Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Scope tracking just drops out randomly - Sitech/Mesu/SGP


kirkster501

Recommended Posts

Because you need to tell it to apply the profile to the sequence.  There are a number of reasons why, for a particular image, you might want to have things set slightly differently in a sequence.

I wonder if a house call might be necessary?   :happy11:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 94
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I am still convinced that this is a meridian setting Steve.  It always happens there or therabouts.  You can set your Equipment profile to be the default one used at startup, so that NEW sequences will use that profile.  Or you can apply it to old sequences.  Or you can make a sequence and then apply the equipment profile.  Since you have three profiles you probabaly don't want to use a default setting since applying teh TEC profile to your FSQ will likely result in issues.  

Are you imaging M13 now Steve.  If so the scope presumably has flipped?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even now the scope is on the west and I can't get it to plate solve even though bling solve worked fine and said it was pointing West.  it should have flipped now.

i think I need to call time tonight I need to be up at 6.

Thanks Anyway Steve - you are a star.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something definitely amiss.  I just told scope  to slew to Deneb from CdC and it crashed into the pier......  It is mixed up and does not know what side of thew pier it is on... But the blind solve worked fine...

You are right  Steve, the Meridian flip is something to do with this.

I need to read up on the Control panel equipment profile and the Equipment profile on my gear and see why they were/are different.

Thanks again Steve, that bottle of Gin is with me! :)

Maybe I have never been imaging a transiting object before with the MESU and hence this is what would have always happened.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the scope is crashing into the pier something must be set incorrectly.  Maybe if someone took a look via TeamViewer.  More than happy to take a gander.  Sorry we couldn't get it running for you tonight.  

You can test out meridian flips and so forth during the day, of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How can you test Merdiean Flips during the day Steve because you can't plate solve...... ????

Thanks for going to such lengths to help last night, I do so appreciate it.

I think we are on the right path though.  Everything was fine until we approached the meridian and all guiding was spot on.  The hypothesis of the approaching meridian seems to fit all observed problems.  I definitely had meridian Flip set against the equipment profile.  I then imaged with that profile thinking it woudl be set in the control panel.  However, upon looking at control panel Meridian flip was not set...   I thought Control panel always reflected the equipment profile unless you told it otherwise.  I can play around with this during the day.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I turned off Plate Solve after flip.  Then I would slew just to one side of the meridian using SiTech's built-in SkyView program.  Of course you won't be accurately aligned, but for the purpose of testing that doesn't matter.  I would fire off frames in SGP (it doent matter what they look like - keep the scope lid on).  As the meridian approaches it should flip, as per your settings.  If it doesn't, try different settings then slew to a different star just to one side of the meridian, then start all over.  Incidentally, my SkyView screen looks like this - what does yours look like?  (Note the Green and Blue dotted lines.)

skyview.thumb.jpg.5f8fff6a69bf8cce14080b1804ef5de3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just an update on this.  I've acquired a new imaging capture PC to go onto my pier with 10 x USB2 ports so I can eliminate USB hubs completely.  I am going to rebuild and re-cable my rig and reinstall all astro SW onto that new PC.  Will then revisit this tracking dropping problem and test the pier flip during the day.

Notice you are on 9.5 FW Steve - did yo upgrade that yourself or did it come with that from MESU?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a new Win 10 netbook to run my new imaging setup with just astro software installed and once it was all running nicely I switched off the WiFi connection to stop MS trashing it.

I think this is a good idea unless you need to use the internet for plate solving or time synchronisation.

Dave

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got new imaging PC in place and one by one reconnected all the gear cables to it.  All good.

In daytime dummy run, ignoring SGP and just using CdC and syncing the scope to a dummy "guesstimate where Rigel is" position,  if I align the scope to just east of the meridian then the peer is on the West side of the peer correctly.  If then slew to *just* west of the meridian (i.e a few minutes of arc) scope stays on the West (presumably because of the Sitech settings I have in the "Overpole" and "Underpole").  Stray much beyond that though and try to sync on an object West of the meridian and the scope peer flips. So that means that from at least a CdC and Sitech -  and more importantly from a MESU mechanical perspective - the scope/mount is peer flipping properly.

Steve (Gnomus) why are your over pole settings at 7:00:00?  7 hours is that past the meridian or 7 degrees?

So, next need to try doing the dummy imaging to see if it flips as per your suggestion Steve.

Looks good tonight but got Nottingham Cycle Live 125 mile bike ride tomorrow so won't be out of bed much past 10:30 and won't be dark by then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great stuff, thanks Steve, I thought as much but thought wise to check and that makes perfect sense.  Going to play around with this a bit more.  Mine is set to 1 degree, and the scope peer flips if I stray more than that past the meridian.  So it all adds up.  You've been correct all the time on this so far and the Gin is in the drinks cabinet (looking very tempting I must say.... ;)  )

Where I struggle a bit is the interaction of SGP with the Sitech drivers and the Underpole/overpole settings. Which one is the master?  So, if I have peer flip 1 minute past the meridian set in SGP and I am say 8 minutes into a 15 minute sub, what takes precedence? The Sitech driver which may say "I need to flip to prevent a crash"?  Or SGP which says, "I'm 8 minutes into a 15 min sub so leave me alone"???????  Something must take precedence or else there is a race condition...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Think of it this way.  Your SGP setting says 'Don't even try to flip, until one minute past the meridian.  If SGP is part way into an exposure (even if It has just started one) - hey no worries.  SGP will wait until the end of its exposure before flipping'.  Now you need to make sure that Sitech can track for 1 minute plus your longest anticipated exposure (let us say 20 minutes).  So set up Sitech so that it can track at least 21 minutes past the meridian.  Throw in a minute or two for good luck.  Sidereal rate is ~1 degree every 4 minutes.  So to be able to go 21 minutes past, you need to set Sitech to +/- 6 degrees (24 mins). I wanted to try 30 minute subs - hence my 7 degree numbers.

Do make sure your rig can go the number of degrees past that you set in Sitech without it hitting the pier.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And to look at it another way, there is no Master.  Once SiTech gets to its over/under setting, it will just stop UNLESS some clever program (like SGP) has told it to flip before it gets there.  You were stopping because Sitech was getting to its limits before it had been told to flip.  That is why your mount wouldn't track and you got trails.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.