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Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 1:39 pm
by calaban
Hi
I have a 'new' G11GT, I say that because previously I used EQMOD with a NEQ6 and SharpCap plate soling was all fine. I use AstroTortilla and all good. Solved, sync'ed and re-centred - all worked a treat.
With the G11GT, SharpCap does a successful plate solve, and then says "sync'ing mount" and also "moving mount to re-centre" or something like that, was a couple of weeks ago.
The problem however is that the mount does not move, re-centre. I think it does get the sync. It just gets weird after that. Happened a couple of times and basically I have to reboot the computer and start from scratch.
What I do now is not have SharpCap connect to the G11GT. I take a jpeg shot. From AstroTortilla use that photo via "File Open dialog" and let AT do the solve, sync'ing and re-centring of the mount. Then back to SharpCap once that is all done.
Would be nice if all from within SharpCap as before. Using latest release of SharpCap. ASI071MC with Canon 400mm lens + 2x extender. Win10. But sorry do not have the log. Will have to repeat it all next time and make sure I have the log file.
Regards Richard
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 8:31 pm
by admin
Hi Richard,
Please can you post the SharpCap log captured after you have made the attempt to do the plate solver and synchronise. Lots of information gets put in the log during this procedure that will help narrow down what is going wrong.
Cheers, Robin
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:27 am
by calaban
Hi Robin
Sorry for the delay. I tried to Plate Solve the other night and at the point of Sync / Re-Slew to Centre the whole system froze. Did a computer re-start to get going again.
Regards Richard
PS - different issue but I connect to camera and the focuser fails to connect. I then just go to "Reconnect Camera" and the focuser connects.
The logs from the night attached.
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:29 am
by calaban
One of the log files will not load - ?
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:42 am
by calaban
File that didn't load attached - hopefully.
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:37 pm
by admin
Hi,
Here's the interesting part of one of the logs
Code: Select all
Info: 18:59:41.6297752 Thread:#1 SharpCap.ViewModels.PlateSolveAndResync+<SolveAndSync>d__7.MoveNext() :: Field solved to RA=14:40:53,Dec=59:48:34S, field Size {Width=0.8836766, Height=0.5872533}
Info: 18:59:41.6727786 Thread:#1 SharpCap.ViewModels.PlateSolveAndResync+<SolveAndSync>d__7.MoveNext() :: Before Sync mount is at RA=14:41:01,Dec=60:54:02S
Info: 18:59:41.8227804 Thread:#1 SharpCap.MountProxy.ASCOM.MountWrapper.SyncTo(Double actualPositionRightAscension, Double actualPositionDeclination) :: Performing Alt/Az Sync to 14.6814660971132, -59.8094542290464
Info: 18:59:41.8247802 Thread:#1 SharpCap.MountProxy.ASCOM.MountWrapper.SyncTo(Double actualPositionRightAscension, Double actualPositionDeclination) :: Site Info: 20m, -31.9925 (N/S), 115.797 (E/W)
Info: 18:59:41.8397796 Thread:#1 SharpCap.MountProxy.ASCOM.MountWrapper.SyncTo(Double actualPositionRightAscension, Double actualPositionDeclination) :: Resolved to Alt/Az : 61.8490818546772, 173.07807000294
Info: 18:59:41.8647767 Thread:#1 SharpCap.MountProxy.ASCOM.MountWrapper.SyncTo(Double actualPositionRightAscension, Double actualPositionDeclination) :: Mount position before SyncToAltAz : 60.777978, 173.514246
Info: 18:59:42.9108481 Thread:#1 SharpCap.MountProxy.ASCOM.MountWrapper.SyncTo(Double actualPositionRightAscension, Double actualPositionDeclination) :: Mount position after SyncToAltAz : 60.778376, 173.518315
Info: 18:59:42.9388104 Thread:#1 SharpCap.ViewModels.PlateSolveAndResync+<SolveAndSync>d__7.MoveNext() :: After Sync mount is at RA=14:41:01,Dec=60:54:02S
Info: 18:59:42.9868485 Thread:#1 SharpCap.ViewModels.PlateSolveAndResync+<SolveAndSync>d__7.MoveNext() :: Before Slew mount is at RA=14:41:01,Dec=60:54:02S
Info: 18:59:53.2072935 Thread:#1 SharpCap.ViewModels.PlateSolveAndResync+<SolveAndSync>d__7.MoveNext() :: After Slew mount is at RA=14:41:01,Dec=60:54:02S
What you can see here is that SharpCap asks the mount to sync to a particular set of alt/az coordinates and it looks like the mount is ignoring that command because there are logs showing the position before and after the sync are exactly the same. The interesting question is why is SharpCap trying to use the altitude/azimuth synchronisation function when you have an equatorial mount. I suspect that SharpCap is mis-identifying the mount as alt/az mount because it claims to be able to slew in those axes. I will try popping a change to the mount identification code in the next version and we will see what happens.
Cheers, Robin
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:45 am
by calaban
Hi Robin
I discovered Gemini driver requires acceptance of sync commands to be allowed. ie box checked. Not sure why but seems to be the case.
Not sure if that changes anything re the above. I have had strange behaviour with other plate solving / sync programs as well.
Will do some more backyard testing next week.
Regards Richard
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:27 pm
by admin
Hi,
Thanks for that additional info. It may be worth you downloading and trying the very latest version of SharpCap. In it I changed the way that SharpCap detects the coordinate system of the mount to one that should be more robust and will hopefully correctly detect that your mount is equatorial. That means that the sync command sent should be to an RA/dec coordinate rather than altitude/azimuth coordinate. Perhaps this is the magic that is needed to make everything work?
Cheers, Robin
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:16 pm
by calaban
Hi Robin
With the Sync checked in the Ascom mount driver and using the latest version of SharpCap, all works. Tested over last two nights.
Thanks Richard
Re: Plate Solve Sync'ing but Not Re-Centring G11GT Mount Gemini II
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:54 pm
by admin
Hi Richard,
That's great news – thanks for reporting back.
Cheers, Robin