CCDAP 3 has been working well, but it skipped one of my targets last night (one in the middle of several totally successful runs) when the Paramount ME mount inexplicably reported a different position than requested. Check out this log snippet. See version info at end (CCDAP 3.2.7)

03:40:54 Target: NGC7293-0356 at RA: 22 29 40.5, Dec: -20 50 23 , PA: 25.3
03:40:54 Rise: 23:12 15 Jul
03:40:54 19° E elevation: 01:23 16 Jul
03:40:54 Transit: 03:55 16 Jul
03:40:54 20° W elevation: 06:19 16 Jul
03:40:54 Set: 08:39 16 Jul
03:40:56 Slewing scope...
**********look here**********************
03:41:28 Slewed to RA: 22 30 10.3, Dec: -20 47 35
03:41:28 Mount settling for 2 sec. after slew.
03:41:30 Telescope RA: 03 37 17.6, Dec: -11 52 23
******************************************
03:41:30 Rotating to PA: 25.3e
03:41:30 Rotator moving to: 206
03:42:10 Plate solving...
03:42:10 Telescope RA: 03 37 17.6, Dec: -11 52 23
03:42:25 Y:\2008-Jul\CCDAutoPilot_SyncImages\SyncImage_NGC7293-0356_034225.fit
03:42:27 P:PS5, plate solve failed.

How is it possible to slew to RA22 and end up with the mount reporting RA 03?

Luckily, this happened to match a horizontal position and not some totally unreachable position for the mount. The syncimages report the RA03 coordinates and they are featureless images of the observatory wall with no stars.

I assume that this is a mount malfunction of some sort, but I was surprised that CCDAP simply proceeded as if the scope was pointing in the right place, after reporting that it was so far off.

Any advice on preventing this? The next object worked perfectly....??

Software Settings
CCDAutoPilot, Version: 3.42.7, Professional Edition
Licensed to: <removed>
System profile: C:\Documents and Settings\frank\My Documents\CCDWare\CCDAutoPilot3\System Profiles\LX200R-12-FR-7.app
Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2
MaxIm version 4,62,1,0 being used for image acquisition.
Maxim camera: SBIG Universal
TheSky version 6.0.0.58 being used for telescope control.
FocusMax version 3.03.0029 being used for focus control.
Rotator used: Optec Pyxis on COM1
PinPoint version 5.0.13 used for plate solving
Catalog: GSC ACT
Catalog Path: D:\GSC\
Catalog Expansion: .4
Plate solve sub-frame: Full
Plate solve filter: Clear
Plate solve binning: 2x2
Plate solve exposure time: 12
SBIG standard FITS keywords will be inserted into the FITS header.

Tracking and Guiding Settings
Telescope slew to an altitude below 16 will be prevented.
Guided operation being used with a peak enhanced dither of 3 pixels.
AGSR enabled for 7 cycles to get within 0.5 pixels.



Frank

Hi Frank,

I don't have an answer as to why the mount went to the location reported, but from CCDAP3's perspective, I believe until it gets a valid plate solve, it can't verify the scopes location and report back that it is off. Since you said the next target worked fine, probably this was a random exception, and it may possibly have been a comm error when sending data to the mount. I would double check all my communication cables to the mount as a start.