×

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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

KStars / Celestron Alignment Issue (I think?)

  • Posts: 17
  • Thank you received: 4
Hey Everyone,

Brand new stellarmate user here, and trying out some astrophotography for the first time, so please forgive my (likely) stupidity!

I've got a Celestron Astro Fi 5 paired with my old Canon 500D. Without Stellarmate / Kstars I can get a decent alignment, and get 30s shots of M42 with a fair degree of success (lots of improvement to be had.. but there's time for that).

My issues come when trying to use KStars through stellarmate hooked up to my gear. Everything connects fine, but the apparent position of my scope within KStars is just way out. Taking a blind photo through KStars/Ekos/Indi gives me a clear image of Orion. However KStars is showing my scope pointing near Betelgeuse. This same position also shows up when skysafari is connected through stellarmate rather than directly to the scope. I've tried this over a couple of nights with the same issues. Note this is with the scope aligned directly through Sky Safari Pro connected to the scope (wifi), and the scope itself is tracking. The locations are set in both Sky Safari and KStars as my location (Sydney, Australia), and the times are all set to now.

I'm happy to provide logs etc if someone can be fairly specific as to what would be useful. In the meantime i've attached a few imagines from within a few minutes of a few different places that might be helpful.

Any help would be appreciated! I feel I may be completely stupid and missing a button that says 'the scope is actually pointing here', but also there might be a problem with the scope and communicating with KStars which i'm not going to be able to solve by brute force.

Jack
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
3 years 2 months ago #65837

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

Hi Jack,

Welcome! From a brief look at the logs, it appears alignment system is having some trouble. When you FIRST connect to it, does it show the telescope crosshair at some home position? or is it random?
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65839

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

  • Posts: 17
  • Thank you received: 4
Hi Knro!

When I connected to it directly during the day (before any sky safari alignment) it was showing due north on the horizon. After alignment and the moving (through sky safari) to M42, I then connected and it showed up between Betelgeuse and the rosetta nebula. When I shut down EKOS and connected back to the scope directly, it the direction showed back at Orion as it was meant to (and is).

Edit: Oh and my procedure tonight was (1) Connect to the mount directly via sky safari (2) Align per usual (3) Start up KStars / Ekos. If that's of help. Last night I was trying to do things with KStars already started so wanted to take that out of the equation.

Cheers,
Jack
Last edit: 3 years 2 months ago by Jack.
3 years 2 months ago #65840

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

  • Posts: 17
  • Thank you received: 4
Actually to add to that, I've been thinking. After I saw the KStars showing due north on the horizon, I did move the mount (while offline) to be pointing in that general direction. I'm guessing this is why it's ended up fairly close to the right place.

Logically, that seems to me that the KStars isn't getting any information from the scope in terms of position when it first connects, but *is* getting movement instructions.

Does that sound like it could be a possibility? And if so.. is there anything I can check / test to (a) prove that, and (b) fix it?

Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65841

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

Can you please enable mount logging and provide the logs? ALso, it's worth posting about this behavior in this thread: indilib.org/forum/development/8246-indi-celestron-aux.html
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65845

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

  • Posts: 17
  • Thank you received: 4
Logs attached (I think i've got the right logging on, if not just let me know).

Through SkySafari at this instance it thinks it's pointing at or around Arcturus (~ 327:26 / +30:01 right now). It's only a vague 1 star align as it's daytime right now. But connecting KStars now has things showing at due south on the horizon. (I swear it was due north yesterday, but I could have misread).

I'll post in the other thread too. Thanks!

Jack
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
3 years 2 months ago #65874
Attachments:

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

  • Posts: 17
  • Thank you received: 4
Ok problem solved! But for those in future that may come across a similar issue, turns out it's because the alignment subsystem is turned off in this particular version of the celestron drivers. Easy to fix by clicking on the alignment subsystem button in the alignment section of the indi drivers. Ignore the green light, and make sure the button text is bold (that's when it's on).

Thanks for the help!

Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65919

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

Time to create page: 3.127 seconds