David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 630  (2018-09-18)

Notes (S629)

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Notes (S631)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (2),  Continuous Improvement (1)
	Autofocussing
	Images from 2018-09-18  >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2018-09-18)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images for a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets and deep sky targets
2. Scheduling.Test impact/benefits of revised overhead times for defining the scheduled durations for target observations  (as used by the schedule builder)
3. Automation. Test automated operations under variable sky conditions
4. Stability. Continue checking stability of the Observatory System (hardware & software) 

Equipment & Software

•  12" LX200 and ST-10XME
•  80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
•  CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  POTH Hub

Highlights

• Image Data.  Images for a further 15 Targets were successfully acquired
• Scheduled Target Durations.  Increased overhead times (based on data from previous sessions) enabled a greater number of target observations to be fully completed rather than only partially completed. The job queue executor doesn't have the same need to interevene to cancel frames in order to keep the schedule on track.
• Observatory Manager / Weather . Observatory Manager performed well,  delaying  the start due to wind conditions, temporarily suspending the session due to cloud, and later closing the observatory due to forecast rain from radar and keeping it closed as a actual rain shower came through.
  
• Stability. Observatory Systems & Control Program reasonably stable throughout the session.
• CCDApp2.  There were no incidents of CCDApp2 Program freezing (was this because it wasn't being run as with VS2017 Debugging ?)

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Result (2018-09-18, S630) Operations started at 20:14, Automated Operations from 20:23, Dome Opened at 21:28 (delayed due to Conditions), Job Queue started at 21:33,  Session suspended 22:04 due to cloud,  Session Resumed 22:10 TheSky6/ASCOM Interruption at 23:52,   Intervened To Fix at 00:08 Poor sky 00:56 to 01:35 . Manual Mode from 02:05. Refocusing at 02:05 Dome Closed by Obs. Manager at 02:22 due to critical conditions Session Ended/Observatory Closed at 02:35

(Observation Status :  Green=Completed, Yellow= Partially Completed, Red= Failed)

Night Sky Summary Plot - 2018-09-18 Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

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Operational Issues (2018-09-14, S630)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (1)
• Minor issues (2)
• Continuous Improvement (0)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• TheSky6 -Timed Out Waiting for Recieved Data .    Job queue and CCDSoft's Take Image froze whilst starting on TheSky6, which had put up a message. "ASCOM.Utilities : Timed out waiting for recieved data".  Manually aborting CCDSoft's "Take Image" failed to move things. Manually accepting the TheSky6 message, released the freeze, and everything then proceeded ok.     TheSky6 showed the telescope at a position with Az~160 deg in virtual sky, but the real position of the scope (shown in POTH.Hub and confirmed by visual inspection of scope) is at Az ~205 deg.  . See Figs 1-3
  The issue occured a second time.  This time manually do a telescope/disconnect allowed TheSky6 to again pick-up the correct telescope coordinates
  Cause:  Not sure why the timed out happens (its occurance is too rare to establish a clear pattern.   It uncertain how the issue can be caught during unattended operation.   Can the  "Time Out" period be increased ?    Later analysis showed the Telescope's position in the TheSky6's virtual sky corresponded to the null RA/Dec coords point (ie RA : 00h 0m 0s , Dec 0d 0m 0s). This seems to be the coordinates TheSKy6 uses if it somehow can't get actual coordinates.  In principle it would be feasible to have a separate thread running which could read TheSky's telescope position and if it is the null RA/Dec point it disconnects, then reconnects the Telescope.
  Issue Resolved Dec 2018 (Observatory)

Minor issues

• POTH window text upset by changing Screen Scaling..    POTH.Hub window has been displaying again, but has become upset when dropping DPI scaling from 125% to 100%.  This is on a laptop running Windows 7 with a 1920x1080 screen resolution.   Images below show the screen at the two different scalings (the Setup  Page is also badly affected by changing to 100% scaling.    The main POTH window returns to normal when scaling is put back to 125%. In contrast the main POTH.Hub window looks ok with 100% scaling on laptop running Windows 10 (again with 1920 x 1080 screen resolution). The issue seems to be that on Window 7 laptop the same size fonts are used at 100% DPI scaling as at 125% scaling (In contrast on Windows 10 smaller size fonts get used at 100% scaling as a 125% scaling). Unable to find a fix for this issue on Observatory Computer (Win7).  See Figs 4a to 6b. Issue deemed to be closed following move to using DeviceHub instead of POTH
  Issue closed 2020
   
• Log files not getting 'archived' . Session Log files are not getting archived to the Session's _Logs folder apart from the '(monitor).dat  file.
  Issue Resolved (Fixed by code modifications)

Continuous Improvement

• None

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Figures :

 

Fig 1 - TheSky6 Error Message: "ASCOM Utilities : Timed out waiting for received data"

Fig 2  - TheSky6 Showing Invalid Telescope Position Telescope at Az ~160 deg in TheSky6 virtual sky but  the real telescope position is at ~ Az ~205 deg

Fig 3 - TheSky6 starts using the correct Telescope Position again  immediately after performing a telescope disconnect / reconnect

 

Fig 4a. POTH window with scaling set to 125% Windows 7 laptop (text is readable)		Fig 4b. POTH window with scaling set to 100% Windows 7 laptop (text is unreadable in places)
Fig 5. Changing Screen Scaling on Windows 7 (user has to be logged out /loggeg back in  again to see changes)
Fig 6a. POTH window with scaling set to 125% Windows 10 laptop (text is readable)		Fig 6bPOTH window with scaling set to 100% Windows 10 laptop (text is readable, unlike on the Window7 laptop)

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Autofocussing / HFD Profiles

Two Focus profiles during session (both including HFD measurements). The first one was measured under reasonable sky conditions,but the second was measured under much poorer conditions.

Focus Profiles,  including new HFD measurements

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