Skysensor 2000 PC / ASCOM driver - how to nudge scope?

[g__day (Matthew)]

Guys,

After solving how to use ASCOM drivers under Cartes Du Ciel to drive a CG5 mount, and make visible on a PC the nudge up / down / left / right buttons - I need to do the same for my Skysensor 2000 PC running a Vixen Atlux.

Anyone got thoughts on how to do this? Basically I want to execute a GoTo and if it's a near miss (especially if its remote guiding) I want to be able to nudge it back to where it needs to be.

For instance are there newer ASCOM drivers for the Atlux / SS2000-PC anywhere?

Many thanks,

Matthew

[g__day (Matthew)]

Nobody have any clues whatsoever if this is possible? I've asked on Cloudy Nights and Yahoo Groups SS2K - deefening silence so far ...

I can't understand why it can do such powerful slews yet it can reveal how do a simple move back or forward along one of its axes?

[Terry B]

Originally Posted by g__day

Nobody have any clues whatsoever if this is possible? I've asked on Cloudy Nights and Yahoo Groups SS2K - deefening silence so far ...

I can't understand why it can do such powerful slews yet it can reveal how do a simple move back or forward along one of its axes?

See my reply in http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=22711

[g__day (Matthew)]

Terry,

Posted this elsewhere - under CDC if you change the connection type from ASCOM to MEADE and connect to the LX200 emulator on the SS2K as a real LX200 - it appears to work fine, reveals many other controls besides nudge - but I think such movements screw with the pointing and ruins gotos - that's what seem to happen.

I will experiment more on Thursday.

[JohnH]

Matthew, can't you just use the POTH control with ASCOM configured for the ATLUX, that works ok for me with the SXW....

[g__day (Matthew)]

Never tried this, do you access it via say MaximDL or CDC or is it a self standing entity? If its doing nudges but CDC is doing gotos - will then contend for the serial COM port - or must you manually release one, acquire with the other then swap back for next goto?

* * *

Found the overview link here - http://www.cyanogen.com/help/maximdl/ASCOM_Hubs.htm what starts the Hub itself?

Anyone use MaxPoint - sounds interesting?

* * * *

So from reading I can under CDC - instead of a Vixen ss2k - tell it to use a telescope hub - this brings up aan ascom hub and I tell it to use the ss2k and show slew controls - test it tomorrow - thanks!

******

Worked - slowed everything down strangely - but it certainly works!

[g__day (Matthew)]

Well this was a weird set of experiences. If you connect CDC via ASCOM to the Plain Old Telescope Hub, yes go to's work, and yes nudges work, but the position of the scope in CDC doesn't update - which is really annoying!!!!!!!

The first go I was pointing at Spica but CDC was sure it was Raselhague, and nothing I told it could convince it differently. Not even a sync helped. From CDC disconnect the scope, re-configure it from POTH to SS2K and re-connect and all displays of position and goto's were fine - just no nudging!

I'm getting closer but still no ultimate joy!

* * * * *

Secondly looking at PHD I see stars jiggle every 10 seconds one a 3 star align once PHD is calibrated and tracking with a 1 second adjustment period. I presume I'm 1/2 a degree off polar alignment (guess) and with a 3 star align the Atlux is running motors correctly to self correct - but this interacts with PHD correcting in a haphazard way. I tried lower PHD's guide interval and RA component - but it didn't help much.

Tomorrow I think I'll do a 1 star align and then properly drift align things - which I'm only marginal at.

[Sharnbrook (Mike)]

Hi Matthew,

I have to admit that I'm lost on most of what you have been talking about, but what I want to mention is this. On page 88 of my SS2K user's guide, or if you have a different edition of the manual, section 5.7, "Aligning Polar Axis without Polar Axis Scope", there is a way to polar align which I'm told is very easy, far easier than drift alignment, especially if you are not sure on drift alignment. It would be worth a try anyway. If you don't have the manual, let me know by PM, and I shall send you a copy. Good Luck,

[g__day (Matthew)]

Mike,

Thanks - I've already tried the way you mention - which is a 3 star align with the mount set to unaligned equatorial - select a star not near the meridian, goto it, centre it then switch to aligned polar equatorial, re-execute the goto - watch the star go off centre and manually adjust the mounts left / right & up / down screws to re-centre the star.

I did this to progress from 3 degrees off polar alignment to probably within 1/2 a degree. To nail it spot on say +/- 5 arc seconds I just have to master drift alignment. I have the time so I just must do it - software aid or manual - it's a must do! I may practice on my CG5 and a MAK 5" until I've mastered it - then do it on my Atlux and C9.25.

* * * *

There are still the other two issues:

Issue 1) CDC works nicely but doesn't reveal scope nudging if you run ASCOM selecting the Vixen SS2K-PC driver. If you run CDC with ASCOM drivers selected as LX200 or POTH -> Vixen SS2K-PC then you do get nudging, but goto's don't update the OTA position on CDC!

Issue 2) With polar alignment not yet as perfect as it could or should be, PHD interacts badly with the Atlux's self correcting for polar mis-alignment routine. The best results I got last night were to set PHDs guide interval to 10 secs, and the pulse rate right down too, or simply image unguided. I did between 3-5 minute shots unguided that looked not too bad unguided. I did a few fine 10 minute shots guided, but some 10 minute guided shots came out with the yo-yo effect showing!


It's a very fine mount and hand controller - but the functionality of the hand controller is quirk some to dealt with under ASCOM. But I am slowly getting there thanks to everyone help and suggestions here!