QHY5-PHD-ASCOM-EQMOD? HELP ???

[Keiran]

Hi all,

I bought a QHY5 a while back and have never used it. I have the camera and PHD working.... PHD recognises the camera, and when i select it from the camera list and select start the camera reacts to light. So I know that is working.

Because of work and the weather i have been unable to get out and test it.

My questions is, I know the next step is to connect the HEQ5 with the ST4 cable to the camera. Does any other drivers need to be installed to get the camera and PHD to move the mount, or does PHD already know how to control the mount?

Steps I take...

-Connect camera and laptop with usb/firewire cable.

-ST4 with Mount.

-Turn on laptop.

-Open PHD.

-Click camera connect button.

-ASCOM late Driver.

-ASCOM comes up with camera to use. OK

(This is the step i have not tested, so not sure what happens next)

-Assume, Click mount button.... But then what happens, does it connect to the mount?

And how do you callibrate it?

Any info will be helpful

Keiran

PS Oh im not using EQMOD for the mount, and dont really want to have to if its not needed.

[Merlin66]

You're about 90% there....

If PHD recognises the camera (I just use the QLabs Cmos camera setting for my QHY5)

With the ST-4 cable connected from the camera to the ST-4 port on the mount, you just select under PHD - Mount - "On camera"

That 's it.

The calibration and settings will depend very much on the guide scope focal length you are using.....

[Keiran]

Well Im using an ST80 with either my Megrez 72 or GT81 for imaging.... That sounds great, I just hope i get chance to try it out soon. I might just hook it all up indoors and dry run it to see if it can see the mount.

Thanks for the help

[kookoo_gr]

The steps i do when i image are the following

1) I set my imaging setup with all wires and balance it

2) i start Cartes du Ciel and connect to EQMod

3) i Polar align my mount via eqmod (since i have a short and fairly thin tube,8 inch rc, the tube can't hit the mount during polar alignment). if you use a newton scope i suggest first polar alignment without any equipment, start eqmod, polar align via eqmod, then power down, load your equipment and balance it, start step 2 and skip step 3

4) i run phd, Conect to my qhy5 and conect to mount

5) Calibrate my mount with 3-star alignment and then go to my imaging target

6) i take dark frames at phd at 2.5 secs (you can use lower time if you have a guide scope, i use an oag thus the fairly long time). this step is optional

7) when dark frames at phd are done i start looping again the camera and hit guide button. if the force calibration is checked at the brain icon then the phd will calibrate itself for guiding and when finished it will start guiding. if you stop guiding and start guiding again phd won't calibrate again but if you move your mount to another area of the sky then you need to click the brain icon, check force calibration and repeat this step to calibrate phd again.

8) I run my imaging software and conect to my imaging camera and start imaging. if my camera is out of focus i stop guidng, focus, and start guiding again. i do this in order to prevent phd to do heavy correction due to vibrations when i focus my camera. If you have a motorized focuser then you don't need to stop guiding.

for st4 guiding you nee to check On camera at mount menu. If you get the select mount menu when you first hit the mount button then select the eq5/eq6 mount form the drop down menu.

One final note. If you start phd and connect to your mount and then start CdC (or stelarium) and connect to your mount then CdC will not connect to the mount so it is important to start your Planetarium software, connecto to your mount and then start phd.