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iOptron CEM60 Question

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

Chris,

thank you very much for the quick and good work. As far as my tests went (after the time setting problem) I could find no problems anymore. Can't do any guiding testing with PHD2 with that old RPI that I have, it will crash. I will need to order a new one and start building a new setup with Indi again.
Will also continue to check if Ascom uses any more hidden commands.

Regards,

Paul
The following user(s) said Thank You: Richard Beck
3 years 11 months ago #52497

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Chris,

a quick update: I have clear sky, and wanted to try PHD2 thoroughly. However, I do have a complete new setup (new telescope), and that is much more sensitive to wind, so with the almost 10m/s I have outside there's no chance to do accurate things :(
I did however manage to get a calibration for PHD2 (done on the east side), and then did a switch to the west side, to another object, and engaged PHD2. It nicely started tracking, so it correctly gets the pier side info and adjusts the control matrix accordingly. Things like meridian flip etc will have to wait (coming days have less wind, but clouds..... grrrr!)
3 years 11 months ago #52619

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

Chris,

Done a session last night. After solving all other issues finally coul go. It did a nice meridian flip, recentered the image and guiding continued (correctly) in PHD2 with the calibating. So very good, many thanks.

There 1 thing that wories me.

In PHD2 you can do drift align. So pointed the mount neer meridian, dec around zero and started PHD2 drift align.

(PHD2 on windows connected to the indi mount on rpi) Instead if showing something like a meridian offset of +3, it showed something like -178 (really confused) looks it thought the meridian was in the east. If I do the same with the windows drivers all looks ok.
Same thing with and without aux-mount. (maybe phd2 isn reading the position from the mount?)

An other small issue is the guiding rates. They are implemented the way the manual states. But on my mount lunar an solar are inversed. (could also be firmware in the mount, will do some more checking)

Paul
Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by PDB.
3 years 10 months ago #53663

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The meridian offset seems to be PHD's interpretation of where the scope hour angle axis is, this will differ by 180 degrees depending on the pier side. +3 on one side and -178 on the other seems OK, adding 180 to -178 gives +2. You are probably seeing this because the driver is now reporting pier side. If you want more clarity i suggest you contact the PHD2 support people.

I've checked the changes I made and I did nothing to the rate control. Perhaps it's always been like that. But are you taking about Guiding rates, which are the ones that guide commands use or tracking rates, which are what lunar, slar and sidereal are?
3 years 10 months ago #53665

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

Sorry it is the tracking rates (it was early this morning before going to sleep)
But don't change anything yet. It either is a flaw in the command manual, or the firmware of some mounts. It's not important, probably noone but me uses solar rate, and i can always select lunar rate instead in the software.
I will check with the Ascom driver how it goes there.

Rgrds,

Paul
3 years 10 months ago #53668

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

Chris,

the offset problem is very strange. Probably something in PHD2 as in the driver itself.
It is time dependent, the offset drifts by 1°/15minutes. Then I tested with eqmod in simulation mode. No drift.

Maybe this is caused by LST not present in the driver? Looking at PHD2 source it tries to read LST from the mount, which does not to be there in iEQ driver. Then it should switch to the INOVA lib for LST.
I think that might be a problem on Windows PHD2. I compiled a Linux version and tested. No drift and correct values for Meridian Offset. (so far). (well I can run PHD from a linux box, I wish they made without graphical interface then I could run it from a command line, don't need all these fancy graphs.)

Paul
3 years 10 months ago #53729

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Replied by fmozza on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

I have used the PHD2 drift align in the past, but have shifted to using the EKOS polar alignment. It is generally much quicker to use, mostly automated (some issues with captures starting before the mount is stopped - use manual mode), and is accurate. Note that PHD2 recommends that polar alignment should be slightly off to avoid DEC oscillation (not sure what the recommended amount of misalignment is - my CEM60 is about 1.5 arc-minutes off according to PHD2). Overall, it works very well - much preferred over drift alignment. See PHD2 best practices for details for polar misalignment.

If you still want to use drift alignment, use EKOS to align first, and then try PHD2 drift - you'll find your mount will be very close, and it will be much quicker.

Regards,

jmh
Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by fmozza.
3 years 10 months ago #53732

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

usually I align rougly with the polar finder - then going to another tool (sharpcap when using windows) EKOS with Linux. The main scope has small fov and that makes plate solving around the pole not very fast, or sometime no result at all. So then I need to take the guide scope (80mm f/6) which share the cam over indi. Then trouble starts. PHD stop using cam. Polar arlign set cam an scope to guider. Do polar align all still ok. Set main cam and scope back in the align tab. Connect cam in PHD. Phd starts working ok, but now in the align tab the imags from the guide cam still come in and almost impossible to do plate solve. (You see the correct image, then the guide image) The main cam is then also "fucked up" shoots images, shows them in the viewer, but ekos keeps showing downloading forever.
Only thing to do -> shutdown phd, ekos , kstars and restart :-C (usually not needed to stop kstars, it will crash anyway when disconnting device when these things happen)

P
3 years 10 months ago #53744

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Replied by Richard Beck on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

Have you tried PHD's Static Polar Alignment routine? That should keep you from trying to switch the guide camera from PHD2 to EKOS and back again.
3 years 10 months ago #53754

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Replied by PDB on topic iOptron CEM60 Question

yes, tried but without good results. None of the tools I used near the celestial pole give me excellent results. Polaris is ~15° above the roof of my house, so seeing not that good either and you can see all the tools jumping around on how the corrections should be made.
WIthout touching anynithing the polar aligment error can jump fairly heavy. View to the south is better so some drift align might be better. (Hopefully getting rid of all that when I get a fixed setup)

P
3 years 10 months ago #53769

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