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Re: Last night tracking with Mach2
Roland Christen
Is the Astro-Physics PEC Processor an "in-house" only application? Yes, we use it for multiple test and setup sequences on our encoder mounts.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerome Allison <jallison@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Jun 12, 2020 3:24 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Last night tracking with Mach2 Is the Astro-Physics PEC Processor an "in-house" only application?
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Re: Last night tracking with Mach2
Roland Christen
then when the mount tracks across the meridian I could take a few more minutes and set up another run for the object's movement into the west. Correct? You can set up the model ahead of time, during twilight, and do it on both sides of the mount. I set up my model 2 hours before sunset using Ha filter on my camera with exposures of .03 seconds. I could easily capture stars down to mag4.5. I would not take up precious clear sky imaging time to establish a model at night.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
From: Dean Jacobsen <deanjacobsen@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Fri, Jun 12, 2020 1:55 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Last night tracking with Mach2 Roland, you are doing this modeled tracking with the keypad application, right?
So if the path of my object will cause my scope to hit my pier a half an hour or an hour after the meridian, I could set up a modeled tracking run up to and maybe slightly past the meridian, then when the mount tracks across the meridian I could take a few more minutes and set up another run for the object's movement into the west. Correct? -- Dean Jacobsen http://astrophoto.net/wp/ Image Gallery - http://astrophoto.net/wp/image-gallery/ Astrobin - https://www.astrobin.com/users/deanjacobsen/
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Re: platesolve/recal question
Thanks again Ray I figured it out - a combination of wrong timzeone and I adjusted J2000 to JNOW or vice versa, I'm not 100% sure
On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 5:00 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote: Hi Brian, --
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Re: platesolve/recal question
thanks for the reply Ray i'm running 6.4sp1 I'm 99% certain this is user error, just trying to hunt it down.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 5:00 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote: Hi Brian, --
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Re: platesolve/recal question
Ray Gralak
Hi Brian,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The setting to disable is called "Prevent Errant RCALs" in APCC's Advanced settings. That said, do you feel the mount could be more than 5 degrees from its actual position? What Jian had happen because he used the ASCOM 6.5 beta release has me a bit worried there might be a bug in ASCOM's precession routines. That is make sure you are using nothing later than 6.4 SP1 for now. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
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platesolve/recal question
Hi folks we are working on first light for out 1600AE down at obstech It's going good so far(?) I can get an image and platesolve via SGP - for this very first solve it predictably fails over to blind solve, which it does successfully However when SGP attempts to sync with the mount it throws up an error that recal failed because it is too far (39 > 5.000 degrees) from current RA/DEC What would you poke at first to fix this? we checked our date/time/location, and unparked from Park 3, but maybe we're missing something on the startup here
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Re: help with AP900 guiding via ASIAir Pro
sgbonnell@...
thanks Rolando...I'm going to have a closer look at the guide logs to see if that is what was happening. There does not appear to be a function in ASIAir to reverse the move commands as far as I know. I'll be trying a new USB-RS232 active cable in hopes that it is a cable connection issue (maybe reversed pins?)
I also tried to get PHD2 going instead of the ASIAir, but having trouble connecting to the mount. I'll try that again as well.
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
WARNING TO ALL REGREASERS! Consider removing any cables going through the mount before regreasing operations. If you forget and spin one of the axes more than 360 degrees, you could damage your cables. I share this warning from personal experience!
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Re: Last night tracking with Mach2
Is the Astro-Physics PEC Processor an "in-house" only application?
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
Cheng-Yang Tan
Hi Ron, Thanks for the photos and video. Keep 'em coming :) cytan
On Friday, June 12, 2020, 01:45:24 PM CDT, Ron Kramer <ronkramer1957@...> wrote:
Gease kit was already SHIPPED today that was fast! Here is my current steps. Looks okay, I don't see crud... but I suspect a hair or shaving of metal can bump it. I have some snaps and a video just disassembled. Grease to come monday UPS. On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 1:30 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote: > Is there a way to keep the rotation turning without a HC? I am holding mouse on APCC pro to watch it turn but Ron Kramer
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Re: APPM plate solve failure and then APCC stopping working
jypeng@...
Hi Ray,
Thank you for pointing out the ASCOM version. So, ZWO screws up us. I followed the ZWO install driver web page's instructions two weeks ago, Now ZWO wants their customer to rollback to SP6.4 SP1. I rollbacked the ASCOM to SP6.4, and restarted APCC pro. The data showing the Pointing Model are looking fine now. However, I did see an error message pop up a few times during the APCC pro startup. "Precess.J2000ToNow: Error...." See attached images. It seems to me that ASCOM 6.5 having Precess.J200oToNow compatible issues. I will re-run the pointing model when the sky is clear. Thanks, Jian Yuan Peng
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
That's working thanks Ray.
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Ron Kramer
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Re: Going Unguided With a Long FL Scope?
Tony
I have been able to un-guided at least up to 15m with the following. I have not gone beyond that...do not expect to need to. A-P 1100 / CP4 (non-AE, no HC) APCC Pro / SGP / APPM Pointing and Tracking models (150 points) 14.5" AGOptical Corrected Dall-Kirkham...f.l. = 2500 Canon 6D full frame (Image scale = 0.55"/pxl) Median Eccentricity (using PixInsight) across one image was 0.4552 - guided and 0.4921 - unguided Median FWHM = 5.1 - guided and 7.4 - unguided It took effort to move up the learning curve on the software. Getting a good PE curve was also important. Bryan
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Re: Last night tracking with Mach2
Roland, you are doing this modeled tracking with the keypad application, right?
So if the path of my object will cause my scope to hit my pier a half an hour or an hour after the meridian, I could set up a modeled tracking run up to and maybe slightly past the meridian, then when the mount tracks across the meridian I could take a few more minutes and set up another run for the object's movement into the west. Correct? -- Dean Jacobsen http://astrophoto.net/wp/ Image Gallery - http://astrophoto.net/wp/image-gallery/ Astrobin - https://www.astrobin.com/users/deanjacobsen/
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Re: APPM plate solve failure and then APCC stopping working
Worsel
Ray
A shot in the dark here. I see that the screenshot with big values is at RA Rate=0 and Dec Rate = 0. Can't tell if tracking was at sidereal or a custom rate, but it would not matter since the delta rates are both zero. However, the screenshot with reasonable values is at a custom tracking rate Bryan.
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
Gease kit was already SHIPPED today that was fast! Here is my current steps. Looks okay, I don't see crud... but I suspect a hair or shaving of metal can bump it. I have some snaps and a video just disassembled. Grease to come monday UPS.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 1:30 PM Ray Gralak <groups3@...> wrote: > Is there a way to keep the rotation turning without a HC? I am holding mouse on APCC pro to watch it turn but --
Ron Kramer
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Last night tracking with Mach2
Roland Christen
Hi Astronuts,
I was busy yesterday testing mount software in our AP observatory. After dusk I noticed the sky was very dark - very low humidity, and good seeing. So I captured a number of unguided images of the Ring Nebula just for fun. 160 EDF refractor on the Mach2. Below is what I consider a successful imaging session.
For those needing an explanation of the pix below, I modeled a path for the object by measuring the position of 4 stars along the path. Took about 1 - 2 minutes per star to center them and add it to the model in the CP controller. The image shows how the RA axis moved over a 1 hour time period, starting when the object was approximately 3 hours from the meridian. This motion of the RA axis is a very close match to how the object actually moved across the sky. The difference or error in that 1 hour exposure was approximately 2 pixels. I took a number of 600 second exposures during that time with results as you can see in the image below.
What would have been the difference between modeled tracking with the Mach2 versus guiding? The main difference is in the smoothness of the tracking. Guiding would almost always impart a back and forth sawtooth motion, which can be very small on a premium mount, but can be several arc sec P-P on a lesser one. With fast optics and modern astrocameras, it's getting so that 10 minute exposures are plenty for even the faintest stuff. And for that you can model with a minimum of points along the object path.
Rolando
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
Ray Gralak
Is there a way to keep the rotation turning without a HC? I am holding mouse on APCC pro to watch it turn butOn APCC's rate settings tab you can enter a custom tracking rate which the mount will continue to use until you change it or stop tracking. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver -----Original Message-----
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Re: Mach1 Grease kit were? is it hiding on the site?
Great thanks - removed it easily (lock down screws were TIGHT. !!! Is there a way to keep the rotation turning without a HC? I am holding mouse on APCC pro to watch it turn but I'd like to keep it turning. O ordered kit. will be here likely monday. I have a MS kit from amazon here but I read don't use "S" AERO grease.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 12:24 PM uncarollo2 <chris1011@...> via groups.io <chris1011=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
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Ron Kramer
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Re: APPM plate solve failure and then APCC stopping working
Ray Gralak
Jian,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
All of the solved RA and Dec positions in your screen shot are almost the same which I don't see how that could happen unless the PNT file is corrupted or has been edited. When I load your PNT file I get the attached screen shot. Which version of Windows are you using? Also, it looks like you may be using a beta version of the ASCOM platform? 0000029 2020-06-10 21:16:58.635: Info, ASCOM Version, Major version: 6 0000030 2020-06-10 21:16:58.635: Info, ASCOM Version, Minor version: 5 I doubt this is the problem but you should back off to ASCOM SP6.4 SP1. -Ray Gralak Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro Author of PEMPro V3: https://www.ccdware.com Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
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