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GoTo Issue With Meridian Flip Using SkyWatcher HEQ5 + SkySafari 5.4.0 + Android + Virtuoso App 1.7.4 + Instein BTDir (Answer: SkySafari Is Issuing Correct Coordinates For The Scope To Go To But The Scope Does Not Go To Those Coordinates)

Antonio Papini

March 04, 2019 00:10

Answered

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Hi,

My name is Antonio from Italy (sorry for my bad english) and I contact you for this strange thing..

I have an Skywatcher Heq5 mount with Intein BTDir, my phone is an Lg k500n with Virtuoso app 1.7.4.

All work very well but if I try to slew an object at other side and close to meridian, when the telescope are near the object, Skysafari "jump" over the selected object and don't complete the slew.
I have tried all alignment mode and also other mount but this bug is confirmed.

Have you some kind help to give me?
Thank you.

Antonio

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15 comments

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  Bill Tschumy March 04, 2019 15:37

  Antonio,

  I would contact SkyWatcher about this.  They developed this app with not input from us and we really don't have experience with it.  We are working on natively supporting the SkyWatcher Wi-FI without having to use their app.

  Bill

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  Antonio Papini March 04, 2019 16:15

  Hi Bill, thank you for the answer.
  I wish to use bt for telescope control to have free wifi for other uses.
  Unfortunately Virtuoso app is not supported since 2014.. I will try with an older version of skysafari..

  Antonio

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  Bill Tschumy March 04, 2019 16:20

  Antonio,

  I guess I misunderstood.  I thought the Virtuoso app was SkyWatcher's new app for controlling their Wi-Fi enabled scopes.  SkySafari can talk to the mount using this app as an intermediary. 

  So I'm confused, are you using Virtuoso or SkySafari to control the scope?  Please describe your setup a bit more.

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  Antonio Papini March 04, 2019 16:39

  Maybe is my english fault!
  My configuration is: heq5 + Btdir module (without skywatcher hand control) + Virtuoso app to connect Btdir and smartphone + skysafari.
  Like at this link: http://instein.eu/btdir.htm

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  Antonio Papini March 04, 2019 22:24

  I must explain better: I can select and track almost all object. Work good also meridian flip.
  The problem occurs only in the app (skysafari - also verified in version 4.4.7.6) when I try to go on an object placed between meridian and 15° east.
  In these cases it happens during slew that Skysafari's crosshair disappear to appear about 30° at west of meridian.
  Skysafari recognize something strange/wrong and stop tracking (despite the mount is physically in the correct coordinates)

  I hope you may understand me.

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  Bill Tschumy March 04, 2019 22:39

  I think I understand.  It sounds like the problem happens when you do a goto to the other side of the meridian, but the mount does not do a meridian flip, correct?

  This sounds like a bug in the Btdir device or the Virtuoso app.  When we issue a GoTo, all we do is specify the RA/Dec to go to.  We don't tell the app what to do to get there.  If it is not performing a meridian flip, there is not anything we can do about it.

  I wonder if there is some setting in the Btdir device that specifies how far past the meridian it can go without a meridian flip.  Perhaps you can adjust it to alway do a flip on the other side of the meridian.

  I would talk to the manufacturers of the Btdir about this.

   

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  Antonio Papini March 04, 2019 23:37

  Not exactly.. It's hard for me to explain with my low english level. I try step by step...

   

  1) Talking about Virtuoso app: following 3 stars alignmant procedure, Virtuoso do correctly meridian flip. In the app there aren't setting like DEC or RA limits.

  If I move the mount using virtual handpad in Virtuoso, there are no problems for each point of sky and the app show correct value of RA and DEC for each point.

   

  2) Opening Skysafari app: always following the manual there is no problem to connect Skysafari to mount through Virtuoso. Indeed, for example, if I finish alignment on Rigel in Virtuoso app, I will found pointed on Rigel in Skysafari after connection. Like must be.

   

  3) The problem: for example now we are on Rigel, a few degreeds at west of meridian and we want go to Betelgeuse placed a few degreeds at east of meridian... The mount start to do meridian flip and when is to close to target, the crosshair disappear to reappear in west side at the same DEC of Betelgeuse but out of RA. Skysafari feel something wrong and stop tracking.

  So, for test, we change the target and try to go to Procyon: no problem, work! So star by star we moving more close to meridian already from east side but suddenly the crosshair disapper to reappear in west side.

   

  I have tryed to contact BTDir producer but they have not idea abuot this problem. I have ask them if there are other apps like Virtuoso but I have no replay yet.

   

  Anyway... thank you a lot for your time!

   

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  Bill Tschumy March 05, 2019 15:05

  Thanks for the additional explanation.  I appreciate your communication in English.  You are doing well.

  I'm pretty sure this is not a SkySafari bug.  We just display the position on the sky that the mount tells us the scope is pointed to.  In every case we've looked at where the position seems wrong, it is because the mount is giving us bad data.

  I don't have this hardware to test with so I can't really do much more.

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  Antonio Papini March 05, 2019 15:55

  Thank you!

  There are surely other tests I can do to try to understand the cause better about this anomaly, I think.. Have you some suggest to give me for specific tests?

  My think: at 1st thing I will check every connection port.

  2nd, I will try to do the same go-to sequence (aftern alignment) by Skywatcher hand control, without any wireless devices. After that, again by BTDir and Virtuoso hand pad and verifing if RA and DEC value are right at the real sky coordinates.

  As 3rd I may try by ASCOM driver with PC. I have no other idea to give you service data.

   

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  Bill Tschumy March 05, 2019 16:04

  All I can suggest is that you can capture a scope communication log.  This will show us what commands are sent to the mount and what information is being returned.  

  You can enable capturing a log file in the Telescope Setup settings.  See the build-in Help (tap the ? on the screen) to determine how to retrieve the log file.

  To keep it simple, I would get the scope aligned and positioned on one side of the meridian.  Then connect with SkySafari and issue the GoTo command to an object on the other side of the meridian.  After it fails, disconnect.

  Retrieve the log file and email it to "bill@simcur.com".  Tell me what object you started on and what object you tried to go to.

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  Antonio Papini March 05, 2019 16:08

  Great! I will work on it this evening. Thank you again!

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  Antonio Papini March 05, 2019 18:49

  Sent!
  Thank you again!

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  Antonio Papini March 18, 2019 16:22

  Did you received my email?

  i am curious!

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  Bill Tschumy March 18, 2019 17:17

  Yes, I did.  It wasn't until I looked again did I actually see the scope log file you attached.  Sorry.

  This still doesn't look like our problem.  From the screen shots you sent, you are doing a GoTo to Sirius that is on the opposite side of the meridian.  We issue this command:

  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:32:40 with error 0:
  r4806C384,F41CEC7D

  The "r" is a "go to coordinates" command and the numbers are the hex representations of the RA/Dec to go to.  I have verified that this is correct for Sirius.

  Now there is a bunch of out put were we send the "e" command to have the telescope return where it is pointing.  The result we get back shows the scope is moving towards Sirius.  However, the last few return results are:

   

  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:54 with error 0:
  24008777,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:54 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:54 with error 0:
  24008777,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:55 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:55 with error 0:
  24012BBB,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  24024DDD,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  2402EFFF,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:57 with error 0:
  2402EFFF,F41CEAAA#
  Sent ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:58 with error 0:
  e
  Received ASCII at 2019/03/05 19:33:58 with error 0:
  24038BBB,F41CEAAA#

  It looks like the scope has stopped moving Dec (F41CEAAA each time) but is still moving slightly in RA.

  I really don't know what to tell you.  We have many SkyWatcher users and presumably some are on GEM mounts.  We have never had a report the meridian flips are not working.  All I can say is that we are issuing the correct coordinates for the scope to go to but it doesn't do the correct thing.  It is not possible to tell where the break down is happening.

  It may be something related to you Virtuoso app or possibly the version of firmware in your hand controller.

  What is this Virtuoso app and how is it related to SkySafari?  I am unable to find it on Google Play.

   

   

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  Antonio Papini March 18, 2019 18:11

  "It looks like the scope has stopped moving Dec (F41CEAAA each time) but is still moving slightly in RA."

  This is correct because there is a small dec difference between rigel and sirius and the scope need more time for ra for meridian flip (if i understand good)

  About Virtuoso app, time ago it was on google play but now it is removed (maybe because out of support... maybe too old.. I don't know). It is a free app and is easy to find the apk on internet.

  Ps: the scope coordinates are taken from gps.

  It is very strange... Only close to east meridian side.

  Thank you for all!