NINA settings for LX200GPS

[Gadgetman Bowen]

Okay anyone out there using a fork mounted Meade LX200GPS (10”) with NINA?  The telescope is mounted on a Meade equatorial wedge, I use different observing sites and use my AutoStar II hand controller.

I have the ASCOM driver Meade Generic, and it is connecting to the telescope, PHD2 (using an Orion StarShoot AutoGuider), focuser (Meade’s microfocuser) and camera (ZWO 294MC Pro).  The telescope will slew to the selected target using NINA but will not plate solve.  It will not center using NINA.  The focuser will not complete the focus graph in NINA.  The focuser is working while NINA tries to focus.  I ended up just using the Bahtinov mask window in NINA to achieve focus with my hand controller.  A slew to another part of the sky caused a mirror movement I assume thus refocus required.

Before starting up NINA I turn on my telescope, the telescope goes through its initial setup, then polar align and do a one-star alignment.  Then I remove my eyepiece install the ZWO, turn on PHD and the ZWO to make sure both are aligned on the star as well as my finder scope.  The balance weights are positioned for the ZWO’s use. 

First night out with NINA and the LX, I got an error window regarding FL and FOV.  ASTAP window created a new FL and FOV.  I have put the FL produced by ASTAP in the telescope specs box and do not get the framing window error message.  However, a ASTAP window does come up on plate solving as I recall but it is not an ERROR window, the FL is still the same.  I understand that the FL will change again when I use a focal reducer, but I wish to resolve these issues first.

Since I cannot get NINA and the LX to perform as expected what I have done is, let NINA slew to the target, then turn off the centering and focus, in the sequence.  I center the target in the image frame manually and start my picture taking sequence.  If the target is not in the picture frame, then I use my hand controller, with it set to “High Precision”, to locate the target. 

I started using NINA with my DSLR platform earlier this year and had no issues.  The DSLR and guide scope are on a homemade platform I build for use on my Sky-Watcher EQ6R Pro mount.  I never got any error windows or had any problems.  Of course, I have to focus the camera’s lens manually since it is not using a motor. 

Can someone provide some input on settings I may need to change for NINA and the LX to perform better?

Please respond.

Thank you,

Jerry

[Stefan B]

Hi,

I don’t quite understand which part is not working correctly, as you are describing a lot of different areas, like solver error, actions not being performed etc.
Maybe you can attach the log file and isolate which area is not working. Is it the slewing, the centering or what exactly is not working as expected?

[Gadgetman Bowen]

Thanks for the response.  I am kind of handicapped for now.  Lost an eyeglasses lens so seeing the computer screen is a little difficult right now with one good eye clear.  Where do I find the log file you mentioned?  I use NINA with two different rigs: my LX and my Sky-Watcher. 

On the LX, NINA is doing okay slewing to the target but fails centering which involves plate solving I assume.  I had to center the target.  Taking pictures after manual centering runs fine.  Another person on another forum said the LX Meade focuser does not have something that is needed for NINA.  The slew to another part of the sky caused the focus to be lost by a slight bit.  I tired the focus routine, but it failed.  The focus graph started but did not complete it.  But I did the manual focus in NINA.  Still trying to understand the FL and FOV which maybe the cause of plate solving /centering.  I need to understand those for using a focal reducer and not using the focal reducer. 

As for NINA working with my Sky-Watcher / DSLR rig, everything worked great.  But the focus routine cannot be done because it is a camera lens not connected to any motor system.  Slewing, centering, plate solving, sequence setup all works great.  I set up 4-sequences the other two nights for 5-minute exposures with 12-pictures per setup and crawled up in my Jeep to stay warm.  Only came out several times to check on how things were going.  I want to achieve that with my LX using the ZWO camera.

[Dale Ghent]

I’m attempting to distill what your actual issue is but there’s a lot of superfluous information in what you write.

It seems that you are not able to plate solve at all with your LX200 system? Specifying the correct focal length is key to this. If you are using a focal reducer on your LX200 system, then the value that you input into the Focal Length field must reflect that. So if your telescope has a 1000mm base focal length, and you put a 0.75x reducer on it, then your effective focal length is 750mm. That is what you would put in the Focal Length field.

[Gadgetman Bowen]

Even though the Moon is up, I will try again this weekend to see if I can clear up the issues. Thanks for the inputs from you all.

[Gadgetman Bowen]

All I can say is, NINA will slew to the target after setting up sequence using either of the framing windows.  The target is within the framing window but not centered.  I cannot get NINA to plate solve / center the target if those options are turned on, using my Meade LX200GPS telescope.  I have run plate solve after taking a picture and sometimes it works, but only giving the coordinates, but still not slewing to center if I turn that on.  If it tries to center after plate solving the picture, it slews to another part of the sky and never slews back to the target. 

I do not get an error with FOV or FL anymore, since ASTAP gave me those numbers to be corrected.  I can take pictures with NINA, but I have to turn off the plate solving and centering and center the target myself in the image window. 

I was also informed that my Meade micro focuser does not have something, programing wise, to allow running the focus procedure.  I can focus using NINA manually, as well as using my hand controller.  At times when slewing I noticed the image was no longer in focus, so I turned off the focuser and most times after a slew I am in focus.  Thinking maybe NINA was moving the focuser and causing the plate solving issue, I tried several times to plate solve after the focuser option was turned off and knew the object was in focus.  Nope no help. 

As mentioned before NINA works well with my DLSR / Sky-Watcher rig and it does not have auto focus for the camera lens either.  I can set up sequences and just leave, let them run without any assistance from me.  But not so with the LX200GPS rig using the ZWO ASI295MC Pro camera.  I have not tired any other cameras on the LX so far using NINA.  I do have two profiles set up now with and without a focal reducer.  ASTAP provided the FL and FOV for both profiles and now I do not get the error window.

So, maybe it’s something with Plate Solving.  I cannot use the internet where I image; therefore, an internet online plate solver is not an option.  Or maybe, Meade’s data in the hand controller does not work well with NINA on plate solving. I have removed and reinstalled ASTAP, its required H18 files and properly linked the location.

I have made sure all ASCOM drivers are the same for each piece of equipment.  I have tried three types: Device Hub Telescope (ASCOM), Meade Generic (ASCOM)and Meade LX200GPS/R (ASCOM).  I can tell you that neither will work correctly with Stellarium.  Stellarium and its target icon will not SYNC to the target the telescope is on.  Tried several SYNC procedures with the hand controller and the Stellarium’s SYNC options.  Oh, if Meade LX200GPS/R is used, it will disconnect the focuser if Stellarium is tied into NINA also. 

PHD2 guiding works fine.

Hope this explains the issues I am having. Like I said I can still take pictures and track fine but have to manually center and focus myself.