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Scope now slewing sometimes when starting an imagine session

Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA) William Optics Redcat 51 Equatorial Mount Troubleshooting
Glenn BlockJBNZChristian KollScott Badger
•33 replies•602 views
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Having a weird issue where at the beginning of my imaging session sometimes when I use Nina to do framing or to start a sequence, where my mount won't slew. It says it is slewing but it doesn't. I have tried disconnecting / closing NINA and re-connecting. Closing SyncScan Pro and re-opening. Even shutting the scope and turning it back. One of these combinations seems to eventually work. When it happens i can lose anywhere from 5-20 minutes. Not the end of the world, just extremely annoying. 

Has anyone else experienced this / have ideas?


My setup

Hardware
EQ6R
ZWO ASI294 MC PRO
Redcat 51 Pro
Pegasus UPB V2
QHY Guider (irrelevant)
Intel NUC

Software
NINA
Stellarium w/Remote plugin enabled
PHD2

Mostly everything is wired up to the UPB, but I have a few things directly plugged into the NUC. I think the scope is plugged into the UPB, but I'll need to double check.

Please TELL Me what I am doing wrong before I pull out my hair :p ! Ask any questions.

Thank you in advance!
Brian Puhl avatar
Brian Puhl avatar
Are you using ST4 or the USB plug?

Nvm if you're using the UPB then it has to be usb.

Have you tried EQMOD instead?  I've never heard of using a SynScan Pro other than for phone control.
andrea tasselli avatar
andrea tasselli avatar
Maybe a couple of times when switching targets (different mount here) in the last year it didn't do anything for up to 10 min and then executed the slew. This only occurred after a mount flip and I think is something connected with ASCOM driver for this specific mount (GEM28). At any rate I'd report it to the NINA Discord and see what they come up with. My bet is on the latency of the driver. This assumes you are using EQMOD and the ASCOM driver for that mount.
JohnBryantJr avatar
JohnBryantJr avatar
Maybe because of AMP draw it is acting strange? The Pegasus requires the 10amp power supply and I have seen where the camera is cooling, mini-pc is up and running, Sky-watcher is connected and moving the AMP will be above 5AMPs. Just something to look at. Also with the Sky-Watcher if using EQMod and Nina you really don't need the hand controller or use Sync-scan software… just one less thing to plug in and worry about, now if you are using the GPS model then hand controller is needed.  Hope this helps some!
Supportive
Dan Watt avatar
Dan Watt avatar
Everybody else has already mentioned this but I’ll pile on. The Synscam software is a mess, much better off using the tried and true eqmod or green swamp server software.
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Brian Puhl:
Have you tried EQMOD instead?


I haven't. I hate SyncScan so happy to know I can get rid of it! I have the wifi adapter for the mount, which I haven't been using.

What is EQMOD and how do I use it? 

Thank you!
JohnBryantJr avatar
JohnBryantJr avatar
Here is EQMod - > https://sourceforge.net/projects/eq-mod/   I would get on youtube and search for Sky-Watcher EQ6r-Pro and Eqmod 
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=skywatcher+eq6-r+pro+eqmod+setup
JBNZ avatar
JBNZ avatar
I just recently swapped from SynScan to GSS - like night and day. With GSS much more reliable imaging sessions. NINA -> SynScan -> SA GTI connectivity would randomly drop out even with wired connection. I swapped in GSS and now the setup purrs like a pussycat who's just found the milk.

I've not tried EQMOD, but I bet that would be an improvement on SynScan too.

Here's a link to EQMOD - https://eq-mod.sourceforge.net

Here's a link to GSS - https://greenswamp.org

Not sure about EQMOD, but with GSS, I simply downloaded, installed and had it up and running in seconds. You need to set some settings, but not unlike what you would have done for SynScan, your lat/long etc.

Quick start guide for GSS - https://greenswamp.org/?docs=gs-server-overview/quick-start

Good luck!
Helpful Engaging Supportive
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Brian Puhl:
I've never heard of using a SynScan Pro other than for phone control.


It is for more than that. To connect from Nina through ASCOM, I use SyncScan pro when I configure the drivers. I am probably doing something wrong, but it did work :-)
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
I swapped in GSS and now the setup purrs like a pussycat who's just found the milk.


I want that purring :-)

Now I am confused on EQMOD vs GSS

What are the pros/cons?
Brian Puhl avatar
Brian Puhl avatar
Glenn Block:
Brian Puhl:
I've never heard of using a SynScan Pro other than for phone control.


It is for more than that. To connect from Nina through ASCOM, I use SyncScan pro when I configure the drivers. I am probably doing something wrong, but it did work :-)


I guess I just bypassed all that.   When I first setup my EQ6's I simply googled and EQMOD was the first to come up lol.   It's never let me down.  I highly recommend it.
JBNZ avatar
JBNZ avatar
As Glen says, there's a Windows version which I installed on my laptop as well as the Android version on my phone. The app was fine on my phone when I first started out, as I did a lot of things manually or at least not via my laptop. Used an intervalometer, stored images on an internal SD card in my DSLR. The Android version worked fine for PA, slewing to targets etc, very happy with it.

But once I discovered NINA, I wanted to go to remote control and thought the Windows app could handle it. But yeah all sorts of connectivity issues. I even tried to write my own app that would detect NINA errors and restart SynScan on the laptop! But yeah, much easier to switch to GSS.

Edit: Or EQMOD :-)
Helpful Engaging Supportive
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Brian Puhl:
When I first setup my EQ6's I simply googled and EQMOD was the first to come up lol.   It's never let me down.  I highly recommend it.


Oh how I wish I had done that. I am going to get depressed if I think of how much time lost and frustration I had by NOT doing this LOL
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
GSS vs EQMOD, what are the tradeoffs?
JBNZ avatar
JBNZ avatar
Just seen your question, Glenn! EQMOD or GSS.

Like Brian, GSS came up on my radar first, that's the only reason.

It's probably a coin toss. I think you'll get the milk either way!
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
andrea tasselli:
This assumes you are using EQMOD and the ASCOM driver for that mount.


Thank you Andrea. I wasn't using EQMOD, so will start there!
Well Written Respectful
JBNZ avatar
JBNZ avatar
Hi Glenn,

I just googled GSS vs EQMOD and came up with discussion from a couple of years ago on another forum. It doesn't give you an answer, but there are some discussion points that may influence you. But as I say it was a couple of years ago now and software changes pretty quickly these days.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/390733-gss-green-swamp-server-alternative-to-eqmod/

John
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Hi Glenn,

I just googled GSS vs EQMOD and came up with discussion from a couple of years ago on another forum. It doesn't give you an answer, but there are some discussion points that may influence you. But as I say it was a couple of years ago now and software changes pretty quickly these days.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/390733-gss-green-swamp-server-alternative-to-eqmod/

John

Thank you! A new wormhole to fall into, oh joy :-) 

I just read through it. Sounds lke GSS has some hardcore fans.

Based on my scan from start to finish my plan is start with EQMOD and then experiment with GSS. Anything has to be better than Sync Scan. Hopefully I can only go up from here LOL
Scott Badger avatar
Scott Badger avatar
Glenn Block:
Having a weird issue where at the beginning of my imaging session sometimes when I use Nina to do framing or to start a sequence, where my mount won't slew. It says it is slewing but it doesn't. I have tried disconnecting / closing NINA and re-connecting. Closing SyncScan Pro and re-opening. Even shutting the scope and turning it back. One of these combinations seems to eventually work. When it happens i can lose anywhere from 5-20 minutes.

Just in case….’cuz it happened to me…..any chance you’re trying to slew to the target before it crosses the horizon limit set in the mount?

Cheers,
Scott
Concise
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Scott Badger:
Glenn Block:
Having a weird issue where at the beginning of my imaging session sometimes when I use Nina to do framing or to start a sequence, where my mount won't slew. It says it is slewing but it doesn't. I have tried disconnecting / closing NINA and re-connecting. Closing SyncScan Pro and re-opening. Even shutting the scope and turning it back. One of these combinations seems to eventually work. When it happens i can lose anywhere from 5-20 minutes.

Just in case….’cuz it happened to me…..any chance you’re trying to slew to the target before it crosses the horizon limit set in the mount?

Cheers,
Scott

I don't think so. Normally when this happens I end up going through a dance of trying different things one of which finally works just as I am about to smash my computer 
Scott Badger avatar
Scott Badger avatar
I know that feeling well…… Anyhow, when it happened to me, it took awhile to figure it out because the first couple times I went through the usual routine of stabbing in the dark (literally!); re-connecting, re-booting, re-sequencing, re-slewing, but that also gave the target time to cross the horizon limit….so, even when the mount finally slewed, I was still chasing red herrings!….

Cheers,
Scott
Dave Ek avatar
Dave Ek avatar
I'm just going to throw out another thought–I've experienced odd behavior in the past with my iOptron mounts that were real head-scratchers, too. When I swapped the USB cable from the computer to the mount, things settled down. So it might be worth checking your USB cables if the EQMOD/GSS thing doesn't fix things.
Well Written Concise
Scott Badger avatar
Scott Badger avatar
Dave Ek:
I'm just going to throw out another thought--I've experienced odd behavior in the past with my iOptron mounts that were real head-scratchers, too.

Ha! I've got a list....... The most recent is that the mount's meridian flip/stop tracking settings randomly reset to 0deg from the meridian. And happens infrequently enough that just when finally trust the mount to do a meridian flip on without being checked (i.e. get out of bed)....... Anyhow, the result is either of two things; the last image looks great except all the bright stars have long straight trails (when the mount stopped tracking at the meridian while NINA thinks it still has some time), or the mount stops tracking and then refuses to flip when NINA sends the command. Either of the two issues makes sense on their own, but I'm not sure how sometimes one happens, and sometimes the other.....

Cheers,
Scott
Engaging
Christian Koll avatar
Christian Koll avatar
Glenn,

disconnect and close Stellarium, it does not work in parallel to EQMOD or  Synscan.

Chris
Glenn Block avatar
Glenn Block avatar
Thanks. I use Stellarium with the remote plugin. It definitely works. Are you suggesting I use it to get the coordinates for slewing and then close it?
Well Written