Server set rotation?

[PartlyC]

Hi,

I think I know the answer but wanted to ask: the server has no support for reporting the current rotation angle, does it?

I ask, since while I see support for electronic rotators in PHD2, in the context of Spectroscopy, the slit needs to be kept perpendicular to the horizon to the extent possible.  Rotating between images (and doing the guiding stop and start) with an electronic rotator seems quite clear.  However, some folks are going to do the rotation manually.  Typically you rotate such that the angle will be ideal at the middle of the exposure.  I have software that can do all this with an electronic rotator.

However, a lot of folks don't have electronic rotators but  do have manual ones.  The software I have can prompt you to do the rotation (to the software-calculated angle at the future time needed) manually and then continue the script.  It would be nice if the software could push that to the server.  Other than implementing a fake ASCOM rotator simulation (outside of my skill level), I am assuming we need to re-calibrate after each shift? 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  

Thanks!

-Mike

[PartlyC]

I meant to say setting and  reporting the current rotation....

[Bruce Waddington]

People with manual rotators can connect PHD2 to the ASCOM rotator simulator which has its own UI for setting and reading the rotator value.  When you need to manually rotate the physical rotator and have some sort of analog method to know what the new angle is, you would then tell the simulated rotator to move to that position and PHD2 will pick it up the next time you start guiding.  I think NINA even has a plug-in for this but you can do it yourself.  If you've written your own client app, you can also connect it to the simulated rotator and control its position that way.  We are not going to support setting the rotator position through the PHD2 server interface.

Bruce

[PartlyC]

Thank you Bruce!  As I said, this is a niche need, so...  I'll take a look at the simulators.   You made me realize that I could do that from the NINA plugin I have been working on.  Duh.  It is how I am setting the angle electronically anyway on that one.

-Mike