I am imaging unguided, so use the unguided dither pulse. However, ever since 3.6.2 (skipped 3.6.1, so can't tell about that) I have issues with the dithering. The message says that Ekos is dithering and dithering is successful, and imaging resumes. But very often the next frame is never downloaded and imaging essentially stops.
I've selected the 10Micron mount as the guider.
Any idea what could be going on?
Log attached.

Anyone experiencing the same, or any idea what could cause this problem?

I've been able to confirm that this problem is present in both the Mac and the Linux version (3.6.3), and for both the 10micron GM1000 and the GM2000.

Willem,

Just noticed this post. Is your issue resolved?

I took a peek at your log snippet and it has the interesting line:

As I recall, you said you were imaging unguided, so it is odd that the system thinks it has just received a guide image (and thus it is ignored by capture).

I personally have never run the system this way (unguided, but with dithering), but if you still are having issues, please let me know how you set this up--and ideally if you could send me instructions on how to replicate it with the simulator--and I'll take a look at the code.

Hy

Hy

Hy, thank you for looking into this. Yes, the issue is still there. Effectively I have just turned off dithering for now, but that is not ideal of course.
The workflow is actually quite simple. The only thing I turn on in the guiding section is under options the Non-Guide Dither Pulse (see screenshot). It just gives the mount a pulse of a few hundred milliseconds in a random direction. My mounts (10Micron) have absolute encoders and use a pointing model to track without the need for any further guiding. In the same menu I sometimes change the frequency, which works fine for non-guide pulses.
In the optical train I have selected the mount as the guider (see screenshot).

Interesting indeed that the system thinks the camera is making a guiding image. Is there any other place where I can select that?
Btw, don't get confused by the camera types. I believe in the Log its an ASI533, and in the current screenshots an ASI6200, just different setup using a different camera.

Thanks again for looking into it. Hopefully you can find what's wrong here.

Willem Jan.

I'm experiencing the same issues as WJ. Unguided dithering was working like a charm last season but when I came back after several months and did an update jumping over several versions, unguided dithering would fail and terminate imaging sequences. Interestingly, after a meridian flip the other night Ekos decided I needed to calibrate my guiding although I, like WJ, have only selected Non/guided dither pulse under Dither settings. My hunch was that this behaviour had something to do with the introduction of optical trains as this was the most significant change between to the update. I'm also using a 10Micron mount like WJ, - a GM2000 HPS with absolute encoders.

Best regards,
Ginge

Willem, Ginge,

I managed to find an issue, though I'm not 100% sure it's the one you're having. Let me suggest a work-around, and if this works I can talk with Jasem about a more permanent fix.

I think the issue is related to you having only one optical train. When I ran with one optical train then I too failed with non-guide dithering (using the simulator). When I just set up the system as before (with my usual 2 optical trains), but clicked non-guide dither and didn't start guiding, things worked. I then changing things creating a "dummy" 2nd optical train as below and set the guide module to use that train, and things worked also--so the latter is what I recommend you try.



In your real system, you would, of course, not use "Telescope Simulator", but instead your mount, and assign your guide module to use that secondary optical train.

Please let me know if this works,
Hy

Thank you Hy, glad you could reproduce the issue. And your workaround looks like a very workable. I will try that and let you know. Just one question, in the primary train, do I still select the mount as guider? Or does it not matter as in the guiding module the secondary train is chosen?

Great! I'll try this at first opportunity, thanks! I assume this will also fix the problem with forced calibration of a non-existing guide camera/scope...

Best regards,
Ginge

Good news! I just tested it 'in the blind' and dithering and exposures nicely followed each other up (see attached). I have defined a second optical train called Guiding, with all devices '--', except for guiding, where the 10Micron mount is selected. My main optical train is called Primary and there also the 10Micron mount is selected under Guiding, but not sure if this is necessary. In all Ekos modules I select Primary as the optical train, except in de Guiding module, there Guiding is selected as the optical train.
Let's wait and see what Ginge's results are. Also this was not under the sky, so can't say for sure that the dither actually happened, but no reason to question that at the moment.
Thank you so much for finding this workaround, Hy!

Sounds very good, Willem Jan! Judging from the weather forecast I'll be going to the observatory several nights next week. Will test it then.

Thanks!
Ginge

Same 'blind' testing today on the second system and this worked as well. This is GM2000 mount, controlled by Mac