Hi all
this is a question for RC PIR owners....mine has thrown a wobbly. My plate solves in CCDSOFT and The Sky when invoked through Insert WCS have a north angle which matches, but the PIR lists the angle 180 degrees away. Consequenly, I can no longer frame anything in CCDAP. I dont know how this has happened, although, for some reason, my problem has begun since the change to Daylight Saving Time! Any pointers please?
thanks
Martin

Further to my earlier post.....I now have CCDSOFT, The Sky and RCOS TCC all agreeing on the plate solve angle. If I now open CCDAP, take the FOVI, frame a target and rotate the FOVI by just 10 degrees and then select 'slew to target' in CCDAP4, it will rotate the PIR 180 degrees. Wrap has not been exceeded....I am just trying to go from 180 degs to 190 degrees.

Whats really odd, is that I can slew to a target and CCDAP will report Precision Slew Complete, but if I then take an image with CCDSOFT, platesolve it in the sky, the resultant FOVI is 180 degrees out....I dont understand how the program can report a plate solve correctly, but acatually be 180 degrees out. This means I still cant frame targets and reacquire my guide stars.

thanks for any pointers
cheers
Martin

Hi Martin,

Since you have reported this problem on the RCOS list using the TCC's rotator sync program, I assume it is an issue with the PIR/TCC. If it worked before, the "challenge" is to find out what changed.

If you use CCCDSoft/TheSky for plate solving in both, make sure your plate solving is accurate, i.e. a sufficient number of stars in the solution. I think you need at least 10 and more is always desirable. Setting Trace On in CCDAP saves all Sync_Images (plate solves), so that they can be assessed afterwards. I don't know how/whether plate solve images can be saved when using TCC.

Next, set up some reference marks and rotate the PIR away from the marks and then back to them to insure they are repeatable.

Then, plate solve an image at one PIR position, noting the PA. Then rotate the PIR by 180 and plate solve again. Does the PA change by exactly 180 (within PIR tolerance)?

If all this is ok, then you need to carefully check all settings for something that may have been accidentally changed in TheSky and CCDSoft.