33 replies to this topic

[Bill001]

Hi,

 

This is addressed to those Losmandy mount users who are also using the AsiAir-Pro current iOS app and FW:

 

First thing I found with the AIR was that when it performed a PA it incorrectly invoke the move Gemini speed, rather it invoked slew. This caused a very long wait for the AIR to do a PA.  Zwo reported they are going to fix this.  In the mean time I found I can simply switch the HC to slew and drive the mount into position via HC; the AIR just resumes and completes the PA.  Wonderful.  Right after this I cold boot everything.

 

I was busy working on the new mount, collimating my old C8 and just recently started imaging.  Now 5 nights in a row and twice this night the following happens:  I will have been guiding for about 30 minutes, in the case of tonight guiding for another hour, when I see on the AIR guiding view screen stars streaking by. At first I thought something was loose.  Now for the last 3 events I found the RA axis is moving visibly faster.  When I look at the HC the speed designation in the lower left indicate the mount has changed from guide rate to move rate.  

 

Has any AsiAir-Pro users encountered this on this gemini 2 systems?

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Jim Waters]

Hi Bill.  You should also post here.

 

https://groups.io/g/Gemini-II/topics

https://groups.io/g/...dy_users/topics

[Bill001]

Hi Bill.  You should also post here.

 

https://groups.io/g/Gemini-II/topics

https://groups.io/g/...dy_users/topics

Thanks. I am familiar with those groups.  I was looking to hear from AsiAir users most specifically.  I thought I’d start here.

 

Thanks Jim,

Bill

[Mario Spenard]

Hi Bill,

I have a new Gemini 2 and I can't even connect it with ASIAIR PRO!

Using a USB printer cable.

Thx!

Mario

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[Bill001]

Hi Bill,

I have a new Gemini 2 and I can't even connect it with ASIAIR PRO!

Using a USB printer cable.

Thx!

Mario

Hmm.  The connection is easy for me; using the USB printer cable, and connected to a USB2 port on the AsiAir.  My connects with the default AsiAir settings.  Do you know the printer cable works?  Does it talk to a printer?  Your cable has that odd mini-square USB port on one end, standard USB on the other?

 

In the case of a box like the StellarMate I have to connect that via direct-ethernet connection which takes some fiddling to make it work, but the AIR was just plug and play for me..

 

Note the AsiAir doesn’t fully support the mount. One issue is the PA works but it does not rotate the OTA 60 degrees quickly.  It switches to move rather then slew speed.  I am able to change speed at the HC and drive the OTA into place, then the AIR results, so it works with a little inconvienice.  I’ve already reported that.  Also it has randomly driven my OTA in slew speed which one is guiding and image capturing.  This consistently failed so I would have to watch the session the whole time to catch the runaway mount.  Now, I just loaded v 1.5 and I didn’t have that Runaway failure last night but it can still act odd.

Edited by Bill001, 20 November 2020 - 01:07 PM.

[Mario Spenard]

I have tried two different, and functional USB printer cable to make sure it's not a cable problem (they both talk to my printer).

If I can only make it connect to ASIAIR PRO I would be very happy.  I can handle the PA manually like I do for the past two years with ASIAIR version 1 and my old Losmandy GM8 Digital Drive.

Note that I have the latest ASIAIR PRO and Gemini updates.

Strange question:  Do I have to connect the Gemini Hand Controller while using ASIAIR?  I tried both with and without but still not working.

Thank you,

Mario

[Bill001]

How many things are you connecting? When I use the Air I Connect only that to the Gemini 2. The HC is Not effected. I leave the HC plugged it as I may use that as well during the night.

 

Off hand you can connect a laptop to the Gemini and use a browser to access the Gemini menu feature; maybe check the status on that port. I didn’t have a problem w this so it’s just an information suggestion

 

it’s a mystery, I had no problems getting the air working.  I’ll print screen my Air/mount interface panel so you can see how it looks when it works.  To be clear, when attaching the Air, nothing else is attached to the Gemini; no network connections?

[Bill001]

Mario, does this help?

Bill

[Mario Spenard]

Thank you Bill.  I will try again today.

Mario

[Mario Spenard]

I finally found the cause of my issue.  I left a USB EQ DIRECT cable connected to the ASIAIR PRO that I was using on my previous mount (AZ EQ6 GT).
I just unplugged it and it seems to work now.
Many thanks Bill.
Mario

 

 

[Bill001]

Super! It’s nice when things work out simply.

Bill

[Bill001]

I finally found the cause of my issue.  I left a USB EQ DIRECT cable connected to the ASIAIR PRO that I was using on my previous mount (AZ EQ6 GT).
I just unplugged it and it seems to work now.
Many thanks Bill.
Mario

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Mario, if you find any quirks or bugs in the AsiAir please let me know. I believe there are very few Losmandy owners using the Air so if you run into anything I’d appreciate a heads up.

 

I’ve been using Airs approaching two years now and have used it on my G11 since this past Spring but I ran into the bugs I mentioned above. That lead me to start working with StellarMate which comes w Phd2.  I’m only back to testing the Air since v1.5 came out.

[Mario Spenard]

Yes I will continue posting about it for sure.

Thx for your help.

Mario

[RogeZ]

Hi Bill:

Did the AAP/Losmandy Gemini issues get fixed on the latest update? How is it working for you? Thanks

[Bill001]

AAP?  I was having issues with the AsiAit Pro, among other things. Concerning the Air-Pro: Possibly partially fixed. . First I’ll describe the problems I had: 1) doing PA the Air drove the OTA at move speed rather then slew; easy to work-around, 2) while guiding the OTA would runaway fast. That happened typically at least once Per night 5 out of 6 nights.

 

Now, with the current Air release, the PA has the same problem, but the runaway during guiding has not yet happened. However I haven’t had the chance yet to test that a lot. So I’m watching it cautiously.

 

would I recommend the Air? Hmm, don’t know about that. It is very convenient but for the Losmandy G11 I would like the more robust guiding of PhD2, but the Air does guide fine I suppose (guiding 2032mm FL). Also, I sought out Losmandy/AsiAir users on Facebook and found none, so I’m hesitant to recommend the Air because I don’t know that fixing bugs pertaining to Gemini get much priority; I don’t know the facts on that.

 

- Bill

Edited by Bill001, 18 December 2020 - 04:48 PM.

[RogeZ]

Thanks Bill. AAP means AsiAirPro.

I love my AAP/EqMod combo and Im hoping it will be the same with the G11.

[mrlovt]

doing PA the Air drove the OTA at move speed rather then slew; easy to work-around

Bill, my move and slew speeds are set to be the same in the Gemini 2.  Was your work-around to set them the same, or are you still using the hand controller to do your PA?

[mrlovt]

I finally found the cause of my issue.  I left a USB EQ DIRECT cable connected to the ASIAIR PRO that I was using on my previous mount (AZ EQ6 GT).
I just unplugged it and it seems to work now.
Many thanks Bill.
Mario

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Mario, I'm noticing that your longitude as reported by your phone is very different from what is stored in the mount.  Another poster on here had a similar situation, and his go-tos are significantly off.  He's still troubleshooting.  Is there a reason you have it set up that way?  Just curious.

[Bill001]

I have not changed Gemini speeds.   .... watching the speeds in lower left of HC during the PA.  The speed was slew then changes to move during Air PA; when the Air is about to move thru 60 deg.   This is displayed on the HC. I change speed back via HC and manually drive OTA into position, then resume Air PA process

Edited by Bill001, 20 December 2020 - 12:18 PM.

[Gobo333]

I have not changed Gemini speeds.   .... watching the speeds in lower left of HC during the PA.  The speed was slew then changes to move during Air PA; when the Air is about to move thru 60 deg.   This is displayed on the HC. I change speed back via HC and manually drive OTA into position, then resume Air PA process

I had the same issue with the PA slew speed being painfully slow.  I don't recall clearly if this is what fixed it, but I went rooting through PHD2 instructions for G11 to find solutions.  I think this is what resolved it...

 

1. Confirm your guide rate is set to the default 0.5x sidereal.  On the hand controller click on MENU, then SPEED, and you will see the avail speeds.  Important - the guide speed here should be 5” which translates into 0.50x sidereal, specifically 10x the guide speed; 0.50x 10 = 5

2. The hand control click on MENU, then TVC, and set this value to 0.  SAVE the value.  When using PHD (ASIAIR) to do your guiding, you want only PHD (ASIAIR) to handle backlash.  Turn off all backlash compensation in the mount, which is TVC setting, by setting TVC to 0 (zero)

 

Be sure that your default guide speed in ASIAIR is set to 0.50.

 

I think this is what worked to resolve my PA slew rate.  It moves at full speed for me now.  I will try and double check but I think that change using the handset was the solution.

 

On the Handset...once ASIAIR stored setting are working, you dont need a handset.  I leave mine in the garage.  Point the mount north, turn it all on, and start with PA process and then slew/platesolve.  Never even need the handset plugged in once you get those setting right.

 

I have another question for this group...Meridian Flips...when it initiates the flip it just slews a few more degrees west and stops.  I have yet to get a flip to work.  It’s like it stopped guiding and then try’s to catch up to the object in the same direction and the mount limit kills it, so it never flips and realigns.  Anyone have a thought here?

[Mario Spenard]

I had a chance to spend one good night last Friday out of town, and to experiment ASIAIR PRO with my Losmandy GM811G Gemini 2.

Everything went well except for slewing to target but plate solving correct it in just a few seconds.  Meridian flip seems not available in ASIAIR for my setup, maybe I am still doing something wrong.

Guiding was good enough.  Dithering was just fine.  Connection to Sky Safari Pro was super to make fine tuning on my target, and offering objects like dark nebula that are not available in ASIAIR catalog.

Overall I am very satisfied with the combo, and hopefully I will solved my small issues soon.

Mario  

 

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[Bill001]

Those settings have been set since I got the mount. .... your confusing guiding with PA sweep to 60 degree function. On the Gemini Move, Slew, Center, and Guide are different speeds.

 

....with the Air, performing a PA, one clearly seems the process incorrectly change speeds on the HC display from the correct Slew to Move. That’s why the sweep to 60 degrees is so slow; it’s moving at Move speed. 

[Bill001]

I had a chance to spend one good night last Friday out of town, and to experiment ASIAIR PRO with my Losmandy GM811G Gemini 2.

Everything went well except for slewing to target but plate solving correct it in just a few seconds.  Meridian flip seems not available in ASIAIR for my setup, maybe I am still doing something wrong.

Guiding was good enough.  Dithering was just fine.  Connection to Sky Safari Pro was super to make fine tuning on my target, and offering objects like dark nebula that are not available in ASIAIR catalog.

Overall I am very satisfied with the combo, and hopefully I will solved my small issues soon.

Mario  

Is I recall correctly the Gemini never performs a meridian flip, it always depends on whatever software you’re using to do that. In the Air’s job you schedule, that’s where you command the Air to perform the flip. If it doesn’t it’s likely the Air and Gemini disagree where the OTA is pointing.  But I have not tried a flip with the Air on my G11. Busy trying to get other stuff to work right.

 

you should write zwo about the issues. I don’t think they’re focused on Losmandy; it’s not a big part of their market

Edited by Bill001, 21 December 2020 - 05:12 PM.

[Mario Spenard]

Well I think I am not doing something right!  I will be very careful next time I add my contribution to this trend.

Mario

 

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[Gobo333]

Those settings have been set since I got the mount. .... your confusing guiding with PA sweep to 60 degree function. On the Gemini Move, Slew, Center, and Guide are different speeds.

 

....with the Air, performing a PA, one clearly seems the process incorrectly change speeds on the HC display from the correct Slew to Move. That’s why the sweep to 60 degrees is so slow; it’s moving at Move speed. 

I understand what your saying.  I stand by my statement that changing a seemingly non-related setting allowed the ASIAIR to PA slew at full rate.  I will plug in my handset and look at the setting again tonight to try and confirm what it was.  I chased that demon for a long time and it was a silly seemingly non-related number that solved it.