Mesu 200 startup error

[Star101]

As Skipper Billy says...Make sure, when the message springs up saying...The scope thinks its pointing East ( or West ) Make sure you select the correct button at the bottom of that message.

From memory - I mostly image in the East. When ever I have this issue, the scope thinks its pointing West but when plate solved springs up saying the scope is pointing West but appears to be pointing East. I select the correct button below ( Pointing EAST ) then select Correct ( Accept it ) and Enter.  Works fine after that.

My point is, I would spend ages Plate Solving and saying Accept, yet the scope would still start slewing and crash.....Must select the bullet point dot East or West , at the bottom of the message to correct it.

 

Mesu 200 with Sitech II Controller

[Skipper Billy]

@dan_adi  Any good ???

[dan_adi]

1 hour ago, Skipper Billy said:

@dan_adi  Any good ???

Could not try, clouds all over the sky. As soon as I get a clear night I will let you know.

[dan_adi]

On 19/12/2019 at 11:14, steppenwolf said:

The only time that I have seen behaviour like this has been after an 'incident' (like me turning off power to the mount before parking it or something else stupid that I have done!). The system itself is quirky but reliable in my experience of several years.

To set things right, try this:-

1. with the mount turned off, set the mount pointing weights down telescope up and apply the disk locks to ensure that the correct start point is selected.

2. undo the locks and turn the mount on

3. click on 'unpark' and if you get one, accept the error message about not being parked!

4. slew manually using the hand control to an object in the east at least 30 degree away from the NCP, align with it accurately and carry out an 'Offset Init'

5. manually move back to the park position using the hand control and carefully align the disk lock slots with the 'hooks' but don't engage them

6. click on the 'Stop' button

7. click on the 'Set Park' button

8. click on the park button

This will give you the best chance of knowing that everything is correctly initialised and you can now unpark the mount and use it normally.

I hope that helps.

Hello, and a happy new year! 

I did follow the steps with the exception that I did a single photo init for the simple Offset Init (step 4).

Unfortunately I still have the problem. As soon as I unpark the mount and do a simple off set init the mount starts tracking. After 5 sec of tracking it starts to slew fast in dec, and if I dont turn off the mount, the scope and camera hits the pier. Even if I set a new park location, after I turn the mount on it says it was not parked. 

I will look through the sitech manual again. Overall I'm staring to be disappointed in this mount (more troubleshooting than enjoying the clear sky).

I will get back with any progress I make.

 

 

[Skipper Billy]

Thats a pain. Did you try my suggestion of reinstalling the 2 pieces of software that comes with the mount on a USB stick with the correct settings for the mount then following the setup guide ??  It worked for me 😉 

 

 

 

 

Hi - its not trying to do a Meridian flip is it ???

Its hard to diagnose with knowing what settings you have put into the two pieces of software.

Have you still got the USB stick with the base settings on it that comes with the mount??

It might be worth going back to basics and fresh settings. Then make sure you have the latest software/firmware. Then follow the attached guide to the letter!!!!  (You can tell if you have the latest software when you right click on the park button you will have three park positions to choose from).

The only part of setting it up that caused any issue was setting up the Meridian flip - it needed a bit of messing about between the Mesu settings and the SGP settings but apart from that it was very straightforward.

Now I go out - power up - slew to clear sky and plate solve or slew to known star - sync - up and away.......

Good luck!!!

mesuquickguide.2087302805.pdf2.46 MB · 8 downloads

[dan_adi]

3 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

Thats a pain. Did you try my suggestion of reinstalling the 2 pieces of software that comes with the mount on a USB stick with the correct settings for the mount then following the setup guide ??  It worked for me 😉 

 

 

 

 

Hi - its not trying to do a Meridian flip is it ???

Its hard to diagnose with knowing what settings you have put into the two pieces of software.

Have you still got the USB stick with the base settings on it that comes with the mount??

It might be worth going back to basics and fresh settings. Then make sure you have the latest software/firmware. Then follow the attached guide to the letter!!!!  (You can tell if you have the latest software when you right click on the park button you will have three park positions to choose from).

The only part of setting it up that caused any issue was setting up the Meridian flip - it needed a bit of messing about between the Mesu settings and the SGP settings but apart from that it was very straightforward.

Now I go out - power up - slew to clear sky and plate solve or slew to known star - sync - up and away.......

Good luck!!!

mesuquickguide.2087302805.pdf2.46 MB · 8 downloads

I have the latest software that is on the sitech site. If nothing else works I will reinstall sitech software. I know it' s a real pain wanting your mount to behave and track silently in the background, while you try to figure out what object to image, specially when you paid a considerable amount of cash :)) for the mount to do its job, like it wasn't even there.

[Davey-T]

Should've bought a 10Micron, plug and play, only joking hope you get sorted sooner rather than later.

Dave

[dan_adi]

I don't know exactly, but a 10 micron seems plug and play. Absolute encoders and mount modeling .... I think it is plug and play. But instead of a new mount I was saving up for a 185 mm CFF apo refractor ... The thing is when I can make the mesu work I was able to make a great mount model with my 140 mm refractor (RMS 13 arcseconds) with great pointing and great autoguiding (with an SCT trying to model the mount is an exercise in frustration, that's why I'm falling in love with refractors) .  When I got it I thought it was plug and play but apparently I was wrong.

Edited January 3, 2020 by dan_adi

[Skipper Billy]

1 hour ago, dan_adi said:

I have the latest software that is on the sitech site. If nothing else works I will reinstall sitech software.

Yes - BUT - the stuff on the USB stick contains a raft of settings particular to your mount and it may be that something has been accidentally changed. Lucas keeps copies in case you cannot locate the USB stick.  

[Skipper Billy]

On 18/12/2019 at 22:50, Skipper Billy said:

MESU-OPTICS
Lucas Mesu
Jasmijnstraat 14
5492 JT Sint-Oedenrode
Tel: +31 (0) 413-479981
E-mail: info@mesu-optics.nl

He will want to resolve this with you - people struggling with a Mesu is rare and he will want to keep it that way!

Have you tried the Mesu forum or emailed Lucas??

[dan_adi]

1 minute ago, Skipper Billy said:

Yes - BUT - the stuff on the USB stick contains a raft of settings particular to your mount and it may be that something has been accidentally changed. Lucas keeps copies in case you cannot locate the USB stick.  

I don't remember receiving a USB stick when I got the mount. In any case I have a .car file with the original settings saved. I know Mr. Lucas is always available for help.

[Skipper Billy]

1 hour ago, Skipper Billy said:

mesuquickguide.2087302805.pdf2.46 MB · 8 downloads

Well I would uninstall the software - then reinstall the original files then follow the above guide and see what happens - if its not successful then contact Lucas - he is very helpful and speaks good English.

[Jonk]

2 hours ago, dan_adi said:

I have the latest software that is on the sitech site.

The website does not have a link to the latest, you really would be better off signing up to the groups.io website (https://groups.io/g/Sitechservo) as the latest version will be posted there, in this case http://siderealtechnology.com/SiTechSetup095A.exe

[dan_adi]

6 minutes ago, Jonk said:

The website does not have a link to the latest, you really would be better off signing up to the groups.io website (https://groups.io/g/Sitechservo) as the latest version will be posted there, in this case http://siderealtechnology.com/SiTechSetup095A.exe

thanks for the reply. I am already a member of the sitech group. Yes there are newer versions of sitech, but they are "beta versions" posted by mr Dan Gray for testing. When a version is stable , it is published on the sitech website.

Edited January 3, 2020 by dan_adi

[Jonk]

Oh ok - I didn't know they were beta on the groups - live and learn!

[Davey-T]

2 hours ago, dan_adi said:

I don't know exactly, but a 10 micron seems plug and play. Absolute encoders and mount modeling .... I think it is plug and play. But instead of a new mount I was saving up for a 185 mm CFF apo refractor ... The thing is when I can make the mesu work I was able to make a great mount model with my 140 mm refractor (RMS 13 arcseconds) with great pointing and great autoguiding (with an SCT trying to model the mount is an exercise in frustration, that's why I'm falling in love with refractors) .  When I got it I thought it was plug and play but apparently I was wrong.

Modelling mounts don't like mirror scopes, the 10Micron has the "characteristics " saved in the mount controller so theoretically the can't get corrupted or lost, no USB stick needed.

Good luck

Dave

[dan_adi]

Good news! Mr. Mesu recommended checking the wire connections on the dec controller input. Some of them were loose!! Don't know why, the mount sits comfortably in the obsy, maybe thermal expansion/contraction? After I tightened the screws, I downloaded the latest sitech.exe (v95A) 

• reinstall the software
• reconfigure the sitech.exe (took 2 minutes, after a while one learns it by heart :)) )
• close sitech.exe
• position the mount with  scope looking east
• open sitech
• unpark (ignore error message)
• issue an offset init somewhere in the east sky (too cloudy to sync on the Sun :)) )
• the mount starts tracking 
• no error, no sudden movement in DEC, fingers crossed. After 5 minutes of tracking with no error, open a bottle of champagne
• stop tracking
• slew manually to a convenient park position
• park
• set park
• turn off everything
• Spare your credit card from a 10 Micron  2000 hps :)) for now, and dream of CFF 185 mm APO 😍

After 2 years with the mount I still have stuff to learn. Some times I wish the sitech software was a little bit more user friendly 

Next order of businesses: when the weather clears I have to check the spacing between the FF and camera

Thanks for the support! and specially mr. Mesu for his quick email response and troubleshooting!  

 

[Jonk]

Good news, let’s hope it stays reliable.

[steppenwolf]

I like a happy ending 😁. There is no reason to believe that the mount won't continue to be reliable in the future - it's the most reliable mount I've ever owned and I've had mine for nearly 6 years.

[ollypenrice]

5 minutes ago, steppenwolf said:

I like a happy ending 😁. There is no reason to believe that the mount won't continue to be reliable in the future - it's the most reliable mount I've ever owned and I've had mine for nearly 6 years.

Both of mine have been 100% reliable and so have the three I host. The SiTech does seem to be tricky to set up (mine are ArgoNavis) but in terms of reliability Mesu have the high ground here. No question whatever.

Olly

[dan_adi]

6 years is very good news! In today's consumer market, specially with electronics, there is low quality control for many devices (quantity over quality).