Mount stops responding after a certain time.

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Haakon Rasmussen avatar
Hallo!
After buying a used UMI17 mount, and initially i had some fun with it, i now experience only  problem with getting it to work properly.  The problems are always the same. At starts it works normally, then after a time the mount stops responding to commands from NINA (3.1HF), or getting the PHD2 error:" Ascom driver failed checking ispulseguide". When at the time PHD2 was not active, i get no error messages from NINA, it just stops responding. (But still tracking). At this time it is not possible to photograph through the night.
I am using a Mele2 Quieter PC with Win11 Pro. The Mount is connected with Bluetooth, using the Onstep driver 3.18. (Or 1.042 from Stellarjourney.) (I have tried every driver i could find.) When this happens i am forced to close NINA and stop the driver with the Task-manager, sometimes i am forced to restart the PC. I am slowly thinking  this is a problem with the mount, and not a driver problem. 
Can anybody help me figuring out what is causing the problems?

CS Haaakon
akshay87kumar avatar
I had a similar problem with my mount would occasionally getting disconnected. I changed cables, power adapter, etc only to realize that it would somehow get "overloaded" when I connected the guidecam to the usb 2.0 hub port on the mount. With time, i realized this problem happened only when I connected the guidecam to the mount, and then connect usb from mount to my pc. This wouldn't happen when I connected filter wheel or autofocusser. Ever since, I have stopped connecting the guidecam (i connect it directly to pc). My main imaging cam is usb 3.0, so it likely handles the load of the guidecam + filter wheel + focusser well compared to the mount which is only usb 2.0

Maybe you have a similar situation?
Edit: I have an iOptron CEM40
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TiffsAndAstro avatar
I'll bet 1 dollar it's usb cable or usb socket related

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AstroÅmazer avatar
Try connecting the mount over USB, not Bluetooth. Also use standard USB cable, not FTDi or something similar. 

It sounds like a 'Bluetooth not keeping up with queued guiding commands' problem.
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andrea tasselli avatar
I have used OnStep mounts for ages and never had issues with their drivers. But I never connect through BT, which I consider iffy if not worse. Always connect through WIFI or USB2/3 direct to the mount. Camera and guiding are plugged directly on the PC.
Haakon Rasmussen avatar
I am happy to report  that since i asked you for help, and i changed from a Bluetooth connection to using a USB3 cable, the mount is functioning with out problems. 
Again to you all: Thank you very much!

CS Haakon
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