eq8 is here - Page 27

Germ · #**521** 21-08-2013, 08:08 PM

I have updated the MC and yes the Ra motor is a little loader but not while tracking. More of a concern is the random jumps while guiding this has not been resolved. I have used EQMOD which doesn't seem to have this problem but can not seem to get the pointing accuracy as close as the hand controller any ideas.

jcm (John) · #**522** 23-08-2013, 04:55 AM

Skywatcher have released another update for the motor controller firmware.

From skywatcher:-

EQ8 motor controller firmware version 2.09_LP works the same as version 2.09 except that, by default, it uses half torque to drive the motor during low speed slewing. It is released for EQ8 users who prefer lower power consuming and quiter tracking. With this version of firmware, the user can choose full or half torque driving mode in our next SynScan hand cotnrol firmware release. We would like to thank Hamish Thava from Australia who helped us to test this version of firmware.

http://www.skywatcher.com/downloads.php

John

orion69 (Knez) · #**523** 23-08-2013, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

now on to more pressing matters – the eq8!!!!!!! simply saying this - IT IS BLOODY UNREAL!!!

First night – rms of 0.02 – this was witnessed by several people and was guiding at f6.3 through the c11 I was using. the Weeks average was 0.06 – 0.11 with the exception for Thursday as the seeing week pear shape for a short while and the rms was 0.33 guiding through a 60mm guidescope and a lodestar

simply put we worked out the two star alignment procedure and then adjusted the offset to find the SCP – two iterations for me and it was done – I never touched it for the rest of the week. But – and there is a big but – I hate the pier – its a mongrel to setup and level – but in saying that its very stable.

I will wright up more later but in a nutshell it goes to object very very well from a 1 star alignment. absolutely no backlash, however I do think that there is a bug in the 3.35 version of the software - those that had that on eq6's alt eq6 and the other eq8 had the same bug - a jump in the tracking at a regular interval

Didn't quite understood, do you guide with guidescope or you are using OAG?

h0ughy (David) · #**524** 23-08-2013, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orion69

Didn't quite understood, do you guide with guidescope or you are using OAG?

setting up was through the c11 then when imaging it was through a 60mm guidescope using a lodestar guide camera using PHD

jcm (John) · #**525** 25-08-2013, 06:24 AM

Tommy Nawratil, who works for the Austrian firm that received the first EQ8 in Europe, asked me to post the message below.

One user reports he gets the spike problem using Lodestar, but using the MGEN autoguider the problem does not occur. We sent him the guider simply to test another ST4 signal source. One other case with a different mount (not EQ8), has a similar problem using Lodestar, and again with MGEN it has vanished. There the ST4 reaction is triggered by Lodestar, but hangs and does not stop when the pulse is off.

So, I would suggest the bug may be connected somehow to the ST4 guide signals. We know for example, that Losmandy mounts using the standard handbox need extremely strong opto couplers, that are able to provide the needed pull down, otherwise the mount simply does not react. Also, they cannot react on pulses in RA and DEC coming simultaneously, they need a delay in between. So, ST4 is not exact enough a description.

Those having the bug should therefore not only provide diagrams, but also note the exact gear they use to obtain that diagrams. Maybe that could lead to a conclusion.

regards, Tommy

h0ughy (David) · #**526** 25-08-2013, 01:54 PM

i did not use the lodestar directly for the guiding but through a GPUSB, so there fore i was not using the optio coupling device in the lodestar but was utilising PHD and the GPUSB

acropolite (Phil) · #**527** 25-08-2013, 05:49 PM

I don't believe the problem is with the Lodestar, I was seeing the same problems as h0ughy on at least a couple of occasions at the same time but on my AZ-EQ6 (running Synscan V3.35). My guiding setup was PHD and Orion starshoot autoguider. At least twice I heard the h0ugh cursing in the dark, only to look at my own PHD plot to see it too had completely lost sync. My setup was PHD directly to the SSAG via USB, the Az-EQ6 mount was on battery/charger power and the Laptop mains, h0ughy I believe was using a UPS on all his gear. FWIW the SSAG image showed considerable noise when slewing, indicating that noise was coming back via the guide port. Switching to a twisted pair guide cable minimised but didn't eliminate that anomoly.

I still haven't ruled out polar alignment problems as I had corrected my manual alignment using the Syncan polar alignment method and I'm not convinced that the sysncan polar alignment routine is/was accurate.

jcm (John) · #**528** 26-08-2013, 01:23 AM

Thanks for your replies. I do hope the "spikes" have nothing to do with the Lodestar autoguider as I have two of them and they have been working perfectly when connected to an EQ6 mount.

John

acropolite (Phil) · #**529** 27-08-2013, 09:16 PM

Can't find it now but I thought I saw a post somewhere suggesting that the Synscan software may have been reacting to discrepancies between the encoder values and the mount's position calculation, maybe there is no correlation but it wouldn't hurt to do some runs with the encoders turned off. I know for all my imaging sessions the encoders were turned on. When I get back and have some time I'll run both with encoders on and off and see if there's any difference.

@ h0ughy, did you have encoders on or off?? (I think on is default unless turned to off)

h0ughy (David) · #**530** 27-08-2013, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Can't find it now but I thought I saw a post somewhere suggesting that the Synscan software may have been reacting to discrepancies between the encoder values and the mount's position calculation, maybe there is no correlation but it wouldn't hurt to do some runs with the encoders turned off. I know for all my imaging sessions the encoders were turned on. When I get back and have some time I'll run both with encoders on and off and see if there's any difference.

@ h0ughy, did you have encoders on or off?? (I think on is default unless turned to off)

the controller was just about as setup from scratch, so if the default was off then it was off

Shiraz (Ray) · #**531** 27-08-2013, 10:47 PM

If switching off the encoders does not help, might be worth trying running the mount normally and then disconnecting the ST4 for at least 2 worm cycles (about 10 minutes maybe) with it still running - if the software does not throw a fit at losing the connection, there is an outside chance that this could fix the offset spikes once you reconnect. I don't have an EQ8 to try it out

acropolite (Phil) · #**532** 28-08-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

the controller was just about as setup from scratch, so if the default was off then it was off

Then I believe your encoders may have been on as were mine. Might not hurt to check next time you power the beast up.

h0ughy (David) · #**533** 28-08-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Then I believe your encoders may have been on as were mine. Might not hurt to check next time you power the beast up.

that may be a while (titan in the observatory)

but will have to do something soon.

jcm (John) · #**534** 03-09-2013, 11:49 PM

This has just been posted on the EQ8 Yahoo Group:-

hi,

"To users getting spikes in autoguiding - Synta now confirmed: If using Lodestar and MaximDL for autoguiding, you should set the minimum autoguiding pulse duration in MaximDL to 20ms or similar. Lodestar sometimes sends ultrashort pulses, like 3ms or even shorter, that may cause the ST4 port to hang. Also, if you do not use the ST4 port, but pulse guiding via EQMOD or similar devices, there should be no problem. Here are some pics Hamish Tava posted after solving the bug:

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/05...l.php?sid=8044

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/05...l.php?sid=8039

They will keep an eye on that issue and come up with an update.

Tommy"

John

h0ughy (David) · #**535** 04-09-2013, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcm

This has just been posted on the EQ8 Yahoo Group:-

hi,

"To users getting spikes in autoguiding - Synta now confirmed: If using Lodestar and MaximDL for autoguiding, you should set the minimum autoguiding pulse duration in MaximDL to 20ms or similar. Lodestar sometimes sends ultrashort pulses, like 3ms or even shorter, that may cause the ST4 port to hang. Also, if you do not use the ST4 port, but pulse guiding via EQMOD or similar devices, there should be no problem. Here are some pics Hamish Tava posted after solving the bug:

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/05...l.php?sid=8044

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/05...l.php?sid=8039

They will keep an eye on that issue and come up with an update.

Tommy"

John

thats fine if you were using that setup but mine was not using maximdl it was using plain old phd with a lodestar for the camera?
It's a st4 problem and the mounts programming

acropolite (Phil) · #**536** 04-09-2013, 12:09 AM

Same here but using PHD and SSAG and on Az-eq6....

h0ughy (David) · #**537** 25-09-2013, 03:37 PM

i sent an email off to skywatcher asking what is happening - will post up if i ever get a response

acropolite (Phil) · #**538** 25-09-2013, 04:06 PM

Just to add a little to the confusion, Andrew was also using an Az-Eq6 unguided, I believe he was getting intermittent jumps as well. Andrew had attributed his jumps to movement of elements in his IS lens, the one thing that would have been common to all 3 cases is that Encoders would have been on.

h0ughy (David) · #**539** 01-10-2013, 09:59 AM

the response - nothing new here as discussed previously - but i dont think this is good enough:

Dear David,

Thank you for choosing Sky-Watcher. Here is a link to the controller firmware that should be able to help with the problem.

http://www.skywatcher.com/downloads.php?cat=3

Please follow the link to download "EQ8 MOTOR CONTROLLER FIRMWARE UPDATE (V2.09)". Thank you.

rustigsmed (Russell) · #**540** 01-10-2013, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

the response - nothing new here as discussed previously - but i dont think this is good enough:

Dear David,

Thank you for choosing Sky-Watcher. Here is a link to the controller firmware that should be able to help with the problem.

http://www.skywatcher.com/downloads.php?cat=3

Please follow the link to download "EQ8 MOTOR CONTROLLER FIRMWARE UPDATE (V2.09)". Thank you.

Hmmm, are you already using that firmware version?