Wierd park issue with my Sitech/MESU

[kirkster501]

Hi all,

Recently moved to another capture PC in the obs.  It is all set up and everything a.ok other than one weird issue that I cannot fathom out..

I set the mount park position in Sitech.  Cool.  Start an imaging session and all tracking and plate-solve works brilliantly. Guiding with my TEC140 was sub 0.2pixels the other night.  Extremely good.

But when I park the scope either manually or automated or to  to the "set park" position, it ignores it, tracks past it and collides into my peer.  All settings are correct as per @steppenwolfguide.  Latitude/longitude and GEM settings etc.  I have deleted the sky horizon files (never used them anyway) but it still collides.  Set and reset the park position multiple times.  MESU motors have torque sensors that stops them if it senses resistance, fortunately.  However, I am now at the stage that  I can't trust it to auto park when sequence ends, which means no more imaging through the night - whenever we get a clear night that is!

Any thoughts please folks?  Must be a setup issue but I can't think what...

Thanks, Steve

[tomato]

Hi Steve,

So the only thing that has changed is using a new laptop to control your system, or does this only control your cameras?
 

The hardware must all be Ok if you can platesolve, sync and goto an object. If the mount carries on slewing and hits the pier when parking then the park position is either being ignored or is set at some extreme location. There are multiple park positions that can be set in  newer versions of Sitech.
 

I have yet to image all night unattended so I always park via Sitech rather than a third party control software. Is there maybe some conflict between SGP telescope settings (if that’s what you use) or your planetarium software?
 

Sorry I can’t be of more help, hope you can get it sorted.

[kirkster501]

The one thing I have not tried is to slew and plate solve as per normal BUT then, when scope is synced and knows where it is pointed, I *then* manually move to the position I want to be the park position and then set the park position in the hope that the scope then knows where it is pointed.

[tomato]

That’s the procedure I follow if I lose the desired park position, and it works. Do you do this via the Sitech dialogue window, or in some other software?

[kirkster501]

1 hour ago, tomato said:

That’s the procedure I follow if I lose the desired park position, and it works. Do you do this via the Sitech dialogue window, or in some other software?

Yes with Sitech.   Sitech "remembers" where the park position is with respect to the sky so this must be what I need to do.   If it stays clear so I can sync the mount I can try it.

Edited September 20, 2020 by kirkster501

[kirkster501]

My mount is still going bonkers with its park position .  I thought I fixed it yesterday.  I did a dummy slew to the East, synced, and then parked and set the park position.  So then I did lots of dummy slews around the sky, synced and parked and it parked properly every time.  I do notice though it says all the time when parked "below horizon limits".  Why????  I deleted all horizon PXP files etc resync the mount but same.

Last time did some imaging with the smug feeling it was all fine.  Did a plate solve, it synced fine and great subs all night.  Until that plate solve it still shows "below horizon limits" and ignores my pressing "start" on the sitech window.  Anyway, I got it going, and at 2AM went out and manually parked it and it went bonkers pointing down to the Southern hemisphere.

At my wits end with it.  I am going to reinstall it all.  I am on Sitech 95H version.  I was on 95G and upgraded to H in hope of fixing this.

Maybe my workflow is not right?

[Laurin Dave]

42 minutes ago, kirkster501 said:

My mount is still going bonkers with its park position .  I thought I fixed it yesterday.  I did a dummy slew to the East, synced, and then parked and set the park position.  So then I did lots of dummy slews around the sky, synced and parked and it parked properly every time.  I do notice though it says all the time when parked "below horizon limits".  Why????  I deleted all horizon PXP files etc resync the mount but same.

Last time did some imaging with the smug feeling it was all fine.  Did a plate solve, it synced fine and great subs all night.  Until that plate solve it still shows "below horizon limits" and ignores my pressing "start" on the sitech window.  Anyway, I got it going, and at 2AM went out and manually parked it and it went bonkers pointing down to the Southern hemisphere.

At my wits end with it.  I am going to reinstall it all.  I am on Sitech 95H version.  I was on 95G and upgraded to H in hope of fixing this.

Maybe my workflow is not right?

Hi Steve.. if it says below horizon limit then I'd suggest that you check that the mount is pointing the right way ie when you do a plate solve is it facing east or west... 

Dave

[kirkster501]

27 minutes ago, Laurin Dave said:

Hi Steve.. if it says below horizon limit then I'd suggest that you check that the mount is pointing the right way ie when you do a plate solve is it facing east or west... 

Dave

Thanks Dave. Yep when it plate solves it correctly says East/West.  So when I then manually move the mount to the park position, why doesn't it then "remember" that it is was pointing East say and then when parked knows its absolute  position with respect to the sky?

Maybe it might help to describe my workflow.

Power all the gear up.

1. I manually, with the arrows on the Sitech window, move the scope somewhere to the south.  Anywhere, it does not matter. 

2. I blind solve.  It finds where it is and syncs correctly (the Sitech countdown window pops up).  It says EAST/WEST etc. Cool.  It knows this itself.

3.  I then say centre on my required object, cool, bang in the middle of the FoV.  All meridian flips work perfectly.

4.  After the imaging run is finished *it used to park properly* on my old PC.  The procedure above I did for three years and never any issue.

5.  Since moving to my new PC when it parks it parks incorrectly and often pier strikes.

 

^^^^^Is this the correct way to be doing it?   I have no idea, it is workflow I have drifted into and has worked for me.

All latitude/longitude and clocks are set correctly.  I agree, it must think it is wrong side of meridian but I just cannot see why - all the settings seem correct and my dummy day time session worked fine yesterday.  But why then does it always show "below horizon limit" when starting out?  That is clearly wrong.

>>>>>>Can the Sitech remember where it is through a power cycle of the mount and switching off of the PC??? <<<<<. Maybe that it what is wrong, so when it is all switched back on again it does not know where it is and the first sync needed to reestablish its absolute position.  If so how can I ever remove that "below horizon limit"

This is no fault of the mount and is something I have set up wrong but I am struggling to see what.

After a power on, can you ever just slew immediately to target from the park position?  I have always done steps 1 and 2 first.

Sorry for the War and Peace post guys and thank you for your thoughts.

Steve

[Skipper Billy]

Have you tried right clicking on the set park button? It gives you various options for park positions.

My procedure is this. I have a custom park position set which is mount horizontal and scope pointing slightly downwards at a flat panel.

Power up

Click park - it slews to the standard park position

Select an object - slew to it and plate solve

Run imaging session.

At end of session click park - slews to standard park position

Right click on park and choose custom park - mount slews to my custom park position ie pointing at flat panel

Power off.

Works every time.

Happy to send you my config file for you to try if you wish??

 

 

[Laurin Dave]

Steve...  mine is in a dome and parks facing Polaris..  When you turn it on it thinks its at the Park position regardless of where it really is.    I just turn my system on, press Unpark then run the SGPro sequence....  it slews... platesolves centres etc..  completes the sequence then parks... So yes no need for a slew and blind solve at the start unless its been moved from Park (which I do to take flats) .. cant see why that would be your issue though..  and out of ideas I'm afraid 

Maybe post some screens shots of your Sitech/SGPro settings and the Plate solve screen next time you run it.

ATB

Dave

 

[kirkster501]

Thanks Dave/Billy,  I will look at it further and delete and reinstall.

So you guys rarely do this step of initial manual slew and a blindsolve? A power down of mount/PC and Sitech should "remember" where the park position is wrt the sky?  I have never done that if so.....

Thanks, Steve

Edited September 22, 2020 by kirkster501

[kirkster501]

Hi guys. right, I have set it to the park position again.  I read from the Sitech google group that an update from Sitech 95G to 95H wipes out the previous park positions.

My scope park position with CdC connected is to the North East Horizon, pointed at my flat panel.  It is no longer saying below horizon now that I have reconfigured it.  I have been moving around the sky left, right and center meridian flipping and it all works.  Press park and it parks to the exact position.

Will see on the next clear night when i do a Sync from SGP if it messes it up.

EDIT:  I confirm that it does keep awareness of its absolute position following a power cycle of mount and computer.  Just have to unpark and then slew to position in either CdC or SGP. No need for a blind solve once it has initially got its whereabouts sorted.

Thanks for helping me with this guys and lending me your thoughts.

Steve

Edited September 22, 2020 by kirkster501

[tomato]

Great, sounds like you have it sorted, just as the clouds roll over Nottinghamshire.

[kirkster501]

10 hours ago, tomato said:

Great, sounds like you have it sorted, just as the clouds roll over Nottinghamshire.

Tell me about it mate....🙄. Looks like they are here to stay as well 🤬. I am missing blue from the fireworks galaxy.  Got 12 hours or so on it so far and blue would complete it. 

On topic - looks like one must not disturb the parked mount - which is sometimes hard when changing cameras etc and upsetting the balance.  So I just roughly push it back to what I think the parked position should be.  So then it will be further out on the initial slew right next time under the stars?  And when scope knows where it is upon a successful sync and it then next parks, the park will be accurate again because the scope knows where it is  again in absolute terms?

^^does that make sense?

Edited September 23, 2020 by kirkster501

[Laurin Dave]

1 hour ago, kirkster501 said:

On topic - looks like one must not disturb the parked mount - which is sometimes hard when changing cameras etc and upsetting the balance.  So I just roughly push it back to what I think the parked position should be.  So then it will be further out on the initial slew right next time under the stars?  And when scope knows where it is upon a successful sync and it then next parks, the park will be accurate again because the scope knows where it is  again in absolute terms?

^^does that make sense?

That's what I do Steve when I fiddle with the system..  I have bits of masking tape on the static and moving bits of the mount  marked at the Park position so that after moving it I can position it correctly and avoid a blind solve

Dave

[kirkster501]

26 minutes ago, Laurin Dave said:

That's what I do Steve when I fiddle with the system..  I have bits of masking tape on the static and moving bits of the mount  marked at the Park position so that after moving it I can position it correctly and avoid a blind solve

Dave

Great idea.  Thanks Dave!

[tomato]

That makes sense to me. I always put the mount locks on when I'm finished so I don't move the mount when messing around with the payload (which has been a lot just lately). Just remember to take them off before powering up at the next session!

[kirkster501]

Just to close this thread off.  I have sorted it out guys now and thanks for the help.  The issue was down to bad habits of mine in not unparking/parking the mount properly and incorrect set up.  I have now sorted it all out thanks to you folks