Robin,
Yes I was using the 64 bit version so I tried the 32 bit version instead and I got a box showing for the MGEN3 in Sharpcap for the 1st time. I had to choose properties and which camera but after trying putting in everything I thought appropriate I ended up going round in circles and I got a box saying the Ascom driver could be the issue. I never did see the MGEN screen.
After that I had plate solving failures unexpectedly though I have had them before. I went back to the 64 bit version and plate solving worked again but that could have been a coincidence. Dithering continued as previously. I had disabled it in MGEN3. MGEN3 dithering used to work OK when I used it connected to a DSLR and no Sharpcap so it could well be that any setting I put into MGEN regards dithering are ignored?
Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
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Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Hi,
if you see the MGEN.APP Setup window and then get an error when you try to choose the camera to be used by MGEN.APP then it may mean that the ASCOM driver for your camera needs to be reinstalled.
On the SharpCap side of things, SharpCap sets the dithering parameters when it first tries to dither via the MGEN - this will override any manual settings that you have made.
I have found out how to recover the star position and target position from the MGEN device, so these will be included in the SharpCap log from the next update so we can see what is going on. The changes in target position are used for dithering, so at each dither we should see those target co-ordinates change - it will be interesting to see *how* they change.
cheers,
Robin
if you see the MGEN.APP Setup window and then get an error when you try to choose the camera to be used by MGEN.APP then it may mean that the ASCOM driver for your camera needs to be reinstalled.
On the SharpCap side of things, SharpCap sets the dithering parameters when it first tries to dither via the MGEN - this will override any manual settings that you have made.
I have found out how to recover the star position and target position from the MGEN device, so these will be included in the SharpCap log from the next update so we can see what is going on. The changes in target position are used for dithering, so at each dither we should see those target co-ordinates change - it will be interesting to see *how* they change.
cheers,
Robin
Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Robin,
I have re-installed the latest ZWO camera drivers that I actually had installed already so I doubt that will help but you never no. Do I just tick guiding under your fault log list or is there anything else that needs ticking?
I have re-installed the latest ZWO camera drivers that I actually had installed already so I doubt that will help but you never no. Do I just tick guiding under your fault log list or is there anything else that needs ticking?
Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Robin I have done a session on M45 and there are 4 logfiles during the night which I have attached. MGEN was guiding and there was dithering of sorts.
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- Log_2022-02-05T22_53_04-15464.log
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- Log_2022-02-04T22_29_27-4028.log
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- Log_2022-02-04T20_55_19-4772.log
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- Log_2022-02-04T17_34_54-7164.log
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Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
2nd try to make sure the log files were actually sent properly
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Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Hi,
well the logs all came through, but there was no information in any of them suggesting that dithering was in use - I searched for 'MGEN' and 'dither' in all of them, and all there was in each was the entry near the start for detecting the MGEN.APP camera being available.
I guess maybe the wrong log files?
cheers,
Robin
well the logs all came through, but there was no information in any of them suggesting that dithering was in use - I searched for 'MGEN' and 'dither' in all of them, and all there was in each was the entry near the start for detecting the MGEN.APP camera being available.
I guess maybe the wrong log files?
cheers,
Robin
Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Robin,
I noticed that too. I clicked on guiding. These were the latest files and that's all there were for that night? Now what? I suppose I could not connect MGEN3 produce a few files and see if the dithering or whatever it is continues the same and that tell us something?
I noticed that too. I clicked on guiding. These were the latest files and that's all there were for that night? Now what? I suppose I could not connect MGEN3 produce a few files and see if the dithering or whatever it is continues the same and that tell us something?
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Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Hi,
so, SharpCap will only activate dithering on the MGEN (or PHD for that matter) if you either use live stacking or the sequencing tool (with dithering enabled). I didn't find either of those in the logs, which means I am not really surprised that no commands were sent to the MGEN I guess.
cheers,
Robin
so, SharpCap will only activate dithering on the MGEN (or PHD for that matter) if you either use live stacking or the sequencing tool (with dithering enabled). I didn't find either of those in the logs, which means I am not really surprised that no commands were sent to the MGEN I guess.
cheers,
Robin
Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
I had no idea that I needed the sequencer or live stack to get MGEN3 working. Anyway I have just tried live stack and enabled dithering (I have never used live stack before) and it says that MGEN3 is not connected or something similar. Even if it was I don't think I can also keep on taking subs.
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Re: Accessing MGEN-3 in Sharpcap 3.3 and dithering
Hi,
oops, it sounds like we have been talking at cross purposes for some time
It's probably best to check out the documentation :
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#!2!Guiding%20Tab
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Guiding%20Tab
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Guiding
I'm not quite sure why you would get an 'MGEN not connected' message - presumably you have installed the windows drivers for the MGEN and connected it to the PC via USB as described here - https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Using% ... Autoguider. Could you please try to get the exact text of the error or a log containing it if it is still a problem.
cheers,
Robin
oops, it sounds like we have been talking at cross purposes for some time
It's probably best to check out the documentation :
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#!2!Guiding%20Tab
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Guiding%20Tab
https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Guiding
I'm not quite sure why you would get an 'MGEN not connected' message - presumably you have installed the windows drivers for the MGEN and connected it to the PC via USB as described here - https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Using% ... Autoguider. Could you please try to get the exact text of the error or a log containing it if it is still a problem.
cheers,
Robin