Lost in NINA

[nickarp2000]

So here I am, a complete non-techi bloke trying to learn and adapt NINA for my image capture.

This is my gear:-

Ioptron CEM60 (non EC)

Skywatcher Equinox 80ED Pro for imaging

ZWO off axis guider

ASi 585MC main camera

ASi 120MM guide camera

all spacing correct at 55mm

Main camera linked directly to laptop on a USB3 connection with the native cable supplied 4 weeks ago with the camera

Everything else run through a powered USB hub into USB2 connection.

Set up the profile in NINA and all products connect successfully.

This is my routine for imaging (and this is where I think Im going wrong)

Polar align the mount using I-Polar

Go to the handset and set the zero position on the mount without any further movement

Open NINA and connect camera and mount (which indicate as being successful

Go to manual focus, pick a star (I pick Polaris) take images and start focussing on the star in the field until the HFR reading is as low as possible as shown in the NINA imaging tab.

Go to Stellarium and select a target

Back to NINA and go to framing tool and select "get co-ordinates from planetarium"

This works well up to this point.

I click the button "Load the image"

I then click to Slew and Centre. ......nothing happens

I get a message at the bottom that says "Mount, waiting for first slew"

Handset says slewing but the mount isnt moving.

So I stop the run and think well I will take an image of where I am just for practice.

Go to the image tab, set a 5 second image, click to start.

I see the bar at the bottom that says image is being taken, I then receive an error saying ZWO driver has an error and cannot download image

Can anyone help please

I have read the manual front to back and watched every You-tube video available

Im stuck, frustrated and just not into the hi tech end of these programs. I just want them to work and allow me to enjoy this hobby

Cheers

Nick

 

[scotty38]

I know you have two issues, one of which may not be relevant here, but what happens if you remove the hub and connect things directly?

[nickarp2000]

Thanks.

Before your kind response I tried a different approach today. 

First I connected the mount direct and it performed. 

2nd I changed the port I used for the hub and it all ran OK again

So I either have an underpowered USB port on the laptop or possibly a conflict when using that port. 

As is typical with laptops I only have 2 USB ports and need a hub at the moment as I can't afford to go the asiair route or to get a mini pc and run on WiFi. 

Thanks for your response though and I will try the new configuration 

[Graeme]

I'm not familiar with the Ioptron mount. I use NINA with my CGX mount. I connect the mount to the Celestron CPWI planetarium software first to load the ASCOM drivers. Then I fire up NINA and connect everything. How do you load the ASCOM drivers?

What happens if you select a different star from Polaris for your manual focus target? Does the mount slew ok?

Once you have imported the Stellarium co-ordinates, what happens if you select slew from the drop down instead of using slew and centre? Slew and centre will do a plate solve. Which plate solve software are you using?

Regards

Graeme

[nickarp2000]

Thanks

I connect the mount and open the ioptron controller which confirms mount conection

I open nina and connect the mount and the camera and both are confirmed. 

I have run an ascom diagnostics on both and found no errors or conflicts

I load stellarium and select a target. Nina loads the target in the framing area when I select get coordinates from planetarium. 

I haven't seen the slew from the drop down within this area. All I can see is "Load image" and then below "slew and centre". I click on slew and centre presuming this is the right way to do it. 

But like I said in my earlier post, I believe I have a USB issue when using the powered USB hub in the right hand port on the computer as after testing again in the house the mount and camera performed when plugged into the hub and running through the left hand side USB port. 

Seems odd to me but then like I said I'm certainly no computer expert and I'm wondering if one port deals better with traffic than another. 

I'm also confused by the USB traffic from the camera setting. Nina defaults at a level of 40 and can go to 100. How do I know what is the best setting? Is it really trial and error? 

Nick

[newbie alert]

I also use a cem 60, if you have the mount connected and have the ascom drivers/ platform installed then I can't see it being the issue... I hunch my bets in the hub... Glitchy things where they cost you clear nights of imaging... Is the 585 plugged directly into the laptop or into the hub? 

Personally I find Nina abit clunky and prefer to use APT..  but if you want to continue I'd recommend using the sequencer once you have everything working.... I'd also recommend plugging the equipment into the same port everytime, using different ports can cause their own issues

On 30/01/2023 at 21:32, nickarp2000 said:

This works well up to this point.

I click the button "Load the image"

I then click to Slew and Centre. ......nothing happens

I get a message at the bottom that says "Mount, waiting for first slew"

If you try without using stellarium, so go to the framing tab and enter your target name, IE m42, if you press the load the image does it frame m42 with your sensor and pixels and scopes FL filled out?... From there you can slew and center and also platesolve the image 

Edited February 10, 2023 by newbie alert
Damn phone