|
Re: GTO CP3 Problem
pepineus
Hi everyone,
Happy new year, I am reporting back on my problem. I got the new serial driver chip (MAX238CNG) for my CP3 and installed it. The lower serial port seems to work ok, as I can find it at COM4 and connects (remember I am trying to avoid this one since I get many reliability issues). However I still cannot fins the upper serial port at COMS 1-20 ! If I cannot solve this I will not update the ROM on the CP3. Josep
|
|
|
|
Re: #APCC PemPro3 Fail to lauch in APCC after PemPro update
#APCC
John A. Sillasen
Thanks, Ray. I uninstalled both v3 and v2.8. I reinstalled v3.00.27. It managed to keep the license. I then launched APCC v1.7.1.4 Standard. The only difference now is I don't have a PemPro button under the AP RAPAS radio button.
What did I do to make that happen? John Sillasen
|
|
|
|
Re: #APCC PemPro3 Fail to lauch in APCC after PemPro update
#APCC
Ray Gralak
John,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
1. You should not install PEMPro V3 in a beta folder. If you did that uninstall and reinstall it in the correct folder. 2. The location of PEMPro and other applications is controlled by the Windows environment variables defined on your computer. For example, on most computers the two relevant environment variables are defined like this: ProgramFiles=C:\Program Files ProgramFiles(x86)=C:\Program Files (x86) So, you can set them to wherever you want but be warned that starting with Windows Vista Microsoft does not want you to install programs outside of the Program Files folders because of security concerns. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
#APCC PemPro3 Fail to lauch in APCC after PemPro update
#APCC
John A. Sillasen
Morning, Happy New Year, (Retry #4 at Karen’s request. Our apologies – especially to Ray Gralak – if this comes through multiple times). What’s there to do on New Year’s Day? Update software that I don’t get to use often. I knew of the APCC
update from the forums so that was step 1. Step 2 was an ASCOM Platform update to 6.4 Sp1. The AP ASCOM driver was current, so while I’m not connected to a mount, let’s see if stuff works. APCC launches fine, as does RAPAS once past the no mount warning stuff. Even Horizons was a 1st time play date for me. Worked through some of the ephemeris reqt’s for funnsies. PEMPro, hmmm, have yet to try that even though it launches in v.2 and early Beta 3 fine. It worked but told me it was a Beta and get the heck out of dodge and go get a new version. Okay, so I didn’t apply my license but it launched, right? Got the new version, 3.00.27 and it installed right over the old beta in the same folder. This time I put the license file key in. Ha, had to remember where I stored that 1st! That was a significant find.
So -no PEMPro 3 launch. Weird thing – it thinks it should be on C now. Ray, you and I worked through this mess years ago – small C partition laptops with 1 GB D drives, right? What’s up with that small C stuff anyhow.
Suggestions other than get a new laptop? I did by the way but now it’s learn and try time. Thanks! John A. Sillasen
|
|
|
|
Re: Cannot Seem to Keep the Same Virtual Ports
eckhard.voelcker@...
I just had the same or a similar problem.
The virtual ports in APCC were Com20, Com21 and Com22. The ASCOM Driver is configured to use Com20. Yesterday the ASCOM driver could not connect to APCC. The driver configuration showed Com20 but the APCC configuration showed no virtual port. Com20, Com21, and Com 22 were not listed in the dropdown box where you set the virtual ports so I could not set these anymore. The Devicemanager showed under COM / LPT three virtual com ports (20, 21 and 22). These ports were being installed independently of APCC as these appeared after a reboot without starting APCC. I used the Devicemanager to uninstall these virtual com ports. Afterwards APCC would see these ports as being available again and I could select Com20, Com21 and Com22 as virtual ports. The ASCOM driver connects and is happy again. It looks as if some Windows or another install routine has seen these ports and decided to install a permanent driver / setting for those ports (I use an external USB hub). So APCC is seeing Com20, 21 and 22 as already taked ("in use") and thus the error. Maybe you have a similar issue, Jerome. Best, Eckhard
|
|
|
|
Re: Cannot Seem to Keep the Same Virtual Ports
Jerome A Yesavage
Ray,
Perhaps ACP is not shutting down perfectly cleanly. It is, however, right at the top of the shutdown script. I will give this added attention and watch it. I have the startup delays at 30s, with a second delay of 20s after Maxim starts, before the system connects to FocusMax. It goes: PowerOn-delay30s->APCC delay20s-> Maxim (same AP driver) ->FocusMax (was ACP Telescope Hub (ASCOM)) Both Maxim and FocusMax use the mount. I noticed that FM was using an ACP driver? I changed this to the AP driver... maybe this was an issue. I'll monitor this carefully and see if I can get a consistent picture.
|
|
|
|
Re: Upgrade to new keypad version (was RE: [ap-gto] Unguided imaging with Mach2)
#Keypad
Worsel
Thanks, Dale!
I use BYEOS. It integrates well with Astrotortilla and supports multiple EOS cameras. In fact, the only reason I would move away from it is that it cannot do drift correction, hence my interest in APPC-Pro and APPM I will give SGP a trial test. Bryan
|
|
|
|
Re: Upgrade to new keypad version (was RE: [ap-gto] Unguided imaging with Mach2)
#Keypad
Worsel
Ray
Thanks I will give SGP a trial test Bryan
|
|
|
|
Re: APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
Martin G <martin.artem14@...>
Hi Peter, When you have the setup
Celestron Edge HD 1100 +
0.7x reducer, then the focal length of your EDGE HD is changed to
280mm / 1960mm and not to 2030 as stated in your email ! Good luck and you can actually calculate the FOV of your setup here http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ Martin  Am Fr., 3. Jan. 2020 um 17:42 Uhr schrieb Ray Gralak <groups3@...>:
> I originally entered 0.5 as the scale in the camera settings in SGP, but after doing plate solves it appears as 4.1.
|
|
|
|
Re: APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
Wayne Hixson
Per your specs, it should be about 0.5
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
306*4.7/2030=0.47
On Jan 3, 2020, at 8:42 AM, Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Re: APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
Ray Gralak
I originally entered 0.5 as the scale in the camera settings in SGP, but after doing plate solves it appears as 4.1.If SGPro is reporting 4.1 arc-sec/pixel and you think it should be close to 0.5, then that is a bad plate solve. APPM did the right thing by rejecting the plate solve. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver -----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Re: APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
I had exactly the same experience with APPM, and actually to date have not been successful in generating a point model. My plate solves in SGP, fortunately, usually work or I would not be able to find anything with my Celestron Edge HD 1100 with the focal reducer, which has a narrow FOV. Using the Hyperstar, with a wide FOV, APPC is sufficiently accurate, but it by itself is not at the high focal length.
I originally entered 0.5 as the scale in the camera settings in SGP, but after doing plate solves it appears as 4.1. The focal length for the scope with the 0.7 focal reducer is 2030mm and the pixel size for my ZWO 294MC Pro camera is 4.7.. What scale setting should I be entering in APPM, and where do you enter it?
|
|
|
|
Re: Upgrade to new keypad version (was RE: [ap-gto] Unguided imaging with Mach2)
#Keypad
Ray Gralak
I downloaded trial versions of APCC-Pro and PinPoint from DC3. In the process of testing these, it appears thatIf your camera does not have an ASCOM driver then you will need an intermediary camera control application like MaximDL, SkyX Pro (with Camera add on), or Sequence Generator Pro. MaximDL and SkyX both have excellent automation interfaces and work with many different cameras including DSLRs. Sequence Generator Pro also works but its automation interface is not as rich. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver -----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Re: APCC v1.7.1.4 - slews not being reported as fully complete
#APCC
#ASCOM_V2_Driver
R Botero
Thank you Ray. Looking forward to the new release of APCC.
Roberto
|
|
|
|
Re: Upgrade to new keypad version (was RE: [ap-gto] Unguided imaging with Mach2)
#Keypad
Dale Ghent
Because of the proprietary formats of DSLR cameras (Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, etc) apps typically need an ancillary program or library to convert those formats into a more common format that it can make better use of, such as converting the camera raw image a basic bitmap and then on to FITS, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and the like. Individual plate solver apps such as Platesolve2, ASTAP, and others generally do not include these libraries (which must be constantly updated to support new cameras as they are released) so typically only accept inputs of what we call Well-Known Formats, such as the aforementioned. For this, you need a surrogate program which can manage the raw camera files, which SGP and other apps can do, but of those APPM only gets along with SGP at the moment. I'm under the impression that SGP will just do the right thing when it comes to DSLR raw files and sending them to a configured platesolver such as Platesolve2. Under the camera options for Canon EOS or Nikon, the default option is to save the image data as FITS. It's this data that is used to send on to the configured plate solver in SGP. See the attached screenshot.  /dale
On Jan 3, 2020, at 1:45 AM, Worsel via Groups.Io <bryancashion@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Re: Upgrade to new keypad version (was RE: [ap-gto] Unguided imaging with Mach2)
#Keypad
Worsel
I downloaded trial versions of APCC-Pro and PinPoint from DC3. In the process of testing these, it appears that PinPoint can only use FIT files for plate solving. As I image mostly with a DSLR, this presents a barrier, since APPM links to PinPoint in order to build a sky-model.
While I can convert the Raw images to FIT manually, this obviously negates the advantages of automatic mapping. Have I missed something? Is PinPoint (and therefore APPM) capable of reading Raw or even JPG files? Before I go through the process of downloading, installing, and tinkering with SGP, does it allow the use of DSLR Raw or JPG files for PlateSolve2? SGP can capture images from a DSLR, but I cannot tell if it can use Raw images for PlateSolve2. I use AstroTortilla now for platesolving vias ANSVR. Is it possible for APPM to connect directly to ANSVR? rather than go through PinPpoint or PlateSolve2? Bryan Thanks. Bryan
|
|
|
|
Re: APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
Ray Gralak
Hi Greg,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
If the image scale returned by the plate solve is more than a certain percentage away from the value you have set you will get that error message. The "Bad X scale" just happens to be checked before Y scale, so that's why you are seeing it. If X-scale is bad then Y-scale is also probably bad, but there is no reason to pop another error for it. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Re: Cannot Seem to Keep the Same Virtual Ports
Ray Gralak
Hi Jerome,
So, when I started up last night again the established Virtual Ports vanished and I am back to 6I cannot reproduce the behavior you are seeing so it might be isolated to your particular computer or Windows system configuration. Your computer must not be saving the configuration or the configuration is getting corrupted or APCC is being "killed" before it can save the configuration. I've seen some people unnecessarily do this to tasks using ACP. If you are doing that... change that now! BTW There are often timing issues with ACP and APCC.APCC is written in .Net which requires "just in time" compiling at run-time so it can take a few seconds to build before starting. Then it takes a bit more time to create the virtual ports, connect to the mount, backup the previous settings, query the mount parameters, initialize the user interface, etc. So, if you have a slow computer it might take some time, but once it is running APCC should run well even on computationally challenged computers. I don't think this should be a problem if your computer takes 15-30 seconds to start APCC and the driver, especially if you start your session before it gets dark... right? -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver -----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Re: APCC v1.7.1.4 - slews not being reported as fully complete
#APCC
#ASCOM_V2_Driver
Ray Gralak
Hi Roberto,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
We don't need your logs. We were aware of the issue and in fact it has been already fixed, but not yet released. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/software/apcc/apcc Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
APPM 'BAD X SCALE' Error and Appropriate Troubleshooting?
Greg Vaughn
Happy New Year to everyone!
(Apologize in advance for the long post - but I've had to trim the log files significantly and I wanted to properly set the stage with enough information to make the issue clear.) Skies where I live were gorgeous last night and I set up my Mach 1 / AP 130 EDFGT (GTX focuser with field flattener) with the idea of using some of the bells and whistles in APCC Pro I had not previously used, to improve my imaging. In particular, I wanted to use APPM, with points customized for the azimuth and altitude that I give me a clear shot of the sky on my back deck. (I set up and tear down each evening.) After some study and watching Ray Gralak's presentation on YouTube to The Astro-Imaging Channel, I successfully used APPM with 20 points on Christmas Eve. However, an attempt with a similar set of points on Christmas night was unsuccessful. On Christmas night, the connection with my camera (D810A) and the Platesolve2 through Sequence Generator Pro were both successful, but while it appeared to generate successful solves (watching APPM 'run' dialog), it would then slew slightly again and platesolve again, ultimately resulting in a RED status block saying 'Bad X Scale.' This persisted through all of the points as it slewed and platesolved for each point. I had hoped that this was just a case of an incorrectly entered image scale in Plate Solve Settings, but for my DSLR with essentially square pixels, both X and Y arc-sec/pixel values were correct. Then I thought maybe the new information was being compared to the successful run the evening before, unaware that I have a new setup each night. I unchecked all the calculated model parameters (right hand side of APCC Pointing Model dialog page) in an attempt to clear the old model (though the title in that block still lists the 24 DEC session as the model). Last night I attempted to use APPM again, with a selection of 25 east model points within my field of view. This time I performed a 'Solve and sync' in SGP first, then moved to APPM for the run with the 25 points. Unfortunately I had the same experience again. I aborted and started it again twice when the first point registered the red 'BAD X SCALE' in the status block. So, a few questions: 1. What generates a 'BAD X SCALE' error in APPM? (Has anyone seen this and how did you correct it?) 2. Do I need to 'flush' the model generated by APPM between imaging sessions if I setup and take down my equipment each imaging session? (I think the answer is yes.) 3. What is the proper way to 'flush' the model before starting APPM in those subsequent sessions (if required)? I talked briefly with George at AP today and in the course of that discussion it dawned on me that the camera may have taken a 5second exposure at 200 iso instead of the 6400 iso or 12800 iso that I usually have set for use on platesolving in SGP. (I normally specify iso 200 and 5min for most of my individual light frames in SGP, however.) I'm sure this is something very basic that I'm doing wrong, but not sure what. A very trimmed down version of the APCC logs are attached. If anyone has some thoughts or experiences here to share, that would be very helpful. Thanks in advance and all the best for clear skies and a prosperous 2020! Cheers, Greg p.s. Not familiar with the logs yet. If the answer is there, don't assume I know exactly where to look.
|
|
|