Park scope and CGEM mount

[lambjl1]

I'm a new BYE user, so operator error is 1st on the list....That said, I tried the "Park Scope" last night so I could get some sleep. This morning the OTA was on the east side staring at the ground (I have RA limits set). I was using the ASCOM driver for my CGEM and BYE was connected to the scope. I was using PHD2.5.9 for guiding at the time the "Park" command would have been issued. What did I do wrong?

 

Thanks

 

Jay

[admin]

Hi Guylain,

 

I was correct: Operator error. Just tested this inside. I think the "park" command operated properly--it put the scope in a "safe" orientation with the lens/corrector plate pointed down. I was expecting to find it in the "home" position (weights down, scope up and looking toward the NCP).

 

Follow up question: Is there a way to "unpark" the mount from within BYE? Cartes du Ciel won't respond to slew commands when the scope is parked, but I don't see a way to change that state.

 

Thanks

 

Jay

 

Hi Jay,

 

BYE should park the scope in it's ASCOM park configured location, unless you have some other setting in your ASCOM driver that tells it to park elsewhere.  BYE/BYN simply issues the park command to ASCOM and ASCOM does the heavy lifting.

 

There is no unpark in BYE/BYN right now... but that would be the natural next step.  Please make a feature request in the feature request forum, this is where I go when I have a few hours to spare.

 

Thank you

[admin]

Hi Jay,

 

Send me the log file and I'll take a quick look.

[lambjl1]

Hi Guylain,

 

I was correct: Operator error. Just tested this inside. I think the "park" command operated properly--it put the scope in a "safe" orientation with the lens/corrector plate pointed down. I was expecting to find it in the "home" position (weights down, scope up and looking toward the NCP).

 

Follow up question: Is there a way to "unpark" the mount from within BYE? Cartes du Ciel won't respond to slew commands when the scope is parked, but I don't see a way to change that state.

 

Thanks

 

Jay

[astroman133]

I believe that the NexStar hand controller allows you to define a Home position.  The home position is where the scope should slew in response to an ASCOM park command. That is easy enough to try.

 

If you add an Unpark support you may also want to add control for Tracking on/off, since it may be driver dependent whether tracking is turned on when the mount is unparked.

[AaronSmall]

I realize the Jay's question was answered, but I have a followup related question.  I have the Home position set in my CGEM to be the "index position" (pointing to the NCP with weights down) .  Is this not the same as the ASCOM "park" position or do I have to configure the ASCOM driver separately?

 

I'm wondering if the issue is my assuming they are the same (and we all know what happens when you assume...).  I hit the park button while testing one evening last week and it went haywire before I canceled vowing never to do that again.  Thanks to Jay for bringing the issue up.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[astroman133]

Haywire?  Can you be more specific?  Where did the mount actually slew to?

 

I have the latest version of the Celestron ASCOM driver. The PDF file that was installed with the driver describes the park behavior, depending on which hand controller and firmware that you have.

[AaronSmall]

Rick,

 

Haywire can best be described as slewing towards the ground and or heading for an incident with the tripod in an unexpected direction/way.  I'm thinking there is a setting in ASCOM for the park position.  I'll have to look for the PDF that came with the driver.

 

Aaron

[astroman133]

ASCOM supports a SetPark command that tells the driver and mount to make the current telescope position the park position, but I do not believe that BYE supports using that method.

 

So haywire means that the scope slewed into a counterweight up position on its way to some unknown final location...not good.

 

How the driver behaves depends on which hand controller model and firmware version you have, as well as which release of the driver you are using. 

[AaronSmall]

Thanks, Rick.  I may try the Setpark from the ASCOM driver and see if I can sync it to the home/index position before I try a park in BYE.  I'll be ready to pull the plug if it starts slewing crazily.  If you don't see a followup post, assume this works.

 

Aaron

[AaronSmall]

Forgot to mention that I have the latest firmware on my CGEM but I use the older Nexstar HC (not the Nexstar+).

 

Aaron