Meridian Flips in EKOS/Astroberry with CEM26 - Forums

Topic starter

Nov 9, 2022

Hi there:

I'm a new CEM26 owner, and having never owned a GOTO mount before (was previously using a Skyguider Pro) there has been a bit of a learning curve. I use EKOS on a Raspberry Pi running Astroberry. I've managed to get platesolving & basic mount control working fine, but I am constantly being tripped up by Meridian flips.

The mount seems to have a different idea of when to do a flip than my software - I think this may have to do with a glitch with DST that I've read about, so I've turned DST off and adjusted the offset to the correct time. But when a Meridian flip happens, my mount simply stops guiding, even though I have set EKOS up to perform a flip.

My questions are: 1) What settings should I select on the mount? Under Meridian Flip options, I can either set it to perform the flip or to stop, and I can set the degrees past the meridian it will track to, but I can't disable meridian flip/stop on the mount. 2) What configuration should I have in EKOS to make sure the imaging pauses, PHD pauses, the flip happens, PHD resumes and imaging resumes?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

CS,
Mark

Well Written Respectful Engaging

danieldh206

Nov 10, 2022

I have a CEM26 and the software should control the flip and I do not remember changing any settings in the mount. I do not use EKOS, but use Astrophotography Tool. APT strickly uses ASCOM drivers. Are you sure that the mount and the EKOS software have synced RA/DEC data? I did find a 7 year old video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stsrcsPxUZA

Axel Andrade Llano

Nov 10, 2022

Hola a todos,

bueno, queria comentar que personalmente uso mi cem26 junto con el asiair plus. y este dispositivo realiza el salto meridiano. tengo entendido que se debe usar algun software para darle la funcion del salto meridiano, de por si la montura (algo que desconozco) no tiene como para programarlo. te recomiendo que revises la zona horaria, la posicion zero de la montura, que entre software y montura este bien sincronizado.

Saludos y cielos despejados!

Supportive

clocksmith

Nov 10, 2022

I also own a CEM26 runnign with EKOS on Astroberry. I do not have much experience with meridian flips (yet), but what you describe as "The mount seems to have a different idea of when to do a flip than my software" seems to be exatly related to issues with your system time and therefore an offset on the RA axis. Make sure your raspi system time matches the actual current time, including timezone. Also make sure the settings correctly synced over to your hand controller.

Another thing might be your location. Make sure your current coordinates are correct everywhere.

Aside from that, I can't help yet.

Concise Supportive

daywalker

Nov 11, 2022 · Edited: Nov 11, 2022

What should happen is that ekos issues another goto and as the mount is already @ the meridian it will automatically flip.
EKOS has never managed to flip my gem45 automatically…

One way around it is to set two sequences in the scheduler . Oone that stops in time for transit time.
And the next one that starts just after transit time.The second sequence will issue a goto to the object again and thus the mount will flip as its at the other side of the meridian.

Ask your question over on the INDI forum,maybe someone will give you a better solution.

Helpful

Mark Germani

Topic starter

Nov 11, 2022

@daywalker thanks for those thoughts - I knew you could schedule imaging sequences, but I didn't realize you could schedule GOTOs. I'll have to have a closer look at the camera tab. Thanks!

DevCon6

Nov 11, 2022

I have the same issues while using ASIAIR Pro and CEM26. It flips just fine with the times but it never gets back to the original coordinates. It get very close but never there. I will see if I can reset and re enter settings of lat/long and time zone.

daywalker

Nov 11, 2022

Mark Germani:
@daywalker thanks for those thoughts - I knew you could schedule imaging sequences, but I didn't realize you could schedule GOTOs. I'll have to have a closer look at the camera tab. Thanks!

you need to look into using the schedulerwhich youcan set upforaparticular target
Which works in conjuction with saved sequences.

@DevCon6
ive never used an asiair but can it not automatically plate solve using target co 'ordinates or a previous image as as reference after a goto/flip?