Hi Folks,
I have recently invested in a filter wheel and have started to run into the problem of the filter wheel crashing into my pier. I have set the altitude limit to 75deg in Ekos but during a slew or a meridian flip I have still seen cases where it hits off the pier.
Is there a way to define a no slew zone for a mount so that it never slews close enough to touch of the pier? Or has anyone else encountered this issue and how has it been dealt with.

I’m using a 6”RC with .67 reducer filter wheel OAG and AA26C mounted on an celestron AVX which sits on dedicated telescope pier.

Thanks

Lenny.


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Is it not the mount that initiates the meridian flip and decided when it does it ?


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Lovely! Thanks for the that John. I will give it a go after work

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Hi Folks,
This is probably a niche question(well 2 actually) but maybe you can help. I have recently purchased Skywave Collimator for my 6"RC as part of the procedure you need to defocus the telescope by a certain amount from the best focus. I have manually been doing this at present (still in the midst of the collimation procedure very time-consuming). So at present, I center on a star run autofocus and then manually enter the new focus position. goto that focus position and take an image. I then revert back to the pre-determined best focus position. After reading about filter focus offsets I thought this may be an avenue, I don't have a filter wheel but could I add a filter wheel simulator and add in 2 filters, one to run autofocus on and then switch to filter with focus offset for the defocused position to image with?

The second question, So assuming using the dummy filter wheel removes the need for me to intervene, the second step in the collimation procedure is to take 8 images around the image center. At the moment I have the coordinates of where to put the star around the image and to build an automated sequence I would use the scheduler and manually create 8 separate jobs using the RA/DEC co-ordinates of where I want the star. Is that the most efficient way to do this?

Thank you very much for reading.
Clear Skies!
Lenny.

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So i managed to get the logs from the guide module, it looks like the dither command is immediately rejected by PHD2

[2023-05-12T23:01:29.752 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7656,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"dither\",\"params\":[5,false,{\"pixels\":1,\"time\":1,\"timeout\":45}]}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.754 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Dithering started."
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.765 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Dithering in progress."
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.779 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: error: "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"error\":{\"code\":1,\"message\":\"Dither error\"},\"id\":7656}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.793 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Dithering failed."
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.797 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7657,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"set_paused\",\"params\":[false]}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.808 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: response: "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"result\":0,\"id\":7657}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.811 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Guiding paused."
[2023-05-12T23:01:29.825 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Guiding suspended."
[2023-05-12T23:01:31.427 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: event: "{\"Event\":\"GuideStep\",\"Timestamp\":1683928891.396,\"Host\":\"astropc-desktop\",\"Inst\":1,\"Frame\":235,\"Time\":652.006,\"Mount\":\"INDI Mount [Celestron GPS]\",\"dx\":-0.830,\"dy\":0.212,\"RADistanceRaw\":-0.856,\"DECDistanceRaw\":0.010,\"RADistanceGuide\":-0.635,\"DECDistanceGuide\":0.000,\"RADuration\":162,\"RADirection\":\"East\",\"StarMass\":474,\"SNR\":14.94,\"HFD\":5.00,\"AvgDist\":0.70}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:31.468 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7658,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"get_star_image\",\"params\":[32]}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:31.663 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: received star image response, id 7658
[2023-05-12T23:01:31.843 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7659,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"set_paused\",\"params\":[false]}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:31.871 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: response: "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"result\":0,\"id\":7659}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.535 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7660,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"get_connected\"}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.544 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: defer call "get_app_state"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.753 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: response: "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"result\":true,\"id\":7660}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.757 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: request: "{\"id\":7661,\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"get_app_state\"}"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.795 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - PHD2: response: "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"result\":\"Guiding\",\"id\":7661}\r\n"
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.802 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Guiding resumed."
[2023-05-12T23:01:32.825 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Guiding resumed."

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Hi Folks,
I have started running EKOS/KStars on my windows machine and connecting to my gear through INDI server running a Linux PC. I have noticed that during my image sequences, dithering is continually failing to execute. I am saving my images remotely to my Linux box as it takes too long to download. I am using dithering in RA only and get the same result whether I use one pulse dither or not. I forgot to enable the Guide logging last night but this is the output from the logger. I will get the guide logging tonight but has anyone else experienced this issue using PHD2 over INDI server?

[2023-05-11T22:57:41.761 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Dithering...
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.764 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Dithering..."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.766 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Dithering..."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.770 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Dithering started."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.773 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Guiding state changed from "Guiding" to "Dithering"
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.780 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Dithering in progress."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.786 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'M 94' 50x600\" duration cannot be estimated time since the sequence saves the files remotely."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.789 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Target coordinates updated to JNow RA: "12h 52m 00s" DE: " 40° 59' 44\""
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.797 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Guiding state changed from "Dithering" to "Dithering error"
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.800 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Dithering failed, capture state "Dithering"
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.802 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Warning: Dithering failed. Resuming in 1 seconds..."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.805 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Warning: Dithering failed. Resuming in 1 seconds..."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.809 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Dithering failed."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.818 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Guiding paused."
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.823 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Guiding state changed from "Dithering error" to "Suspended"
[2023-05-11T22:57:41.830 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Guiding suspended."
[2023-05-11T22:57:42.023 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Guiding resumed."
[2023-05-11T22:57:42.030 GMT Daylight Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Guiding state changed from "Suspended" to "Guiding"
[2023-05-11T22:57:42.038 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Guiding resumed."

Thanks
Lenny

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Cool thanks for the response.

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I haven't shot any FITS files recently. If one of the old ones will suffice I can upload it when i get home. I don't use compression or crop the image.

Here is a drop box with a good (004) and bad(002) XISF

www.dropbox.com/sh/8esi2yoq2757we9/AAAj4...Oa7Al-5LBKrMwpa?dl=0

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I have come across a couple of random frames where it looks like it doesn't read from the camera correctly and you are left with a weird image artifact. See attached example top half of the image is ok but the bottom half is messed up. I have seen this happen at least 4 times over several nights. Usually, the next image will be fine. I don't remember seeing this issue while using the FITS format certainly not as frequently as I have seen of late. I'm not ruling out my own equipment but it seems to have cropped up since I switched to XISF. I'm running INDI server on a fanless pc on Ubuntu 22.04.02 and EKOS via my laptop. Images are stored remotely on the Ubuntu PC.

Has anyone else come across this issue?

Logging for attached affected image.
[2023-04-17T22:47:09.610 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 600.000-second image..."
[2023-04-17T22:47:09.618 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Altair AA26CTEC : "[INFO] FPS rate limit is set to unlimited "
[2023-04-17T22:47:09.633 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Altair AA26CTEC : "[INFO] FPS rate limit is set to unlimited "
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.915 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Altair AA26CTEC : "[INFO] Image saved to /Light/NGC 5195_Light_600_secs_002.xisf "
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.916 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Remote image saved to /Light/NGC 5195_Light_600_secs_002.xisf"
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.931 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 2 out of 40."
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.954 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Dithering...
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.956 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Dithering..."
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.959 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Dithering..."
[2023-04-17T22:57:12.964 GMT Daylight Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Dithering started."

Hi Folks,
I have started playing around with INDI web manager and was going to try an imaging session tonight using Kstars on Windows. While testing with my ALTAIRASTRO 26C I noticed that before every image the TEC fan stops spinning for a second then spins back up and the temperature of the CCD drops. So over the course of a 3-image test sequence, the temp dropped from -5C to -3C and the EKOS never tried to re-enforce the temp so would image no matter what the CCD temp is. It checks to ensure the temp is within the limit at the start of the sequence but that's it. I have run this experiment in Kstars Linux and Kstars Windows so I'm pretty sure this is an issue with the INDI web manager it's like the CCD driver restarts before every image. I have attached the logging from a 3-image sequence but it doesn't reveal much. I'm not sure if there is a way to get logging from the web manager.
Has anyone else noticed this issue?

So I managed to get a couple of hours last night on the Pac-Man nebula. All shot with xisf format the only issue I had was the camera restarted due to a timeout mid sequence and the first frame post restart was saved as a fits file. After that it went back to xisf. I have ran WPBB in PI with these files and all debayered without issue.


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I also did a quick test with Altair Astro 26c and had no issues opening Color frame in pixinsight. Checked header and Bauer matrix was reported correctly also.


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Thanks, Jasem, So it appears the issue only occurs when I have the cloud storage option enabled. I just ran the simulator with a 5-sequence image cloud storage disabled and it ran with no problem. Re-started the sequence with cloud storage enabled and bombed out on the first image. Look like the debugger caught it.

Hi Jasem,
I installed EKOS debugger and started KStars and INDI via the debugger tool. Twice when i tried to connect to my profile via EKOS live it crashed KSTARS. I have attached the 2 logs in as well as the log file from one of my crashes yesterday, Not sure if that will help or not.

Let me know if this helps, I will also try to raise a ticket with Stellar Mate.


Thanks,
Lenny