TL;DR No flip CEM40 EC KStars 3.4.3 on R Pi 4 Buster 4 GB (often crashes KStars)

I'm having trouble getting meridian flips to happen. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, but can't figure it out!

I set up imaging runs and check the box that says "Flip if HA >" (which I set to 0 .00 Hours)

Message in mount tab shows that Ekos is aware of Pier Side: West (pointing East)

Messages in the Mount tab count down the minutes and seconds to a flip.
Message in the Mount tab says "Meridian Flip"
Tracking turns off
Then a message appears "Meridian flip waiting"
Then message changes to "Meridian flip planned ..."

Then nothing. No more tracking.

Sometimes KStars crashes at this point. More often not.

Oddly, some times the exact same actions lead to continuing exposures with HA=0 and "Meridian flip in 00h:00m:00s"

Maybe there's some setting in the INDI control panel I'm missing? Or in the KStars preferences? Or in the mount firmware?

This is with an iOptron CEM 40EC on KStars 3.4.3 on a Raspberry Pi 4B running Buster. I've connected an ASI 094MC Pro and taken dummy images up through the meridian flip, but that doesn't make any difference either.

I'm testing this during the day with internet access and AC power.

It's more frustrating up at the dark site where there's no air, it's freezing cold, and everything is supposed to run all night on batteries.

At least up in the mountains no one can hear me scream!

Here's the relevant excerpt from my log when the program announces "Meridian flip waiting":

[2020-07-29T14:02:58.212 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 60.000-second image..."
[2020-07-29T14:02:58.232 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Taking a 60 seconds frame... "
[2020-07-29T14:03:12.170 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - "Meridian flip waiting."
[2020-07-29T14:04:00.876 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2020-07-29T14:04:00.877 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2020-07-29T14:04:04.116 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-04-04_008.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:04:07.234 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 4.22 s, New Download Time Estimate: 4.29 s."
[2020-07-29T14:04:07.246 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-04-04_008.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:04:07.269 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 3 out of 5."

This was immediately followed by KStars crashing completely.

Here's an example of the log when the software doesn't seem to "notice" that it's time for a flip. Message counts down to Meridian flip in 00h:00m:00s but then stops tracking and continues imaging without either a flip for error or log message:

[2020-07-29T14:10:38.053 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 60.000-second image..."
[2020-07-29T14:10:38.136 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Taking a 60 seconds frame... "
[2020-07-29T14:11:40.635 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2020-07-29T14:11:40.766 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2020-07-29T14:11:43.811 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-11-43_003.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:11:46.923 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 4.17 s, New Download Time Estimate: 5.48 s."
[2020-07-29T14:11:46.937 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-11-43_003.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:11:46.975 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 3 out of 5."
[2020-07-29T14:11:47.708 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 60.000-second image..."
[2020-07-29T14:11:47.866 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Taking a 60 seconds frame... "
[2020-07-29T14:12:50.281 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2020-07-29T14:12:50.384 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2020-07-29T14:12:53.068 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-12-53_004.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:12:56.145 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 3.89 s, New Download Time Estimate: 5.08 s."
[2020-07-29T14:12:56.172 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-12-53_004.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:12:56.173 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 4 out of 5."
[2020-07-29T14:12:56.924 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 60.000-second image..."
[2020-07-29T14:12:56.942 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Taking a 60 seconds frame... "
[2020-07-29T14:13:59.444 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2020-07-29T14:13:59.600 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI094MC Pro(Imager) : "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2020-07-29T14:14:02.256 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-14-02_005.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:14:05.269 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 3.87 s, New Download Time Estimate: 4.84 s."
[2020-07-29T14:14:05.281 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/home/denning/0.New.Data/Light/NGC_2935_Light_60_secs_2020-07-29T14-14-02_005.fits"
[2020-07-29T14:14:05.282 MDT INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 5 out of 5."

Can somebody please suggest some settings or configurations I've missed?

Also happy to post entire logs if that would help.

Thank you all!
Scott

Replying to my own query to attach full log file.

This was a case in which KStars crashed immediately upon beginning the next image capture after the flip was supposed to occur.

Try to set the hour angle a bit higher, either 3 degrees, or 0.02 for example. Also next time you run KStars, use ekosdebugger so that if it crashes, it will catch the necessary logs.

Scott, I had a similar problem with my CEM25P a few months ago. I found that I needed to set meridian flip (in the CEM25P hand controller) to occur after the time set to flip in Ekos. In the hand controller- settings-meridian treatment I have position set to flip at 3 degrees and in Ekos I have the flip set to happen if HA> .02 It seems to work fine there. I don't remember ever having Kstars crash because the flip wouldn't execute so maybe this isn't your problem. Something to try though.

Jasem and Starman,

Thank you both for your help with this!

As stamen said, the trouble was with the internal mount setting (from the hand controller). I had the HC disconnected so had to go back and hook it up to set the flip angle further out than in Ekos. I used stamen's suggestion of 3 degrees for the HC and 0.02 hours for Ekos and Voiila! I now flip successfully.

Really appreciate your help!
Scott

Great! Glad that worked for you.