Losmandy G11G - Gemini 2

Hello,

I’ve been using SGP for a couple years now and just completed my automated observatory. I’ve been having some trouble getting to that 100% automation mark because I have the following issue:

My mount will not do a meridian flip through SGP unless I manually do a model (east and west) through the hand controller. So every time I image I have to go out the observatory and manually go through the hand controller to make the model. I don’t actually look through the telescope, but I still have to set it up. If I don’t make this model SGP will fail to perform a meridian flip and error out.

In addition, if I have already made a model through Gemini 2 and parked the telescope previously through SGP and then unpark, SGP fails to perform a meridian flip with the telescope. I have to make a new model again.

Any help is greatly appreciated - I’m sure I’m making some simple mistake here.

Thanks,
Fritz

Wow that’s crazy. I’m running a Losmandy G11g and have never experienced this. I’ll post my settings so you can cross check them and see if we have a difference.

Sean

Thanks, Sean!

I’m still having the same problem. I should also add that when SGP tried to do a meridian flip with the mount and I did not make a new model as described above, SGP completely crashes.

I have unchecked “Set Gemini Site on Connect” and “Set Gemini Time on Connect” as some said this could be it but it still doesn’t fix the problem.

I also tried checking “Send Advanced Settings to Gemini on Connect” but that didn’t work either.

Thanks,
Fritz

I should also add that if I do not make a model SGP will plate solve with the mount just fine and image as normal, but when it comes time for the meridian flip it errors out and completely crashes the program.

I’m not familiar with creating a model. It could very well be something you have checked off in Gemini. Have you run this by the Losmandy users group? They are always helpful. I’ll look in Gemini and see what settings I have. I’ll also check what I have in sgpro. Give me a few and I’ll get right back with you. We gotta figure this out

I have the Gemini 2 with a G11T using SGP now for several years. Initially I had some trouble with meridian flips, but found setting limits on the mount correctly and increasing the SGP Telescope setting to flip 10 minutes past the meridian worked perfectly. If you image very long times, more may be needed. I image mostly 180-300s, no longer than 600s.
Prior to a run, I do a cold start from CWD, focus, then start my sequence. The centering and platesolving work so well, they sync the scope and no worries after that. The SGP log files can probably help you narrow down the error.

Hi pmont1,

Yes, good point with the safety limits. I have done a lot of work to dual those in and if I make a model everything is fine there.

If I try to just “run” a meridian flip in SGP manually and I do not have a model it will also crash and force close. I’ll try to get a log, but I’m not sure what it will capture since it force closes the program so quickly.

Working only with modeling may give some clues, perhaps CWD is not pointing close enough and modeling tells the mount where it really is. I haven’t modeled in several years since I started plate solving. I don’t connect a hand controller any more either. My sequence is to set the mount to CWD if not already parked there, power up the camera, focuser, PC, and last the Gemini 2, open Gemini Telescope and connect Gemini Telescope to the mount. Start SGP, connect equipment (including Gemini Telescope), slew to the target, get rough focus, platesolve, run sequence, go to bed.

When you start a run that you know will require a flip does SGP tell how many hours/minutes until flip (SGP telescope tab)? If it knows that and that is correct, you have 50% good. If that doesn’t match reality, it may give another clue.

Also, does SGP try to do the flip or just run until it stops? The log will specifically show the flip steps, if it gets there.

Phil

Yeah I’m with you Phil it just works with my G11

I checked my settings in sgpro and I have

Minutes past meridian to flip set to 5
Auto Meridian flip upon close delay set to 5
All other boxes are unchecked
Underneath the box I have…
Sync behavior set to Sync
Mount settling time set to 2.0

Beyond that I have nothing else going on. It just flips.

If his settings are the same or there about then I have to assume it’s coming out of gemini

1 Like

Thanks, everyone. This might help a little more - here is the log file of the failed flip. It looks like SGP knows what side of the pier the telescope is on and that it needs to be flipped, but my understanding from the log is that Gemini will just timeout? After this failed meridian flip I made a model using Gemini (ugh) and then put the telescope in the exact same spot and once again issued the command through SGP to perform the meridian flip. It worked perfectly then.

[11/10/19 10:18:07.644][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Starting Meridian Flip Procedure
[11/10/19 10:18:07.651][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Skipping Solve
[11/10/19 10:18:07.653][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Stopping the Auto Guider
[11/10/19 10:18:07.654][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Sending Telescope command to execute meridian flip
[11/10/19 10:18:07.677][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Pier side is West
[11/10/19 10:18:07.677][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: attempting pier flip using sideOfPier
[11/10/19 10:18:07.741][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] Setting Pier East
[11/10/19 10:18:17.826][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Waiting until pier side changes…
[11/10/19 10:19:25.503][DEBUG] [Main Thread] PopulateDataModel: Transferring view to the data model…
[11/10/19 10:19:25.539][DEBUG] [MF Update Thread] Performing serialize…
[11/10/19 10:23:18.128][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Side of pier timeout!
[11/10/19 10:23:18.136][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Pier side is West
[11/10/19 10:23:18.645][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Failed to flip because starting pier side and ending pier side are the same!
[11/10/19 10:23:19.660][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Telescope command to meridian flip has completed
[11/10/19 10:23:19.660][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Telescope failed to perform meridian flip
[11/10/19 10:24:38.225][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Procedure complete
[11/10/19 10:26:37.569][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Starting Meridian Flip Procedure
[11/10/19 10:26:37.575][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Skipping Solve
[11/10/19 10:26:37.576][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Stopping the Auto Guider
[11/10/19 10:26:37.578][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Sending Telescope command to execute meridian flip
[11/10/19 10:26:37.591][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Pier side is West
[11/10/19 10:26:37.591][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: attempting pier flip using sideOfPier
[11/10/19 10:26:37.655][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] Setting Pier East
[11/10/19 10:26:47.733][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Waiting until pier side changes…
[11/10/19 10:26:49.978][DEBUG] [Main Thread] PopulateDataModel: Transferring view to the data model…
[11/10/19 10:26:50.028][DEBUG] [MF Update Thread] Performing serialize…
[11/10/19 10:31:47.890][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Side of pier timeout!
[11/10/19 10:31:47.897][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Pier side is West
[11/10/19 10:31:48.404][DEBUG] [Telescope Thread] ASCOM Telescope: Failed to flip because starting pier side and ending pier side are the same!
[11/10/19 10:31:49.424][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Telescope command to meridian flip has completed
[11/10/19 10:31:49.425][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Telescope failed to perform meridian flip
[11/10/19 11:47:34.676][DEBUG] [Pier Flip Thread] Meridian Flip: Procedure complete

It seems the mount just doesn’t want to flip.

Do you wait till the mount has passed the meridian to flip? It’s normal to wait 5-10min past the meridian to flip.
Is there any settings in the mount that says when it’s ok to flip? Like how long it can track past the meridian?