×

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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Astrophysics AP1100 - Starting From Park and Parking

  • Posts: 3
  • Thank you received: 0
Hi All,

I'm currently running a AP1100 mount running the latest GTO4 firmware (VCP4-P01-11). I am currently located in the southern hemisphere.

Starting INDI, un-parking from Park 3 leaves the mount pointing Northwards at -27 degrees azimuth (under the horizon). I am in the southern hemisphere, so the mount is pointing in the opposite direction to the south celestial pole (southwards and upwards at 27 degrees). This leaves the mount un-able to perform a correct slew and unable to know where it is.

Parking the mount in Park 3 also presents a similar problem, as I assume that it parks in the same position below the horizon. When trying to make a custom Park 3. Setting the park system to a custom park position also of +27 degrees and 360, 180 or 0 degrees of azimuth also gives incorrect parking slews to below the horizon.

The debug output for the Unpark and Park Sequence is below.


Thanks

INFO 16.952427 sec : Session log file /home/ubuntu/.indi/logs/2018-05-08/indi_lx200ap_experimental/indi_lx200ap_experimental_10:36:24.log
INFO 46.607960 sec : Servo Box Controller: GTOCP4.
INFO 46.608129 sec : Firmware Version: 'V' - P01-11
INFO 46.608216 sec : Firmware level 'V' detected - driver loaded.
INFO 46.608299 sec : This is an _EXPERIMENTAL_ driver for Astro-Physics mounts - use at own risk!
INFO 46.608384 sec : BEFORE USING PLEASE READ the documentation at:
INFO 46.608452 sec : indilib.org/devices/telescopes/astrophysics.html
INFO 46.655781 sec : AstroPhysics Experimental is online.
INFO 46.799472 sec : Site location updated to Lat -27:29:59 - Long 153:10:01
INFO 46.801853 sec : Mount is unparked.
INFO 46.808997 sec : Debug is disabled.
INFO 46.895079 sec : Site location updated to Lat -27:29:59 - Long 153:10:01
INFO 47.918144 sec : Time updated.
WARNING 47.951022 sec : Mount is not yet initialized.
INFO 47.982518 sec : Unparking from last parked position...
INFO 47.982657 sec : Mount is unparked.
INFO 48.063059 sec : Site location updated to Lat -27:29:59 - Long 153:10:01
INFO 158.252054 sec : Slewing to RA: 14:30:09 - DEC: -83:44:57
INFO 164.148605 sec : Slew is complete. Tracking...
INFO 221.197931 sec : Parking is in progress...
INFO 238.565428 sec : Parking aborted.
INFO 238.565833 sec : Slew/Track aborted.
INFO 330.446194 sec : Slewing to RA: 5:51:43 - DEC: -89:59:59
INFO 332.651529 sec : Slew/Track aborted.
INFO 359.493037 sec : Slewing to RA: 6:49:37 - DEC: -89:59:57
INFO 378.293307 sec : Slew/Track aborted.
INFO 388.587618 sec : AstroPhysics Experimental is offline.
5 years 10 months ago #25891

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Are you using stable or nightly PPA? There were fixed for this in the nightly PPA.. didn't make it yet to stable.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chris
5 years 10 months ago #25895

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 5
  • Thank you received: 0
I am facing a similar issue. The "park from" position is correctly computed by the driver (ap experimental) but ekos reports another position.

The last ppa version from today did not improve the situation. The position in ekos is still not matching the park position coming from the driver but now, it changes at each connection/disconnection of the mount.
the mount is parked on P2, the driver is set to "Unpark from P2"
log at connection:
2018-05-08T19:27:34: [INFO] Site location updated to Lat 48:00:00 - Long 6:00:00
2018-05-08T19:27:34: [INFO] Mount is unparked.
2018-05-08T19:27:34: [INFO] calcParkPosition: parkPos=2 parkAlt=0.000000 parkAz=90.000000
2018-05-08T19:27:34: [INFO] Computing PARK2 position...
2018-05-08T19:27:34: [INFO] Mount is initialized.

Ekos reports: Az:143:07:14 Alt:35:46:52
disconnect then connect the mount

2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] Site location updated to Lat 48:00:00 - Long 6:00:00
2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] Mount is unparked.
2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] calcParkPosition: parkPos=2 parkAlt=0.000000 parkAz=90.000000
2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] Computing PARK2 position...
2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] Mount is initialized.
2018-05-08T19:30:57: [INFO] Time updated.

Ekos.: Az:270:22:50 Alt:00:00:52
disconnect / reconnect would restart at Az:140...

I did several test with other park position, same result.

thanks
Emmanuel
5 years 10 months ago #25905

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 155
  • Thank you received: 10
Attached screens are for our Northern latitude AP1600GTO. Hopefully, they may help, but, we assume no responsibility for your own mount.

We like to use horizontal pointing north on the horizon, NOT our pole star. It allows us to easily know if initialization is correct, and, when park is correctly being achieved.

Our initial procedure was to manually position the telescope on the horizon facing north. The telescope is EAST of the pier with counter weights to the West. Power up the mount and wait. Our AP is rather slow to boot up. Once it's initialized, we moved the cursor on the KStars map to the approximate location the mount was pointing. Synced. Then, we used the INDI Control Panel command (Site Management, Park Options, Write Data) to write our current position for KStars to use as the Park.

Operationally, we are careful to not Warm Initialize, unless needed during the night. Always, when you initially power up the mount and connect, check to see the star map shows the mount icon in the approximate Parked position. If not, the mount must be properly Synced.

One final suggestion. Be careful to make certain the connection is with the mount and not some other USB device.
5 years 10 months ago #25907

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 3
  • Thank you received: 0

I wasn't at the time, I have tried it tonight and unfortunately the same issue persists.

Placing coordinates into the custom park positions for the southern celestial pole, rather than from Park, results in the mounts in-ability to slew to that position.

I haven't previously had problems with the eqmod INDI drivers for the EQ6. Only when I upgraded to the AP1100 has this problem occurred.

Thanks
5 years 10 months ago #25912

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 57
  • Thank you received: 12
I have just verified that that latest build of the Astro-Physics Experimental driver fixes the problem I had with Park Positions. They are all correct for me with a CP3 and V level firmware. I did my test on a source code build under OSX. My stellarmate is still on the old code and still has the problem.

Thanks @mikefulb !!
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chris
Last edit: 5 years 10 months ago by DAVID J EISENLORD.
5 years 10 months ago #25971

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 3
  • Thank you received: 0
Hi All,

Sorry about the late reply, I've been having other issues of late with my setup.

The issue is has been solved for me using the ethernet cable rather than USB which I probably would recommend to anyone else in my situation. Now the target showing the mount does not move an inch and starts from Park 3 perfectly.

Thank you all very much for your help.
5 years 9 months ago #26490

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.791 seconds