PHD Guiding and QHY5v - help!

[philip57]

I have just started down the GUIDING route.

I have QHY5v camera

ST80 guidescope

EQ6 mount

using PHD guiding

all through ascom.

I have set the equipment and software up. I connect to the camera and mount OK in the PHD software.

My problem is when i press on the loop button, the camera is capturing the images, but all i can see on the images are a very light screen( not dark ) and because of this you cannot see any stars...screen is just too bright.

I must be doing something basic wrong. I have tried different time exposures from 0.2 secs up to 5 secs and its always the same. I have played also with the gain and gamma settings. I am really puzzled.

Any help would be very much appreciated

Thanks

Philip

[Veracocha]

There is a screen gamma slider in the middle of the bottom control panel, pull that to the left? to darken the image

[Earl]

If you not in focus this can also happen.

[bamus]

i had similar issues. you must make sure focus is right (try during the day or lap/window during night) and make sure dark frame is taken.

[Johnboy2011]

At what stage do you take the dark frame?

[philip57]

hi again

thanks for info

It was a focus prob. I put the diagonal in st80 and i could get to focus. Next problem:

I locked on star (green box)

but when i looked at the graph the RA and declination were 4 lines from the centre.

RA 3.5 lines above centre line and declination 4 lines below.

I reduced RA hysteris and the declination line rose to the central line and stayed on it precisley. How do you get the RA line down to the centre. Does it matter?

Oscillation index after 15 mins shows 0.03. Is that good or bad?

To be honest i am not sure what i am doing here , am i getting a good guide?

i am finding just a little hard to get to grips with this GUIDING . I am sure it will click in to place with practice.

Thanks

Philip

[philip57]

Hi .

I am now getting the rise and fall of the RA on the graph.( declination is steady). Oscillation index 0.45

But i am losing lock on the star which i presume shows in the graph of the RA going suddenly up 3 lines and down 3 lines. Would i need a brighter star to lock on to, or am i not focused correctly.

I tried an image on my scope but i still got star trailing coinciding with the dips and falls occuring on the graph. This is a bit frustrating at the moment.

A really good tutorial would help. Any links maybe?

Philip

[Merlin66]

Have you read the help files which come with PHD? It does give some basic recommendadtions....

[bamus]

At what stage do you take the dark frame?

just before you will start looping and every time you will change exposure time.

[carastro]

Phillip, what are you doing to start the guiding?

You need to click on a star (this just selects the star) and then press PHD button, this will place two yellow cross hair broken lines on the star and starts a calibration procedure. Once this is complete it will turn to a green solid line cross hair and then you are guiding.

Then look at the graph. If this doesn;t work, tell us what your settings are in the Brain.

Carole

[philip57]

Hi,

I can lock on the star and get to green solid line. The stars in the PHD software image are very smudgy and i seem to keep losing lock on the one i choose...back to orange broken line.

Are the stars supposed to be like pinpoints in the PHD software, or faint smudges like mine do.

Philip

[Merlin66]

With a ST80 guide scope I would expect reasonably tight star images, ie star images that LOOK like star images......what do you mean by "smudges"......