Mesu / NINA Meridian flip help please.

[Skipper Billy]

I thought I had this sussed but last night as the target approached the Meridian the mount just stopped tracking. No flip - no nothing. PHD2 went wild as it couldn't issue commands.

These are my settings in NINA and SiTech.

Any thoughts ????

 

[Skipper Billy]

PS - I should add that I don't really understand which piece of software is doing what nor do I understand about over pole and under pole.

I am fairly sure the above has worked well in the past - the only thing that has changed is that the PC has been replaced and the disc image transferred from one machine to the other.

IE - please treat me like an idiot and keep it simple !! 😉 

[Fellside]

Hi

I almost sure you need the "GEM auto Flip Go To" ticked in Sitech. The mount should track passed the meridian up to your 2 degree limit. Or it will be flipped by NINA within that time.

I may be wrong, give it a try.

Graham

[Laurin Dave]

16 minutes ago, Fellside said:

Hi

I almost sure you need the "GEM auto Flip Go To" ticked in Sitech. The mount should track passed the meridian up to your 2 degree limit. Or it will be flipped by NINA within that time.

I may be wrong, give it a try.

Graham

I have that ticked ... (used with SGPro)..  so it may be that

[Skipper Billy]

Cheers. Will try that tonight. All the best. David 

 

[old_eyes]

OK. I had the same problem. Not at my imaging computer at the moment, so relying on memory at bit, but I think it goes like this.

When using NINA I have it control the whole process so that I can make sure the flip happens after a sub is finished and re-center, re-focus etc can be programmed in.

So my setup is as you have it -  neither GEM auto flip GoTo or GEM auto flip track checked in SiTech.exe.

The big problem I had was understanding the Meridian Limit West and Track Past Meridian Overlap settings. At the moment you have NINA issuing a GoTo slew to flip the mount as soon as the mount crosses the meridian. But at that time SiTech sees that it is within the Meridian Limit West, so the GoTo executes to the same side of the mount. No flip.

NINA must issue the GoTo after Meridian Limit West and before Meridian Limit West + Track Past Meridian Overlap. You have to hit the gap between the two limits.

Allowing for my routine maximum sub-length, I set Overpole Meridian Limit West to 1 degree, Track Past Meridian to 5 degrees (I had space to do that without a pier clash), and NINA flip 9 minutes after meridian. The big healthy space between Limit West and Limit West + Overlap gave me a safe landing ground with a maximum 300 sec sub that starts just as the meridian is crossed.

I found that watching what was going on with SkyView helped enormously. It helpfully puts the limits on the sky map. 

This has been tested repeatedly dry (i.e. obsy roof closed and without guiding) and also twice under fully live conditions. So far it works, but I cannot guarantee there are no more gremlins.

Hope that makes sense.

old_eyes

P.S. works the same with Voyager.

[Skipper Billy]

Thanks old-eyes - will try that if the first suggestions doesn't work. I am easily confused !!

[Skipper Billy]

Just a quick update in case anyone else has the same issues - these settings work for me....

Many thanks to everyone who assisted. I was pulling out what little hair I have left!!!!!

 

 

[newbie alert]

PS - I should add that I don't really understand which piece of software is doing what nor do I understand about over pole and under pole.

sorry I can't help myself

over pole.. high jump or pole vault

under pole... limbo...

apologies 🤩😜