Sky Watcher AZ GTi - New Firmware Available V3.31 is out

[Gabriel Paunescu]

New version is out; claim to fix declination run-away issue.

Version 3.31
    1. Improve Freedom Find accuracy.
    2. Smoothier slewing for tracking satellites with Luminos app on iOS device.
    3. Solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3-party applications for autoguiding.

I did install 3.31, right arm.
I did a test last night and seems to be fine. I don't have declination run-away.
Everything went smooth, like in 3.20.
I used in EQ mode.
I will use in the next nights to see how will behave.

 

[JimothyC]

Ah so that would explain the issues I was having with PHD a few weeks ago that prompted me to take the whole mount apart and rebuild it.  Let's hope this solves these issues and doesn't create any new ones.

[AstroNebulee]

Another firmware version to update to now  @powerlord, 3.30 was only released a few weeks ago, now there's 3.31 so hopefully I'll update this firmware after I get home from work 

Here's the link to the firmware 

http://skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/

Edited August 11, 2021 by AstroNebulee

[powerlord]

ah. clearly 3.3 was majorly borked then. thanks for heads up

[powerlord]

"

    3. Solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3rd party applications for autoguiding.

"

aha! exactly the issue I have !!!

[Gabriel Paunescu]

5 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Another firmware version to update to now  @powerlord, 3.30 was only released a few weeks ago, now there's 3.31 so hopefully I'll update this firmware after I get home from work 

 

Correct ! 3.32 is out 😀

Version 3.32:
    1. Adjust maximum slewing speed automatically.
    2. Try to solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3rd party application for autoguiding.

[JimothyC]

Blimey, think I might leave it a week and install 3.4

[AstroNebulee]

12 minutes ago, JimothyC said:

Blimey, think I might leave it a week and install 3.4

 

1 hour ago, Gabriel Paunescu said:

Correct ! 3.32 is out 😀

Version 3.32:
    1. Adjust maximum slewing speed automatically.
    2. Try to solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3rd party application for autoguiding

Christ that escalated quickly. I'll have been through 3 firmware updates now and still not got the scope out to try any of them 😔

[GoldTop57]

Tried 3.31 last night - run away on both axes now! I've nothing to lose going to 3.32.

[AstroNebulee]

3 hours ago, GoldTop57 said:

Tried 3.31 last night - run away on both axes now! I've nothing to lose going to 3.32.

That's awful, maybe why 3.31 was only iip very briefly, let me know how you get on with 3.32,I'm glad I didn't get the chance to upgrade to 3.31. So will upgrade to 3.32 later, I'm glad I've kept all the previous firmware just incase. 

[powerlord]

hmm. yes.. think I'll leave uprgading for a bit then until it settles down. I mean, top marks for SW still updating it - considering they could as easily just not bother, especially as EQ mode is a free bonus. Just seems like perhaps a bit of testing before releases might help.

3.32: "AZ-GTi motor controller  firmware version 3.32:
Version 3.32:
    1. Adjust maximum slewing speed automatically.
    2. Try to solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3rd party application for autoguiding."

 

Try ? er.. ok I'll wait until you actually HAVE solved it thanks all the same...

[AstroNebulee]

3 hours ago, powerlord said:

hmm. yes.. think I'll leave uprgading for a bit then until it settles down. I mean, top marks for SW still updating it - considering they could as easily just not bother, especially as EQ mode is a free bonus. Just seems like perhaps a bit of testing before releases might help.

3.32: "AZ-GTi motor controller  firmware version 3.32:
Version 3.32:
    1. Adjust maximum slewing speed automatically.
    2. Try to solve declination axis run-away issue while using 3rd party application for autoguiding."

 

Try ? er.. ok I'll wait until you actually HAVE solved it thanks all the same...

By the time you've written this or woken up moro there maybe 3.33. Let's hope @GoldTop57 can gleen some information with the 3.32 update if he has clear skies. 👍..... Well I have now upgraded my firmware to 3.32 but as the updates appear to be coming thick and fast and what with the cloudy skies I'll be on update 3.33, 3.34,etc by the time I get to test them haha 

Edited August 11, 2021 by AstroNebulee

[GoldTop57]

Not had a chance to test 3.32 but positive feedback over on Cloudy Nights:

Posted Today, 04:27 AM

Good news - so my tests of v3.32 last night were positive and no Dec runaway! I imaged quite high above the horizon (the Veil Nebula) for close to three hours. The guiding error had an occasional blip towards 5 arcsecs, but also long periods of between 1 and 2 arcsecs. The results look fine with my 275mm focal length scope and ASI2600MC Pro camera (3.76 um pixel spacing) undersampled of course at 2.89 arcsecs/pixel. I’d like to pin down and remove the causes of the ‘occasional blips’ but at least this firmware appears to allow the software to recover the situation. I’m using KStars/Ekos/Indi (Astroberry) and the Internal guider with all default settings so I need to study how to adjust the guiding parameters (aggressiveness, hysteresis etc). 

[Gabriel Paunescu]

Also on facebook group (Skywatcher AZ-GTI Users Group)  is reported succes with 3.32

[GoldTop57]

Managed to try the new firmware 3.32 last night and was guiding with median total RMS between 1.5" and 2.0" for a good portion of the session - very pleased with these figures for this little mount. 

[Ags]

On 12/08/2021 at 11:46, GoldTop57 said:

Not had a chance to test 3.32 but positive feedback over on Cloudy Nights:

Can you give a link to the thread. "No dec runaway" caught my eye - sounds like the problem I have...

[GoldTop57]

Theres a huge thread on the mount here: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/586532-new-skywatcher-az-gti-goto-wifi-mount/page-120

[powerlord]

well no difference for me with asiair pro - dec going for a walk. tried lots of recalibrating - even during recalibrating, its going further and further south - had to turn guiding off to image.

used to work, so they've screwed something up.

[AstroNebulee]

1 minute ago, powerlord said:

well no difference for me with asiair pro - dec going for a walk. tried lots of recalibrating - even during recalibrating, its going further and further south - had to turn guiding off to image.

used to work, so they've screwed something up.

That's awful, I still haven't been able to try mine yet. 

[GoldTop57]

Thats a shame @powerlord, I was getting DEC run away and RA wasn't looking too clever either prior to the latest firmware version but 3.32 has made a massive difference. I'm using ASIAIR Pro too - I've got the Guiding rate set to x0.9 under Telescope/Mount Settings and under Guide Settings I have Max DEC and Max RA Duration both set to the maximum value of 10,000. Also DEC and RA aggression are set to 80 and 70 respectively. Mount is fairly well balanced but is overloaded with about 4.5kgs of kit.

[powerlord]

32 minutes ago, GoldTop57 said:

Thats a shame @powerlord, I was getting DEC run away and RA wasn't looking too clever either prior to the latest firmware version but 3.32 has made a massive difference. I'm using ASIAIR Pro too - I've got the Guiding rate set to x0.9 under Telescope/Mount Settings and under Guide Settings I have Max DEC and Max RA Duration both set to the maximum value of 10,000. Also DEC and RA aggression are set to 80 and 70 respectively. Mount is fairly well balanced but is overloaded with about 4.5kgs of kit.

thanks - I'll try those exact settings then. mine were 0.5, 2000, 50/50 so maybe that was it. I was shooting with DSLR and 135mm last night, so not exactly overloaded. So hopefully my settings were just terrible.

But it shouldn't affect calibration - watching calibration:  - east should go one way, then back to star, north, then back to star.

mine was going east and south at same time.. so when it tried west, it just kept going more and more south as well as west and ended up miles from star.. it completed calibration, but clearly was b0llocks. trying to guide, just saw DEC disappearing for  holiday somewhere.

andi its not the AP - as turning guiding off, got me 180sec unguided subs fine - I'd APed to about 1.5" error.

god knows. maybe I NEED to overload it with a couple of bags of sand ? 😜

 

[GoldTop57]

Yes I wonder if the 50/50ms setting for max DEC/RA duration is too short for the corrective pulses being generated by PHD2 to keep the mount on track, could try going for the max 10,000ms and then tune later by dialling down the DA/RA aggressiveness.   

[powerlord]

yeh, but when it's OFF and stable, it shouldn't be drifting massively off to south, when calibrating by doing east or west steps - it should just be going east or west.

[david_taurus83]

Been a while since I used one of these. What was wrong with 3.20? The backlash issue is mechanical problem with the small nylon gears in the little gearbox on the motor. Can't see how software can cure that.

[Avocette]

14 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Been a while since I used one of these. What was wrong with 3.20? The backlash issue is mechanical problem with the small nylon gears in the little gearbox on the motor. Can't see how software can cure that.

The hope was (and still is) that SW may have refined some other aspects of the 2019 firmware as well as curing the Dec runaway which ‘they had not be able to reproduce’ until last week. I’m not sure if v3.32 is better than v3.20 but in testing it I’m learning a lot about the mechanics of guiding!