Try turning on the setting of Flip using Goto in the Gemini ASCOM driver:

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I have been imaging my G11 (with L6 upgrade) with NINA for almost two years with no issues. I have been running the Nightly version of NINA, but it recently updated to ver. 3.1 HF2. Two nights ago it started having issues. I can setup my imaging sequence, scope slews and centers on object, then images fine until it's supposed to do a Meridian Flip. The Meridian Flip dialog opens in NINA, but scope never flips. I then stop the sequence and try to manually do a Slew and Center in NINA, it does nothing. G11 keeps tracking until it hits the Western Limit I have set at 96.39. Interesting fact: I can tell it to Park from NINA and it does this just fine.?

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It has now done this two nights in a row. I stopped and restarted NINA and the mini PC (Mele Q3) a few times. It does the same thing. Sequence runs until Meridian Flip, then will not flip.?

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I did see an ASCOM error, but did not wright it down. I did reinstall ASCOM platform 6.6SP2. Did not fix the issue.?

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G11 works fine from the hand controller. And NINA controls the mount fine up to the point it needs a Meridian Flip. Then issues begin. So it seems to be some communication issue between NINA and the G11. Or perhaps a issue with the Mini PC ? I'm not sure where to begin to trouble shoot this issue.?

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Image train: C11 Edge HD, ASI1600 MM, PLL Esatto 2 LP focuser, Pegasus PPB Advance hub

Mount: G11 with L6 upgrade.?

Thanks for everyone’s understanding and support. It is truly appreciated.?

I think this is such a common problem because they cables quite obviously go the other way. :)

Spelling errors courtesy of iPhone

I can't prove it, but anytime Windows does an update, then updates to fix the update, I seem to get a lot of wonky driver problems.

I swore the Windows updates arbitrarily blows holes in our 3rd party apps, of which even our coveted Losmandy Mount drivers sometimes get messed up.

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Instead of a blanket cleaning and replacement, I've been picking through the apps NINA pops alarms on. Some have repair platforms and I try those. But sometimes I need to R&R the corrupted item.

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This pattern of Windows updates has led me to trying to stop Windows from shoving their updates down the throat of my Asus Mount laptop.

I've just had 2 nights of trouble-free imaging, with great meridian flips, after about a week of nightmares. I'm afraid to even peak into my various settings.

But over the years Windows has gotten worse and worse about damaging our open source or non-windows app store programs.

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Sorry I can't recall all the steps I've taken fixing Windows damages to my software.

But I do encourage looking at the incidences of Windows Updates to your wonky actions in your mount computer.

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Most recently ASCOM pops driver warnings in NINA, and ASTAP has undergone several updates to fix updates to the recent updates it got killed by. This isn't just me, but others at Cloudy Nights.

I found a work around for astap by going back almost a year to restore my computer to finally get astap to recognize its own Star libraries. Presently, using d50.

But I am sick and tired of these updates that need updates to fix what the update messed up. I've fought it in ASCOM, ASTAP, and certainly from Windows.

It's got me thinking about goin Indi on my mount computer. 8^(

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--

Sonny Edmonds
GM811G HD

>Paul's reply:

Please don't ask me how I know this.

It's just too embarrassing. ;^)

--

Sonny Edmonds
GM811G HD

Welcome to the Human Race.

I don't disassemble my stuff at all. I just do my ritual covering and forced ventilation routine every morning during my Shut-Down and collection.

Ready to rapidly deploy the next night.

The less disassembled, the narrower my margin for errors. ;^)

--

Sonny Edmonds
GM811G HD

On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 04:28 AM, Paul Kanevsky wrote:

Been there, done that! ;)

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Regards,

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? ?-Paul

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Haven’t we all?!?

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I’d say that’s one of the most fun mistakes that we can make in this hobby. Turn the mount on and tell it to goto to any object and then watch in horror as the scope goes in a completely bonkers direction, probably on to a pier crash. Fun times I say lol

Just to expand a bit on Paul’s comment and since you’re new to the G2, the option is located on the HC’s main menu->HC->Mode.

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I particularly have it setup to “all speeds” but depending on your particular needs you may or may not want that option. In my case I can set the speed I need at any particular moment, which I find helpful.

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In any case, be sure to check this for more detailed explanations and report back.

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good luck?

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jonathan

On Thu, Oct 3, 2024 at 10:34 PM, Volk, Chris wrote:

This last weekend I had a strange issue where near the meridian flip my G11 mount started to beep once every 30 sec. I tried googling causes and it said possibly the mount limits? I should have been at least ~15 minutes before the limit.

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After this went on for several minutes the mount eventually reset (saying it’s position was CWD, and disconnecting from my laptop), so I was thinking maybe there was some power issue? After I did my meridian flip and re-synced everything I didn’t have any more beeping.

On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 02:10 AM, <gad@...> wrote:

And of course a half hour after writing all this I figured out that indeed my RA and DEC cables were reversed.?

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Thanks for listening. :)

And of course a half hour after writing all this I figured out that indeed my RA and DEC cables were reversed.?

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Thanks for listening. :)

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Hey there. I have a new G11 w/Gemini II and it seems like modeling is not even close to working and I don't know why, which usually means I'm missing something. Here's what I'm doing:?

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1) Place and level tripod aligning to true North (-12.2 degrees magnetic declination)

2) Add Losmandy mount, counterweights, and telescope

3) Balance the scope in RA and DEC

4) Cable everything up, including the GPS (Losmandy, via B&H)

5) Make sure counter-weights are down via bubble level on mount

6) Polar align with iPolar

? ?Note: Am slowly locking down Alt/Az and adjusting iteratively to make alignment as good as possible. iPolar is pretty cool.?

? ?Note: iPolar is mounted with the official Losmandy iPolar adapter.

? ?Note: I may try SharpCap since it seems popular here and I'd have one less piece of gear to set up, but I don't think polar alignment is my problem

6) Turn on the Gemini

7) Cold Start

8) Confirm data/time

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Side note: The time zone is always wrong and requires a power cycle to accept a change, which seems odd, but location is saved properly. If I'm understanding the docs right, the timezone shouldn't matter since all internal calculations are in UTC and the time zone is just for human readable display format. Again, I'm using the GPS which as I understand it should override any saved settings anyway. The HC does confirm the GPS has been queried.

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Note: I can see Polaris (bortle 4/5) and at this point the scope points right at it, though it is not necessarily visible in the scope.

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9) Go to bright star. I choose Polaris.

? ? ?** The scope slews about 20 degrees to the east pointing quite obviously NOT at Polaris. It does this every single time. I do not try to correct it because it just seems too far off.?

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10) I try another star: Vega.?

? ? ** The scope slews in the general vicinity of Vega, but is probably also in the neighborhood of 20 degrees off. Again, every single time.?

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Additional data:?

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I don't think the RA/DEC cables are backwards because the mount slews generally in the right direction

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I don't think the LAT is positive when it should be negative because I'm using GPS

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I don't think the battery is bad because it's saving the date, etc.?

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I don't think the polar alignment is off, but my view of the sky is limited so many of the alternative computerized plate solving alignment methods out there don't work well for me because they try to slew to positions that are behind trees. I don't have the LosMandy polar scope because I have neck problems and don't think I'd be able to use it more than once, if that.?

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Power is via the Losmandy 12VDC "cigarette lighter adapter" which is plugged into my Bluetti A70 power station. I have tried it with the 15VDC power brick as well.?

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Am I wrong thinking that the initial slews to the bright stars should be closer than they are??

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Any and all help is appreciated. At this point I'd give anything for a single GOTO to work.?

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Thanks,

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GAD

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Hi All,

After this went on for several minutes the mount eventually reset (saying it’s position was CWD, and disconnecting from my laptop), so I was thinking maybe there was some power issue? After I did my meridian flip and re-synced everything I didn’t have any more beeping.

Thanks,

Chris

On Thu, Oct 3, 2024 at 10:04 PM, <stargazr39@...> wrote:

I recently had to upgrade to Gemini 2 because my old Gemini I got fried.

I went through the quick start menu and entered all my particulars (location, time zone, type of mount (MI-250) and set up the moving and slewing and go to speeds, etc.

Here is my problem:? The control will do a go-to, and will return to the CWD park position, BUT...I cannot seem to make the motion pushbuttons for RA and DEC to work.? When I push them, the mount doesn't move.? I've gone through the set up procedure according to the manual many times, being careful to follow all the instructions...all with the same result: I cannot move the mount using the manual buttons on the hand controller.

Can somebody give me some direction on where I went wrong. I'm at my wit's end, and am in a time crunch, as I was hoping to be able to power-up and be able to do some imaging during the current new moon cycle.

Ron Abbott

I recently had to upgrade to Gemini 2 because my old Gemini I got fried.

I went through the quick start menu and entered all my particulars (location, time zone, type of mount (MI-250) and set up the moving and slewing and go to speeds, etc.

Here is my problem:? The control will do a go-to, and will return to the CWD park position, BUT...I cannot seem to make the motion pushbuttons for RA and DEC to work.? When I push them, the mount doesn't move.? I've gone through the set up procedure according to the manual many times, being careful to follow all the instructions...all with the same result: I cannot move the mount using the manual buttons on the hand controller.

Can somebody give me some direction on where I went wrong. I'm at my wit's end, and am in a time crunch, as I was hoping to be able to power-up and be able to do some imaging during the current new moon cycle.

Ron Abbott

I had the same questions when I started this thread, and got all the information that I needed from some helpful people.? Check it out, it may answer your questions.

Hi David, you should check it.

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Regards,

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? ?-Paul

Quick question on using the Minor Planets & Small Objects function before tracking a comet this weekend.

In the Gemini Telescope Setup ASCOM menu, do I need to check the "Variable Move/Axis Rate" box or does the Minor Planets & Small Objects feature engage that automatically.

Don't want to mess up anything.?

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Thanks,

David

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Hello all. It has been a while since I have looked into L6 so I apologize if I am behind the curve. I just want to confirm that I am following the correct path to do this correctly.

I have the following link for instructions and downloads:

Is that correct?

It seems to me that I remember the need for a pic programmer to upgrade an L5 G2 to L6?

Was I mistaken, or is this just not needed any more?

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Thanks!

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Art Trail

Broken Arrow, OK, USA