Plate solve won't sync with telescope in SGP

[Jezphil]

 

I would be massively grateful if anyone could help me with this. I’ve read through forums but can’t find anything that helps… 

I have been using EQASCOM with SGP and an HEQ5 mount for a few months now and all as been working fine. With no changes to any settings, I am suddenly getting an error message after a plate solve: ‘error: could not sync to telescope’. 

This began with the telescope plate solving and syncing in the park position, then slewing to its target, then plate solving but not centring properly, with the error figure barely changing on each solve for centring. Now it won’t even do the initial solve and sync, giving me the message: ‘could not sync the telescope'. 

Strangely if I change ‘sync behaviour’ to ‘none’ (a setting I never normally use) the telescope will solve and sync in the park position telling me ‘successfully solved the current frame’ and ‘the telescope has been synchronised’. But then when it slews  off in the wrong direction, even the complete opposite.  With the setting at ’sync’ it won’t even give me the solve and sync in park position. Not sure whether that sheds light on a possible solution, but I'm just mentioning it in case!

The nudge function on the control panel does more the scope, so there does appear to be a connection between SGP and the scope. 

The telescope is connected successfully in ‘connect equipment’ in SGP.

Port settings are correct - EQMOD is detecting the correct port and this is shown in EQMOD’’s Toolbox>driver settings and also in Windows Device Manager as the same port.

When I pull up EQASCOM TOOLBOX, ‘setup’ has a button reading ‘ASCOM connect’. I have tried clicking on this so it reads ‘ASCOM disconnect’ but it makes no difference. I have never clicked on this before when the system has been working fine.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Edited October 31, 2021 by Jezphil

[andrew s]

Not used this system  but could it be related to the end of BST?

Regards Andrew 

Edited November 1, 2021 by andrew s

[prusling]

I have a similar issue with the Centre function after Slew. The first positional  adjustment gets the scope fairly close but subsequent fine tuning moves do not change the position - just keep reporting the same error until it fails. It certainly used to get closer.

[Jezphil]

14 minutes ago, prusling said:

I have a similar issue with the Centre function after Slew. The first positional  adjustment gets the scope fairly close but subsequent fine tuning moves do not change the position - just keep reporting the same error until it fails. It certainly used to get closer.

Hi. That was the exact issue I was having in the lead up to this and is possibly connected in some way. SGP plate-solved after the slew, but then wouldn't centre. Each time it plate solved for centring it failed to move and the error remained more or less constant. 

[Jezphil]

1 hour ago, andrew s said:

Not used this system  but could it be related to the end of BST?

Regards Andrew 

Hi Andrew. The problem seemed to be there intermittently before the clock change so maybe not, but I am looking into it as it suddenly stopped altogether after the clock change. 

[misterp]

Don't know if this helps as I don't use EQMOD.

My scope is parked in the standard home position.

When I turn things on, if I don't do an alignment, then goto something the scope is close but not spot on. If I do a solve and sync the mount it doesn't work.  However if I do an alignment, even without centering the alignmet star, I can then solve and sync successfully.

Hope that helps

Ian

 

[prusling]

My other issue, which may have started around the same time a few months ago, is when the mount parks (I use approx Alt 0 and Az 0) it stops then moves a little more. I'm then always some distance away when I first slew to a target next time.

[andrew s]

2 minutes ago, prusling said:

My other issue, which may have started around the same time a few months ago, is when the mount parks (I use approx Alt 0 and Az 0) it stops then moves a little more. I'm then always some distance away when I first slew to a target next time.

I assume your using an EQ mount. I don't think it's related to the current issues but it's best to avoid Az0 as the mount could get there with the scope E or W of the meridian which could confuse the firm/software. 

Regards Andrew 

[prusling]

Yes mine's an HEQ5 on a pier in an obsy (shed). I have to park with the scope horizontally to get the roof on. It's not been a problem for 2-3 years until recently. I've may have accidentally changed a setting or loaded a new version. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by prusling

[Jezphil]

Thank you for your help. The coordinates of my location in EQMOD had, inexplicably, reverted to default, giving a location thousands of miles from where I am. That was the issue - the scope is up and running now successfully. All good.

[Starflyer]

@prusling and anyone else having centering issues with SGP and EQMOD, have you followed this page?

https://help.sequencegeneratorpro.com/UsingEQMODwithSGPro.html

Ignore the version requirements, the important section is to set the sync to Dialogue Based and to clear out any existing pointing model.  Any pointing model will fight with SGP's centering and will result in the symptoms you see.

 

[prusling]

13 hours ago, Starflyer said:

@prusling and anyone else having centering issues with SGP and EQMOD, have you followed this page?

https://help.sequencegeneratorpro.com/UsingEQMODwithSGPro.html

Ignore the version requirements, the important section is to set the sync to Dialogue Based and to clear out any existing pointing model.  Any pointing model will fight with SGP's centering and will result in the symptoms you see.

 

Aah, somehow my sync had become set to other than Dialogue Based (though there were no stored alignment points)...  Looking forward to the next clear night to test it!

Many thanks Starflyer