Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

A place to report problems and bugs in SharpCap
Forum rules


If you have a problem or question, please check the FAQ to see if it already has an answer : https://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap-faqs

Please also read about Troubleshooting USB Issues before posting.

*** Please do not post license keys - please report any problems with licensing to 'admin' by private message ***

Please include the following details in any bug report:

* Version of SharpCap
* Camera and other hardware being user
* Operating system version
* Contents of the SharpCap log after the problem has occurred.
[If SharpCap crashes, please send the bug report when prompted instead of including the log]
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#1

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi everyone !

Sharpcap does not display any window to control the cooler on an Orion G-10, which I am told is the same as the QHY-183 camera.
I've tried reinstalling the G-10 software.
I tried reinstalling Sharpcap.
I tried installing the QHY-183 drivers.
The Orion G-10 software StarshootIC "sees" the cooler just fine.

I'd love to use Sharpcap's Livestack feature, but cannot unless the cooler is turned on.
I also tried running Sharpcap and the StarshootIC software at the same time. Only one program can access the camera at a time.

Sincerely,
--- Dave
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13177
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

Sorry, this one slipped past me. When you say the camera is supposed to be the same as the qhy camera, does that mean it appears in the QHY camera section of the menu, or are you using it via an Ascom or direct show driver?

If you are using a direct show driver then that is the explanation as there is no way to control camera cooling via direct show. If you are using an Ascom driver then I would have expected cooling to work as it possible for the Ascom driver's authors to make cooling control available.

Cheers, Robin
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#3

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi Robin,

I was told by the guy who sold me his G-10 camera that it is the same as the QHY-183.
It appears as the StarshootG under Cameras, under Direct Show, so that's the explanation.
Is there a way to make it show as an ASCOM camera?
I'll try completely uninstalling the ASCOM drivers for both the G-10 StarshootG camera and the QHY-183, then just installing the QHY, since I know the StarShootG drivers don't work.
But if you can devise a fix with SharpCap, I''d appreciate that.

Sincerely,
--- Dave
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#4

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi Robin,

I located the problem. I thought I had installed the StarshootG ASCOM drivers, but it was the G3/G4 drivers. Once I purged my system of all other ASCOM camera drivers and installed the StarshootG ones I saw the cooler under Sharpcap.

Good !, because I want to use Livestack !

Sincerely,
--- Dave
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13177
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#5

Post by admin »

Hi Dave,

glad you found the problem and have everything working now.

Robin
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#6

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi,

The ASCOM driver for the G10 camera crashed twice on me last Friday.
I'd like to use the Sharpcap DirectShow instead of the ASCOM, but the former does not control the cooler.
I'd like to request that this feature be added to Sharpcap.
Or perhaps there's a way to make Sharpcap see the G10 as the QHY-183 camera, which is what it is ?

Sincerely,
--- Dave
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13177
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#7

Post by admin »

Hi Dave,

I'm afraid that controlling the cooler of the camera through the direction interface is not possible – direct show only allows a set list of controls to be defined and controlled – exposure, gain, brightness, contrast and so on. It was designed to control WebCams and there's no way to add to that list either from the SharpCap side or from the side of the camera developers.

If you are getting errors with the Ascom driver and SharpCap offers to send a bug report then please do send the bug report and also send a screenshot showing the bug report window just before you send it – that helps me to go off and find the correct bug report easily and then hopefully I can advise on any way that the bug might be avoided.

Cheers, Robin
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#8

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi Robin,

Sharpcap just quits updating images. I have to notice this is happening, then close and reconnect with the camera. No error messages or any other indication of something wrong appears.
The problem is that if this happens during a Livestack, I have to start over.
And it's not consistent. Some nights it doesn't happen, but last Friday it happened twice in quick succession.
How do I report this to ASCOM ? If you need more information from me, unfortunately this is all I have. I've run ASCOM diagnostics and they all pass.

--- Dave
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13177
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#9

Post by admin »

Hi Dave,

SharpCap has the ability to log all the communication between it and the ASCOM driver - enable 'record extra information in the log for troubleshooting' at the bottom of the first page of the settings.

If you turn that option on before you select the camera then the law should show a lot of extra lines of data relating to the communication with the camera. If the camera is getting stuck and not responding then maybe something abnormal will show up in the log that might help track down what is going on. That will help understand whether the problem is on the SharpCap side or the Ascom driver side.

If the problem is with the Ascom driver then you will need to contact Orion to try and get their software developers to fix the bug in the driver.

Cheers, Robin
DiNakamoto
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:51 pm

Re: Orion G-10 or QHY-183 camera, no cooler controls

#10

Post by DiNakamoto »

Hi Robin,

OK. Turned on the extra logging. Now I'll have to wait out the strong winds in my area before testing it out.
What puzzled me is that I had it turned on and gathering data for several hours on the dining room table as a test run to see if the ASCOM driver was stable, and nothing happened. Of course, it might have stopped taking images and then started taking them again during that time.

By the way, have you heard of anyone using the QHY-183 driver on the G-10?
I'll ask on Facebook.

Sincerely,
--- Dave
Post Reply