Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver

[ChrisM]

I am having some trouble parking my scope using the AP V2 ASCOM driver. I am using the latest ASCOM platform (6.0) and latest driver (v5.00.03).

All park positions work perfectly well from the mount's own hand controller.

Using the ASCOM driver, park position #1 works perfectly, but if I select park position #3, the mount travels from #1 beyond #3 (pointing to the SCP) and keeps going. I don't know where it would end up because I intervene to stop the slew.

Having done that, I can then issue a park command from the AP hand controller and the mount will successfully park in the selected position. It's just when I attempt to Park 3 using the ASCOM driver that things don't go as expected.

Any advice or clues would be most welcome.

Chris

[Marke (Mark)]

Chris make sure the location details are correct in the V2 settings and that it is in Southern Hemi . Have you left a message with the AP-GTO user group
Ray should be able to help you pretty quickly with that.

[DavidTrap (David)]

I had the same problem. Fairly sure my location details are set correctly.

I've just resigned to park it from the hand controller. Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

DT

[ChrisM]

Originally Posted by Marke

Chris make sure the location details are correct in the V2 settings and that it is in Southern Hemi . Have you left a message with the AP-GTO user group
Ray should be able to help you pretty quickly with that.

Thanks Mark, the location details are correct; the mount correctly slews to sky objects; it's just Park 3 that I've had trouble with. Not sure about Park 2 because I haven't used it.

I'll join the user group and ask them too...

Thanks also David, and very interesting to note your same experience. The other thing I learned this morning was that the AP driver keeps issuing the slew command (for a Park position) even after the hand controller's STOP button has been pushed. The latter would immediately stop the slew but it would restart again in about 10 - 15 seconds. It was not until I issued a stop command from the ASCOM driver interface that the mount would stop and stay stopped.

Chris

[RickS (Rick)]

Originally Posted by ChrisM

I'll join the user group and ask them too...

As Mark mentioned, Ray Gralak, the author of the driver is very active on the Yahoo AP group. If it's a bug you'll probably have a new beta of the driver within a few days.

I've never tried to park my AP900 from software. I must give it a go. Then I could leave the hand controller at home...

Cheers,
Rick.

[Marke (Mark)]

I do vaguely remember an issue with some commands when using a third party software like the sky in which the software settings where over riding the Ascom driver settings and causing some confusion. As I set up from scratch every time I never use park except for initial set up.

Mark

[ChrisM]

Originally Posted by Marke

I do vaguely remember an issue with some commands when using a third party software like the sky in which the software settings where over riding the Ascom driver settings and causing some confusion. As I set up from scratch every time I never use park except for initial set up.

Mark

Thanks Mark. I get the same incorrect parking result for the Park 3 position when using either DL Maxim or CdC.

Anyhow, I took up your earlier suggestion and have posted a question to the other user group.

Chris

[DavidTrap (David)]

Originally Posted by ChrisM

The other thing I learned this morning was that the AP driver keeps issuing the slew command (for a Park position) even after the hand controller's STOP button has been pushed. The latter would immediately stop the slew but it would restart again in about 10 - 15 seconds. It was not until I issued a stop command from the ASCOM driver interface that the mount would stop and stay stopped.

Chris

Quite frustrating when that happens isn't it!

DT

[ChrisM]

Originally Posted by DavidTrap

I had the same problem. Fairly sure my location details are set correctly.

I've just resigned to park it from the hand controller. Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

DT

David - problem fixed! Via the yahoo group Ray recommended that I load the latest driver (v26 beta) - which I have just done - and it now parks in position #3 perfectly!

Chris

[DavidTrap (David)]

Ta Chris, will do!

DT

[Marke (Mark)]

Cant beat AP service and support can you

[ChrisM]

Originally Posted by Marke

Cant beat AP service and support can you

I was most impressed Mark. These guys seem to go out of their way to make us, the customers, satisfied.

Chris