Help with SGP Setup

[hughgilhespie]

Hi,

I am looking for some help in getting my obsy up and running and moving towards automated operation.

I am using the latest issue of SGPro with EQMod controlling my EQ8 mount and the Lesvedome ASCOM driver looking after the dome rotation and shutter opening / closing.

I have reached the stage where I am ready to setup and test various operations running under SGP. These are:

               1: Dome synchronisation with scope movements

               2: PHD2 Guiding

               3: Auto Meridian Flips

The problem I have is that to do Test 1, I would like to set up SGP so that it ignores everything except the EQMod telescope and the Lesvedome ASCOM drivers. So, no camera, filter wheel, focuser etc. and preferably no sequence as well. In other words, just to use SGP as a hub that will pass through the relevant ASCOM commands. It will also allow me to do this in the daytime without needing to wait for clear nights.

I am fairly confident that once I can get Test 1 done and everything working the other two tests/setups will be relatively straightforward.

 I have tried to do this setup a few times and each time it has failed due to a lack of something or other. Is it possible to do what I want and if so, how?

Thanks for reading.

Regards, Hugh

PS - I have also posted this on the SGP forum but as we ......may......have clear skies this evening I am being a bit rude in posting twice in the hope of a quick answer.

[PhotoGav]

Absolutely, you can get scope / dome coordination working with SGP during the day. You just need to:

Open SGP

Enter the correct values for dome slaving in SGP control panel

Connect to the dome and mount in SGP

Un Park the mount from within SGP

Slave the dome in SGP

Move the mount (easiest with the EQMod control panel)

Watch in amazement as the dome moves to keep the scope pointing through the middle of the aperture

If it isn’t in sync, just tweak the slave settings in SGP, which you setup before starting all of this.

Good luck!

[RayD]

You can set up a 'dome test' profile which only has your dome driver and mount as equipment.  This way it will not be looking to connect to other stuff such as camera and guider etc.

[hughgilhespie]

7 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Absolutely, you can get scope / dome coordination working with SGP during the day. You just need to:

Open SGP

Enter the correct values for dome slaving in SGP control panel

Connect to the dome and mount in SGP

Un Park the mount from within SGP

Slave the dome in SGP

Move the mount (easiest with the EQMod control panel)

Watch in amazement as the dome moves to keep the scope pointing through the middle of the aperture

If it isn’t in sync, just tweak the slave settings in SGP, which you setup before starting all of this.

Good luck!

Hi Gav,

Many thanks. Sorry to be a nuisance but can I ask for a bit more about these steps:

Un Park the mount from within SGP

Slave the dome in SGP

One or more of my failed attempts was because SGP reported that it couldn't move the mount because it was parked - but I couldn't see how to unpark it from within SGP.

Thanks, Hugh

[RayD]

2 hours ago, hughgilhespie said:

Hi Gav,

Many thanks. Sorry to be a nuisance but can I ask for a bit more about these steps:

Un Park the mount from within SGP

Slave the dome in SGP

One or more of my failed attempts was because SGP reported that it couldn't move the mount because it was parked - but I couldn't see how to unpark it from within SGP.

Thanks, Hugh

Sorry Gav, I know the question was aimed at you, but as I am in front of my PC with SGP open I thought it would be easy to respond with screen caps.

There are 2 ways to unpark the mount in SGP, Hugh.  Firstly from within the control panel, or alternatively via the telescope docking module.  You can of course always just unpark it using EQMOD assuming you are using this, and this should then tell SGP that it is unparked.

[PhotoGav]

As Ray says, though I would definitely Unpark from within SGP as it gets confused if it doesn’t do the unparking when you’ve done it already from EQMod. 

Re. Slave the Dome - you need to click ‘Slave to Dome’ from the ‘Others’ control panel, where you set up all the Dome related stuff.

Hope that helps and keep the questions coming. It shouldn’t be tooooo difficult to get you up and running. Dome automation is the absolute business and well worth the effort (and pain) to get working. 

Let us know how you are getting on.

One other thing - have you entered all the Dome measurements in SGP?