EAA imaging and simultaneous guiding on a ASI120MM!!

[nightvision]

Stumbled across this while trying out my recently acquired used ASI120MM.  

I had PHD guiding using the 120 as a guider along with its ST4 connection to the mount, I then ran up Sharpcap to the same 120 and started capturing AVI.  Tested this set up for 2 hours, both programs controls effected the images (exposure and gain).  

I had one initial (dual connection) session that crashed PHD after about 20 seconds, the next ran great for 2 hours despite me playing about with both programs.  This was all done indoors with a fake star so I am not sure how it will do on the real thing.  I was using a 100mm F4.2 guide scope on an NEQ6.

Some years ago I noted that any accidental dual access attempts caused instant hang ups and crashes so things must have changed around the way devices are managed and controlled.

Has anyone else come across this?

[Dom543]

As far as I know, you can do simultaneous guiding and capturing with the Lodestar using the SX software that comes with the Lodestar. This is an official feature not a hack. People are just not using it because the Lodestar is sufficiently sensitive to yield nice images within the unguided range of up to 90-120 sec exposures.

Clear Skies!  --Dom

[riklaunim]

Guiding/imaging works only with interlaced sensors, like in the original SX Lodestar. If your exposures are short so that single exposure isn't moved then you can try FireCapture selfguiding which looks at the captured frame and tries to keep the object in place.