Hi Greg,
I created a datafile to use iTelescope T80 for Feb 6. It included a #waitfor command. I had an opportunity to grab T80 for free on Feb 5, but the #waitfor command caused the scope to stop the run. I was so excited that I got control of T80 that I forgot about that #waitfor command that the ST4i Scheduler created.
My question: how to prevent the Scheduler from adding a #waitfor command? Should I just eliminate it with a text editor?
I don't speak 'ACP'.
TIA,
Phil S.
Hello,
I just noticed this myself. Its a bug that was introduced in the processes of setting things up for the upcoming V4.1 release. I didn't think it would cause a problem, however. I'm sorry to hear it caused an issue. They must have caused it to error rather than simply be ignored. Not the choice I'd have made... here is what I suggest you do:
When the plan is displayed on the screen after you click Save Plan, edit it thus:
If you want to use exposure billing replace the line with this text:
#BillingMethod Exposure
otherwise just delete the #WAITFOR command line
You will most likely want to replace it with exposure billing. They recently added this feature to set the billing, but made session billing the default. For most projects you will save money on exposure billing. I mean, do you really want to pay for the time the system wastes refocusing every 10 minutes?
Hi Greg,
My email about the T80 run included this message:
Please note:
Your plan triggered session billing as one of your exposures was below the minimum exposure time of 120 seconds.
Your account has been charged at session rates for the total session time.
Here are some sections of the Log file:
00:20:05 01:20:05 This plan has 1 live target(s), 35 images
00:20:05 01:20:05 There are 35.0 min. of actual imaging time
00:20:05 01:20:05 Full Moon "Happy Hour" in effect. You will not be billed for this session
00:20:05 01:20:05 - Sessions are limited to 60 minutes
00:20:05 01:20:05 - Your imaging session is scheduled to terminate at Mon Feb 6 02:20:05 UTC+0100 2023
00:20:05 01:20:05 Billing Method: Session (forced)
00:20:05 01:20:05 Session Forced Reason: Plan minimum Sub Exposure of 60 is less than 120 required for Exposure Based Billing. The following ACP Plan Directives used in the Plan trigger Session Based Billing: #WAITUNTIL
At the end of the script:
00:20:05 01:20:05 @@@ ACQUIRE IMAGES SCRIPT
00:20:05 01:20:05 === Starting Imaging Run ===
00:20:05 01:20:05 Comet elements for CK22E030 --> RA=05:08:25 Dec=46°29'18.2" (J2000)
00:20:05 01:20:05 === Starting target CK22E030 ====
00:20:05 01:20:05 === Following Options are Enabled: CK22E030
00:20:05 01:20:05 - Billing Method: Session
00:20:05 01:20:05 - Autoguiding Disabled by Administrator
00:20:05 01:20:05 ; Plan Generated via SkyTools 4 Imaging
00:20:05 01:20:05 ;
00:20:05 01:20:05 ; Start observation on 2023 February 6 at 18:46 local time
00:20:05 01:20:05 ;
00:20:05 01:20:05 ; C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
00:20:05 01:20:05 Storage: 567 GB free
00:20:05 01:20:05 Physical RAM Memory: 1387 MB free
00:20:05 01:20:05 Current Date: Mon Feb 6 01:20:05 UTC+0100 2023
00:20:05 01:20:05 Last Reboot: Sat Feb 4 18:27:50 UTC+0100 2023
00:20:05 01:20:05 Uptime: 1 day(s) : 6 hour(s)
00:20:05 01:20:05 Camera temperature in range. Temp = -20 expected -20
00:20:11 01:20:11 Focus position count is within typical range. Position = 660 expected 300 to 1700
00:20:11 01:20:11 #waituntil for CK22E030 would extend past plan quit time, skipped
00:20:11 01:20:11 Parking-Telescope
00:20:12 01:20:12 The script has finished
00:20:12 01:20:12
00:20:12 01:20:12 ---> No Script is Running <---
00:20:12 01:20:12
I wasn't aware that I could specify a billing method in the Plan file. Where does one learn these things about the iTelescopes?
TIA,
Phil S.
Hi Phil,
I only discovered the session billing when I looked at their interface on the web site for generating plans and it had a selection for it. That's my simple way of keeping up with them, as their documentation is scattered to the wind (web pages, new web pages, forum, discord, etc.).
The reason the #waitfor command caused an error is that you didn't schedule the plan during the time that the Schedule was created for. The #waitfor command tells the telescope when to start taking images. It is assumed that the schedule starts at the same time that the Scheduler said to start taking images. If it had been, it would have worked. I never intended the #waitfor command to be used for iTelescope. Its there only to support ACP users with private systems so they can tell it wait for a specific time before starting imaging. You can just delete that line without it harming anything.
The MPC just numbered its first minor planet above 619999 and that broke their antiquated packed number system. They introduced a modification to their system to handle larger numbers. I have implemented a fix for that too. SkyTools should ignore the new packed number when reading MPCORB, so it should not really cause much trouble, but I am going to release an update soon for these two issues so that nobody experiences more problems.