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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

CGEM, time, date, location and INDI...

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This weekend I got to a dark sight with clear skies, mobile power and no internet or Skysync GPS. This is all using the RPI3 as a wifi AP, and controlling the EKos imaging sessions and scheduler with an iPAD using VNC. Yes, it is worked well in the end, very easy and portable.

Problem: The Mount does not seem to be able to update the RPI3, or KStars for date time and location.

Desire workflow: Execute Celestron's Two Star Alignment on a CGEM, and also on a 6SE. Put in the custom site long. lat., date, and time. Align the mount and all works really well. Connect/Power-up RPI3, start Kstars and Ekos/INDI matches the time and date, and location set on the mount. Whether connecting to INDI on the RPI3 via VNC on RPI3, or Mac using Kstars, or slewing via SkiSafari, all do not change the time/location settings on the CGEM, and in the case of the RPI3 KStars or Mac Kstars, Kstars matches the time and location of the mount. In the case of SkySafari, it any time/location is turned off.

Problem: CGEM Mount does not seem to update KStars/INDI on the RPI3 (did not get to test Mac)

Attempted solution: INDI Settings -> Device updates, Select Device and check off Time and Geographic location. This setting was done before starting INDI.

Symptoms:
1. Kstars remains at Feb 2, 2016
2. RPI3 itself remains at Feb 2, 2016, ie. rpi3: ~$ date
3. RPI3 image files are saved with Feb 2, 2016

When I am home this is not an issue as the RPI3 would update Date/Time on boot via NTP.

I learned to enter the Long/Lat in the INDI driver for the mount on site location tab, and can almost do same for the Time date via converting to UTC.

If there is a log to send along let me know, and I will try to provide it via specific test. There did not seem to be anything of note though.

Please let me know if you have any ideas.
6 years 8 months ago #18074

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Celestron driver fetches and updates time (if supported), but there is no way I know of to fetch location data from mount controller. If you know of a method, please submit a PR to INDI on Github.

When it updates time, you should see something like "Mount UTC offset is XX, UTC time is YY". If you don't see such a message then your mount does not support reading of date/time information (AVX + CGE Pro). IF you see such a message, and KStars time does _not_ get updated and you set source to "device" then we have a bug here.
6 years 8 months ago #18076

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I will test and check for the "Mount UTC offset is XX, UTC time is YY", not tonight though, and report back.

Would this be reported on the Setup tab when INDI is started? If so I can check my logs and report back.

Regarding the location updates, do I understand then for Celestron the location then needs to be manual match between KStars/Ekos and mount?
6 years 8 months ago #18082

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You check for the message in INDI Control Panel. For Celestron, you can set its location to KStars, but not vice versa.
6 years 8 months ago #18087

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Reporting back. The following lines were found in the INDI Console log:

2017-07-31T01:15:42: Loading device configuration...
2017-07-31T01:15:42: Mount UTC offset is -4.00. UTC time is 2017-07-31T02:15:39
2017-07-31T01:15:41: Mount is unparked.
2017-07-31T01:15:41: Celestron NexStar is online.

Does this confirm KStars should be able to take the time from the CGEM mount?

If this is true, then do I understand correctly that the RPI3 could be at the default boot time which seems to be Feb 11, 2016, and KStars/Ekos will operate at the time specified by the mount?

Things seem to be working really well in the sessions tonight.

Thank you for all you do Jasem
6 years 7 months ago #18210

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Yes this is mount time, if KStars is set to receive updates from device, it should update the KStars date & time accordingly.
6 years 7 months ago #18220

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Perfect! This should end the confusion I had in my work flow. Where I setup and take down without a GPS unit, it will be good to have everything match the time/date used to align the mount.

What will the date of file image Ekos saves?

I am assuming the file name will be Kstars time, yet the file system will not use Kstars time and will use the RPI3 system.

I can confirm this all works tomorrow.
6 years 7 months ago #18237

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I tested this last night. The mount time did appear. KStars though did not update to the mount time when INDI was started via the Start button and the Mount connected.

The Celestron NexStar tab Site Information did report the correct time of the mount.

Once I manually changed Kstars to 2017 time and date things were fine.

Is there anything else I can check or test?
6 years 7 months ago #18263

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