Hi there,

yesterday I encountered two problems on the actual software stack with the polar alignment. This worked last year without problems.I am under StellarmateX. Could not test the raspberry yet. Everything else works fine (camera, guiding, plate solve ...).

The first issue was:mount does not move after first solve
I polar-align around DEC 0 (not NCP). Polar alignment procedure nowadays just stops after the first iteration. The mount simply does not move to the next step (in my case westwards, the second plate solve).
I tried all kinds of starting points (more east, more south/north of the meridian). There are no mount limits, that hinder the mount movement. I also played with the amount of degree to rotate (30 degree is standard) — no effort.

Temporary solution: I had to slew the mount manually in RA using the "manual sclew -> On" switch. Then I can trigger a solve.

The second and most problematic issue: GUI not refreshing, showing the actual alignment error in Alt/Az
The GUI on the Stellarmate app on the iPhone simply did not give me a refresh after the first information about the needed corrections in Alt/Az (5sec camera, 7sec refresh). I never had these issues before. So I simply had to restart the whole alignment process to get at least a first error detection and how to move Alt and Az.


The third issue: The “done” button
it is not very wise to use the “refresh” button with the “done” and then also simply stop the entire process without any warning. It happened twice yesterday, accidentally hitting “done”. Which lead to start everything from scratch (see problem one).

Unfortunately, I did not have any luck with the weather and could not correct the errors. If the sky allows, I will try this night again.

Cheers
Axel

Am I the only one encountering this problem with the polar alignment tool?

P.S: Besides the "refreshing" problems with the app: also using EKOS via VNC leads in a non-functional “automatic” PPA.

Tested yesterday evening with the new 1.8.1 — unfortunately, this is still not working. Mount stops after the first solve and does not move further.

Mount is an OnStepX. Tested with stellarmate X on a thin cIient pc. As i said, everything else works fine.
I will also test with an EQ-6, when skies are more clear.

I still hope, this is a mount tor OnStep-indi driver problem.

Cheers, Axel

Have you checked the Slew rate in the PA control panel is set to Max? I remember that I had occasion with an OnStep mount where this setting seemed to always get reset to the minimum speed which on my mount was so slow that I thought it wasn't moving.

For me this issue went away a few months ago but I didn't make a note of when/why ie. kstars/indi update or me messing with optical trains/profiles/other settings.

Thanks, Ed,

yes, slew rate is at Max. It's slewing fine after the first resolve to the second position, but the stops. The EKOS mount control still shows "Slewing W", but it is already at the desired second position.
It's constantly raining at the moment and my mount is outside. So I can not test. I'll look into it and report.

Cheers, Axel

I have same problem. if I set 20 degrees it's fine and the alignment works, from 21 degrees and more it doesn't make the first rotation and stops at 20. I have onstep and CGE pro. I use 3.6.9 Kstars, with 3.6.8 are perfect.
Ettore

Success stories:

I first tried yesterday indoors with simulators on a second OnStep mount (a Astrophysics CNC 400): worked like expected. I controlled the limits. I had +5 degrees set for Meridian W and E in OnStep.

Today, I had a few hours clear skies. So I could try on my Lichtenknecker M100B. So I again checked the limits. Due to the fact, that the mount can slew far upon the meridian and it is mounted on a balcony, I prefer the pier west. So my meridian limit west is +60 degrees. My meridian limit east is -45, so the mount should not slew too much in direction east, but more to the west. When I start near Dec/Meridian (pier west), I have much space to travel the 30 degree for polar alignment.

Out of a sudden, this eventing this worked fine without any problems.
I really do not know why.

- Slew speed was correct (high)
- mount limits are not problems, because I am using pier west and slewing to the west. So if I start near meridian, I have 60 degrees travel way without a meridian flip will occour, so plenty enough for the slew
- this evening an update occured on both, my iPad app and the Stellarmatex pc.

@Ettore: check your mount limits in OnStep (not KStars!).
- If you set them to POSITIVE values, this means for West: "I going upon West and the mount is hitting the meridian line", it will go further on without doing a meridian flip exactly the given additonal amount of positive degrees. The meridian flip happens AFTER this amount of degrees. And when slewing East, the same in this direction.
- If you set them to NEGATIVE values, this means for slewing e.g., West: “Do a meridian flip this amount of degrees, BEFORE (!) you reach the Meridian.” This will hinder the mount to slew in the desired direction, if this is intended because the telescope or parts of the mount would hit something.

I wrote the down in detail here: onstep.groups.io/g/main/topic/103907812?...=1705801921876106276

So I declare this solved for now.

Cheers Axel