Lodestar Ascom Driver Dropping out while Guiding

[Sean M]

Hello, I have been having fits lately with my Lodestar X2 Guide Camera just randomly dropping out during a guiding session.  It will be doing just fine and all of a sudden I'll get a message about an Ascom Thrown Error message and guiding will stop in its tracks.

I have tried the following things.

Dump and Reload Ascom Drivers for Starlight Express Lodestar X2

Dump and Reload PHD Software

Isolated the USB connection from the Active HUB and ran it Directly into the PC

This is one of those problems that drives you nuts because it will happen in the middle of the night and you wake up to finding out that your sequence aborted and you have nothing to show for the night.

Here are the guide logs and a photo of one of the messages that pops up when this happens.

Thanks.  I'm dead in the water until I get this thing figured out.

[Andy Galasso]

Sean,

That is a frustrating problem for sure.  I think you were on the right track when you Isolated the USB connection from the Active HUB and ran it Directly into the PC since those types of camera error are usually caused by something in the path between the PC and the camera.  Likely culprits are the USB cable itself (they definitely do go bad sometimes), usb connectors on the hub, camera, or PC (wiggle the connectors to make sure they are solid). Active USB extension cables could also be a problem. Another possibility would be to make sure your hub is providing adequate power. It's possibly that the camera could operate using the USB-provided power from the PC, but if the powered hub did not have power the overall power to the camera could be just marginal--in other words make sure the powered hub is actually getting power.

You should be able to reproduce and isolate the problem during the daytime. Start the camera looping exposures, and setup phd2 so you're transferring the maximal amount of data: set binning to 1, disable sub-frames, and use a short exposure time of like 0.1 seconds. That should make the problem happen on the bench so you can experiment without losing imaging time.

Since you are using the SX ASCOM driver you may want to post a message in the dedicated SX ASCOM yahoo group. Bret, the ASCOM driver author, may be able to provide more insight by looking at the ASCOM driver log.  Another great resource is the Starlight Xpress yahoo group where Terry always provides prompt and useful advice.

Andy

[Sean M]

Thank you Andy I'll be sure to do that.  It continued to have the problem even after I isolated it so I'm beginning think the problem goes a little deeper than the cables or the HUB.  Again, thanks for giving me a path to get some help.  Sean  I'll keep ya posted.

[Manning B]

Hi Sean,

Have you found an explanation or solution yet?  This has happened to me also, although only once thus far.  In fact, my connections were lost to the main camera as well as the Lodestar X2.

 

My conjecture at the moment is that it was caused by a mains voltage fluctuation.  I have purchased but not yet installed an UPS to see if that will prevent a recurrence.  In my case the loss of connection is a single occurrence and interestingly not all connections were dropped, e.g. the connection to the scope stayed up.

 

I have noticed however that occasionally while working on my computer in my office, the voltage will fluctuate.  I know this because the UPS in my office kicks in briefly.  The power fluctuation is very brief, but I am speculating that even so, it may be enough to drop the camera connections since I have not had the observatory equipment on an UPS.

 

I would be interested to hear if others have experienced the same problems and if an UPS forestalled them.

 

Manning B

 

 

Hello, I have been having fits lately with my Lodestar X2 Guide Camera just randomly dropping out during a guiding session.  It will be doing just fine and all of a sudden I'll get a message about an Ascom Thrown Error message and guiding will stop in its tracks.

 

I have tried the following things.

 

Dump and Reload Ascom Drivers for Starlight Express Lodestar X2

Dump and Reload PHD Software

Isolated the USB connection from the Active HUB and ran it Directly into the PC

 

[ch...@beyondmonochrome.co.uk]

Have you tried the SX driver in PHD2? I gave up with random errors using SX's Ascom driver for my Lodestar X2 and Superstar. Andy suggested using the one in PHD2 and I have run hundreds of hours with that one, through two powered daisy-chain hubs (one 7-way industrial USB and the other being the one in the Paramount), without issue.