MikePaling

Hi .... I have been using the GSC11 catalogue very successfully in conjunction with Sequence for a while now .... but have been intrigued about some of the other options possible in the Sequence set-up area. This particular catalogue has been very difficult to track down on the Internet ..... but I have just noticed that the UCAC3 catalogue is now available to download on the ASA web site .... I can see that it is a very big set of files. Are there any benefits of using the UCAC3 cat instead of the GSC11 cat??? When & where should I consider using it??? Will it just clog up my observatory laptop unnecessarily? I do have a lot of disc space left though ! Regards Mike

Thanks for these two answers ... I will try to get things right when I get a clear night :-))) None of this is very clear in any manual that I have seen. So just what does the big red sync target icon do in Autoslew then??? It seems to be pretty redundant as far as I can see. Mike

Can anybody help ??? For the second time I have completed a full Autopointing file and loaded it up into Autoslew but I am having a real problem getting my mount to sync before setting my new Homeposition. The steps that I am taking are: (1) Start up Autoslew where I can see that the correct Autopoint file is being loaded up when I start up the mount (2) I then carry out the normal Homefind procedure to find the RA & DEC marks. (3) Connect up to CdC and connect the mount. Autoslew and CdC are now tracking properly. (4) I slew to a star in CdC (5) I take an image using Maxim and adjust the star, using the movement keys on Autoslew, until the star is exactly on the cross-hairs on subsequent Maxim images (6) I then click on the "Sync" icon on Autoslew ...... BUT ... I then get a message, on Autoslew, saying "Please select a valid object" ...... but I have just spent 5 minutes doing this so why doesn't it accept it??? I have also repeated the whole process by syncing the star in CdC first ... and then syncing it again in Autoslew ... I get the same message in Autoslew despite getting a message on CdC asking me to confirm that I am synced onto the correct star :-((( I am going round in circles !!!! How do I get Autoslew to sync properly? What simple step am I missing here ???? Regards Mike

It looks like I have managed to sort out my "error" problem :-))) At first, after getting some advice from a friend, I deleted the " Endpars.ini " file. Which is found at [ C: > Program Data > ASA > Sequence.] Apparently this file can get corrupted and is not deleted if Sequence is repaired or a newer version installed. However this did not fully solve the error problem. So I deleted the "Endpars" file again and installed the latest version of Sequence (v0.2.1.1) .... it now everything works in Sequence :-))))) Hopefully plain sailing now ... until I hit the next problem! Mike

Hi again ... I have just downloaded the log from my error message .... I only get this error message when I ask Sequence to access my Moravian CCD. When I ask MaximDL to take test images everything seems to work correctly ... I can pick and choose my different filters and ask it to take different exposures without any obvious problems. It is only when I start to try to use Sequence that I run into this error message ... and this log is complete mumbo-jumbo to me!!! Any advice from anybody ???? The error log is as follows ..... ****************************************************************************************** See the end of this message for details on invoking just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box. ************** Exception Text ************** System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array. at Sequencer.frmSettingsCCD.cmdReadFilters_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam) ************** Loaded Assemblies ************** mscorlib Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8689 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll ---------------------------------------- Sequencer Assembly Version: 0.2.0.5 Win32 Version: 0.2.0.5 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Sequence/Sequencer.exe ---------------------------------------- System.Windows.Forms Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8670 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll ---------------------------------------- System Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8690 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Drawing Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8681 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll ---------------------------------------- Microsoft.VisualBasic Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.8670 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll ---------------------------------------- Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.8670 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility.dll ---------------------------------------- Interop.PinPoint Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Sequence/Interop.PinPoint.DLL ---------------------------------------- Interop.MaxIm Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Sequence/Interop.MaxIm.DLL ---------------------------------------- System.Xml Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8679 (QFE.050727-8600) CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll ---------------------------------------- ************** JIT Debugging ************** To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this application or computer (machine.config) must have the jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section. The application must also be compiled with debugging enabled. For example: <configuration> <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" /> </configuration> When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer rather than be handled by this dialog box.

Hi ... It looks like I am having a very similar problem :-( When I ask Sequence to read the filters on my Moravian G2-8300 I get a similar error message. At the minute I am unable find a solution. Am I using old Moravian ASCOM drivers for the filter wheel or am I doing something silly???

Thanks George .... I will now get reading the Pinpoint manual to see where it takes me ! Mike

Thanks Mark for this .... Now done it .... one more little step on the path to enlightenment! Mike

Hi Mark ... Thanks for this .... since I sent my message I have discovered the "Sequence 200" pdf file and I have been studying it trying to make sense. I "think" that I am making some sense of it. I already have the full version of PinPoint ... but I am not sure yet how it fits into the scheme of things. Also ... today I have been trying to get my QuickSync FT40 electronic focuser to link up to Autoslew and Maxim ... I have made some progress but keep hitting brick walls. There is an absolutely nothing in any Autoslew manual that I have about this aspect :-(( I have installed the ASCOM driver for this focuser correctly ... but Maxim just freezes when I ask it to connect to the focuser ... and Autoslew "hardware add-on procedure" is confusing. At he minute I have hit a dead end .... I have also written to Dietmar (at ASA) if he can supply some extra guidance with all of this .... fingers crossed. Mike

Hi folks .... maybe somebody can give me some pointers about "Plate Solving". Now that I am confident in using Autoslew and CdC for visual and imaging on my DDM60Pro I need to try to understand the mysteries of plate solving. Thus far, for imaging, I have been taking things step-by-step using Astro Photography Tool (APT) and BackyardEOS (BYE) for imaging using my Canon DSLR. I really ought to start using my Moravian CCD camera now that the nights are starting to draw in. I already have MaximDL, PinPoint and Sequence installed on my laptop but I have been hesitant to get to grips with these as the various manuals that came with these seem pretty complex for a total novice like me :-( Can anybody suggest where I might find useful videos or PDF guides which will get me started with these bits of s/w ... and in particular plate solving ??? I have had a good look on the internet and YouTube etc. without a great deal of success so far. Regards Mike

Hi folks ... At some point in the future I am thinking of upgrading my current USB2 Mono CCD video camera for a better quality USB3 CMOS Mono camera. I understand that the hub on my DDM60/Pro is not USB3 capable .... for that matter my laptop only has USB2 ports. I have always understood that USB3 is "backwards compatible" and should be able to work on a USB2 port .... but a contact of mine seems to suggest that I might have some problems using a USB3 camera with my DDM60/Pro and laptop combo.. Will I be able to use a USB3 camera without any serious problems ... even if data transmission is a bit slower than it could be??? Mike

I now understand that these changes can only be done by ASA either remotely or at the factory .... they don't seem to want to reveal things to customers about this matter. I have a feeling that the new versions of DDM mounts will not ne affected as they will have absolute encoders so it will become a problem of the past. Regards Mike

Hi ... I have also been having a problem getting my DDM60Pro to do a Homefind. However .... after a great deal of effort my "Homefind" problem looks as if it has been solved ... but I will keep my eye on it. After eventually contacting ASA Martin Puchner, at ASA, kindly inspected my system remotely using Teamviewer and he made a couple of minor changes to one of the files within AutoSlew which seems to have done the trick. I am not sure exactly what he did as it happened very quickly. I got the impression that this is a known problem affecting "some people". I suggested that somebody at ASA should post a bulletin on the forum to help others who might have the same problem ... he said that this was a good idea. Mike

My "Homefind" problem looks as if it has been solved ... but I will keep my eye on it. Martin Puchner, at ASA, has been inspecting my system remotely using Teamviewer and he made a couple of minor changes to one of the files within AutoSlew which seems to have done the trick. I am not sure exactly what he did as it happened very quickly. I got the impression that this is a known problem affecting "some people". I suggested that somebody at ASA should post a bulletin on the forum to help others who might have the same problem ... he said that this was a good idea. Mike

Hi Luis .... Your PDF was really useful for me when I first set up my DDM60 a few months ago ..... my system is now up and running and fully functional. Just out of interest did you ever get around to making a second PDF that was promised at the end of your first PDF to show the next stage? It would have been useful .... and would still be useful for any future total novices that come along. Mike

I started this thread and my problem continues. Sometimes Homefind works but most of the time it doesn't. When it fails it always happens as it is looking for the RA mark ... it actually "pings" as if it has found the mark and then after approx. 6 seconds I get a message to say that it has failed! I now have to revert to the "manual method" which always works ..... this doesn't really bother me as my scope is only down at the bottom of my garden .... but I concerned that things are not working 100% OK. Might "Head Office" at ASA have any suggestions???? Is it worth contacting them? Mike

Many thanks Bernard ... I have now done this I was a bit confused at first because the "ProgramData" folder was hidden on my laptop! After un-hiding it all was well. Best wishes in 2017 to you as well ! Regards Mike

Can some kind person tell me how to make a backup of the Autoslew configuration directory referred to above?.... I can't seem to spot this directory anywhere on my hard drive Regards Mike

Hi Folks ... recently my DDM60Pro has failed to find the Homefind ref marks when asked to do so. I first set up my mount in the summer and everything worked perfectly but recently it starts to look for the RA reference mark and they says that it has failed and goes no further. It doesn't do this every time I restart Autoslew ... but it does it occasionally and seems to happen more frequently nowadays. However, if I ask Autoslew to try again, without first doing a full re-start, I get a message to tell me to move the scope slowly over the RA ref mark without the motor switched on ... this works! I hear a "ping" and the Autoslew asks me to slowly move the scope over the Dec ref mark ... which also works :-))) The AutoSlew screen tells me that I have found the RA and Dec marks. Everything is then fine .... Why is this happening???? Why am I getting this intermittent problem when I start up my mount? What can I do to get things back to normal? Regards Mike

Many thanks George and Bernard for these pointers ... it was mainly the first and last steps that I was not 100% sure of. On Wednesday I will be away for two weeks ... but rest assured I will be doing my first Pointing File on the first clear sky when I get back Mike

I have just managed to do a fairly accurate initial Polar Alignment without too much trouble .... I now want to move onto a Pointing File. Looking at the last two versions of the Autoslew manual the explanation of how to carry out a Pointing File manually simply fizzles out The manual suggests that I use the Sequence software and carry out an "Autopoint" proceedure .... but I this software seems to be too advanced for me at the moment and I seem to think that it needs a CCD camera ... which I don't have. The Autoslew manuals also say that there is information about the Autopoint procedure in the Sequence Manual ... there is absolutely no mention of this in the manual that come with my mount and memory stick!!! I am happy to do everything manually even if it does take longer. I am assuming that the process of doing a Pointing file is a more extended version of doing the same that I used for the Polar Alignment .... but with some added bits along the way ... and at the end. For example ... do I have to set a "New Home Position" at the very end of the procedure???? The manual doesn't say. So ... could some kind person give me a step-by-step checklist of what is needed before I take the plunge? Any help would be very much appreciated. Regards Mike

Hi ... How to do set a GPS to make automatic updates during a session? I can't find this anywhere :-((( Regards Mike

Hi ... I am hoping to carry out my first PA tonight as the sky looks as if it might be clear enough :-) However ... I am starting to get confused about Synching within Autoslew ... and which button to click on after slewing. Several people have said that no synching is needed during making appointing file as it leads to errors. Am I correct that after slewing the scope until the chosen star is central in the eyepiece I click on the target icon with a green tick in it (see attached image) ??? ... I think tha it's correct name is "Centre confirmation button" .... and NOT the plain red target button??? This particular icon only appears when pointing files are being done. Mike

Hi Bernard .... Yes .... I always start with a home find before I start doing anything else. So .... is an error of 5 degrees on my first slew normal .... or abnormal? Regards Mike

Hi George .... I was interested to read your comments above saying " It is normal for the first star to be way off". I made my first trial sync on a star using CdC and Autoslew last night ... and it was way out ... it must have been approx. 5 degrees out. I gave up at this point thinking something must be wrong with my general alignment of my DDM60. From your experience is my first sync normal ... or .... very much abnormal???? Regards Mike