Sequence generator pro - 'mount is parked or not tracking' error

[sonnymoon]

I've been using SGP with my Avalon Uno, ED80 and MacBook running Win10. Recently an error is happening which is making life more difficult than it needs to be. Mid-sequence SGP will pause and say 'error - mount is parked or not tracking, do you wish to continue?'. In order to continue you have to say yes, otherwise SGP remains paused. Yesterday evening this happened after about 25 4 minute exposures, and then happened again 15 minutes later.

I have flagged this up on the SGP yahoo group and have been told that the mount driver is telling SGP that it is parked or not tracking, neither of which are true. Every time this happened, and it's been quite few, the mount has been happily tracking and guiding with PHD2.

The upshot of this of course is that I have to keep a constant eye on things otherwise there is the potential for things to grind to a halt.

This problem has been reported on the Yahoo group by skywatcher, Avalon and ioptron mount owners, so it doesn't sound like a mount specific problem.

A workaround is to disconnect the mount from SGP before sequence begins, but then my understanding is that I won't be able to dither.

I'm just wondering if anyone has come across this problem or has any ideas what to do about it? A solution would be for SGP to provide an auto-continue option, but they don't seem willing to do this.

Thanks

[fwm891]

Not the same message but I had a 'Beyond limits' message in the middle of a sequence last night with SG Pro. Not had that before - had to close the programme and restart left tracking going so just resumed sequence?

[sonnymoon]

Yeah, it’s possible to pick up where you left off, but once this particular error happens, it tends to re-occur.....

[kirkster501]

2 hours ago, sonnymoon said:

The upshot of this of course is that I have to keep a constant eye on things otherwise there is the potential for things to grind to a halt.

 

There are always things to go wrong at this mad game.  Literally hundreds of things so I always keep an eye on proceedings. 

[Skipper Billy]

Dodgy USB plug/socket or a fault in the FTDI lead between mount and PC ???

 

 

[sonnymoon]

2 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

Dodgy USB plug/socket or a fault in the FTDI lead between mount and PC ???

 

 

Maybe, I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll try swapping the leads around. Thanks. 

[sonnymoon]

23 minutes ago, kirkster501 said:

There are always things to go wrong at this mad game.  Literally hundreds of things so I always keep an eye on proceedings. 

Very wise, and not so bad when the nights are long and one can get to bed at a reasonable time. It’s going to drive me crazy when it’s doing it at 3.00am in the summer when I’m in France...?

[kirkster501]

Unless you get so many clear nights that you can literally just let it run because you have gathered so much confidence [i.e. never in the UK], you can never just leave the rig and forget IMO in the UK.  Clouds can come in, a rain shower out of the blue (happened to me several times, with clear sky all round and just one rogue cloud that wet the scope for one minute and would have damaged my gear had I not been around) the guiding can suddenly go off, meridian flip might not work for some bizarre reason, etc...  You always need to be about IMO.  On a couple of occasions I have let it run all night but I never slept easy and awoke at 3 to find it clouded over (despite it being "clear" according to the MEO) and PHD2 chirping....