James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

After the reset, this just continued working and I hadn't had any problems since. That said, the last few months it has been tucked away, astro season will start again for me soon and I'll let you know if anything changes

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Thanks again Eric, I didn't save the ESL (typical!) but had a bit more success last night I think, just working on it now but only 2 frames

The mount was already pointing at NGC2244 when I started but it was told to slew. Last night I started from a parked position which seemed to work better

In terms of settings it was 5% overlap and 2x2 with fetched info, I didn't know you could drag the centre of the mosaic but that's very handy!!

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Hi thanks for the reply, I didn't use simulators (or not that I know of?!)I don't know why it shows as pink on the forum, I uploaded it twiceI'll try another one - this is what I managed to piece together from it, far from perfect!! 

 



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I had a go at doing a mosaic on Rosette (NGC2244 to be precise) and it didn't go so well!This is what I ended up with and I was hoping someone could offer some tips, I went for 5% overlap and know guiding went a bit stray due to clouds a couple of times. It said it plate solved for each image but I have nothing like 4 panels I could stitch together 

 



 

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Hi all,

I'm having an issue with my set up (unchanged) whereby my ZWO ASI 120mm mini is losing connection. Generally there are 2 times it happens:

1. At initial power up - if I unpark my NEQ6, slew somewhere, plate solve with my AS1600 and then go to start guiding, the ZWO doesn't take a frame. If I restart the camera driver it may or may not recover. If I unplug the camera and plug it back in it always works
2. The annoying one, every time I meridian flip it slews, plate solves, then fails to take an image with the guide camera. Again, disconnect and reconnect sometimes works but sometimes doesn't (and may kill kstars too) whereas an unplug and plug back in always works

It's relatively new as a camera and had been trouble free and I have tried a couple of USB cables but it's consistent. I have checked the logs but there are no specific errors I can see, it just fails to work

I wondered if anyone had seen similar?

James

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Ok, with a couple of unexpected bits of behaviour it's logical to give it a try - thank you!

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Thanks for your reply, I can't quite understand why it would be the cable because it appears to have good comms to the mount but I guess I can try it

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Last night my mount failed to park and I don't know why. From the logs, the scope lost sight of the sky a short while before turning off (which I half expected) but this may have contributed to the failed park, log attached and salient bits below:

[2021-12-17T04:25:49.131 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding started."
[2021-12-17T04:26:05.056 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Lost track of the guide star. Searching for guide stars..."
[2021-12-17T04:26:07.115 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding started."
[2021-12-17T04:26:23.324 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Lost track of the guide star. Searching for guide stars..."
[2021-12-17T04:26:25.560 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding started."
[2021-12-17T04:26:42.868 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Lost track of the guide star. Searching for guide stars..."
[2021-12-17T04:26:45.138 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding started."
[2021-12-17T04:26:58.665 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI1600MM Pro :  "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2021-12-17T04:26:58.824 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI1600MM Pro :  "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.450 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/astroberry/IC1396/Light/NGC_7380_Light_300_secs_2021-12-17T04-27-00_072.fits"
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.450 GMT INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 0.89 s, New Download Time Estimate: 0.53 s."
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.453 GMT INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 72 out of 72."
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.650 GMT DEBG ][                       default] - WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect  Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to  Phonon::AudioOutput ( no objectName ).
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.656 GMT DEBG ][                       default] - WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect  Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to  Phonon::AudioOutput ( no objectName ).
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.662 GMT DEBG ][                       default] - WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect  Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to  Phonon::AudioOutput ( no objectName ).
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.729 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'IC1396' 72x300\"  sees 72 captures in output folder '/home/astroberry/IC1396/Light'."
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.729 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'IC1396' 72x300\"  completed its sequence of 72 light frames."
[2021-12-17T04:27:00.814 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'IC1396' is complete."
[2021-12-17T04:27:01.930 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'IC1396' 72x300\"  sees 72 captures in output folder '/home/astroberry/IC1396/Light'."
[2021-12-17T04:27:01.931 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Job 'IC1396' 72x300\"  completed its sequence of 72 light frames."
[2021-12-17T04:27:01.939 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "No jobs left in the scheduler queue."
[2021-12-17T04:27:01.942 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Starting shutdown process...
[2021-12-17T04:27:01.942 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Warming up CCD..."
[2021-12-17T04:27:02.063 GMT INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Cooler is off"
[2021-12-17T04:27:02.995 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - "Parking mount in progress..."
[2021-12-17T04:27:03.172 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - EQMod Mount :  "[INFO] Parking mount: RA increment = 2039127, DE increment = -898019 "
[2021-12-17T04:27:03.488 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - EQMod Mount :  "[INFO] Mount park in progress... "
[2021-12-17T04:27:03.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:04.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:05.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:07.858 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:07.912 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Mount is moving. Resetting calibration..."
[2021-12-17T04:27:07.915 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Calibration is cleared."
[2021-12-17T04:27:07.917 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Mount is parking. Aborting guide..."
[2021-12-17T04:27:07.934 GMT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding aborted."
[2021-12-17T04:27:08.107 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - EQMod Mount :  "[WARNING] Can not guide if not tracking. "
[2021-12-17T04:27:08.109 GMT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - EQMod Mount :  "[WARNING] Can not guide if not tracking. "
[2021-12-17T04:27:08.154 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:08.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:09.992 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:10.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:11.994 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:12.994 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:13.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:14.994 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:15.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:16.992 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:17.994 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:18.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:19.994 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:20.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:21.992 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
[2021-12-17T04:27:22.993 GMT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Parking mount in progress...
 

File Attachment:

File Name: log_22-01-22.txt
File Size: 412 KB
 

File Attachment:

File Name: log_22-01-22.txt
File Size: 412 KB


The night before it failed to meridian flip despite the box being ticked. I think there is unexpected behaviour when you tick/untick the flip box or change the hour value. I have anecdotally noticed this in other areas of kstars too where you change a setting, change it back and the new state is ignored

A feature request - I would like to have been able to force an early meridian flip by setting the hour angle to a negative value, I'm not sure if there is a workaround to force a flip aready?

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James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

Believe it or not this is the first clear night I have been able to get out since the last post. I fired everything up and it plate solved once, corrected, solved again, corrected and then failed and repeated failures similar to all the above. I reset everything to default settings, turned off 'use scale' and it has now started solving again. I haven't resorted to ASTAP yet but hopefully I am running for now!

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James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

Thanks for the suggestion, if it plays up again I'll do exactly that. The confusion is why it suddenly started going wrong as I've used it dozens of times without issue, will keep you posted if I have more issues

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James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

I changed absolutely nothing and tried it tonight, slewed to target, plate solved, adjusted correctly and is all fine, how frustrating :(

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James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

A lot of crazy just happened so I wrote it all down as it happened:

Changing the solving method from 'internal solver' to 'local astrometry' seems to have made it plate solve finally but very slowly

I put 'use scale' and 'use position' on to see if that would help

I started solving again and I caught sight of an error writing log file (screenshot attached) which caused kstars to lock up. I guess this must have been what happened last time too?

 



I managed to reboot the pi and, when it started back up again, I went straight to plate solve and it died again in the same way. I then went outside to see if the sky was clear and the mount was driving the telescope into the side of the observatory for some unknown reason. 

I reset the park position after the strike then slewed to my target (IC63) before plate solving yet again. It appeared to plate solve like it normally would BUT when it slewed to correct, it fired the scope to a crazy position nowhere near the target. 

I parked the scope, unparked it, slewed to IC63 and it pointed to a different random part of the sky. I decided that it was not going to recover so powered everything down to start again. 

After a power cycle, I unparked it, slewed to IC63 (correctly), plate solved again then it fired off towards the floor again. I checked the sky map and it knew that it was pointing at a random place.

 

I parked the mount, unparked, slewed to IC63, it went to another random position pointing at the observatory. 

I then set the park position to default again, clicked write data, it moved the scope to the correct position but the star map showed it in a completely different place (third picture). I closed kstars, reopened it and it moved to the right place (4th pic)?! There's a bug somewhere, I don't know know what but it's causing me some trouble!!

 
 
 

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James Seaman replied to the topic 'Plate solving not working again' in the forum. 2 years ago

Well, the problem remains. This has worked perfectly for months but now refuses, I tried 2x2 binning and relatively long exposures but nothing will solve for some reason

I looked for the FWHM setting but the only one I can see is already 1 (see attached)

Any other ideas?

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