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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Problem with Capture and Slew

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I was having an issue with my scope/camera contacting my new pier and not automatically performing a meridian flip to avoid this issue. Since I have an EQ6-Pro, I thought my problem could be an encoder-related issue, and I tried TallFurryMan's solution to indi_eqmod_telescope slewing on the wrong side of pier on second night . That still didn't seem to fix the issue I was having.

After doing this and clearing the mount model (I had moved observing locations about a degree of latitude farther north and the mount had been hypertuned), I can't seem to get the "solve and slew to target" to work. All moves are fairly small and don't necessarily get closer to the target. I've been over a degree off and the movement never got the error to be less than one degree in one instance.

I have attached the logs to see if that helps any.

Thanks,

Richard
4 years 1 month ago #49229

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Hi Richard,
it seems like attaching logs did not succeed.
- Wolfgang
4 years 1 month ago #49234

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The log file was too large to attach as a text file. I've zipped it, and it appears that it is attached here.

File Attachment:

File Name: Logs.zip
File Size:1,218 KB
4 years 1 month ago #49243
Attachments:

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Richard,
there is a warning in the log file that might give a hint:
[Warning] Enforcing the pier side prevents a meridian flip and may lead to collisions of the telescope with obstacles.

Since I am not familiar with the EQMOD driver, I cannot explain what happens. Is it possible that you manually set the pier side?

- Wolfgang
4 years 1 month ago #49296

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Wolfgang,

That warning was when I forced the scope to the East side so it wouldn't hit the pier. The slew problem kept the mount from getting closer than about 1 degree.
4 years 1 month ago #49301

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One thing to try is to set alignment mode to nearest point instead of N-star in EQMod align tab. There seems to be some issue with N-star alignment which some times causes weird jumps and pier side changes and also prevents converging on target when many sync points are in a small area. With nearest point mode I haven't had these issues either with HEQ5 or EQ8 mounts.
4 years 1 month ago #49310

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I'll give that a go when I get out again (hopefully on Thursday). I may have inadvertently messed up stability of the mount on the previous night out. That has, hopefully, been sorted out.
4 years 1 month ago #49332

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Agreed, as the solver increases the number of align points in the same area, I could also see a weird behavior emerging where the correction given by the solver is never enough to adjust properly. Sometimes it even goes the opposite direction. One way to avoid this is to increase the tolerance on the precision to somehow abort the process, but it's not that satisfying.

So, we should probably not create a new align point when another exists nearby, we should replace the existing one. But "nearby" requires a good definition.

Also when running the very first alignment, we expect a relatively large offset, which mostly depends on the position the scope was locked on when parked. Running the second alignment to the same target, we expect a smaller offset which mostly depends on the polar alignment. Often my setup has a few arc minutes here, and that's surprising, so there might be something more to hunt.

I lost a third idea, but I'll soon recover it.

-Eric
4 years 1 month ago #49340

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I think I have made the change to nearest point in "EQMod Mount_config .xml" after looking at the configuration from a laptop I had been seeing successful captures and slews before. We'll see how it goes on the next night out.
Last edit: 4 years 1 month ago by Richard Beck.
4 years 1 month ago #49442

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Nearest point did the trick. Thanks!
4 years 1 month ago #49475

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