Best Efforts Plan failed with auto-guiding failure.

Bob,

I ran about 6 hours using Scheduler and ACP. The plan stopped due to losing the guide star even though the Best Efforts box was checked in the Plan. The Help file said this should not happen with Best Efforts checked.

I noticed in the Help that the AcquireScheduler.vbs script can be changed. I changed the Const STRICT_AUTOGUIDING from True to False and will try it again tonight or tomorrow.

The plan contained one observation with a Repeat Count of 8. The image set was 20 exposures. Six sets completed perfectly. The seventh stopped with an auto-guide failure.

Jerry Gunn

07:20:06 (starting exposure)
07:23:07 (exposure complete)
07:23:10 (exposure complete and image downloaded)
07:23:10 Calibrating image...
07:23:11 Image finished
07:23:15 Plate-solve HV And Observation-S007-New ImageSet-R014-Luminance final image.
07:23:15 145 image stars found
07:23:15 249 catalog stars found
07:23:16 Solved! 41 stars matched.
07:23:16 Average residual is 0.4 arcsec.
07:23:16 Pointing error is 0.542 arcmin @ angle 258.32
07:23:16 True focal length is 3960.2 mm.
07:23:16 True binned plate scales (arcsec/pix): H = 1.40 V = 1.40
07:23:16 True image center (J2000): 00h 40m 53.1s 43° 26' 53.42"
07:23:16 Imager sky position angle is 359.6 deg.
07:23:16 Image FWHM is 2.5 arcsec (1.81 pixels)
07:23:16 Within max error tolerance, no re-slew needed.
07:23:16 [flip check: Tn=-420s HAc=9022s GW=T HAz=8598s DWz=T WF=no]
07:23:16 Imaging to HV And Observation-S007-New ImageSet-R015-Luminance
07:23:16 (taking 180 sec. exposure, Luminance filter, binning = 3)
07:23:16 (using Raw readout mode)
07:23:16 (ex=0.00 ey=0.00)
07:23:16 (guider error n/a or too high, try #1)
07:23:58 **Guider waited for 38.5 sec and never got a measurement
07:23:58 **Guider stopped or lost star just before image acquisition
ACP console log closed 06-Oct-2015 07:23:58 UTC

Try that. I have forgotten how this works and will research it and work towards a solution if that isn't it.; Can you guess why the guider stopped? Is it possible clouds came in? It had been left running from the previous image. Do you need guiding on these exposures? I can't see the entire log so I can't make any better educated guesses. Next time just post the entire log by attaching it <- link to attaching instructions

Bob, I tried the 'Const STRICT_AUTOGUIDING = False' in the AcquireScheduler.vbs script, but when a small cloud caused auto-guiding failure, the plan failed just like before. It was very clear the rest of the night. As a workaround, I could submit multiple best efforts plans of the same object so when one plan fails due to an auto-guiding failure, scheduler would just start the next plan which would be the same object. Would that work? Logs are attached.

I used an Observation with a repeat count of 32 with 5 images sets to make sure if the guide star was lost, the plan might resume after the 5th unguided image and re-align the scope. But I guess when a plan fails, it just stops. So multiple plans of the same object might work?

Jerry Gunn

From HV And Observation-20151008@053456.log

At 05:35:03 the guider was set up and started successfully (it took 60 sec because the required exposure was over 12 seconds, it had to take a 20 second one to find the star)...
At 05:39:26 a second exposure was started, with the guider still running. It took 2 cycles before the errors were within limits
At 05:43:04 a third exposure was attempted, but the guider running check failed. The guider was apparently obscured.

If the guider had failed at the beginning of the Observation, with STRICT_AUTOGUIDING off it would have continued unguided. However once it had started guided, then a later failure of guiding terminated the Observation. I am unsure whether this is right or wrong but it is how the logic is.

Perhaps we should talk about your mission and how best to set it up. I don't have a phone number for you. Call +1 480 396 9700 or Skype:dc3dreams (keep your dialpad out for the latter) or email a phone/skype to rdenny@dc3.com.

OK. I understand. I will be on vacation for about 10 days. I will talk to you when I return. thanks Bob.

Jerry Gunn

OK, call me after the AIC conference. We'll be back in the office Tuesday Oct 20.