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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    278

    Default Problem getting FocusMax to change filters

    This is another intermittent problem I have been experiencing. Don't know where to go to debug it further

    ACP is running a plan with 2 filters (Red and Green). It focuses, runs the first 5 Red exposures. Now it wants to switch to the Green filter, so it sends a command to move the focuser based on the FilterInfo.txt file. Somehow, this interaction with FocusMax fails with the error

    **Imaging error: Object variable or With block variable not set

    This looks to me like ACP is reporting the error from FM failing?

    Previous focus runs were fine, and the focuser was shifted other times just fine.

    I have attached the run log. I looked in the FocusMax logs and these requests are not reported there; only the focusing runs show up.

    Ignore the manual abort of the script after the scope is parked. After the FM error, ACP tries to shut down the scope and dome; the scope is correctly parked and disconnected, then ACP hangs (correctly) while it tries to park and close the dome. The dome process has issues with the hardware and Foster driver, so ACP "hangs normally". ACP ends up waiting for the dome closure, so I manually abort the script. That last part is fine, I am working on the dome issues. The FocusMax problem is what I am concerned with.

    When it happens, FocusMax and ACP continue running - it does not crash the programs.

    Version info:
    Win 7/64 bit
    ACP 7
    Maxim 6 beta3
    Ascom 6
    SkyX, Paramount MX, updated a couple of months ago.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Robert Brewington
    ACP 8.1 / Win 10 64bit
    Tak FSQ106, Paramount MX Mount
    SBig ST2000XM, STF8300M/STi

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    278

    Default

    Two more points:

    FocusMax is version 3.8.0.0

    When the problem occurs, FocusMax will continue having the problem. I have to restart FocusMax to get things working again.
    Robert Brewington
    ACP 8.1 / Win 10 64bit
    Tak FSQ106, Paramount MX Mount
    SBig ST2000XM, STF8300M/STi

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,625

    Default

    Start FocusMax up (manually or via startup script) at the beginning of the night. Don't let ACP start/stop it on demand. This is a long standing and known bug in FocusMax, where it "sometimes" will fail to initialize at startup.
    -- Bob

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    278

    Default

    That is what I do; I have seen mention of difficulty finding FocusMax. At the moment, I start up manually because I am having issues with the dome.

    My manual process:

    Start AstroMC (Dome) and Open Dome shutter manually.
    Start Maxim & connect cameras. Verify exposure working. No telescope or dome connections in Maxim.
    Start SkyX.
    Start FocusMax, which connects itself to Maxim and focuser. No telescope connection in FocusMax.
    Start ACP, connect to Telescope and Camera.

    ACP slew to some Eastern star, verify star with manual 1 sec Maxim exposure. Just checking that Dome is actually open, camera is working, mount is slewing OK.
    ACP FindBrightStar. Focus manually using FocusMax (just to ensure things start out in a reasonable position. Sometimes if focuser was left in an odd position the first focus run might have difficulties).

    Now ready to run a plan. Most of the night ACP is working fine with FocusMax.

    It "seems like" the problem occurs when I go from one colored (not Clear) filter to another colored one (i.e., Red to Green). Most of the time movements are from Clear to colored and back, with no problem. The 4 times I have seen it occur it has always been between colored filters.
    Robert Brewington
    ACP 8.1 / Win 10 64bit
    Tak FSQ106, Paramount MX Mount
    SBig ST2000XM, STF8300M/STi

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,625

    Default

    This sounds like a filter wheel problem if it is "random" and maybe later in the night when it is colder??? Is the error "can't create object"? Maybe post a screen shot of the error and it's environment.
    -- Bob

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    278

    Default

    I think there is a problem with the newer FocusMax version (3.8.0.0). I uninstalled it and re-installed 3.4.40. Did not have the problem last night, will see again tonight.

    The error was an empty object in FocusMax,
    **Imaging error: Object variable or With block variable not set

    I wonder if something has changed in their interface, so that ACP may have problems jogging the filters in the future as more people go to version 3.8.0.0?

    Anyway, if 3.4 continues to work OK, I am happy.
    Robert Brewington
    ACP 8.1 / Win 10 64bit
    Tak FSQ106, Paramount MX Mount
    SBig ST2000XM, STF8300M/STi

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    116

    Default

    Hi Robert:

    I am experiencing essentially the same problem. With my equipment, it seems equally prone to occur between color filter changes as it is when transitioning from "clear" to a colored filter. Based on your observation, I downloaded Focusmax ver 3.4.40 and will give it a spin when the clouds roll out. I made a curious observation after removing the most recent version of Focusmax and then installing ver 3.4.40. It seems that the "about tab" in Focusmax still shows that I am running ver 3.8 (though it was removed). This is probably just a registry remnant and not indicative of what is actually running on my computer. On the other hand, when encountering odd behavior .............. who knows?

    Peter

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    278

    Default

    Hmmm, mine did not say 3.8 after I uninstalled and then installed 3.4. Did you uninstall the 3.8 first?

    Also, I had another problem when going backward: my saved profiles (in the .ini files) are in a different format in 3.8 than in 3.4. Fortunately I had some old profiles that had never been opened in 3.8, so they still had the old formatting. I edited the 3.8-modified files by hand to get them to work.

    a) 3.8 uses a pipe character "|" to delimit fields in the profile. 3.4 uses a space.
    b) 3.4 needs 3 or 4 fields added onto the end of each profile entry. The fields were all zeros in the older profiles, so I just copied and pasted the fields onto the end of each profile record.

    Just check your profile after starting 3.4, to verify that the profile is correctly loaded.
    Robert Brewington
    ACP 8.1 / Win 10 64bit
    Tak FSQ106, Paramount MX Mount
    SBig ST2000XM, STF8300M/STi

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    116

    Default

    Hello Robert:

    I did uninstall ver 3.8 prior to installing ver 3.4.40 but is still shows as ver 3.8 in the Focusmax "about" tab. I did not experience any incompatibilities with the 3.8 profile not being properly interpreted by ver 3.4.40. Due to poor weather conditions, I have not had an opportunity to try things out. I hope this resolves the issue since the problem is a real show stopper when imaging unattended.

    Peter

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    116

    Default

    For what it's worth, I had a successful run this evening with FocusMax ver 3.4.40. Over a 6-hour period, the problem I was experiencing with changing filters has not presented itself. The ver number within Focusmax still shows as ver 3.8 but I believe that I am actually running 3.4.40. At this point I am going to leave well enough alone as long as the problem does not manifest itself again.

    Peter

 

 

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