3792 replies to this topic

[dciobota]

@Geordie, on mine, when I first power it up the DEC says 90 and RA depends on the time.  It's weird, but somehow synscan knows my altitude (41 deg), even though my pc has no gps and I connect to the mount via the local synscan access point.  Not sure how it does that.

 

@esteban, first you need to get the ascom driver for the synscan app:

http://skywatcher.co...e/ascom-driver/

 

It's the first one, which allows you to connect via ascom to the synscan pro app.  Once you've done that, you need to first run the sysncan app and connect it to the mount.  Then, use PHD2 and select "synscan mobile" as the mount in the dropdown list.  It should automatically connect to the mount via the synscan app.  Now you can control the mount via PHD.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[mAnKiNd]

Lots of great discussion here, wonderful source for help.

Sorry to momentarily change the direction for a quick question, but has anyone managed to connect their AZ-GTi to an ASIAIR, either through the mounts own WiFi (which allegedly shouldn't work), or through a seperate synscan hand controller?

Cheers

[tkottary]

ASIAIR works with INDI mounts. Indi Support for AZGTI was just added  couple of days ago  and its still testing in progress. It works with indi_eqmod_telescope driver. You will have to install the INDI nightly build to test it.

 

I don't use ASIAIR but RPI3 /Tinkerboard with Indi/Ekos on ubuntu and it worked fairly well, need more testing .

 

Lots of great discussion here, wonderful source for help.

Sorry to momentarily change the direction for a quick question, but has anyone managed to connect their AZ-GTi to an ASIAIR, either through the mounts own WiFi (which allegedly shouldn't work), or through a seperate synscan hand controller?

Cheers

[dciobota]

Say that's great news, so the synscan app is not needed, the indi driver works directly with the mount?

 

Hopefully there m8ght be a similar update to the ascom driver to do the same thing.  Then maybe sync will work correctly.

[tkottary]

Yes that’s right , no app needed. INDI driver
talks directly to mount just like other mounts.Did not try a sync but just did simple connect and random Goto”s which mostlty were in the frame . Pretty exciting, finally can guide it in Linux

Edited by tkottary, 07 October 2018 - 03:16 PM.

[davidparks]

@Geordi,  Daniel (dciobota) has the right of it on both counts:  “Home” is 90 dec, and RA is always changing with the time... but you should be able to read Axis 1 and Axis 2 at (-90, 90).  Also see his info regarding ASCOM and PHD2, it’s spot on.

 

I’ve also been working with ASIAIR (I’ll have to check for updates).  I was able to get the mount working through a SynScan V3 Hand Controller and cables.  I was having difficulty configuring the AZGTi WiFi for station mode, so that it would connect directly to ASIAIR. Needing a hand controller and cables is just lame, and far too messy for my tastes. ASIAIR will let you set the mount port to serial (cabled) or Ethernet/port, so it should work wirelessly...  I just didn’t get that far.  Unfortunately, ASIAIR does not yet support electronic focusers, although I’ve read it’s in the ToDo list...  I’m looking forward to continued development of this product.

 

I also have StellarMate, which works great with the AZGTi, and also supports my Sesto Senso robotic focuser.  KStars/Ekos looks like a very well developed set of softwares.  It seems every bit as capable as the Windows based programs I am more familiar with.  I havn’t taken the time to learn it yet...

 

However, both of those gadgets (ASIAIR & StellarMate), have taken a back burner position for me, because I need/want super quick & easy Polar Alignment, Focus assist/Autofocus, On-the-fly Flats & Darks, Guiding, Flats & Darks applied during Light exposure Stacking, and soon I hope fully unattended all night sequences.   So I run Sharpcap, PHD2, and soon SGP on a Windows Pro (RDP) mini PC with touchscreen, USB3, and 8gig ram. Ockel Sirius A Pro.

 

Edited by davidparks, 07 October 2018 - 10:47 PM.

[dciobota]

That's a pretty nifty gadget David!  How do you have it attached to the mount, is it to the dovetail somehow?

 

Very James Bondish.  

[davidparks]

@Daniel,  The Ockel is Velcro’d to the top of the Sesto Senso focuser, which places it at perfect orientation for initial setup activities, like polar alignment, however, once that is done it may end up in some wonky angle due to target location, so I take over with RDP on iPad Pro 12.9” screen.  Here’s a screenshot of the iPad screen (using simulated cameras because it’s nothing but rain here 

 

[davidparks]

I power the whole rig with one 12v DC line coming from a Suaoki lithium supply that splits to power the AZGTi, Sesto Senso, ASI294, and Ockel.  Cord wrap free and ultra minimal wires 

[dciobota]

Lol,  great minds think alike, I have the larger brother of the Suaoki you linked.  How long does your rig last on that battery?  I would have loved to use a smaller one like that one, but adding up all the power draws I realized I needed the bigger one.  It does last about 10 hours, which is great if I run an all night session, but my total power draw is around 35W with everything running.  I kinda figured yours would be similar.

[mxcoppell]

I power the whole rig with one 12v DC line coming from a Suaoki lithium supply that splits to power the AZGTi, Sesto Senso, ASI294, and Ockel.  Cord wrap free and ultra minimal wires 

Thanks David. BTW, any experience with the ASIAir yet?

[davidparks]

Lol,  great minds think alike, I have the larger brother of the Suaoki you linked.  How long does your rig last on that battery?  I would have loved to use a smaller one like that one, but adding up all the power draws I realized I needed the bigger one.  It does last about 10 hours, which is great if I run an all night session, but my total power draw is around 35W with everything running.  I kinda figured yours would be similar.

I havn't measured, but the whole rig seems to just sip on a handful of amps.  Documented amp draws are thus:  (no idea for watts)

  AZGTi = 750mA  of course slewing and tracking are different, most hours are spent tracking

  Sesto = 700mA  focus once at beginning, barely touch it the rest of night

  ASI294 = 300-500mA typical when cooling

  Ockel has it's own onboard 3500mAh battery, which itself lasts about 3.5 hours,recharges using 5v 2.5A, seems to draw about 1000mAh, less when the touchscreen goes to sleep

 

... I'd guess 8 - 10 hours?   I've gone 3 nights in a row at about 4 hours each before I added the Ockel and the indicator lights on the battery showed around 40% left (2 out of 5 dummy lights)

 

I just don't have enough all-night experience with the Ockel in the mix to know, but as long as it get's me through the night I'm happy

[dciobota]

Wow, your power draw seems to be much better than mine, especially the asi294.  I have the asi1600 and it draws around 24w (2a @ 12v) when cooling.  I do set my cooling to -20C though, maybe that's why.  The rest of your draws seem similar to mine.  I'm guessing your rig was drawing about 20W before, so I figured about 7 hours run time.  But you seem to be doing much better than that.

 

Another thing I just noticed in your previous pic, your guiding graph also looks much better than mine.  Maybe your DEC assembly has less backlash or stiction, but that graph looks really good.  What calibration steps did you end up with?

[davidparks]

Oh no! Don't be misled by the guiding graph... I just used the simulation camera/mount for that screenshot.  The screenshot purpose is to show the screen layout as I see it on the iPad, running Sharpcap/PHD2/SynScan.  Unfortunately I couldn't show the actual AZGTi and ASI294 and true guiding graph, as the shot was taken indoors (have had nothing but rain/cloud here) 

 

However... there's a chance i'll have some clear skies tonight, and would like to get at least an hour each on the Heart and Soul nebulas, I'll grab a screenshot if able.

 

I generally have the 294 set at 0C.  The 294 and 1600 seem to have identical power consumption graphs.  Looks like you could halve the power consumed by the 1600 by backing down (or up? heh) just a few degrees.  Then again... as long as you get through the night...

 

I was quite surprised at how low the power consumption is of the AZGTi, and quite happy about it.  I don't do a lot of slewing with it, a couple RA rotations for Polar Alignment, and then only 1 or 2 GoTos (3 if I have time), the rest of the time it's just tracking.

[dciobota]

Oh, I see, yup that makes sense, your power consumption would be quite a bit lower at 0C.  Tbh I should probably bump my temps up a bit, I think Jon Rista posted a sweet spot at around -10C.  Probably easier on the electronics too.  ;-)

 

Same here btw, apart from that one windy night, no luck.  Looks like maybe towards the end of the week I may get a chance too.  We'll see.  Btw, if you're having problems calibrating in dec, try 2000msec as calibration step size, I found that helped.  At least with my rig.

[steveex]

I would really appreciate someone telling me how I can put this into right arm mount mode. I have loaded the appropriate firmware, and wish to remain in AZ mode. I simply want to mount the OTA right side for better accessibility to the finder shoe.

Much appreciated in advance.

 

Steven

[steveex]

I think I may have answered my own question with trial and error.
Am I right in saying that it is right hand mount only with the beta firmware?
I installed the Beta firmware leaving the OTA left mounted and in set-up and tracking was 180* adrift.

[jirestre]

I'm in the US and have had mine since ~September.   GoTo was very acceptable, even with just a two-star alignment.  It did seem to verify positioning as you center and mark more objects (or even go back and forth between the planets) and was even quite good hours after the initial alignment.

 

I also used it for solar and tracking was so-so, with noticeable drift after just a few minutes.  Even though it knows where it is in the world (thanks to the GPS coordinates from the phone) I never discovered a way to get past the north-level portion of the alignment process during the day.  I wish the sun was a valid alignment target, especially when the moon or Venus are visible.  Even a one-star alignment would work for solar because it would have position, north-level, and pointing direction.  

 

I need to find time to open a trouble ticket with Skywatcher.  Mine is, for all intents and purposes, DOA.  It powers up and is broadcasting an SSID of ESP_137229.  It does the single blink indicating it is waiting for a SynScan connection.  It does accept a WiFi connection and provides an IP of 192.168.4.2 with next hop and DNS of .4.1 but there is nothing behind it.  Neither the SynScan software nor the WiFi hardware update application are able to find anything to connect to. 

 

I have done the 4 hour reset a couple of times and even left it running on AC for 24 hours, then another test for 48 hours, and then another test for 72 hours.  It *really* needs a manual reset button (the 'paperclip in a hole' reset from older electronics).

 

Maybe if I buy a hand controller at least I could use it again but the WiFi and ability to connect to Astro software is the primary reason I bought it (to sit inside the warm house while imaging).

Hello BinoGuy,

Were you able to solve this problem? Mine is doing exactly the same after a failed firmware upgrade. I can connect to the AZ Ssid correctly but fails to connect to the unit in SynScan Pro or the firmware update tool. The unit is in firmware update mode as the three blinks in the led indicate. Thanks for your reply. 

[Dariopetti]

Grrat thread! I've just bought the az-gti  just the head, and I'm looking for a tripod to use it along with my heritage 130p. I've been evaluating the manfrotto element big, but I'm afraid it isn't sturdy enough. Have you tried it? Thank you! 

[Cometeer]

I think I may have answered my own question with trial and error.
Am I right in saying that it is right hand mount only with the beta firmware?
I installed the Beta firmware leaving the OTA left mounted and in set-up and tracking was 180* adrift.

 It seems like you have. The beta only provides right arm and eq modes of operation. 

[dciobota]

Hello BinoGuy,

Were you able to solve this problem? Mine is doing exactly the same after a failed firmware upgrade. I can connect to the AZ Ssid correctly but fails to connect to the unit in SynScan Pro or the firmware update tool. The unit is in firmware update mode as the three blinks in the led indicate. Thanks for your reply. 

I read the notes on the last firmware update and they mention a fix for the funky ssid.  But, if you can't do a firmware update over wifi, then i buess the only option is either send it to skywatcher to get it done or purchase the handbox and use it to update with.

[LaCasaCorp]

So, I also managed to do some more testing last night with encouraging results, although conditions were less than ideal (winds of ~20mph with gusts up to 50mph, terrible seeing).  My observations:

 

- The wifi range kinda sucks.  The signal drops off pretty badly after the first ten feet or so.  About 20ft is probably max distance. My little tplink portable router has better range.

 

- I managed to guide in dec.  The mount moved much better after my adjustments, but it's either stiction or backlash that required that I set calibration steps of 2000msec in order for PHD to calibrate in DEC.  Wishlist item:  PHD, please let us specify RA and DEC calibration steps separately.  I think the RA calibration suffered a bit using that large a step.

 

- DEC commands (1sec exposures) ended up being like 0.5 sec, sometimes a bit more.  And it did wander around a bit.  I'll upload the PHD graph screen shot, but RMS for RA and DEC were around 2 arcsec (maybe a bit more in DEC).  Since my combo images at about 1.8 arcsec/pixel (420mm fl) this should give OK stars but a little bloaty.  Tbh, I think the guiding would do better under better conditions.  I would consider it on a par with the Smarteq Pro.

 

- One thing that concerns me, and this is a question for the group.  I tried to play around with plate solving last night.  I use APT, which uses ASPS as the solver.  It solved fine, but syncing the solved cords to the mount had no effect.  I've tried it several times, no go.  Also, APT complained it could not move the scope, even though it slewed to the original location just fine.

 

So, my question, has anyone managed to plate solve and auto goto with this mount?  My major reason for getting this mount is so I can automate my target framing.  I'll ask skywatcher as well, see what they say. 

I always use the following sequence to startup:

 

• manually aligning (visually) the mount to its "home position" (pointing at the north pole)
• Turning on the mount
• Turning on The mount app on the PC and Sharpcap
• Performing polar align on sharpcap
• Turning on cartes du Ciel (ASCOM)
• Slewing to my target
• Plate solve with Astrotortilla in sharpcap to do a blind plate solve

This normally gives me the target almost dead center on my Astrotech AT65EDQ and the ASI294. I tested imaging unguided up to 60s without any tracking issue

 

F.

[dciobota]

Interesting.  So after you do a platesolve, do you sync the results with the scope, or just perform a goto?  That's what I was trying to do through APT (sync) and it wouldn't do it.

 

Same here as far as tracking, seems 60sec is the sweet spot with the at65edq and our cameras unguided.  Works perfectly for me since I never use longer exposures (no narrowband for me).

[LaCasaCorp]

I just do a platesolve in sharpcap (that i believe ends with a sync command, because the mounts automatically repositions after the platesolve). I usually see changes between 0.2 and 2.8 degrees (the first one after polar alignment is abiouvsly always the larger correction). Only if manually "home" incorrectly the mount i see larger errors and I believe the mount refuses corrections larger than a certain amount (i would say between 4 and 6 degrees)

[dciobota]

Oh I see, I think it does a final goto.  Maybe I'm wrong, but a sync simply sends the plate solved coordinates to the mount to replace its current position. I could be wrong though.

 

I'm going to fiddle with all this.  Tonight is actually clear, but I'm tired so I'll wait till the weekend maybe.