On slew - Source: System.Dynamic > Object reference not ... (and solved guiding)

[Eric Coles]

Bob,

We are configuring a new system at the SRO and would appreciate a brief chat to make sure we get the correct version of ACP. Thanks.

Eric Coles
***-***-****

[Bob Denny]

I will call now.

PS our offices are open business hours and by appointment other times (UTC - 7) +1 480 396 9700.

[Eric Coles]

Bob,

Hopefully we will have our new system from Planewave up and running within three weeks. I have a new desktop ready and should be putting in the software order in time for the install. Thank you for the call and the recommendation.

In the meantime, I am having difficulties with the current system. ACP is crashing and Maxim is often refusing to guide. That is to say nothing about the smoke coming down from the Yosemite fire. In any case, I did several screen captures of this problem last night and also downloaded the ACP logs. I would appreciate it if you could look at these items and render an opinion. Admittedly, it could be anything from the mount, the camera, ACP or simply pilot error. I would post on the forum and upload the files there, but our license does not allow the uploads.

Let me know if you can do this. If so, I will send another email with attachments.

Thanks in advance.

Eric

[Bob Denny]

Hi Eric -- Is this Mel Helm's existing system? I have you as the tech contact. It's expired for tech support since Sept 2017. That's why you don't have access to the support sections. That's why you can't upload. We have a new system listed for Mel Helm. I'm sorry I can't keep all of the details of who owns what and who is tech contact so I rely on Stevie and our customer records :-) :-)

Based on the info you have provided I have no clue what's happening. And to be fair to others I can't get involved in two possibly deep tech support cases without current support. Also I just can't do tech support on email, for several reasons relating to efficiency and accuracy.

Would it be possible for you guys to renew support on that system? If so then I can help you. If not I would advice reading the ACP run-log files (My Documents\ACP Astronomy\Logs) and looking carefully at any error messages. They will often provide valuable clues. ACP shouldn't "crash" as in "vaporize", "freeze", or "die" without a clue. Any error message that might appear is a valuable clue. Look at the title bar of any error popup for the source of the error and the message should provide a clue.

"Not guiding" is a different issue, and by far the most common source of problems. This is due to ACP's advanced logic for allowing guiding with a rotator at any angle and a German equatorial mount on both sides of the meridian, without ever needing to (re)calibrate the guider. Everything has to be right or things fall apart on a flip or after changing the rotation angle. This is all described in excruciating detail under ACP Help.

I don't expect people to read all of the help, so I am providing this as a roadmap to self-help in case you decide not to renew support. The arrows point to vital things. The info on this page, all of it, is important. Again automatic all-sky/all-rotation/all-side-meridian guiding is more complicated than something like PHD so you have to get things set up right.

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[Eric Coles]

Here are the files

[Bob Denny]

I just got off the phone dang it. Only one log and it looks like the run was killed after the guider started. I am more interested in the ACP Crash ones and also the screen shots.

Also let's move the guiding one to a separate thread. Mixing two unrelated problems in the same conversation makes things tough.

[Eric Coles]

Bob,
I killed the run because the guider was not guiding. It was just drifting further and further off the scale. That happened a couple of time until for some reason it started to work again, after several power cycles and restarts of ACP and the scripts.

[Eric Coles]

Bob, I am running right now. Do you want to see the problem in action? I can link you in with Teamviewer. Eric

[Eric Coles]

Bob, I shut down after two subs after it was clear that there was not going to be any guiding. The two unguided images were as you would expect. I am including the screen captures of the guiding and the logs. Eri

[Bob Denny]

Hi Eric -- I do evening work by appointment not on call. Plus last night our power went out till 0300. Really unusual, but a powerful monsoon storm hit us at dinner time and took out the power. When you have some time, perhaps you could post back with the screen shots and logs for starters. In any case, whether we do a live session or not, I need to study the evidence and try to determine what's happening. Then if I can't figure out the problem we can get online.

I assume that there were no ACP "crashes" then?