On Sat, May 25, 2024 at 08:55 AM, Sean wrote:

So late last night I decided to open GFU and selected the 5.21. Something downloaded, I restarted Gemini and it updated something. But upon being loaded it still said 6.02. This morning I used the advanced option to upload file "NewGem-Aug-16-2018.zip" you linked, and this time it worked. Mainboard is 5.22, Servos just shows checkmark, but hand controller is still 1.6. I did do a slew to test, obviously could not plate solve, but did not hear the click sound. It looks like maybe Sunday I might be able to test if clouds are not too bad.

Hi Sean, you continue to see some strange behavior, so there may be something to the SD card and settings needing a full reset. I wouldn't do it just yet. From your NINA platesolving results, it appears that DEC wasn't moving at all, while RA was correcting properly. Since the original error was fairly small in DEC, the only reason I can think of for DEC not to correct is worm/gear backlash. Let's see if the downgraded L5 firmware will help, but do check what TVC (backlash compensation) setting you're using. That may need to be adjusted when migrating to L6 due the 4x smaller steps with higher encoder resolution.

On Sat, May 25, 2024 at 07:07 AM, John Kmetz wrote:

If the GFU has 5.2, that should be easily selected. The Beta ware for L5 I used had some advantages over some older L5's for runaway slews, but I am now not sure if L5.2 is the same. I don't recall using format SD card whenever I did any updates, so I will let others comment there.? Paul is the software expert; I am just another L6 tester and can share my experiences in that regard.? But your issues seem to be unique from most of the other comments I've read in the forums before. Good luck!

John,

So late last night I decided to open GFU and selected the 5.21. Something downloaded, I restarted Gemini and it updated something. But upon being loaded it still said 6.02. This morning I used the advanced option to upload file "NewGem-Aug-16-2018.zip" you linked, and this time it worked. Mainboard is 5.22, Servos just shows checkmark, but hand controller is still 1.6. I did do a slew to test, obviously could not plate solve, but did not hear the click sound. It looks like maybe Sunday I might be able to test if clouds are not too bad.

Hi Sean,

If the GFU has 5.2, that should be easily selected. The Beta ware for L5 I used had some advantages over some older L5's for runaway slews, but I am now not sure if L5.2 is the same. I don't recall using format SD card whenever I did any updates, so I will let others comment there.? Paul is the software expert; I am just another L6 tester and can share my experiences in that regard.? But your issues seem to be unique from most of the other comments I've read in the forums before. Good luck!

John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

On Sat, May 25, 2024 at 12:02 AM, John Kmetz wrote:

But offhand I'm not sure why your mount would go to a target and start drifting in Dec unless you had a loose Dec clutch or oily clutch pad. You might also have some backlash with the worm being too loose. But perhaps you can try the software first and then look for hardware problems. A clicking noise can mean a gearbox issue, but you can worry about that a little later.

The clicking only started just post L6 upgrade. I had been imaging for a few weeks without issue.? I should point out, the coordinates listed above are the output from NINA when attempting to center the target. It adjusts the RA but never the DEC. Posted is just the last 3 attempts. For example the first slew to M81?
Time? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? RA? ? ? ? ? ? DEC? ? ? ? ? ? ? Error Distance? ? ? ?RA Error? ? ? ?Dec Error? ? ? RA Error(PX)? ? ? Dec Error(PX)? ? ? Rotation ? ? ?
05/24/2024 22:32:44 ? ? ? ?14:01:14 ? ?54° 16' 18" ? ?00° 17' 58"? ? ? ? ? ? 00:01:59? ? ? 00° 04' 38" ? ?1259.45? ? ? ? ? ? ?195.8? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 179.62234898524582
Nina then attempts to center and fix the error:
05/24/2024 22:33:06 ? ? ? ?14:03:12 ? ?54° 13' 57" ? ?00° 06' 59"? ? ? ? ? ? 00:00:01? ? ? 00° 06' 59" ? ?10.27? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?295.33? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 179.6327463348333
Closer on RA but only slight improvement in DEC. Then it reattempts:
05/24/2024 22:33:22 ? ? ? ?14:03:19 ? ?54° 13' 56" ? ?00° 07' 03"? ? ? ? ? ?-00:00:07? ? ? 00° 06' 59" ? ?-71.62? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?295.66? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?179.63905172891225

I suppose tomorrow I can try to reload older firmware. GFU does have 5.21 available, should I just use that? Should I select "Format SD card" to wipe everything start fresh?

Edit: Wanted to add, in several years of using NINA I did not keep track, but off top of my head usually the framing only has to do 2-3 iterations before it is good. Now it is doing 10 and still off.?

Sean,

Sorry to hear of your ongoing troubles. From what you have said your mount was working well before L6 without mechanical issues. So, you do have the option to change back to see if things improve. I did this a few times when the L6 development was in flux. Perhaps the following files will help you (careful with mount limits, etc. when changing firmware and monitor closely)

[email protected] | Files

[email protected] | Files

You can use the GFU to upload the above to your G2. You need to join the Gemini-II group if you haven't already to access. You can also switch back to the earlier Gemini app as well:



But offhand I'm not sure why your mount would go to a target and start drifting in Dec unless you had a loose Dec clutch or oily clutch pad. You might also have some backlash with the worm being too loose. But perhaps you can try the software first and then look for hardware problems. A clicking noise can mean a gearbox issue, but you can worry about that a little later.

Hope this helps you return to normal.

John

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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

So good news, bad news, and more bad news. Tonight we had clear skies so I went out and did polar alignment, then used NINA to slew to M81. It actually went there, and from the first image I could see the galaxies so it was on target. Almost. Then the first bad news appears. I can get to a target but my Declination will be off, and NINA is not able to correct. Not as bad as before, but still. Here is one small sample:

I tried a different target (M101) and same problem.?
Went back to CWD and power cycled the mount. Restarted and went back to M101 Historically I am used to NINA usually taking 1-2 images to correct. Above is just a sample, it will keep going (I think it gives up at 10 corrections). One thing I did notice now, I hear a clicking sound from my mount when it goes to do these adjustments. Maybe normal, maybe part of change with servo update, dont know. What I do know is that NINA can not seem to make declination adjustments, or the mount is not accepting them or doing them, or other. Still getting the error that NINA & Mount time differ. Unless Gemini is just not displaying it correct, both mount, Windows (with NINA) and my NTP server are all in synch.?

The final bad news may not be so bad. Guiding was the worst I ever saw, almost as bad as when I had my budget cheap mount. But I finally just started a sequence and went inside to write this. I just looked at PHD2 and 0.38 (0.58) error. Before it was like 2.8px error. Still, I thoroughly regret doing this upgrade now, I just do not think it was worth the headache and stress.?

On Fri, May 24, 2024 at 08:22 AM, Sean wrote:

Upon reload the network settings did not change.

In L6 release:

If you reserved the Gemini-2 MAC on the local home router then upon start, the router DNS assigned your defined IP for you.? In that case if you want the displayed IP to become Static, uncheck the box to the right of the DNS delay field.

?it would be good to know if I should leave that checked.

The JD2000 option under the Coordinate GoTo represents a per use option for the HC.? ?Because the target Coordinate Input could be J-Now (like from SkySafari) or J2000 (like from a printed chart).? The HC needs the one of the two allowed connotations when invoked or it might apply an unrequired transformation.

Traducir texto con tu cámara
Hello David, I am looking at options to update, if I don't succeed, later in the year I will write here again in case you have time to update to level 6, moving is not easy, I hope everything turns out well, greetings and thank you! !

On Fri, May 24, 2024 at 08:22 AM, Sean wrote:

I did try to select "Gemini expects J2000 co-ordinates". Whether that is checked or not did not matter, but it would be good to know if I should leave that checked.?

With L6 this shouldn't matter when used with NINA. Either way should work. The setting may be needed with other ASCOM software that do not automatically adjust for the configured precession.

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You might be best to contact in UK to do it for you. ?At least the postage is cheaper ? ?He wrote the servo code so is well snd truely a top operator/repairer?

“Lo mejor sería ponerse en contacto con David Partridge en el Reino Unido para que lo haga por usted.? Al menos el envío es más barato. Escribió el código del servo, por lo que es un verdadero operador/reparador superior”

Sorry hope you can follow this ?google language conversion?

Cheers

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Brendan

On Fri, May 24, 2024 at 06:15 AM, John Kmetz wrote:

After reloading the L6 ware, have you rechecked that the IP address in the HC is still what it was before? This can get reset to defaults and you may need to re-enter. Then go to your Network settings and check the Ethernet IPV4 settings match. Did you also check if you can connect vis USB?

After re-loading the firmware through GFU I did reboot, and even powered cycled the mount. Upon reload the network settings did not change. I have a static IP set, along with gateway, DNS, and NTP. I did look at the /CONFIG/Gemini.cfg and everything seems to match my prior config pre-L6 (old SD card was saved).?

I did try to select "Gemini expects J2000 co-ordinates". Whether that is checked or not did not matter, but it would be good to know if I should leave that checked.?

Sean,

After reloading the L6 ware, have you rechecked that the IP address in the HC is still what it was before? This can get reset to defaults and you may need to re-enter. Then go to your Network settings and check the Ethernet IPV4 settings match. Did you also check if you can connect vis USB?

Good luck.

John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

It seems like you have a very basic configuration issue or corrupted data files in the Gemini 2. Maybe the format option would help but also maybe try resetting the microSD card in the socket before you do that. The microSD cards seem to make poor contact, have dirty contacts or get unseated easily and can give odd results sometimes. While I have not seen it others have posted this and a resetting the microSD cards has resolved the problem.? ?

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Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?

? ?Astrospheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?

I just used GFU to flash it again for v6.0.2. One button I did not touch, the "Format SD card". Wondering if I should have done that as well??

On a side note, last night I had problem with my Pegasus power box connection so I rebooted Windows. Upon reboot, Gemini no longer works and can no longer connect to the mount via any application. It is almost as if I was cursed or something. I have a laptop I can use to test this the re-flash again, but still adding problems to problems is no way to go through life.

Sean,

This sounds more like you have a corrupted or incorrect file somewhere. My suggestion would be to download the L6 and new hand controller files again and use the GFU to upload them again to your Gemini. You can always go back to the L5 and original HC files if you want for comparison. The Gemini 2 has two SD cards, on in the Gemini unit and another in the hand controller. If you are connected via Ethernet to your PC, you shouldn't need to physically remove them with the latest GFU. You could reseat them however just to be sure of proper contact with the leads.

Good luck.

John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

The problem continues even with doing a model. I started the evening by going to Vega which was clearly the most visible star. Used by guide scope to center it and synched. Next I did I think Arcturus. When slewing to Vega I was way off, but manually slewing got me there. Important to note that later on I was able to slew back to Vega. Cartes du Ciel also confirmed I was at Vega. In the end of the night I slewed to Vega, took image in NINA and plate solved to confirm I was in the ballpark.?

Now again the problem, I open M81 in framing, and select slew to target. Again same errors. Off by 20 degrees dec, then to correct the mount does not seem to correct the error but slews way off to almost Polaris, then rinse and repeat over and over and over. Just can never correct.? Next I tried to go to M101 from within Cartes. Plate solving showed me way off. Same thing over and over, just can not get to the target.?

Would putting back my old SD card do anything? I can now live without Level 6, I just want a working mount. Do I need to send this into Losmandy for service? If I put in my old SD card, that still needs to write to the firmware correct?

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Hello, did anyone from Spain update to level 6? I would like to update and I have no idea. greetings

On Tue, May 21, 2024 at 04:02 PM, DaleN wrote:

Thanks again - roughed up the clutch disk, and hope I got the washers and bearings correct (they always have a way of getting jumbled up ;-)? Wonder if there is a printed diagram somewhere of the correct washer/bearing arrangement?

Hi Dale,

After reinserting the shaft through the mount, the components go on as follows: flat washer, thrust bearing, flat washer, wavy washer, anodized black donut, clutch knob. I think some people switch the donut and wavy washer, but the first arrangement is how it comes from the factory. The lube they use here is the Jet-Lube Artic grease, but just some wheel bearing grease will do. Having a few spare clutch discs from Losmandy on hand will help if you ever get stuck and the old ones are too worn out. You can order off their webpage.

Good luck,

John
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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user