering managed a fully automated - find target, 4 filter, meridian flip run lasting some 5 hours. I have yet to integrate weather reporting but that can wait a white.

I use a couple of hard wired lever microswitches for the power circuit and the inbuilt magnetic/reed switches that came with the garage door opener. Dont forget that mine is a ROR roof, using this circuit for open/close http://www.dppobservatory.net/ROR/ED-ROR-basic-V01.pdf Limit switch operation is documented in the help files......Paragraph B of the Hardware - Shutter Control section.

I use the LesveDome unit to open/close my obs roof, because of the weight there is some coast at the end of the travel, I use limit switches to cut the power to the motor and another set of switches about 5mm further in to report to LesveDome analogue input that the roof is actually open/closed instated of waiting for the time out.

I had assumed there was a winter/summer set of calibrations, must remember to take a screen shot of this summers settings.

I am just "training" my AAG cloudwatcher and my light/dark settings seem to be hugely different to others..... it is 10.30pm, semi dark, so in astro terms still light

That works a treat.