Syncing AZGTI wifi mount with stellarium

[festoon]

Hello,

I have a query about the CTRL 3 syncing for stellarium. I have a AZ GTI mount which is being controlled by Stellarium scope using the Ascom driver for synscan app using WIfi. When in Stellarium the mount happily slews to objects when I click CTRL+1. However sometimes if I need to manually adjust the position of the mount and sync the position to the object, when I click CTRL+3 the position of the cross hair does not change and does not re centre on the object. However sometimes it does update when I click CTRL+3

Any ideas how I can fix this problem? or determine what to do to work out what is happening?

Thanks!!!!

[happy-kat]

It may or may not be relevant but there have been updates for this mount, I know the software has been updated but I'm not sure if the mount driver firmware was too and whether the updates might be relevant to your experience.

[festoon]

Hi @happy-kat, thanks so much for the reply. Yes I have updated the firmware for the mount...which went well. But unfortunately this is not the cause.

Would be very happy to hear if there is a way to possibly determine what is going on when I press CTRL+3

[stash_old]

It wont cure the problem but you could load and run CDC against the same set up and see if "Sync" works from CDC.

If CDC works its Stellarium . If  not then Synscan App or Mount - at which point you could send a email to the Synscan App team they maybe able to help as that would appear to be a bug.

Not sure if its my memory playing tricks but I think I read somewhere that you have to do a 3 star align first for Synscan App/Mount to accept "Sync" - but cant remember where I read that.

[festoon]

Thanks @stash_old!! I tried with CDC last night and it had the same issue as Stellarium - sync does not work.

I am not doing a 3 star align...I am using platesolving to find objects then wanted to use the sync function to enable accurate goto.

If anyone else has any input if a 3 star align is required to use the sync function using the synscan app, that would be much appreciated

[stash_old]

2 hours ago, festoon said:

Thanks @stash_old!! I tried with CDC last night and it had the same issue as Stellarium - sync does not work.

I am not doing a 3 star align...I am using platesolving to find objects then wanted to use the sync function to enable accurate goto.

If anyone else has any input if a 3 star align is required to use the sync function using the synscan app, that would be much appreciated

IMO if no other solution comes forward get an email off to Synscan team else the mount is not fit for purpose.

Have you had the mount long can you contact your supplier?

 

[festoon]

Will do @stash_old....I'll email synscan app team. Hopefully will get a response

The mount is fantastic...so lightweight and easy to use, even on my eq5 tripod. Would never send it back, but this would be a great to have to make the mount even easier to use!

[festoon]

Got a very helpful response from the app team at skywatcher last night

But some planetarium applications( if not most) does apply a limitation on Sync operation: The object to be Synced should fall within a reasonable range near the current position reported by the telescope system.

 

"To verify, try the following:

1.       After connecting Stellarium with SynScan App, you should be able to see where the telescope is pointing.

2.       Choose a star near the telescope’s current pointing and Sync to it.

We would suggest to try the following in practice:

1.       Do a 2-Star alignment to obtain a fairy good alignment.

2.       Goto the object which you want to observe.

3.       Center a known star nearby.

4.       Sync on that star in planetarium.

The current SynScan Pro app does not support using Sync command for aligning the mount, but it is a feature underdevelopment. It will allow aligning the telescope outside of the SynScan Pro app with a third party application (e.g. an application that uses plate solve technology.)"

 

@stash_old you were right about needing a 2 star alignment process done first before using sync in stellarium (and it needs to be close by). I look forward to the development feature where we can use platesolving and sync for initial alignment.

Will have a play to confirm the suggested process works well the next time I get my equipment out

[stash_old]

Glad to hear you got a reply.

One thing that works for me on my mobile SWAZ GoTo grab and go is that I cheat :-

Originally I just

1. Start up with camera lens pointing North Horizon

2. Do a 2 point alignment 

3. Hibernate to Home position which is North Horizon - it will save settings then I switch off

From then on I just ( I don't even use the above again)

a. Start up as (1) above - this should be my hibernated position. It will ask you to restore stored settings - say Yes

b. Slew to a star/object

c. Platesolve o centre image

d. repeat (b) and (c) all night long

This works for me but as I say thats on my old SWAZ GoTo which the App thinks its a 114GT mount but I was told by SW that is just a description !

Might be worth a try ?

[festoon]

thank you @stash_old. So basically you make the mount think its been through an alignment process allowing you to sync from the ascom driver.

I'll give that a go tonight

 

[stash_old]

5 hours ago, festoon said:

thank you @stash_old. So basically you make the mount think its been through an alignment process allowing you to sync from the ascom driver.

I'll give that a go tonight

 

Yep and good luck hope it works/help.