David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1119 Attempt (2023-04-28)

Notes (S1118)

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Notes (S1119)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (0),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	Images from 2023-04-25 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2023-04-28)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.1.1,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.11dev4, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2
   
• AstroMain 3.62.4, AstroPlan 1.38.1,   AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13  AstroSN 1.10,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.12.3
  (AstroWeather 1.20.1, AstroAllSky 3.19.1,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.10.9 (1.11.1 on Dev Computer)

Highlights

• Targets. 0 out of 15 planned targets were completed, due to cloud and user decision to terminate session because of poor weather forecast and a major issue with AstroMain's ShCap Client (due to a bug accidently introduced in AstroMain 3.62.4).
• ShCap Client. ShCap Client was failing due to issue causing listening loop to be unexpectedly exiting directly after SharpCap Service connection. Issue is most-likely a big introduced in AstroMain 3.62.4
• Dome Slews.  First slew to Near Zenith Focus Field had significant hold-up. (Slew manually aborted / restarted).

Notes:

• Session attempted terminated before taking any targets due a user decision to terminate session because of cloud,  poor forecast and a major issue with AstroMain's ShCap Client.
  

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)

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

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:30:16 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:30 & 03:00 23:30:17   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 23:30:22 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:30) 23:30:42   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 23:30:55 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2023-04-28 S01119, ImageSaveNum: 1119001) 23:31:22   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:33:10   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:33:22 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:33:24 Session Pending Session pending (2023-04-28) 23:33:26 Session Initiating Session initiating (2023-04-28) 23:33:28   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.38.1) 23:34:20   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 891) 23:34:42   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -20°C) 23:35:19   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 23:35:43 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 23:36:28   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 23:36:30 Session Running Session running 23:36:33   Queue Started Observing Queue started (15 targets selected) 23:36:34     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 13, HIP 63666) 23:36:47       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 23:39:42     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 128.5° (Delay 153s) 23:41:45       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:44:32       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 23:44:49   Observatory Door Observatory Door has opened 23:44:54   Observatory Door Observatory Door has closed (open time 5 sec) 23:46:29       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing check failed 23:46:31       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:46:35       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:47:14       SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 23:47:26     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 13, HIP 63666) 23:47:28   Queue Paused Observing Queue pausing for Session Suspension 23:47:29 Session Suspending Session suspending 23:48:19   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 23:48:22 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:49:15   Observatory Door Observatory Door has opened 23:49:25   Observatory Door Observatory Door has closed (open time 11 sec) 23:52:07   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 23:52:13 Observatory (Manual) Observatory placed in Manual Mode 23:52:32   Services Stopped Observatory Services stopped 23:54:00   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 23:55:40   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 23:55:48   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:59:00 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 23:59:02 Session Closing Session closing 23:59:04   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 23:48, closing time 50s) 00:00:16   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 68s), Az: 90.0 deg 00:01:01   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 41s) 00:01:17   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 00:01:39   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 00:03:07   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 00:03:10 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 00:03:15 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 23:39:42 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 128.5° (Delay 153s) 23:39:47 Yellow Alert Dome Discrepency Difference between Dome Az and Slave Az is > 1 deg (Focus Field 13)

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Operational Issues (2023-04-28, S1119 Attempt)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (1)
• Minor Issues (1)
• Small Defects (0)
• Continuous Improvement (0)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• ShCap Client failing directly after connection, with the alert "ShCap Listening Loop has unexpectedly stopped". Problem was repeatable and also occurred with backdoor routine "Restart SharpCap Service".  Appeared to be due to exception "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" .Problem resulted in error "Unable to find SharpCap Image" when attempting to AutoFocus Secondary Scope on Near Zenith Focus Field. The problem most-likely relates to a bug that became introduced in AstroMain 3.62.4 when adding tracing messages to ShCap.Connect routines.  Running in debugger confirms issue .  Also got error  "Cannot access a disposed object. Object name: 'System.Net.Sockets.NetworkStream'."   Bug foundThead.Sleep(250) which was added  in AstroMain 3.62.4 , meant that the ListeningLoop could make an attempt to access DataStream before DataStream (=Client.GetStream() had been set.  Fixed in AstroMain 3.62.5, 'Thread.Sleep(250)' removed and 'DataStream =Client.GetStream()' line moved before the call to StartListening.
  Fixed 2023 -04-29 (AstroMain 3.62.5)

Minor Issues

• The error "Problem writing to 'FocusProfile....foc1.Focus_Field_13.wide.gif" was reported. When starting Foc1 Focus Profile for Near Zenith Focus Field the error message "Problem writing C:\Data\CCD Imaging\Sessions\2023-04-28 S01119\_Logs\FocusProfile.20230428.profile01.oid001.foc1.Focus_Field_13.wide.gif " was written to console & report file.  This is the first time that this error message has been seen.  Problem seems to have been transient since the Focus_Field_13.wide.gif file was written out ok upon successful completion of the focus profile.  Issue hasn't been seen since (sessions S1120 to S1208) and the issue is closed.
  Closed after review 2024-04-15  (AstroMain)

Small Defects

• None

Continuous Improvement

• None

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