Hi Ken, Jared
Last night, whilst 7 or 8 events, into a sequence the AF dialogue box didn’t automatically close (it is set to close after 5 seconds). Up to this point it had closed as it should. The AF routine completed and the ‘close’ button in the box didn’t switch from ‘close’ to ‘closing in xx seconds’. I left it for 2 minutes to see if it would begin to close but it simply just stayed static. When I clicked ‘close’ the AF box closed and the next event commenced. I have set AF to run on every sub and every filter change. On completion of the sub, the AF routine commenced on the next filter, as programmed, and once again the AF box didn’t close automatically. Clicking ‘close’ shut the box and the last event commenced.
Both of the last 2 subs produced ok v-curves, but seeing was deteriorating, and both subs will be discarded. They weren’t perfect v-curves but ok, so I don’t know whether this caused the problem.
I have experienced this before, I would estimate approximately 10% of the time I use SGPro. Once the non-closure happens I have to manually close, but thereafter the AF box will close automatically. I raised this issue shortly before the forum format switch but as much of the topic in the last week of the Yahoo Group was on the new forum format, it wasn’t addressed. I recall that Yves van Den Broek also commented that he had experienced this too. The link to the log file in dropbox is below.
The first non-closure was at 22:45 and the second at 22:56.
My set up is:
- Windows 7 laptop
- CdC
- Eqmod
- PHD2 - ver 2.2.2
- SGPro - ver 2.3.10.2455
- I was pulse guiding
- Atik 383L+ mono, with Atik EFW2
- QHY5v guide camera
- Avalon Linear Fast Reverse mount
- Lakeside Astro stepper focuser
- Pinpoint
- I have 2 usb powered hubs each connected to a usb sockets on the pc. One usb hub has the ccd, EFW2, and Lakeside Astro stepper; the other has the QHY5v and EQdir.
My start up routine is:
- Power up
- Open CdC
- Connect to mount
- Open SGPro, select sgf file, connect to equipment, begin cooling ccd
- Open PHD2, connect to equipment
- When ccd cooled, check focus, run AF
- Centre on target
- Calibrate PHD2, begin guiding
- Commence imaging sequence
When I experienced this non-closure I wasn’t doing anything on the pc (e.g. searching targets on CdC, adjusting width gain on eqascom). The only other item worth mentioning perhaps is that my anti-virus (AVG free) was awaiting a re-start from an update which it had done on the night before. I had ‘postponed’ the update and selected 4 hours; the non-closure of the AF box was about 1.5 hours into the sequence. On previous instances of this non-closure there had not been any software update in the background.
Whilst I’m at my desk in the observatory this erroneous behaviour of the AF auto-close option isn’t a problem (just irritating). But I do go outside and observe with my binoculars, and I wouldn’t want the sequence to be awaiting my intervention.
Has anyone else experienced this (apart from Yves)? Or is it peculiar to my set up?
Thanks for your help.
Barry