PHD2 - Screen shots and movie - what is going wrong all of a sudden?!

[Fordos Moon]

In the past my PHD2 guiding has been fine for months then it goes funny. It's gone funny again.

It is windy out but Im in a sheltered observatory (roll off roof shed).

The screen is changing from black, to grey, maybe light grey then grey again. And check out the graphs - the blue line keeps rising, might sort itself out, then started rising again?!

Help!

IMG_7205.MOV

Once I have saved up for my ATIK460EX I am seriosuly considering an OAG or something to never have to struggle with PHD again! 

Edited January 15, 2015 by Fordos Moon

[themos]

It looks like your commands to move the mount are not being obeyed, I would start with the cables and the connections. 

[Freddie]

PA good?

Unfortunately you still need some guiding software with an OAG so that won't solve this problem.

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks chaps - much appreciated!

[Fordos Moon]

It looks like your commands to move the mount are not being obeyed, I would start with the cables and the connections. 

Thanks themos - what should i be looking at on these examples that tells me that please?

[Skipper Billy]

Does the sound from the mount motors change when the commends are given by PHD ??? If you aren't sure try nudging the OTA whilst guiding and put your ear to the mount and see if it recognises the problem and tries to correct it. 

If the sounds from the motors doesn't change try a new cable and/or clean your USB port/plugs. 

[Fordos Moon]

Does the sound from the mount motors change when the commends are given by PHD ??? If you aren't sure try nudging the OTA whilst guiding and put your ear to the mount and see if it recognises the problem and tries to correct it. 

If the sounds from the motors doesn't change try a new cable and/or clean your USB port/plugs. 

Thanks Billy I will try again this evening. PHD did the W,E,N,S procedure correctly but when I think about it I cant remember the "guiding" word appearing although the graph came to life.

[themos]

Thanks themos - what should i be looking at on these examples that tells me that please?

The blue rectangles below the horizontal axis are the commands that PHD is sending. They get larger which means that PHD is noticing an ever greater deflection of the star from where it should be and is issuing ever more "strong" commands to correct the pointing but the star keeps moving away. The blue line above is the actual deflection of the star, it is increasing. Now, blue is RA, so what you are seeing is the periodic error in your mount. The tracking speeds up and then falls back, reflecting the imperfections in the gear teeth. 

The red lines are about Declination. You also have some hesitation at first but then it seems to settle down and issue corrections every now and then that do work. 

[Fordos Moon]

The blue rectangles below the horizontal axis are the commands that PHD is sending. They get larger which means that PHD is noticing an ever greater deflection of the star from where it should be and is issuing ever more "strong" commands to correct the pointing but the star keeps moving away. The blue line above is the actual deflection of the star, it is increasing. Now, blue is RA, so what you are seeing is the periodic error in your mount. The tracking speeds up and then falls back, reflecting the imperfections in the gear teeth. 

The red lines are about Declination. You also have some hesitation at first but then it seems to settle down and issue corrections every now and then that do work. 

Thanks mate - understood, thanks for explaining!