Connect mount issue with PHD2

[bhara...@gmail.com]

I am posting this here and I hope one of you can help me resolve the issue.

PROBLEM: I am able to move the CELESTRON CGEM 800 mount using the hand control that pops up when connecting the mount. But after selecting drift align, when I click SLEW, it says slew failed. When I select adjust and then select drift, the window says "connect mount" though the mount is connected the connect button stays green. 

SETUP: Using a new laptop, windows 10, latest ASCOM package 6.2, celestron telescope driver- ( celestron unified 6.0.597)

Please find the log files attached above.

I am perplexed that PHD2 says the mount is connected, but attempting to slew from the drift align window says slew failed but I am able to slew using the hand control pop up. Not sure why clicking drift brings up a message on the window that says connect mount!

I am using a SABRENT pc to usb cable. Could that be the issue?

Any help welcome.

Thank you

Bharath

[bw_msgboard]

Hi Bharath, sorry you’re having trouble.  From the PHD2 point of view, the mount is connected successfully but then returns an error when the first slew is attempted.  Just to be clear, the hand control window you see has nothing to do with PHD2, that’s coming from somewhere else – the Celestron driver or some other Celestron-related app.  Has the mount been properly initialized so that it knows where it’s pointing and can handle slewing to specific points?  That’s a different type of operation than simply responding to N-S-E-W commands from a software hand-controller.  The mount is returning a Dec position of 0.0, which suggests it may be parked or is in some other uninitialized state.  Can you use a planetarium app to correctly slew the scope to various targets?  

 

I have no personal experience with Celestron mounts, but it sounds like the mount may not have completed its initialization routine or there’s something wrong with how you’ve connected to it.  We have a number of experienced Celestron users here on the forum and they may be able to give you more specific suggestions.

 

Good luck,

Bruce

 

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[Bryan]

Bharath

I am likely telling you what you already know.  The virtual Hand Control is a Celestron program called NexRemote and comes with the mount and scope.  While it can stand alone as replacement for the hardware HC, it can also be used side by side with planetarium programs and PHD2 . 

Do you have the Celestron Ascom driver installed?  http://ascom-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm

This works for all Celestron mounts (I have a CGE) and makes use of other programs that are ASCOM-compliant much more straightforward.

If you install the driver, it will ask for settings for the Celestron mount.  You input the virtual port that NexRemote is using, NOT the actual serial port.

Bryan

[bhara...@gmail.com]

Hi,

Thank you for the pointers. I noticed that when I open the drift align window, DEC is always zero but the RA does change depending on the position of the mount. I tried factory resetting the celestron mount several times, but still no luck.

I also tried reinstalling all ASCOM platform and celestron drivers to no avail. Currently I am able to open Nexremote from Celestron and am able to move by pressing on the virtual handset on the screen. I created a virtual port and assigned that when connecting the mount to PHD2 as COM3 port when used by NEXREMOTE is unavailable. 

I am not sure why the DEC data is not being seen by PHD2. I dont think it is a hardware issue as the scope does slew using NEXREMOTE. I think it is something in the settings. 

The log files do show that he DEC data is not being seen by PHD2. Any ideas as to what can be done?

[bhara...@gmail.com]

Hi

Nexremote allows me to create a virtual port as NEXREMOTE is using COM3. I then selected the virtual port in the setup before attempting to connect PHD2 to the mount. But still when I open the drift align window, the DEC box always shows 0 as if the data is not being received. Is there something in the settings that  I am missing?

Thank you

Bharath

[bhara...@gmail.com]

Also, how do I initialize the mount as you suggested below. Is there something I can do via PHD2 to get around the DEC 0 reading received?

Thank you

[bw_msgboard]

I think there’s something seriously fouled up with how you’re connecting to or using the mount – it doesn’t have anything to do with PHD2.  Most of these mounts have some sort of initialization routine where they do an <n>-star alignment of some kind and figure out where in the sky they’re pointing.  The mount either has to know or be told latitude, longitude, time-of-day, all that stuff.  You may want to seek help on one of the Celestron forums.  Keep in mind, there’s nothing wrong with a Dec value of zero, but that means you’d be pointing precisely at the celestial equator.  If you get that value wherever you’re pointed in the sky, the mount doesn’t know where it is and won’t handle slew operations.

 

Bruce

 

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[Ben Davidson]

Don't know if this helps, but I have a feeling that if an alignment routine hasn't been completed the Celestron mount won't accept commands via ASCOM.  At least, I noticed this earlier on my AVX mount.  As soon as I told the mount to do a 'quick align' everything worked...

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From: bw_msgboard
Sent: ‎30/‎10/‎2016 14:44
To: bhara...@gmail.com; 'Open PHD Guiding'
Subject: RE: [open-phd-guiding] Connect mount issue with PHD2

Hi Bharath, sorry you’re having trouble.  From the PHD2 point of view, the mount is connected successfully but then returns an error when the first slew is attempted.  Just to be clear, the hand control window you see has nothing to do with PHD2, that’s coming from somewhere else – the Celestron driver or some other Celestron-related app.  Has the mount been properly initialized so that it knows where it’s pointing and can handle slewing to specific points?  That’s a different type of operation than simply responding to N-S-E-W commands from a software hand-controller.  The mount is returning a Dec position of 0.0, which suggests it may be parked or is in some other uninitialized state.  Can you use a planetarium app to correctly slew the scope to various targets?  

 

I have no personal experience with Celestron mounts, but it sounds like the mount may not have completed its initialization routine or there’s something wrong with how you’ve connected to it.  We have a number of experienced Celestron users here on the forum and they may be able to give you more specific suggestions.

 

Good luck,

Bruce

 

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From: open-phd...@googlegroups.com [mailto:open-phd...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of bhara...@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 4:56 AM
To: Open PHD Guiding
Subject: [open-phd-guiding] Connect mount issue with PHD2

 

[The entire original message is not included.]

[peter wolsley]

Bharath,
I own a Celestron CGEM 800 and I think I know what your issue is.  It has to do with the purpose of Nexremote and how it conflicts with your handcontroller.  Celestron developed the Nexremote application to be a full replacement of the functionality of your handcontroller. Nexremote is a software emulator of the exact same firmware contained in your hardware handcontroller. This includes alignment and calibration of your CGEM.  A very important conflict needs to be kept in mind. 
If you wish to use the Nexremote app, it will invalidate any alignment/calibration performed with the hardware handcontroller forcing you to align and calibrate your mount using the Nexremote app.  It's almost as if you can only use the hardware handcontroller or Nexremote...never both.

 
So how are you suppose to get everything running correctly?  There are two methods available:
Let's assume the following:
Your hardware handcontroller is plugged into your mount and it's serial port cable is plugged into a USB to serial converter.  Your computer says that this USB to serial converter is connected to COM3.  When you run Nexremote you have it's virtual port set to COM4.
 
Method 1...Using only the handcontroller
a)Configure the Celestron ASCOM driver COM port to COM3.
b)Align and Calibrate your mount using the hardware handcontroller.
c)Align using 2 stars and calibrate using 4 stars.
d)Polar align (the ASPA method) using the hardware handcontroller.
e)Start PHD2 and connect your mount using the Celestron Telescope Driver (ASCOM).
You will now be able to use PHD2. You must NOT use Nexremote while using this method.
 
Method 2...Using only the Nexremote app.
a)Configure the Celestron ASCOM driver COM port to COM4.
b)Run the Nexremote App and connect to the mount using COM3.
c)Align and Calibrate your mount using Nexremote.
d)Align using 2 stars and calibrate using 4 stars.
e)Polar align (the ASPA method) using Nexremote.
f)Start PHD2 and connect your mount using the Celestron Telescope Driver (ASCOM).
You will now be able to use PHD2. You can only use the slew buttons on the hardware handcontroller (if you wish) when using this method.
I hope this helps
Peter

[bw_msgboard]

Thanks for posting.  I figured you Celestron guys would be able to sort this out. <g>

 

Bruce

 

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From: peter wolsley [mailto:wols...@gmail.com]

Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 5:41 PM
To: Open PHD Guiding
Cc: bw_m...@earthlink.net

[bhara...@gmail.com]

Wow. That fixed it. Thank you for your excellent suggestions. I wish this were more evident on the nexremote resources.

Bharath

[Bryan]

Bharath

Do you know about this site?  You have to poke around to find NexRemote specific info, but the site is also helpful in a more general sense.

http://www.nexstarsite.com/

Bryan