NINA and AP mount issue

[Spookyer]

Hi all, been a while but just retraining myself in astrophotography. I thought I would check how to use NINA. Got my system partly setup. Had to run the 32bit version because 64bit NINA is not compatible with my SharpskyPro focuser. Anyway I have my AP Mach 1 mount connected but if I try and move the scope via the NINA software arrow controls the scope moves but only really slowly. When I tried the 3 point polar align plug in it failed because the scope didn't move far enough between images for it to work.

If I select slew it shoots off to the location at the usual speed. So the slew speed is okay but a move is done very slowly.

Changing the speed from 1 to 5 in NINA doesn't seem to do much.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong here? I couldn't find anything useful via Google.

cheers
Brett

[mldee]

My CEM60 has exactly the same problem with NINA and I have never managed to find a permanent solution. I suspect it's related to the mount ASCOM driver.

However, the 'Manual' option in the NINA 3PPA menu works quite well and is very user friendly, even tells you when you've slewed enough for each plate solve! I use the HC (set to 9) to manual slew. I presume the AP mount has a similar setup.

I'm happy with that solution and can't be bothered spending more time on the original problem. My 10" f4 GSO truss Newt on the obs mount holds PA pretty well and gives .4" to .7" PHD guiding results.

Sorry can't help with the original problem, but I'd recommend in the meantime to just use the 'manual' menu selection. Hope this may be of use to you.

[AdamJL]

Usually an ASCOM driver issue
When you say you set the speed in NINA to 5, are you referring to the primary and secondary speeds under Manual Control?

[Spookyer]

Mike thanks for the feedback. What does HC stand for? I did try to use manual but I had to run back and forward to the scope to move it and keep in sync with the NINA automated flow but managed it after a couple of attempts. When I checked the alignment in PHD2 drift align I was out by about 12 minutes which was more than the 1 min NINA said I was out by.

Adam, Yes, I thought that controlled the speed of the mount but is doesn't seem to do anything.

[AdamJL]

HC usually means Hand Controller.

You can share the log here and we can take a look to see if there's anything weird happening in NINA.
Logs are found here:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\NINA\Logs\

That said, I know the NINA devs don't really put as much effort into the 32bit side. Dale once called it "best effort". You should ask your focuser provider to create a 64bit app. It's 2023!!

(I saw your post on the NINA Discord as well :))

[mldee]

Brett, yep, HC meant Hand Controller. Adam mentioned the NINA Primary and Secondary speeds settings in the NINA Telescope options, mine only allows 3 or less, and the error message complains that 3 is not enough! It was about that time I decided not to bother further. I tend to agree with Adam that the ASCOM interface is probably the culprit.

Since my mount PC is in the obs on the mount, I don't have your problem of running back and forth, which would be a PITA, especially like last night when it was -2c at 1am, when I stopped imaging and went out to close the obs roof. Much nicer inside with the wood fire and Remote Desktop.

I'm too much past my use-by date to bother getting into the Discord scene, so I tend to miss out on all that discussion. My bad. Tried it once with a different group, but the reception I got when joining was less than enjoyable so decided not to bother again. Between FB and IIS, I really don't need a bunch of Discord messages as well.;)

[Spookyer]

Hi Mike
I am getting a bit long in the tooth as well now in an IT sense and I confess I found Discord a bit disorientating to use and couldn't initially navigate and find the post I had made. I had posted about the issue with my focuser and never got a response so I didn't find the forum as helpful as the folk on this forum.
I am on the 32bit version of NINA because of the focusers so I hope that doesn't cause other issues down the track.
After discovering the issue around not being able to move the mount I thought I could live without it (by using the HC instead) and then had issues doing the polar alignment straight away! I have a PC in the obs so I only had to run a few meters but it still took me a couple of attempts to get the timing right.
I gather not being able to move the mount with NINA hasn't impacted you in your general imaging? I would hate to invest a lot of time in NINA and then find out there is some aspect I need to use it to move the mount and wasn't able to.

[Spookyer]

Hi Adam, thanks for the offer. I will see if I can manage without the scope controls in NINA. I rarely used them in SGP.

[mldee]

Hi Brett, 2am and packing up after another clear and relatively moonless night, bit warmer tonight though.

NINA will manually move the scope no problem, it's just the 3PPA movement that doesn't function correctly. I rarely use the NINA scope controls, I prefer the on screen Ioptron controls if I want to remotely manually move the scope for framing, etc. Obviously for 3PPA I'm in the obs anyway to adjust the mount, so using the HC there is painless. Apart from that, NINA controls the scope beautifully, no problems with guiding, slewing or setups, etc. There is also a NINA plugin for scope control that I have installed but never use. I do use the plugin that gives me graphical azimuth and elevation pics in the NINA screen, I forget the name of it.

In my humble opinion, NINA is a great piece of software, even though I don't bother with sequence mode of operation. I'm a bit techie-weird and like the hands on approach, even if it means sitting up until 2am. Gives me lots of time to watch YouTube videos. :P
Cheers

[Spookyer]

You are keen Mike staying up to 2am. The NINA scope controls work but move my scope that slowly they are basically useless. I can use the HC if I need to so it is not a deal breaker.

Can i ask how do you get the guiding to show in the guiding window in NINA? I am using PHD2 and it is working fine. I cannot see where in NINA i tell it what guiding software I am using. If it is just supposed to happen automatically somehow then it is not working. Not a big deal as I can just switch to PHD2 to see the guiding but thought I would ask anyway.

[mldee]

Brett, Im up in Bris for the weekend, if someone else doesn't respond, I'll get back to you Sunday.

[Spookyer]

Thanks Mike. I just worked it out I think. You just connect it in the equipment tab! I was thinking the guider was not equipment so looked everywhere except the equipment tab. I assumed the guider in the equipment tab was actually for a hardware guider device but sure enough there is an option for PHD2 there. I will try it out if the weather breaks tonight.

Just came across Telescopius on a you tube video. It looks good but I can't work out now how to import the target into an advanced sequence. You can import a target in the Sequencer dashboard but that put it in a simple sequence. I can't see how you import it into an advanced sequence. NINA certainly takes some getting use to.

[mldee]

Good to see you discovered the PHD2 solution. Can't help you with how to transfer things into the sequence section.
However, and forgive me if I'm underestimating your abilities with NINA, but a feature many folks like is the ability to customise the main screen layout, and also save as a backup in the 'options/imaging' page. It may well be that if you're tucked up in bed while NINA is doing its thing that this may be less of an attraction, but it's worth a look if you haven't yet tried it. Great learning curve for placing the various sections too:D

I just put the scope control plugin on the main layout, but as it's raining here haven't opened the obs roof, so haven't yet tried it for speed. I did get a chance to try the basic NINA scope slew buttons earlier, and they seemed to also be quite slow. Also dropped into the Discord forum, but seemed to be a waste of time.

Seems like the FB group and some of the YouTube videos are the best resources.

[mldee]

Brett, Telescopious is another nice little service that helps to keep one sane, although again, no ideas on sequencing interface, but you may want to investigate the 'framing' tab in NINA, as the bottom option there is to shove stuff into the sequence.

I suspect the framing feature is quite useful, although I've only done a cursory play around with it, as I've been too busy building my little Ebay garden shed roll off for my second pier, almost completed now. 'Twill rain for weeks....

Cuiv has some good stuff on YouTube for NINA.

[mldee]

Just noticed that in the 'Mosaic' menu tab in Telescopious/My equipment at the bottom there is an option to export the CSV's to NINA.
Also two worthwhile YouTube tutorial links just in case...
https://tinyl.io/8a9A (Swiss guy, good presentation skills)
and
https://tinyl.io/8a9D Cuiv (Frenchman based in Tokyo)

[Spookyer]

Good luck with the build, rainy for a couple of days and suppose to be fine from Wednesday I think.

Thanks for the links I will check them out. I have found Patriot Astro a really good resource on Youtube. He is very knowledgeable and to the point about NINA.


To pull targets from Telescopius you put them on your observing list and then go into lists and you can export them. And yes for mosaics you can export then directly. I think I have worked out how to get them into the advanced sequencer. You import into NINA and then in the basic sequencer there is a little button toward the right where you can send the target to the framing screen. from there you can put it into a sequence and template of your choice as you would normally.

I am still struggling to find things, there are things I can't find in NINA sky atlas and I can't see how to put co-ordinates in to bring them up for framing.

[mldee]

Yes, the Star Atlas database has a fair few deficiencies, CdC and Telescopious seem to fill the holes.
Just finished watching the swiss guy's video on NINA's sequencer, it does seem pretty straightforward, but the nerd in me keeps saying "No, Do It Yourself!"

The problem I have with framing is that I can't be bothered walking up to the obs to rotate the camera, and I don't really want to buy a remote rotator. I work on the principle that it's framed right from a viewpoint somewhere in the universe. Also known as "she'll be right", which is quite acceptable at my point in life. That's my excuse anyway, being just a happy snapper:D