Pause and resume guiding automatically

[donboy]

Pause and resume guiding automatically when SharpCap commands an ASCOM mount slew has not been working for me. Is there something I'm not checking off? Sure would be nice if this works when using Goto Catalog/Coord.

Don

[admin]

Hi Don,

this function doesn't exist yet - I looked into it last week and discovered that it wasn't as simple to do as I hoped, so I didn't have time to sort out an approach that will work. Still on the todo list.

cheers,

Robin

[donboy]

hi Robin,

Any progress in starting and stopping guiding in the goto catalog feature,

Don

[admin]

Hi Don,

not really, as the big issue is that SharpCap is normally not even talking to PHD2 at that point (PHD2 communication is only currently on during live stacking and sequencer imaging). I'd need to add some way to connect/disconnect from guiding manually, probably a guiding status panel, things like that - all of which are far more work than disabling the guiding during a goto

cheers,

Robin

[mikenoname]

Robin,

That is truly unfortunate because the GoTo/Catalog's inability to deal with PHD is the only thing that is keeping me from using it currently. It works very well otherwise.

The sequencer works with PHD so well, that I wouldn't have thought it would be such a major deal to have the GoTo tool work the same way.

Will have to find another workaround to finally retiring Stellarium as my scope-driver.

Mike

[mikenoname]

As a potential workaround, is there any way for the Sequencer to call the GoTo tool?

I'm thinking of a Sequencer script that could deal with shutting down the guider and then popping the GoTo Catalog dialog box up so that you could then slew to the next target. Then another Sequencer script to start the guider again.

Mike

[admin]

Hi Mike,

sadly that approach doesn't work for selecting targets - the sequencer can GOTO a pre-defined target, but not let you select a target.

Actually, re-reading your posts has given me an idea that it might be possible to add a checkbox on the GOTO tool 'Pause guiding during GOTO movement' - and then implement it that way. After all, the actual process of the GOTO (moving, plate solving, setting target name, etc) is all actually run using the sequencer.

cheers,

Robin

[mikenoname]

sadly that approach doesn't work for selecting targets - the sequencer can GOTO a pre-defined target, but not let you select a target.

Not sure what you mean here. My idea was to use the sequencer to stop the guiding and then call the GoTo window and then have the sequence terminate. You would then use the GoTo tool normally, and after it was done, use a separate second sequence to start the guiding again. There would be no selecting of targets or going to pre-defined targets using the sequencer.

Unless you are saying that the first sequence that calls the GoTo window couldn't terminate until the GoTo window is closed?

Actually, re-reading your posts has given me an idea that it might be possible to add a checkbox on the GOTO tool 'Pause guiding during GOTO movement' - and then implement it that way. After all, the actual process of the GOTO (moving, plate solving, setting target name, etc) is all actually run using the sequencer.

That sounds like a winner!

Mike

[admin]

Hi Mike,

the first point is that the sequencer is designed around being 99.9% unattended, so it has no option to launch the target selection window at the moment, since that would require user interaction.

Actually, I have tried implementing the other idea over the weekend and it seems to work - at least PHD2 pauses and resumes under the PHD2 simulator during slew movements from the GOTO target tool. What I'm not quite sure about is whether a resume command is sufficient after slewing for real - it may be that I also need to send other command(s) to make PHD2 pick a new guide star. This change will be in today's update as it is a tick box that defaults to off, so it shouldn't break anything unless you select it.

cheers,

Robin

[donboy]

Hi Robin,

Just tried the PHD pause and it didn't stop guiding or restart guiding. It did however place the word paused on the PHD screen.

Don