Exception error

[turtle]

When I click on Tools everything is ready for use except: Plate Solve and Resync, Go to Image, and Go to Catalog target/coordinates. I don't know it this helps.

[admin]

Hi,

unfortunately there isn't much to go on in that last log either - the ASCOM driver for the mount is still failing to connect when asked to, but this time isn't providing any error message. The focuser ASCOM driver is giving impossible values (-1.9 billion) for the maximum focuser position and step size, both of which should be positive.

There is clearly something wrong with the configuration of the ASCOM drivers, meaning that they are not talking to your hardware properly. Unfortunately I just don't know what the problem is. I think the best thing to do is to go back to basics and try to get the hardware under control from the computer *without* using SharpCap - just the Celestron software. Until you have that working properly, testing with SharpCap is just adding more complexity.

cheers,

Robin

[turtle]

Would you be willing to remotely take over my computer to fix the problem?

[admin]

Hi,

sorry, but that's not something that we can do.

Apologies,

Robin

[turtle]

I have deleted the ASCOM Platform and all my drivers, then reinstalled the Platform first, and then my drivers. Next, I reinstalled SharpCap. Then I set up my Celestron driver mount. Nothing in SharpCap is grayed out, but when I ask it to move to a target, the mount does not move. Is there anything else you can think of that will help?

[turtle]

can you do anything with these ASCOM files?



3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Minimising console window.
ASCOM Alpaca Simulators version 0.4.1-rc.1+1b155408f5c2114f0872fece25e125a030747d5c
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - ASCOM Alpaca Simulators version 0.4.1-rc.1+1b155408f5c2114f0872fece25e125a030747d5c
Running on: Microsoft Windows 10.0.26100.
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Running on: Microsoft Windows 10.0.26100.
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Camera 0 - UUID of 9d31402c-6a23-41ac-9cbd-3fea61d00823
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - CoverCalibrator 0 - Starting initialisation
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - CoverCalibrator 0 - UUID of 37b6d82a-b5f2-4baf-ac60-13655ed10f56
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - CoverCalibrator 0 - Set calibrator timer to: 2000ms.
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - CoverCalibrator 0 - Set cover timer to: 5000ms.
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - CoverCalibrator 0 - Completed initialisation
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Dome 0 - UUID of 879011a5-418a-45f9-be16-0b0431c8d11c
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - FilterWheel 0 - Starting initialization
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - FilterWheel 0 - UUID of 1dc46572-25ec-47ac-a2bf-fdaf4af13abe
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Focuser 0 - UUID of 2a8014ee-07ed-4f37-a726-ae77f153ea2b
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - ObservingConditions 0 - UUID of 2252ea31-22f8-4b3c-92fc-23ec3916e0dd
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Rotator 0 - UUID of efbd1a18-e18a-4f47-bd92-43bb8f6333f8
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - SafetyMonitor 0 - UUID of 409a210e-ea22-44e7-b364-a6abed7796a9
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Switch 0 - UUID of dd3a44fe-4c79-4446-bc3e-f25f33967188
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - TelescopeHardware: Alignment mode 1: AltAz
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - TelescopeHardware: Alignment mode 2: GermanPolar
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - TelescopeHardware: German Polar - Setting HomeAxes to 0 51.07861
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - TelescopeHardware New: Startup mode: Start up at simulator Default Position, Azimuth: 180, Altitude: 38.92139
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - TelescopeHardware New: Successfully initialised hardware
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - GetId: Generated new ID: 1
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - Telescope 0 - UUID of eaeacd68-0cad-48bb-aef0-a46cf968ea40
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - New: Instance ID: 1, new: Driver ID: Alpaca Simulator
No startup url args detected, binding to saved server settings.
6/3/2025 12:10:49 PM [Information] - No startup url args detected, binding to saved server settings.
Startup URL args: --urls=http://*:32323
6/3/2025 12:10:50 PM [Information] - Startup URL args: --urls=http://*:32323
6/3/2025 12:10:50 PM [Information] - Connected Set: True
6/3/2025 12:10:50 PM [Information] - Hardware.Connected Set: Set Connected to: True, AlreadyConnected: False
Starting Discovery on port: 32227
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]
Now listening on: http://[::]:32323
06/03/2025 12:10:51 [Information] - ASCOM Alpaca Simulators Starting Services
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[0]
Application started. Press Ctrl+C to shut down.
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[0]
Hosting environment: Production
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[0]
Content root path: C:\Program Files\ASCOM\OmniSimulator
06/03/2025 12:23:35 [Information] - Connected Set: False
06/03/2025 12:23:35 [Information] - Hardware.Connected Set: Set Connected to: False, Successfully removed: True
06/03/2025 18:39:45 [Information] - Received a discovery packet from 127.0.0.1 at 06/03/2025 18:39:45
06/03/2025 18:39:45 [Information] - Received a discovery packet from 127.0.0.1 at 06/03/2025 18:39:45
06/03/2025 18:40:20 [Information] - Received a discovery packet from 127.0.0.1 at 06/03/2025 18:40:20
06/03/2025 18:40:21 [Information] - Received a discovery packet from 127.0.0.1 at 06/03/2025 18:40:21

[turtle]

Can I slew the telescope without polar alignment?

[admin]

Hi,

the ASCOM file is just the status output of the ASCOM simulator software, which allows you to use 'pretend' simulated ASCOM hardware of all types for testing software without needing real telescope mounts/focusers/rotators/etc. It looks like you connected some software (possibly SharpCap, but it doesn't say) to the simulator during the period being logged, then disconnected it again. I *think* that the connected was to the simulated telescope mount, but that's not 100% clear.

If you had set up SharpCap to talk to the simulator instead of the the real Celestron mount driver, then GOTO movements would 'move' the simulator rather than the real mount.

You can definitely use the GOTO movements without bothering with polar alignment first, meaning you can test during the day with your equipment indoors. You probably have to walk through the handset alignment procedure after turning on the mount - select the '1 star' alignment option, let it slew the mount to the first star and just accept that position it should be happy.

cheers,

Robin

[turtle]

Please don't get tired of hearing from me. So, in the ASCOM Device Hub, there is a button to connect with the telescope, and then there are other tabs that say Motion, Tracking Rate, with input spaces for RA Offset Rate and DEC Offset Rate. What if anything, goes in there?

[admin]

Hi,

You can use the various pages in the ASCOM hub to control the telescope directly and to set some advanced options. So, for instance on the main page there are some arrow keys that can be used to move the telescope around. It might be a nice idea to try using those to see if they work properly or not (that takes SharpCap out of the test scenario - you are just using the ASCOM hub program to send commands to the telescope). I should say though that you don't really need to worry about or fiddle with the stuff in here - if everything was working nicely you could just ignore all of this and do everything from SharpCap.

You do need to make sure that the ASCOM hub is trying to connect to your Celestron mount - check that it shows ASCOM.Celestron.Telescope (or something with CPWI if you are trying to use that) where highlighted below. If it has connected correctly to the mount then it will show Connected where mine shows 'Not Connected' (also highlighted).

Robin

Screenshot 2025-06-07 113709.jpg (59.72 KiB) Viewed 3969 times