I have been using ther ASIASIR PA facilities with great success. however, last night I had a PA failure and dont understand why, and how to make sure ity does not happen again. Using the three image alignment method on an iOptron CEM40EC mount, i ran into a situation where, regardless the mount adjustments that were made, the indicated RA error on the screen, just kept increasing. It was impossible to get a good alignment (i.e. under 2 min error) and i just gave up. Please note that dec error also changed with each RA alignment adjustment.
Was this user error on my part?
A set of initial conditions that the algorithm could not handle?
A software bug or problem in the three-star or image PA software?
INITIAL SETUP:
- MOUNT POINTED TO TRUE NORTH.
- VERY SLIGHT INCLINE ON THE GROUND, SO MOUNT LEVELED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
STARTUP:
- ASI294 FOCUSED
- MURKY CONDITIONS REQUIRED LONG 10SEC EXPOSURE THROUGH ZWO DUO ER
- SUCCESSFUL TEST PLATE SOLVE PRIOR TO START OF ALIGNMENT
ALIGNMENT:
- ADJUSTED DEC TO LOW ERROR
- STARTED ADJUSTING MOUNT RA BOLTS
- STARTED OUT WITH LARGE RA ERROR BUT
*** REGARDLESS OF WEHETHER MOUNT WAS SHIFTED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
WAS UNABLE TO MINIMIZE RA ERROR,THE INDICATED ERROR JUST GOT WORSE WITH
EACH ADJUSTMENT *** I FINALLY GAVE UP AND WENT INSIDE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEC ERROR CHANGED WITH EACH ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THE RA.;
DOES THIS MEAN THAT THE INITIAL LEVEL OF THE MOUNT WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH?
I ATTEMPTED TO COMPENSATE BY ADJUSTING DEC ERROR FIRST, THEN RA ERRROR?
#Even worse, i managed to lure my wife out for a rare demonstration, while
everything did not work. typical.
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