AA5 and Lodestar for guiding

[SteveT]

Just installed AA5. Have Atik 460ex and Lodestar Mk1 connected to PC. On a CGEM mount. Have all of the ASCOM drivers loaded and all of the latest plugins for AA5 for the Lodestar and the Atik. Also the ATik EFW2.

Gone through setup several times but cannot make the Lodestar work as a guidecam.

The Atik connects and works OK, so does the mount and the EFW. I choose the Lodestar in the setup menu for 2nd camera, I am using the direct ST4 cable from the Lodestar to the mount.

If I use PHD with the Lodestar it works perfectly.

I hear about people running 2 separate sessions of AA5.

Can someone please let me know what I am doing wrong ? What settings should I be using ? I am using the ASCOM drivers for the Atik.

PS I have had the Atik and Lodestart running with Artemis and PHD successfully but I want to use AA5 and it is proving to be a right pain to setup. Any help appreciated.

[harry page]

Hi

I use aa5 and a loadstar , what problem is it you are having

Can you connect to the camera ?

Harry

[SteveT]

Hi Harry. I don't think the Lodestar is connecting. It works fine in PHD. I can see the Lodestar driver in the drop down list on settings but I don't know if I need to setup something else, ie in the telescope setting, the Lodestar has a com port greyed out next to it, is that relevant ? If so, I have no idea what com port (usb port) is connected to the Lodestar. Also not sure what to use in the telescope setting for guiding, ie SX relay box ST4, or camera relays, or same connection as GOTO ?

[SteveT]

When I disconnect the Atik to make sure I am not getting the 2 confused), I can see an image from the Lodestar if I take a sample,  but I cannot seem to communicate with the guide port.

[harry page]

Hi

Lets start at the beginning

You have connected to the main camera first ( click setup ) and then you select the loadstar ( click set up )

The loadstar should be connected now - so go to the focus/guide tab and click focus this should download a frame !!

Are you this far

Harry

[SteveT]

Let me go check. I decided to go to the SX site and reload the SX drivers, and now I can calibrate (albeit on a white image) so it looks like for some reason AA5 couldn't talk to the camera, but PHD could, go figure that out. Ok let me slowly follow your steps to be sure.

[SteveT]

So I get to focus and it does indeed download a frame. Now what ?

[SteveT]

If I go to guide it gets to step 3 and says it cannot move scope. I see the red led at the back of the Lodestar flashing during this period. It seems the ST4 connection is the issue (it works physically in PHD so it must be a setup issue in AA5)

[SteveT]

Under telescope control window, top setting is ASCOM (for the scope) bottom setting says 'guide', what should this be. Currently set to Lodestar relays.

[harry page]

Hi

Under guide set up you have to decide how you send corrections to the scope , I use the main camera relays as I have another sx camera

Harry

[SteveT]

If I select camera 1 relays, it comes back with relays not found, this is in scope setup. Under guide setup, in Lodestar window, do you select 'primary device' or not, and what autoguide mode should I use - interlaced or autoguide ?  

Seems like I will go back to PHD at this rate !

[harry page]

Hi

I do not use the ascom driver for the loadstar ( AA has one ) so I do not see the primary option but suggest not as it should not be the main camera

I always use 2x2 bin for guiding as the interlaced is poor )

Harry

I will go to shed and screen capture setup

Harry

[Merlin66]

I use the 314L for imaging and the Lodestar for spectroscope guiding.

I think your issue is not with the camera/ connections but how to use the guide feature under AA5

Check out the Users manual....

You need to gave a guide camera guide screen...select a star to guide on and then click guide again...this will bring up the zoomed guide window...you need to click the "mark guide star" and the "connect to mount" tab.

The correction boxes at the bottom should also be ticked for RA Dec+/Dec- corrections....

Hope this helps.

It works 100% for me.

[SteveT]

Thanks Merlin, you may be right ! I have RTFM a number of times now but I am still unsure what settings to select for the 2nd camera/guide camera. I am used to PHD where the setup screen uses 'on camera' as the guide function. What is the AA5 equivalent, is it 2nd camera relays or something else?

[whipdry]

Hi,

As I use AA4 I downloaded AA5 demo version after looking at the choices 2nd camera relays would be my guess, reading your last post again it seems you've already figured this out.

Have you got this sorted ?

Peter