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Using the HEQ5 Pro with PHD2


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Hi everyone.  I have decided to take the plunge and set up guiding on my HEQ5 Pro using PHD2 and a QHY5L-II Guide camera.  With the current weather I've not been able to test it but have made all the connections and used the manual guide and I can hear a change in the motors when I hit the N,S,E or W control.  I have used IanL's excellent starter this forum to set up.

However reading the PHD2 manual it suggests that as I've connected the camera to laptop with USB connection and then run an ST4 from camera to the mount guiding port it wont be able to adjust for declination?  There is an 'Aux Mount Selection' which manual suggests that will solve this problem?  Is it that easy or do I need to use a serial connector instead?

Thanks (in anticipation)

Nigel

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if your using a laptop the easiest way of connecting phd 2 to a skywatcher mount is via eqmod software and a hitec eq adapter here,

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/hitecastro/hitecastro-eqdir-adapter.html

this means you can get away without using the mounts handset as it`s replaced with the adapter.

you`ll need some other software like stellarium and stellarium scope or cdc.

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Hi everyone.  I have decided to take the plunge and set up guiding on my HEQ5 Pro using PHD2 and a QHY5L-II Guide camera.  With the current weather I've not been able to test it but have made all the connections and used the manual guide and I can hear a change in the motors when I hit the N,S,E or W control.  I have used IanL's excellent starter this forum to set up.

However reading the PHD2 manual it suggests that as I've connected the camera to laptop with USB connection and then run an ST4 from camera to the mount guiding port it wont be able to adjust for declination?  There is an 'Aux Mount Selection' which manual suggests that will solve this problem?  Is it that easy or do I need to use a serial connector instead?

Thanks (in anticipation)

Nigel

Hi Nigel. Not sure where you have picked that out of the manual. Of course it will guide in Dec if you need it to. You are using the same configuration as me (different cam but same principle I imagine) and all you need to do is set up PHD2 before you start. So when you set up the guiding profile just make sure you select 'on camera' as the guiding route. PHD2 will then issue guide commands via the USB to the camera and then on to the mount via the ST4.
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Thanks Chris.  I got the info from here: http://openphdguiding.org/PHD2-2.4.1i-manual.pdf  where it says on page 7 "If you have selected an ST-4 style of guiding in the 'mount' section, that interface cannot be used to query the pointing position of the telescope. As a consequence, guider calibration won't be automatically adjusted for declination...."    I assumed as I am connecting via the ST-4 port then this applies to me? 

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PHD2 does correct both RA and DEC via ST-4 connection as we speak , i have the same setup and using it.

The clause you are quoting from the manual refers to Aux Mount Selection,which you don't need to select as its an optional choice.

The only things you need to connect - select in order to start guiding are the guide camera and the mount (selectboxes 1+2).

Hope that helps!

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Thanks Red Dwarf - so you run EQMod with PHD2?

yes matey, you can run phd 2 with eqmod in pulse guide mode,

i will say it works very well and uses one less cable, i.e. st4 cable which is a good thing, and i might get shot down here but guiding with st4 cable is a little old fashioned and there really isn't the need for it any more.

what you need is the adapter instead of your handset as mentioned before, some planetary software like carte du ciel or stellarium, this working with eqmod will allow you to click on a target and the mount will go to it, a little bit of setting up to do but when working it`s a lot easier than using the handset.

then pulse guiding with eqmod works a treat, i do 10 minutes subs with no problems, haven't tried longer but i see there being no problem in doing so.

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Thanks Chris.  I got the info from here: http://openphdguiding.org/PHD2-2.4.1i-manual.pdf  where it says on page 7 "If you have selected an ST-4 style of guiding in the 'mount' section, that interface cannot be used to query the pointing position of the telescope. As a consequence, guider calibration won't be automatically adjusted for declination...."    I assumed as I am connecting via the ST-4 port then this applies to me? 

that's only referring to some of the 'advanced' features of PHD.

If you connect to the mount via some kind of Ascom interface - EQMod or similar, then the mount is able to let the computer know some of its pointing information, eg RA and Dec, and sometimes side of pier.  If you are using ST4 which is more of a hardware connection, then it can't send that information.

PHD would use that information if you have calibrated in one part of the sky and move to another part (another Declination) without recalibrating, or if you do a meridian flip without recalibrating, then in those cases it will readjust its internal model accordingly.  So if you're using ST4 and move the mount, then you should recalibrate, though you're probably best off recalibrating anyway, even with an ascom connection.

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