I have just completed my dome setup and install. I am having an issue with the scope consistently pointing out the shutter. Sometimes it is perfect but other times the scope is not pointing out the shutter at all, It is close but hitting the wall of the dome near the shutter opening. I fiddle with the settings for the GEM such as offsets and such but any improvement is short lived. As there is a lot to change and cause this issue I was wondering if anyone had some troubleshooting ideas. Sometimes I feel like the dome thinks the scope is rotating the opposite way on the axis. Even if I point at Polaris it is usually off by enough to cause issues. If I home my mount(cgx has switches to find home) the dome at 0 degrees lines up with north but as soon as I track the scope it swings off of 0 in the wrong way. I am in TN and have my location set in all the software I can find thinking it could think i am in southern hemisphere etc.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Tom Jaeger
I just spent a hour - well maybe 2 tweaking and I THINK I've got it.
Working on this again today. To make matters worse - I have a side by side saddle with all my gear on the left saddle and my 11" + guide scope on the right saddle. It's balanaced and since the scope is much heavier the scope is slightly right of center of the mount. I think that might be messing me up.
mine from the other night. 11 RASA, 094 camera - 120 seconds x 130 subs. NINA automated... I was in bed during all acquisition.
Sorry I didn't see questions after - stumbled into here from a google link. Those numbers were pulled from my slave settings in SGP. I no longer use SGP I use NINA so I'm now using POTH. Let me pull those up - (however above were for a 6" APO) it was dead on always. I'm now running a 11" RASA and outside of that a 80mm guide scope. (bout 16" wide) and I'm now having some issues - mostly the guide scope isn't always aiming out the slit. = ( I've been tweaking but it's a real hit n miss senerio = ( There use to be a file that explained each setting. I wish I could find it. Currently numbers in poth are Geometry +E/W 25(mm) Radius (m) 1.04 +N/S -50(mm) GEM axis offset 510mm +U/D -114 (mm) We're in the facebook nexdome group. VERY ACTIVE and lots of fast responses there.
MY dome "home" is also at polaris when the mount is at park (3). (at polaris). This is also position "0" So sending the dome to 180 makes it aim due south.
My settings are
41
-1
1
-4
17
30
2
Yours will be different, but should be somewhat close. I've entered mine into other setups to get close and then we tweak a little from there.
Got this the other night. Integration time 39 min at f2 425mm sct 8 in with hyperstar and zwo 071mc.
I'm glad to hear pointing has improved. I'm still having the same issue with it pointing not anywhere near where the scopes azimuth is. I've noticed that in ASCOM there are three Azimuth numbers: 1 for the scope, 1 for the dome and 1 for the target. After watching the dome move to the wrong place it became apparent that the dome was moving to the target location, which I have no Idea where it comes from. I'm going to contact the ASCOM help group (mailto:ascomtalk@groups.io) and get some help.
I can't help you with your AP purple issues but there are imaging groups for every camera and control program out there. That's where I'd start.
Post one of your AP so i can be envious of your work.
Steven
The results were not perfect but much better. I need to re-calibrate North and some other settings but much improved other than all my images were purple for some reason. I thought it was humidity but I dont think that is the case.
Tom Jaeger
Steven,
My apologies, I have not set anything to think I am in southern hemisphere but that is one of the things I looked for based on the behavior. I am using ASCOM POTH HUB for my control and also tried tying it into MaximDL. I have been playing with it today and made some real progress. In Maxim DL config for the dome I had 80 inches for dome radius but 80 inches is the diameter. After correcting that it looks to be much better. I can not be 100% sure as I am controlling remotely and my view is a webcam, but it very well could be lined up now. I have clear skies tonight and should know if its fixed.
Tom Jaeger
My usual setup of software is
ASCOM POTH HUB
Celestron PWI
Cartes Du Ciel
Maxim DL
PHD2
Tom, I have been having this same issue for months yet others have had no trouble.
We need more information as to what software are you using, i.e. Starry Night, SGP, TheSkyX, ASCOM, etc. Have you installed the ASCOM drivers for the dome? Why do you tell the dome you're in the Southern Hemisphere?