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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

iOptron mounts (SmartEQ and ZEQ25) and Starshoot Autoguider

  • Posts: 140
  • Thank you received: 9
All,

I have been using the INDI stack for about a month or two when the weather permits. I have nearly everything working in my setup except guiding. I am not 100% certain where the issue lies, but am hoping someone has some input. I see the same type of behavior with both my SmartEQ Pro mount and my ZEQ25GT mount.

Issues I am seeing:
1 - inability to consistently connect to the SSAG guide camera with INDI in Ekos.
2 - When trying to use the built in guiding software, It seems like it can not slew the mount in guiding at all. I have had limited success using PHD2 under linux.
3 - Using PHD2, When I set the minimum exposure to 1 second or higher in PHD2 it seemed to help the connection through the INDI driver but the connectivity is still not consistent.
4 - It seems like nothing is able to use the ST-4 cable to control the mount. I tried two separate SSAG's and two different iOptron mounts and neither seem to work with the ST-4 cable.
5 - Under PHD2, I set the camera to use the native QHY5 driver and the mount and AUX to INDI Mount I am actually able to connect to the guide camera and I and control the mount, but never seem to get a good calibration. the best I have been able to get was a graph where DEC and RA graph lines were almost exact mirrors of each other.

I am wondering if anyone out there is guiding with iOptron mounts and would be willing to go over their setup with me so I can compare with my settings and hopefully get this working.
7 years 2 months ago #13435

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Try connecting SSAG + iOptron (with ST4 cable), then in INDI Control Panel, go to SSAG, and try to guide by entering values in either axis under guide tab, do you see the RA/DEC changing as you do so? Did you try this under windows with the same ST4 cable setup?
7 years 2 months ago #13449

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With the ST-4 cable it does not move the mount at all. I listen to the mount and the drive worms do not engage at all. I wish I had some sort of decent enough weather to try it again, but it's clouded over here right now. I will see if I can setup and try entering manual values in the guide tab and see what happens. I should be able to do that without real skies.
7 years 2 months ago #13468

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I presume you would like me to connect to the SSAG (QHY5) using the INDI driver stack and set the guiding to use the internal guiding yes?
Last edit: 7 years 2 months ago by John S..
7 years 2 months ago #13469

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You don't need to use Ekos guider, just select mount + guider then go to INDI Control Panel, and in send the pulses from the CCD driver directly to the mount. Monitor the mount RA/DE in INDI Control panel for changes.
7 years 2 months ago #13470

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Ok. It looks like the mount will respond to the N/S pulses via the ST-4 cable, but not E/W pulses. I can try to confirm this with my other mount. I have no reason to think my ST-4 cable is bad as I experienced the same results with a new out of box SSAG ST-4 cable in the field a few sessions ago.
7 years 2 months ago #13477

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I've had a similar problem with QHY5, it only worked in one axis (even under Windows). I ended up replacing it with another QHY5-L-II and that solved the issue. So a hardware issue might be your problem. As a last ditch effort, try it under Windows just to rule out any INDI related software issues.
7 years 2 months ago #13482

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I had that problem too but only on one direction (South) with my SSAG but found that the problem was the
RJ11 socket on the camera. The socket connectors didn't make contact with the cable RJ11 connector.
I tried lots of cables including a couple homemade. What I did was to put a wood toothpick to force the connector
to make contact with the socket.

I know... lazy solution but hey! It worked :woohoo: . I saw a lot of people with this problem and mine was the same.
I think some batches of those cameras had a construction defect on the socket and caused that problem.

Doesn't hurt to try!
You can see on the attached image where I placed the toothpick so it maked pressure on the back of the connector.
Just connect the cable and put it on that spot! Don't make too much pressure just a little to keep the contacts placed.
Test it while guiding and see if the mount responds!
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
Last edit: 7 years 2 months ago by nMAC.
7 years 2 months ago #13499
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