×

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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Synscan driver drives the scope into the mount

  • Posts: 424
  • Thank you received: 66
Its nice that the synscan driver is now working for pointing but I try to take it a little further and I get more problems. I decided to use the manual NSEW controls on the Ekos control panel to put the dec axis a 0 degrees (to open up the polar scope sight), and then found the scope would not stop slewing until the camera hit the mount.

Also, I tried the polar alignment tool and again when the mount was slewing 30 degrees on RA, it continued until I ran over an cut the power before my scope hit the mount again.
5 years 9 months ago #26409

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

  • Posts: 421
  • Thank you received: 102
I don't think Polar Alignment Assistant will work with the SynScan driver, because it makes use of Syncing the mount, and syncing is currently broken in SynScan driver for equatorial mounts (it works for Alt/Az mounts). If you have an equatorial mount, I'd recommend using the EQmod driver instead. If you don't have the proper cable for EQmod, you can use your existing cable that you use with synscan driver, and put the handset into "PC Direct" mode (it's in the utility menu of the handset).
Last edit: 5 years 9 months ago by Kevin Ross.
5 years 9 months ago #26418

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

  • Posts: 424
  • Thank you received: 66
Thanks @kross. I did finally use EQMOD but I wonder if the synscan driver is broken, then why not fix it? And if not fix it then why offer it? Everybody with synscan first tries the synscan driver of course and the finds it doesn’t work. A friend who’s trying it with his atlas pro just discovered that this weekend.
5 years 9 months ago #26421

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

  • Posts: 421
  • Thank you received: 102
Well, we've been trying to fix it. It's looking like a bug in the firmware of the handset, not properly accepting sync commands from the computer.
5 years 9 months ago #26425

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

  • Posts: 424
  • Thank you received: 66
Have you tried Skywatcher support? Is there anything I can do to help? Do you debug with simulators because I don't get a lot of observing time where I am.
5 years 9 months ago #26427

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

  • Posts: 421
  • Thank you received: 102
This was a pretty recent discovery that sync wasn't working. Skywatcher support is the next step.

The synscan driver is usable, I use it myself. It has limitations, though. Can't use plate solving or syncing within kstars. You must polar align and 2 or 3 star sync from the handset, and not kstars. Recent versions of the synscan firmware have a nice polar alignment routine built into them now.

But yes, I absolutely get where you're coming from. When I want to use the more advanced features of kstars, I have to switch to eqmod. I prefer the simplicity of synscan driver, and would like to get it working to the same level as eqmod (at least as much as possible).
5 years 9 months ago #26435

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

  • Posts: 424
  • Thank you received: 66

Yes, I friend has been using it but it never quite zeros in on the PA like Kstars' PA tool.

Good luck with skywatcher!
5 years 9 months ago #26442

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

Time to create page: 0.635 seconds