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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Guiding won't start because calibration fails

That's awful. I understand how frustrating this could be. I think it's a good idea to consider PHD2 as an option in case the internal guiding gives you any issues. I checked the logs, and it appears that this might be some backlash issue.
Here the mount is calibrated West (or 1.5x sidereal rate):
[2018-08-11T23:19:02.547 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 1 : STAR  1028.13 , 231.525
[2018-08-11T23:19:02.548 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  1  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:06.842 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 2 : STAR  1032.28 , 231.285
[2018-08-11T23:19:06.842 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  2  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:09.760 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 3 : STAR  1034.48 , 230.792
[2018-08-11T23:19:09.760 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  3  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:14.006 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 4 : STAR  1039.64 , 231.072
[2018-08-11T23:19:14.006 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  4  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:16.866 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 5 : STAR  1042.12 , 230.668
[2018-08-11T23:19:16.866 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  5  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:16.867 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - End X1  1042.12  End Y1  230.668

All good so far, now it reverses direction (Tracking rate set to 0.5x of sidereal):
[2018-08-11T23:19:21.113 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 6 : STAR  1043.86 , 227.34
[2018-08-11T23:19:21.113 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  6  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:21.114 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  21.388  from original point.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:24.056 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 7 : STAR  1044.35 , 224.98
[2018-08-11T23:19:24.057 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  7  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:24.057 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  22.1688  from original point.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:28.338 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 8 : STAR  1044.87 , 219.886
[2018-08-11T23:19:28.339 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  8  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:28.339 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  23.2992  from original point.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:31.261 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 9 : STAR  1045.73 , 217.774
[2018-08-11T23:19:31.262 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  9  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:31.262 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  24.4072  from original point.
 
[2018-08-11T23:19:35.508 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 10 : STAR  1046.44 , 212.771
[2018-08-11T23:19:35.509 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  10  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  1000  ms.
[2018-08-11T23:19:35.509 AEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  25.7178  from original point.

You can see that it's getting father away. The internal guider probably should increase the duration when that happens. I'll try to adapt a solution to the backlash issue. If anyone else has a different idea on what's going on, please share it.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Craig
5 years 7 months ago #28491

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Thanks for looking at the logs Jasem.

Thing is, I like the internal guider a lot and apart from setting up in a different location (darker skies), I'd changed literally nothing with my setup from the last 2-3 sessions since upgrading to v2.9.7 and its been great. I was using v2.9.6 before that it was mostly good as well apart from that dithering bug which seems to have been resolved with v2.9.7.

I saw two other posts with the same error message in the title, so there are others around who have had the same problem. Any idea's on what they ended up doing to resolve the problem???


PS I did try to run PHD2 both from my Mac and from the Stellarmate itself while using VNC to try and at least get some images, it wouldn't connect to the guide camera in both cases even though PHD could see the ZWO 120MM (and it was getting late). I was also trying to connect through INDI and not directly connect too, maybe that was it..... I was probably missing something and was tired and fed up at that point and yeah, I get a LOT of people use PHD2 and all that, but I'm not a fan of what I've seen of it so far. I actually prefer to use EKOS. It's been getting 2.5-4 arc second accuracy and its integrated into EKOS so I'm not jumping to different screens all the time. I'd really prefer not to use PHD2 unless I have no other choice.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
5 years 7 months ago #28521

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The other two posts are recent or old? I didn't see new calibration issues since 2.9.7. Btw, 2.5-4" guiding is considered quite high, I rarely go over 1"

I posted a video tutorial on how to use PHD2 with Ekos:


I'm currently at a loss at what caused your issue above, nothing jumps out as the culprit now. We should have 2.9.8 released soon enough with the backlash compensation.
5 years 7 months ago #28522

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Here are some screen shots in case this helps further diagnose the problem.

EDIT: it's not letting me add a .png file, so here is a screen shot zipped up
Last edit: 5 years 7 months ago by Craig. Reason: Not allowing attachment of a .png file, so adding it in a zip file instead
5 years 7 months ago #28529

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Here is a link to someone else having the same guiding error message. There was another post too with the same error message

indilib.org/forum/ekos/2482-guiding-issue.html#18490
5 years 7 months ago #28530

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I'm not sure this helps, but attached is one of my recent sessions guiding logs FYI. I thought it was pretty decent, but I'm pretty new at this.

This was with multiple targets, EKOS guiding with v2.9.7 and no problems doing autoguiding calibration. Same mount, same version of Stellarmate OS, same version of EKOS on the Mac etc etc.
5 years 7 months ago #28531

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This has happened to me several times over the last three weeks. I use Stellarmate as a wifi access point, and just use INDI to connect via my Macbook. It has occurred suddenly after a good guiding session, after slewing to a new target. I tried tossing out the calibration file abut it just failed to calibrate after that. I tried switching the "guide via" options from the guider to the camera to the mount and once this seemed to work. I had to turn off the computer and then it worked again reboot. Unfortunately I did not take notes - which is something I will do from now on. In the end I lost about two hours trying to get guiding back to work. I never tried using the STS cable, but I know the system works without it, so that's not a real solution to this specific and intermittent problem. The last session I had on Saturday, worked fine.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Craig
5 years 7 months ago #28534

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I have calibration fail with my G-11, too. The experience that I have made is this: When I activate SUBFRAME, calibration will fail almost all of the time (it did work on rare occasions). I then deactivate SUBFRAME, calibrate again and it works 100% of the time. No change in hard- or software whatsoever. I have no idea why that should be the case as I can see the guide star move exactly as it is supposed to, no backlash at all. So the only recommandation that I can give is to deactivate SUBFRAME in case that hasn't been done already.

P.S.: I always use the ST4 port of my guiding cam.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Craig
Last edit: 5 years 7 months ago by Alfred.
5 years 7 months ago #28565

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I also tried reseting the guiding data, turning on/off stellarmate, the mount, restarting EKOS on the Mac as well and on top of that tried guiding via the camera with an ST4 cable VS saying via the EQMOD driver which was always working. In my scenario, EQMOD is working great for GOTO, plate solving, capture and slew etc etc, so its absolutely controlling the mount.

It still wouldn't restart. I did have this once before and I cleared the guiding data in EKOS and it seemed to continue on (that was on v2.9.6) until now. Where nothing seems to be able to force it to start now......
5 years 7 months ago #28579

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Thanks for getting back to me. I also don't have any (or very little) backlash either as I've got an Skywatcher EQ6R which is a belt drive mount and I can also see the star moving as its supposed too.

I will try the activation/deactivation of SUBFRAME in my next session as per your suggestion. I've not been using it so far though.....maybe that somehow clears out the calibration data that's different to clearing it using the red icon on the bottom left (its next to save guide data icon) in the main guiding page.
5 years 7 months ago #28580

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I can't seem to get the forum to let me upload screen shots, but here is a link to multiple log files and screen shots in case this helps further diagnose the issue. It contains 3-4 log files and a couple of screen shots of the guiding tab in EKOS.

app.box.com/s/28yjhrs8ven0q3udxv0ayv48f2urf02i
5 years 7 months ago #28585

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There are obviously still issues in the guiding calibration and I appreciate your patience on this. Just please do not forget to attach the logs and describe exactly what you're doing. Because there are so many variables involved, it's not straight forward to figure out what's going on.
5 years 7 months ago #28586

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