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GM811g user here. I want to automate sky flats at the start and end of each sequence in NINA. However, NINA only provides a "Park" option and not the other park options available in the HC or Gemini software HC. Is there a way I can use a Python script to issue commands to my mount so I can customize the sequence with a Park at Zenith option?
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Need help with connection problem
3
Hello, Group. I am trying to get my Gemini to connect to my laptop via USB, so that I can use both The Sky 6 and N.I.N.A. for observing/and imaging. My old Gemini I worked well using a Serial/USB connection, but I am having a problem with the new Gemini II. I'm running Windows 10. Device manager shows my USB connection to Gemini via COM 4, and when I open The Sky 6 and set up the link using COM 4 and 9600 Baud, it connects and will slew to targets that I select. The problem is when I try to connect to N.I.N.A. for imaging. When I first tell it to connect to the mount via Gemini.net, I get the message: "Success. Mount connected to Gemini.net via COM 4 at 9600 Baud". The problem is that a few seconds later I get the message: "Serial port timed out", followed by the message "Gemini not responding, terminating connection". THEN: a few moment later a message appears saying "Success. Mount connected to Gemini.net via COM 4 at 9600 Baud".....followed seconds later by the "Serial Port timed out" message, and then the "Gemini.net not responding, terminating connection". These messages just keep repeating in a loop...connecting, timing out, disconnecting. My question is, is this a problem in N.I.N.A., since this does not occur when I connect while using The Sky 6. If it's a N.I.N.A. problem, do any of you know what settings I can change to stop this "Serial Port timed out" and "terminating connection" thing from happening. I'd sure like to get this sorted before the next new moon cycle, as I'm getting behind on my imaging!! Ron Abbott
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Can someone point me in the direction of getting my mount working with the asiair. Some things function but not all.
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Hi group! First posting here from a longtime lurker. I bought my G11 with Gemini II new 4 years ago and have been using it sucessfully ever since. This summer I also managed to upgrade to level 6: PIC programming the servocontrollers and wrote new SD cards with firmware for the Gemini and HC. It worked fine, save some missing catalogs etc on the hand controller. I almost always run the Gemini from a raspberry Pi4 with astroberry so that did not matter much anyway. This was were things stood before last night when I attempted ugrading to 6.1, again copying the new firmware bin files to the two SD cards, using a card-reader as I don't have a Windows PC for the GFU utility. Now I cannot connect to the Gemini at all: the handcontroller just cycles between the opening screen - Initializeing HC... - Connecting to Gemini... all over. The ethernet gives no response either. Even switching back to the original SD card on the Gemini (the one that came with the unit and that I never modified) gives the same result: for all practical purposes the Gemini appears dead, save for the red light on the on/off switch. Any suggestion for how to go from here? Regards, Per Erik
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Modeling problem
12
Last night, at one of our astronomy clubs out reach programs, I couldn't get the modeling program to work on my G11 mount Gemini 2. I tried using align and the model program that shows at cold startup. When using the align method, I would slew to a star, center the star and then press align, alignment like I usually do. Then go to the next star and repeat the process. The model was showing changes to the model but going back to the same stars they were not aligned. I even tried checking the alignment by going to the star, aligning the star and telling the mount to go to the same star and the mount would move off the star which it should not do. The controller would display that I aligned the star but if it did it should not move. Battery was replaced recently and not getting a low voltage warning on hand control. Could the micro sd card cause this problem? I have been using this mount for 15 years or more so I know how to model. It worked fine last week.
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Hello, I am not sure if this is the correct forum but I will ask anyway. I have a G11, non-tucked in motors, Gemini 2 recently upgraded. When I use the G11 with a short refractor I can set the limits with a fairly broad range, however when I put the TS Optics 130 on the mount, the limits have to be narrowed considerably to avoid a crash into the tripod. Also, with either scope, the saddle can be quite close to the motors. I could get the motors tucked in, which adds up in cost pretty fast, I could buy RA extensions to move the scope away from the motors and/or I could buy a pier extension to help clear the tripod. Could someone please provide advice as to what may be the best first option? I sure do appreciate the help. Thank you, Tom
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After powering up the Gem2 controller (V 5.21) last night, I had minimal response from the touch screen on the HC. Didn't matter if I used a Cold Start or a Warm Start. If I selected Quick Start, it would default to the Warm Start. Upon reaching the navigation screen, no button icons would activate (finger or rubber tip stylus). My first thought was to replace the battery in the Gem2 controller, which I later did. I also removed the screen cover on the HC to check for obstructions. Neither had any effect. I had not been updating the software or downloading anything. Thank you for any thoughts and recommendations which you may wish to share. Warren
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Alignment (or is it ¡°modeling¡±)
12
What a convoluted way to align through the hand controller. Two clear nights wasted because it won¡¯t ¡°model¡±. I¡¯ve followed the YouTube videos and whatever else I can find on how to align. It just goes on and on and on star after star. Does it ever actually finish ¡°modeling¡±? I try to go to a catalog object, an easy one like M13 and it¡¯s off. ASIair has no problem when I do astrophotography. It can go all night. But when I want to observe and just poke around the sky¡ I have the polar scope. I know how to use that. I don¡¯t get it. I just don¡¯t.
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I've watched the Losmandy video with Edward Plumer explaining, very clearly, how meridian flip works with Gemini and NINA. I've used his spreadsheet to calculate the settings for both NINA and Gemini... no joy. I simply cannot get it to work. In the past, I have gotten it working with CGP and it worked consistently. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. NINA Version 3.1 HF2 Gemini Version 5 ASCOM Version 1.1.28.0 My inputs to the spreadsheet: Western Safety Limit: 104deg 77min Desired Meridian Flip Time: 2 min (I've also tried 5 minutes, but this is my current config) The results which I have plugged into NINA and Gemini: NINA: "Max Minutes After Meridian": 60 NINA: "Minutes After Meridian": 2 Gemini: "Western Goto Limit": 14deg 49min NINA: "Use Telescope Side of Pier" : on NINA: "Pause Before Meridian" : 0min Gemini ASCOM: "Nudge mount out of safety limit on slew": on Gemini ASCOM: "Flip using Goto": I have no such setting that I can find.
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Serial to USB connection
7
I used The Sky 6 to do go-tos by connecting the Gemini I to my computer via a serial to USB connection. How do I accomplish this with the Gemini 2? I still have the USB cable, but need to know what cable to use from the serial connector to the Gemini 2 unit. Ron Abbott
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Weird Gemini telescope behavior
12
This is for Paul kanevsky. I have two losmandy mounts, a 2005 g11 with older servo motors and a g11g SLW, both with Gemini II mini with L06 and servo motor quadrature upgrades. They both "talk" via a linksys wireless router and LAN cable to on-board mini computers (eagle and mele quieter 4c) to my laptop via remote access (win11). I recently had both fired up and communicating via two different laptops. Gemini telescope would only work if I used the UDP setting (unverified data packet). If I tried using the HTTP setting for both mini computers (one 192.668.0.220, the other... 221), Gemini telescope couldn't resolve which command went to which mount, i.e., both mounts got the same command. When I switched to udp, problem resolved. Now to the weird part. So I've left my Gemini telescope on udp on startup. Last night, I was getting target unreachable on the handset in the 2005 mount (single mount). I went out and was able to move the mount to the target (m32 in this case, with the scope pointing east via the handset). While trying to figure out the problem, the mount went to limit. So I commanded the mount to CWD. The Gemini telescope slewed to CWD and telescope app showed limit and wouldn't allow me to enter track via my laptop. I reset both the Gemini II and telescope app but it wouldn't let me go from CWD to track. I finally set Gemini telescope to HTTP with the handset address (....220) and no more issues!!! This morning I thought I should have looked at the ARP table but didn't. Weird behavior. Your thoughts? Chuck
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Hi there, I have the Gemini 2 with L6. The ASCOM driver, CPU, and HC firmware are the latest betas. One thing I really like about the park mode that requires a go-to command to park the mount is that on ¡°power on¡±, the mount just stays put in the CWD or Home position, and I don¡¯t find it later at the Limits position, which prevents me from getting around it in my cramped observatory. The consistent repeatable problem I encounter is that whenever my acquisition software SGP performs a Meridian Flip, the mount just parks itself at the initial flip position in RA ( on west side of mount, pointing east). No other movement occurs, as SGP fails and shuts down the sequence. This never happens in the other park mode, any command. It successfully performs meridian flips. Please help! Do you think this is a mount issue or that SGP does not give it the proper command, or neither? Clear Skies, Paul
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Hi all, I've recently purchased a Gemini 2 kit for my Losmandy G11 and I need to know which kind of thread is there on the screws circled in red (picture attached). I'm afraid is Whitworth Thread System. Thank you in advance, Luca
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I don¡¯t greatly wish to lay a long Cat6 cable to my ¡®scope, so I¡¯m hoping I can find a good AP that can connect to my ethernet network. Needs to be suitable to use outside, and run off 12V. Recommendations most welcome. PS I¡¯m in the UK if that makes a difference. Thanks David
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periodic error training (PemPro config question)
3
Brian, (Just took delivery of a GM11T; works great and now refining) On page 2 and 3 of your guide /g/Gemini-II/files/Documentation_and_Manuals/Losmandy%20PEC%20Primer.pdf you state to "set to 2x PEC cycle" and in the viewer and waveform analysis and correction we need to remember the periods are 2x . . . got that, but . . . Two questions: One, after uploading to the mount and verifying the curves and riding off into the sunset, do we go back into Gemini PEC configuration and set the worm period back to 1x? Two, on the PemPro site https://www.siriusimaging.com/Help/PEMProV3/index.html?gemini.html (updated 2023) there's no mention of this. Is there a conflict here, is your doc still relevant with this idea, etc.? And unrelated to those: On the site's document it asks to "go into the "Advanced Setup" page and uncheck "Gemini expects J2000 co-ordinates" because they both need to be on the JNow page--is that also required from your perspective? Thanks for you time; love your valuable advice and presentations. Regards Steve
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Serial connection to G2
11
I haven¡¯t tried to use the serial port on the G2 I have so it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s broken as the G2 wasn¡¯t new when Tanya sent it to me for developing the Servo firmware. Here¡¯s what I had with my G1 (with serial port modified to supply 5V on pin 1) Bluetooth G1 1 NC 2 -> 1 5V 3 -> 2 GND TX 4 -> 3 RX RX 5 -> 4 TX 6 NC I made up a new lead to connect to the G2 Bluetooth G2 1 NC 2 -> 1 5V 3 -> 3 GND TX 4 -> 2 RX RX 5 -> 5 TX 6 NC Which I am pretty sure is correct (please tell me if I¡¯ve got it wrong ¨C it would be easy to do). I¡¯ve checked the cable for continuity Baud rate is set to 9600 in Gemini.net and the lead is plugged into the Serial/GPS port on the G2. The web pages tell me that is also set to 9600 (unlike the HC port which is set to 57600). Gemini.net says connected, and then times out and gives up after a couple of attempts. Have goofed this up or? Cheers, David Please click here to support DeepSkyStacker development
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Spontaneous reboot of L6 Gemini 2
3
I recently had my Gemini 2 upgraded to L6 by Losmandy. Set it up yesterday. Had the scope parked but on for an hour or two. Walked away from it. When I came back, the hand controller was in a boot loop. I powered the mount off and on. It booted fine and stayed on. unfortunately my usb hub died, so I shut everything down for the night after the unit was running 40 minutes. Today, I powered up and connected to Nina. While I was working on the computer, Nina said it couldn¡¯t communicate with the Gemini. The driver had disconnected. Hit the button and it connected. I¡¯m using a mini pc and using a usb cable from mount to pc. No hub. I did update the ascom driver. Anyone see stability issues with L6 or the new Gemini. Net drivers?
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Allow speeding up
8
I¡¯ve just applied 6.05 plus 1.63 to my G2 and HC. I have ¡°allow speeding up¡± set, so I expected the HC buttons to work like the G1, going from Guide speed to Centre speed to Slew Speed if I hold (e.g.) the right RA button down and press the left button twice. But it doesn¡¯t seem to work like that? If I have speed set to Guide it will only move up to Centring speed when I press the opposite button. HC is set to ¡°All Speeds¡± mode Also, the buttons on the rear of the HC don¡¯t seem to do anything sometimes, other times they do? Can anyone cast some light for me? Cheers, David Please click here to support DeepSkyStacker development
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Folks, Ren¨¦ provided a new (beta test) version of the Hand Controller firmware to use with L6.x: /g/Gemini-II/files/Gemini%20HC%201.62%20beta This firmware adds some of the requested features: - Show time to limit on the main screen, when time remaining is less than 1 hour - Checkbox to invert the direction of gearboxes in Mount->Gearing (for McLennan gearboxes , for example) - New page added under Mount->Flip to enable/disable and to configure meridian flip points gemhc.bin file in the zip needs to be uploaded to Gemini HCFirmware folder on the SD card. You can do that through the Gemini web pages SD Card menu, or through GFU Advanced tab (drop the whole zip file in the HC section). Remember to restart Gemini after updating this file. The HC will show uploading.... message for a little bit. When completed, the HC firmware version should show this: Please report any issues/observations/more suggestions here. Regards, -Paul
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G2 NINA and Meridian Flip
I have L5 hardware and was wondering for southern Hemisphere are there any special requirements in the set up of the mount or while using NINA for it to perform a meridian flip, thanks
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Sat 8:39am
Sat 8:39am