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Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

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Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro was created by Magnus Larsson

Hi!

Lately, I have some strage pointing issues with a CGE-Pro. It works nicely on the west side of pier, with object in the eastern hemisphere. However, then I do a meridian flip and select an object more to the west. Like tonight, UX Ori, just passed the meridian (well, not just now but a while ago). When I do a plate solve now, the mount suddenly thinks it is pointing to..... Polaris! So "Slew to target" creates havoc.

I shut down everything, restart, do a 2 star alignment manually w the mount. Now it points accurately and Ekos agrees. I do a plate solve to sync, works. Then I slew to UX Ori, do a "Slwe to target" and now it thinks it is on Polaris again!!

I shut it all down. The log file is attached. Anyone can help me understand this?

Magnus
3 months 3 weeks ago #97961
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

Here is the relevant part:
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.853 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.907 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] RES <36593C00,FD54E400#> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.907 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[SCOPE] RA-DEC ( 5:05:43,-3:45:09) "
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.908 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] CMD <p> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.923 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] RES <W#> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:42.923 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] latitude 55.5481, sop W, PierSide E "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.298 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Solver completed after 1.19 seconds."
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.300 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Solver RA (76.09585) DEC (-3.81066) Orientation (92.87454) Pixel Scale (3.18870) Parity (neg)"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.302 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Effective telescope focal length is updated to 598.995 mm."
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.379 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Solution coordinates: RA (05h 05m 36s) DEC (-03° 46' 40\") Telescope Coordinates: RA (05h 05m 43s) DEC (-03° 45' 09\") Target Coordinates: RA (05h 05m 43s) DEC (-03° 45' 16\")"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.381 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Target is within  00° 02' 14\" degrees of solution coordinates."
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.384 CET DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Align state changed to "Successful"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.401 CET DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Align state changed to "Syncing"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.401 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope: Syncing...
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.406 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope sending coords RA: "05h 05m 36s" ( 5.09325 ) DE: "-03° 46' 40\"" ( -3.77765 )
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.412 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Syncing to RA (05h 05m 36s) DEC (-03° 46' 40\")"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.471 CET INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI294MC Pro :  "[INFO] CCD FOV rotation updated to 92.8745 degrees. "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.472 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] Sync ( 5:05:36,-3:46:40) "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.472 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] CMD <s3653F45D,FD504CA4> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.547 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] RES <#> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.549 CET INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC :  "[INFO] Sync to  5:05:43, -3:45:16 successful. "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.549 CET DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Align state changed to "Slewing"
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.556 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope:  TRACK
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.560 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Target coordinates updated to JNow RA: "05h 05m 43s" DE: "-03° 45' 16\""
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.561 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope sending coords RA: "05h 05m 43s" ( 5.09519 ) DE: "-03° 45' 16\"" ( -3.75436 )
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.561 CET INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Slewing to target coordinates: RA (05h 05m 43s) DEC (-03° 45' 16\")."
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.642 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] Goto RA-DEC( 5:05:46,-3:45:16) "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.642 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] CMD <r365B9468,FD548A0E> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.658 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] RES <#> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.662 CET INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC :  "[INFO] Slewing to JNOW RA  5:05:43 - DEC -3:45:16 SlewOffsetRa 45.8 arcsec "
[2024-01-06T23:04:43.923 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:44.096 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] RES <428A6B00,3FDC5900#> "
[2024-01-06T23:04:44.097 CET DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[SCOPE] RA-DEC ( 6:14:17,89:48:15) "

It appears the last sync perhaps broke the HC internal alignment system?
3 months 2 weeks ago #97970

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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

Hi!

Thanks for looking into it. I wonder how this can happen and what it really means - is the HC broken, or is there an issue with the driver? Or what is happening here?

Magnus
3 months 2 weeks ago #97979

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

I don't know. A more experienced person who knows Celestron might be able to tell. As far as I can tell, Ekos and INDI are both behaving correctly.
3 months 2 weeks ago #97980

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Replied by Toni Schriber on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

It works nicely on the west side of pier, with object in the eastern hemisphere. However, then I do a meridian flip and select an object more to the west.

Following the log the mount reports pierside east from the begin until 2024-01-06T23:04:43.662 CET and then changes to pierside west. That contrasts with what you're saying. So there must be something odd.
3 months 2 weeks ago #97988

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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

Hi!

Here's more to this. Also tonight these issues appear. I could first image well for a few hours - targets in Per and Tau. THen, slewing down to Orion (UX Oir) - this time NOT doing a meridian flip - then the problems began. Centering on UX Ori and then doing a plate solve and "slew to target" resulted in Ekos suddenly placing the scope on Polaris - as if pointing there. And the slewing dangerously down.
After a total reboot of both scope and Ekos, I tried again. THis time something else happened. I slewed to Orion with scop west pointing east. All worked well. THen I tried a meridian flip by directing the scope to the west of the meridian. Now this: tjhe scope does a nice MF, slewing up and around the pole and down. But in Ekos it does not go UP biut DOWN - as if it circles the southern pole, not the northern. THis is in the attached log, from line 6289. (I caught the log before it was finished, so it ends a bit abruptly)
After this, it was totally lost again, I could not send it anywhere.

Any ideas?

Magnus
Last edit: 3 months 2 weeks ago by Magnus Larsson.
3 months 2 weeks ago #98023
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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

And here's another of this strange mis-placement of the scope. I point to the area around UX Ori, and plate solve. THe solution is obviously precisely there (look at the solution coordinates in Ekos) but suddenly, the scope coordinates are totally different both RA and DEC - and now Ekos thinks it is pointing to the pole.



Log is attached.

Magnus
3 months 2 weeks ago #98024
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Replied by Toni Schriber on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

[2024-01-11T22:06:24.844 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar HC : "[DEBUG] latitude 55.5481, sop W, PierSide U "
What does pierside U mean????
3 months 2 weeks ago #98026

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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

No idea..... where can that come from?

Magnus
3 months 2 weeks ago #98027

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Replied by Toni Schriber on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

That's bad: "pierside U " means pierside unknown! So now the controller is not even capable of returning a correct pierside. Can you check if these wrong return values for pierside coincide with the mis-placements?
3 months 2 weeks ago #98029

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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

OK, I can do that next time it is clear. No more tonight (too late).

Magnus
3 months 2 weeks ago #98030

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Replied by Magnus Larsson on topic Pointing mysteries with a Celestron CGE-Pro

Hi!

Here are what happened tonight. Everything worked great for a few hours. I was imaging (capturing spectra of) CQ Tau until it hit the meridian. THen I switched to UX Ori, which needs an MF. First, the mount points reasonably correct. Then I do a "slew to target" plate solve, and ops, here we are at Polaris again. I shut everything down.
The logs were a bit confused. There are three. FIrst is the tail of a very long log produced over several days - I just cut the last part out. THe second and third are things added before I shut down. Not sure what it tells. But I do not find any Pierside U....?

Magnus
3 months 1 week ago #98107
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