NINA problems with parking (sort of)

[Andy56]

Hi,

 

Edit: For EQMOD read "EQMOD ASCOM HEQ5"

I've used NINA a few times and  had trouble with parking.

I last used it in January and last night.

In January it wouldn't park. I left it overnight and in the morning it was point at the ground. On a previous session it was there at the end of the session and NINA showed that is was doing two instructions simultaneously ie parking and warming the camera except it was only warming the camera and it did not park.

Last night it parked after my first session 20x5mins, but I stared another session (this morning)  at 01:20, went to bed, but it did not park afterwards. The parking flag was set in the sequence.

I've looked at the log (info level) and it doesn't show the instruction for parking only warming.

 

I have another issue that could be related that I often find that the EQMOD window is scrunched up, if you know what I mean, in the morning. It was this morning.

I know it's easy to say that this is the problem but if EQMOD <->Nina comms failed that surely there should be and indication in the Nina log.

Is there a EQMOD log somewhere I can look at. I have searched and found some logs but they don't seem to be session logs only installation/set up.

So in summary:

   Is there a issue parking with NINA.

   Should a NINA<-> EQMOD comms failure show up in the logs.

   Where is, or how do I turn on an EQMOD session log.

Sorry for being all over the place with this, it's difficult remembering exactly what I did at 1am.

CHeers

Andy

 

edit: changed Ascom to EQMOD

Edited May 28, 2023 by Andy56

[Clarkey]

Yes, I have had a similar problem. I think it to do with encoders in the mount. If you park at the standard home position all is well. But, if you use a different park position the encoders in the mount assume you are in the home position when you turn it on. Nina seems to work from the new park position, but when Eqmod parks at the end of a session the mount goes to where it thinks it needs to be. I gave up using custom home positions and use the standard polar position now. I now just turn off and on in the normal home position and manually move the mount to close the observatory roof. I'm sure there is a way to get it working - but I have tried a few things and it is unreliable.

[Andy56]

Many thanks.

My park position is pointing to the pole.

This morning I restarted eqmod and Nina and told it to park and it went to the polar position so I don't think it's encoders in the mount.

Either eqmod is stopping and Nina is not reporting it or Nina is not giving the instruction.

 

I'm going to try it many times this morning now I've found the message centre in eqmod.

 

Cheers

Andy

Edited May 28, 2023 by Andy56

[david_taurus83]

I've had no issues with parking either to standard home position or custom position. I have an AZEQ6 and I have turned off the encoders from within EQMod as have had the mount do strange things in the past with them on.

[scotty38]

No issues here with my AZ-EQ6 either, I checked my logs and I always see the Park command being sent and completed in the NINA log.

Do you want to post your sequence just in case there's anything odd in there. Oh btw I don't use EQMOD as I use GSS instead.

[Andy56]

Hi,

Thanks for your responses.

This morning I set up Nina and 'scope to take images (with cap on) of Venus, Uranus, Mercury and Jupiter, slewing between them and then parking.

I did this twice in various combinations and it did a camera warm and parked each time. I did not have guiding enabled (daylight) so the comms to the mount will be reduced. 

So I think EQMOD is falling over after a few hours of normal comms activity.

I'm using a home made bluetooth interface using the  EQDIRECT-BT cct.

I've just found the EQMOD logs so after the next time this happens may be I can make sense of it.

I may have to bite the bullet and buy 😲a pre made cable to eliminate my hardware build. Using BT is great because it reduces the cables.

Cheers

Andy

[scotty38]

You should have mentioned the home made adapter as I'm sure everyone would have asked you to try and eliminate that first....

[Starflyer]

Bluetooth is a terrible protocol for mount control.  Even for audio it's unreliable, but it doesn't potentially cause damage to expensive equipment if your audio drops for a split second.

Personally I'd never trust any form of wireless control for a telescope mount.  Try a wired connection, I'd put money on your problems disappearing.