Why is synscan making me raise the altitude every iteration?

[rustigsmed]

V3.36 I was getting half hr subs a couple of months ago, Brough it back out and have been having trouble since. There was some slip in the clutch due to lever issues but I've reset a few times after tightening, it's like it remembers and I can't close in on alignment, any thoughts? It also faces well to the west when going back to the Home position (so not the home position).

Russ

[White Rabbit]

Change the battery in the controller, could be a timing issue. if i remember correctly you have input the time every time you start up the synscan. if the battery is a bit tired it could be causing you issues.

I just had a similar issue with my Gemini. I would go in and set the date but every time I exited back out it would reset the date to 2014 and making my pointing way off.

[rustigsmed]

thanks for the suggestion white rabbit - I don't think the synscan controllers have batteries though :question:

maybe I need to reset the home position?

here is a few sequences I endured last night

in the end I just started guiding, it could handle up to 5 mins. but that was the 3rd waste of a night in a row. 2 more clear nights ahead, am hoping to nail it. so open to all suggestion!!!! im desperate!

[raymo]

It won't be much consolation to you Russ, but you're not alone. A number
of members [including me] have had similar problems. I have learnt to live with mine. My first H/C kept showing impossible, nonsensical
readouts, until it failed completely. I got a new V.4 H/C, and most sessions it is fine, and then it will be o.k. until I get down to the final
couple of iterations, and it will suddenly send me anything up to about
10 degs in the opposite direction from where I was heading. If I go in the
new direction it will continue to improve with each iteration, until I get
down to a few seconds in Az. It never gives spurious readings in elevation. I guess it is the price we pay for Chinese mass production,
and the resultant low prices. I have never been able to get either of my
H/Cs to satisfactorily start up from the home position, so I just point the weights at the ground before aligning afresh each session.
raymo

[LewisM]

Are you doing iterative 2 star alignments or doing the polar realign routine? The PA realign is absolutely useless, so don't use it - it told me I was 175° out once.

Also, don't do 3 star iterative alignments - I have found the errors are excessive. I do 2 star alignments on the SAME 2 stars in the SAME order each time - for instance I will use a-crux followed by Atria for the first. The second alignment I will do a-crux followed by Atria and so on until both MAZ and MEL are single digit seconds figures.

Also, best NOT to adjust az and el each time - I got much better results ONLY playing with azimuth until I got that sub-minute, THEN adjusting - finely - the elevation. And then rerunning the alignment.

[raymo]

I pretty much follow Lewis' routine to the letter, but still get the problem
that I described, from time to time. The three star routine is only intended
for people who have cone error in their setup.
raymo

[rustigsmed]

hi guys, thanks for the comments.

Lewis i'm doing two star plus polar alignment, exactly the same as a couple of months ago which I could nab good enough after a few alignment iterations perhaps took 5-8mins to obtain 30 minute subs @ FL1200mm.

the difference I think is that since dec clutch lever has slipped no matter how I correct for it, the synscan knows I corrected it and accounts for the change I introduce but it couldn't detect the original mechanical slip/error.

I agree on not moving both, I did prefer the older version (3.35?) as you could be way off and it would zero in nicely as it required one axis at a time. 3.36 you need to be close in setting up to start with as when you adjust bolts it moves both axis not just one.

going to try again tonight perhaps being unplugged for a day has made some difference :sadeyes:

[Camelopardalis]

I used the polar alignment for a good while, it would (sometimes) take hours iterating enough to get decently polar aligned, and often frustratingly it would pull stunts like this.

Then I saw the light. I now drift align with a camera attached to the scope. Much easier and quicker IMO.

[LewisM]

The version I used was 3.27 Beta or something - I'd have to look it up. Never bothered updating as this one just works.

[vlazg]

Russ,
Have you tried Alignmaster? this gets you pretty close, then the drift align tool in PHD2 to fine tune.
George

[garymck]

have you tried the instructions here:
https://www.myastroshop.com.au/guides/skyscan/SynScan-Polar-Alignment.pdf

Works fine for me....

cheers
Gary

[rustigsmed]

Yes mine has been playing fair till recently, it did go crazy when I first got the mount but that was the firmware.



Thanks Lewis I've just checked the skywatcher website it is the only old version they still keep up on the website.



Hi George, I haven't had problems till now and was hoping till avoid learning more software (trying to get used to the new CCD software now) until I atleast get a less ancient laptop. I've heard good reports.



Hi Gary, yes that is exactly what I do - what firmware are you running?


Tried again last night. routine started off quite nicely, then quickly went off track. I even had it turn to the 180 deg at one stage :(

I decided to just eyeball it and ignore the handset. managed to pull a couple of 10 min subs but then it was sooooo windy everything was futile.

I noticed on the newer 3.37 firmware description it says:
1. Fix the bug which causes failure on resuming from Parking.
2. Supports more PC commands with increased compatibility with ASCOM software.

Perhaps that is the issue i'm facing starting from park it is definitely something to do with parking - its never happened to me before and I was going ok with 3.36 till now so i'll either upload 3.27 or the newer 3.37. is anyone running 3.37?

Cheers

Rusty


ps also decided i'm going to contact moonlite for somekind of an extension tube so I canplace the RCC1 fully in the focuser the shape doesn't make it easy to avoid tilt.

[garymck]

Hi,

I'm running 3.37 (the latest version)

Gary

[rustigsmed]

thanks gary, I guess when something starts playing up its time to update - 3.36 was working great till now.

a bit torn on 3.27 vs 3.37 good to hear you are having success with it - I however do like the older PA routine as it can be quicker to align.

[Merlin66]

I'm still sitting with V3.27 on both my mounts - still works well for me, don't see the need to upgrade.

[raymo]

Mine went bananas last night when using Canopus and Fomalhaut, and
then behaved beautifully when I changed to Sirius and Achernar.
:screwy::screwy::screwy::screwy:
raymo

[rustigsmed]

Ok just updated handset went to 100% complete now plugged into mount the red glow is thee but no writing... Should I reattempt updating?

Edit reinstalled, took longer than before but now turns on properly ... Phew

[JimsShed]

Have you removed any of the motors from the mount since it was last working fine? I had a similar problem once with my SW EQ5 pro. Couldn't keep alignment and parking was way off to the west. Problem was, when I reassembled the dec motor the gears were engaged incorrectly, such is the adjustability. In other words, it had changed gears!
When running there was no crunching or whining when slewing to indicate something was mis assembled.

[rustigsmed]

The upgrade to 3.37 worked, must've been the issue reported in v3.36 - it didn't effect me till there was the clutch slip obviously it went a bit haywire.

So yep I was going crazy for no reason and wasted many hours of imaging time but I guess stay on 3.27 or keep up to date, 3.37 has been out for a while I remember it 35-36-37 quite quickly which is why I didn't go to 3.37 earlier.