Direct Guide error

Sequence Generator SGPro Support
1

Hello,

These are from my imaging session. I was not guiding but wanted to dither. I have a Software Bisque mount. I kept getting an error related to dithering and guiding that I could not understand. The mount did seems to dither. Though some of my subframes had elongated stars and some where perfect. I don’t know if I had the settling time set incorrectly.

If you could advise me on these 2 different issues I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Joe

Link to Logs

Approx time of issue: 11/16/2020 9:00 PM

Useful Info

OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC
Ver: 3.2.0.613
.NET: 4.8

2

I assume you are using “Direct Mount Guider” under guiding? Works fine for me with an ME…

3

Yes you are correct. I kept getting errors but the mount did seem to dither. I was hoping someone might look at my log and let me know what I did incorrectly. Thank you

4

The errors are issued by the Paramount so I am unsure what they mean in this context, but essentially, the “COM server” that functions as the telescope driver has crashed or otherwise become unavailable.

5

HI I appreciate this.

Now I am stuck in the middle.

Could you give me something more specific about the error so I could post on the SB forum to help me get a resolution.

Thank you.

Joe

6

This is the first instance of the error:

[11/16/20 21:42:13.681][DEBUG][CP Update Thread][SQ;CC;] ASCOM Telescope: Error in GetLst : COleException: The RPC server is unavailable.
(800706BA) SCODE: 800706ba. (System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x800706BA): COleException: The RPC server is unavailable.
(800706BA) SCODE: 800706ba.
   at System.Dynamic.ComRuntimeHelpers.CheckThrowException(Int32 hresult, ExcepInfo& excepInfo, UInt32 argErr, String message)
   at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , ComObject )
   at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , Object )
   at ASCOM.SoftwareBisque.Telescope.get_SiderealTime())
   at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CheckDotNetExceptions(String memberName, Exception e) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 622
   at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.GetTargetInvocationExceptionHandler(String memberName, Exception e) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 663
   at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CallMember(Int32 memberCode, String memberName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] parms) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 230
   at ASCOM.DriverAccess.Telescope.get_SiderealTime() in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\Telescope.cs:line 906
   at si.kf()```
7

Thank you Ken, I am sorry I missed your answer. Joe

8

Joe - I have a MyT and MX and dither both with Direct Guide. The ASCOM driver for TSX has to cope with any mount that is connected to TSX, not just Paramount. For that reason, if it gets an exception error from TSX, it has to assume the feature is not supported.
From time to time and especially if you are fiddling with TSX while it is imaging, things get busy and a direct guide instruction is clobbered by something else going on (technical description). The result is an exception and then the feature is disabled in the ASCOM properties. If you open up the properties of the driver, I bet you DirectGuide is now disabled. Re-enable it and away you go.
This only happens on rare occasions. Make sure you tell PHD2 to stop guiding if it detects a slew… that can do it.