ASIAIR pointing scope toward the ground

Psy1280

Two nights ago I couldn’t use my ASIAIR Plus, the scope kept pointing down toward the ground rather than up at a target. Last night everything worked—a mystery. I do, however, notice that my mount longitude reads 287 W, and my phone longitude reads 73 E (which is my correct longitude). Since these are essentially the same point on a 360 degree circle (i.e., 287 + 73 = 360) why is my mount so far off? Is there any way I can input the correct 73 E longitude? Why/how can this be happening?

stevesp

What is your mount?

Psy1280

I have a Celestron AVX mount. I've followed a few Youtube instructions on connecting to the AA+ (i.e., turn on hand controller first, then AA+; connect to AA+ wifi, then do a quick align). I've had many mount failures and a few successes (last night after an hour of frustration, I had three perfect hours of imaging). The problem is inconsistent.

stevesp

I have AVX as well with AAP and I do the following
AVX on without connecting the HC to AAP and one star align (the finder precision is enough)
AAP focus
avx goto home
AAP PA. When it has to move the mount of 60° I do it manually (it asks to do it)
I manually move the mount to home again
plug the HC to AAP and then goto with AAP and autorun

Psy1280

Thank you so much! I realize that my note will be rather confusing, however, if you can decipher my questions below….I would be most appreciative. Please let me attempt to walk through this with you step by step:
Step 1: You say you “turn on AVX without connecting the HC to AAP,”
Step 2: Then you do a “one star align ( If you can tell me where you disagree with my work flow that would really help, i.e, I was turning on the hand controller first, then I turned on the AA+ unit; then I connected to AA+ wifi, at which point I did a quick align. I was then able to get the functionality going in the aap on my iPad.) I wasn’t clear when you actually turned on the AA+, which of course you needed for focusing.
Step 4: Okay, then you send the AVX goto home. (I assume you mean manually aligning the home position marks)
Step 5: You go on to say that In PA (so, you’re connected to the app in order to do a PA…without the HC plugged in? This is where I’m confused) and then you manually move the scope 60 degrees. Why? I’ve had no problem letting AA+ do this…is there a reason why I should do it manually? (I don’t recall the program giving a choice to move the mount manually?)
Step 6: Okay, then you do a PA and move your mount back to the home position ( I did not do that, could that be my biggest problem?)
Step 7: then you say you plug the HC to the AA+…I’m lost here. I’m not sure if all of the above was done with the HC not plugged in?
I’m sorry to be so confused….but I would really like to fully understand your process. Thank you again for wading through my questions.
Joe

Kring

This is all incorrect and is the cause of your issues Start without connecting the mount at all. Next, power up the AA+ then open the app, go to the mount settings and click the little help bubble next to your mount name.. read the instructions and follow exactly how the instructions tell you to connect. Those are the only way to connect a Celestron mount without it pointing in the wrong direction.

Also, make sure on your mount hand controller you set the correct location and time, DST MUST be disabled or it will fail.

I can confirm that following ZWO’s instructions works everytime. Do not do a 1-star or any alignment, don’t connect the mount any sooner. Follow exactly how the help bubble walks you through connecting your mount. It changed about a month or two ago, the process is different and the correct process is in the help bubble. Others will likely provide incorrect information

stevesp

One star alignment only on Celestron HC without connecting it to AAP. use the finder scope to center the star, it is enough
The mount needs to know where it is pointing otherwise doesn’t switch the tracking on
goto home is a function of Celestron HC under menù. Still without connecting AAP
i also di PA without connecting AAP to HC but with camera and accessories plugged in
now I plug AAP to HC and I do a goto and the plate solve centres the frame

Kring

Stevesp, that’s not actually correct any longer. That was the old way, but the new way in the help button is far more reliable and it’s not not do a 1-star alignment.

The polar alignment in the new way works great directly with the AA+

stevesp

Did you verify it with a Celestron mount?
as ZWO updated the AAP FW many times and it wasn’t clear if they were solving it, I still use the old approach that works
i don’t have time to make tests during the few sessions I can have
maybe next time I will take a look

Psy1280

Kring,
Sorry to report that the instructions in the "thought bubble" are rather vague (at least to me). Would you be so kind as to explain the following in a bit more detail?
According to the thought bubble,
step 1: power on mount [okay]
step 2:"As per the App instructions, you choose AVX, in the AA+ mount section and "then" turn on switch" [Which switch, the AA+ power switch or the toggle switch in the mount section?]. You can't turn on the toggle switch for the mount until you choose the AA+ wifi on your iPad? Would you mind walking me through this?
step 3: do a quick align
Lastly, once you do a quick align, the HC is inoperable. I can only set time/date before doing alignment (when do you input your information?]

Thank you so much for trying to clarify this for me,
Joe

Kring

Sure Joe;

step 1: power on AA+ With only your cameras, focuser, filter wheels connected. Everything but the mount
Step 2: connect to AA+ with the app from iphone/ipad, everything should be working except the mount
step 3: power on mount, set date, time, location, timezone, DST off
Step 4: move your mount to switches (or home), not sure if AVX has switches (I have CGX) but it should be perfectly vertical/centered, no rotation either. On the CGX, when I power it on it asks if it should move to switches, say yes. The mount should be pointing to Polaris roughly.
step 5: physically connect HC to AA+ via USB, turn the in-app switch to on which makes it connect to the mount
step 6: follow the prompt in AA+ app that pops up, I think it says something like do the quick align now
step 7: from the HC, do quick align, mount is all done at this point
step 8: click OK on the app to complete mount setup

I think that’s it but I’m going off memory so let me know if you see anything else.

If you do a goto, it should be really close, it will take picture, say it’s not centered, make minor adjustment and then it should be dead-centered.

Give that a try. Mounts pointing in wrong direction are because incorrect date/time/location/DST. Or the mount was NOT at switches (home) when it was connected to the AA+, this is important because I don’t think the AA+ actually reads coordinates from the mount, it assumes you are starting at switches, and it sends commands as needed.

stevesp

Aap sends a goto command, so the mount needs to know where it is as it has not absolute encoders on the motors. And you instruct it with the mount initialisation . consider that AVX has not home switches, so after you switch it on and move axes to home I don’t know if it takes that position as home or you need a one star alignment from HC as I usually do to instruct of motor position

Psy1280

@Kring#53047 I can't thank you enough Kring for taking the time to spell all this out. I'm sure you can relate to the frustration of wasting clear nights with nothing to show for it. THANK YOU_