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Guiding guidance please


A40farinagolf

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Looking for a willing volunteer to help as I've never guided before, I understand the basics of how it works but have never tried it.

I think I have all the right hardware (see below) and a suitable laptop with PHD2 loaded onto it.

I may well have a beer or single malt in the tent somewhere to maintain concentration levels if needed.

Frac + guidescope + finder + AZEQ6 + Cables + laptop + ASI120MC camera + DSLR

 

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I guess the first thing you need to do is make sure you can get focus with your guide camera and PHD.  I don't know the kit you are using, but I remember I had to put a 2" extension piece on the back of my guidescope to get focus.  (I now use a finderguider).

Have you tried to connect the camera to the laptop yet, that will be hurdle number one, then find a clear night and focus on a star.  After that I hand you over as I don't use PHD2, I still use PHD1.

Carole 

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With the combined knowledge of everyone who will be attending SGL, I don't see why it'll be hard to bring all the parts together to get it working.   Just make sure that you have all the bits  -  As Carole said, make sure you can focus the guide camera, connect the camera to the laptop and see the image.  That you can connect the laptop to the scope and control the scope using the laptop.  After that, plugging in PHD2 should be childsplay.

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Set up everything at home first, get all the software working together (not literally, just talking to each other), cameras, mount movements etc.

If you can practice in the garden at home just getting the guide camera to produce an image and for PHD2 to get the mount to move, then you're halfway there.

I'll be happy to help, come find me (there all week).

Also, what do you use for DSLR image subs, APT?

This also needs to connect to the mount via ascom, so make sure that you can (if using APT, which I do recommend unless you have some fancier software already).

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1 hour ago, carastro said:

If you're not using EQMod, it's not a necessity to have to control the scope by AScom in order to guide.

Carole 

 

... and even if you are using EQMOD and ASCOM to control the mount you don't have to use it to guide - you can use ST4 guiding instead.

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On ‎24‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 21:51, Jonk said:

Set up everything at home first, get all the software working together (not literally, just talking to each other), cameras, mount movements etc.

If you can practice in the garden at home just getting the guide camera to produce an image and for PHD2 to get the mount to move, then you're halfway there.

I'll be happy to help, come find me (there all week).

Also, what do you use for DSLR image subs, APT?

This also needs to connect to the mount via ascom, so make sure that you can (if using APT, which I do recommend unless you have some fancier software already).

Thanks for the help and I'm making a bit of progress summarised below:

Guidescope now focused via laptop and focus ring locked.

ASCOM Platform 6.2 installed OK and seems fine

EQASCOM V129a loaded OK but will not open properly either directly or as administrator, the EQASCOM control panel / interface appears for a split second as does the EQASCOM icon on the toolbar but the software doesn't fully open, I've reloaded it a couple of time and tried a reboot but still the same issue. I'm on Windows 10.

Any help would be gratefully received. 

 

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The EQAscom panel only stays open when communication with the mount is successful. Set it to simulator, does it work then?

You may need to check your mount connection in the device manager, to find out what port is assigned, then go into the mount settings on the chooser screen and set the same port in there.

I don't use Windows 10, but I'm fairly confident this is the issue here.

Happy to help at SGLXII, I'll be around.

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30 minutes ago, Jonk said:

The EQAscom panel only stays open when communication with the mount is successful. Set it to simulator, does it work then?

You may need to check your mount connection in the device manager, to find out what port is assigned, then go into the mount settings on the chooser screen and set the same port in there.

I don't use Windows 10, but I'm fairly confident this is the issue here.

Happy to help at SGLXII, I'll be around.

The EQAscom panel and toolbar icon only appear for about 1/20th of a second so not enough time to select simulator mode or anything else from it.

My guide cam ASI120mc has an ST4 port and so does my AZEQ6 - Would it guide if I just connect the camera to the mount by an ST4 cable and the camera to the laptop by USB and then use PHD2?

(I have just downloaded a ASI Camera ASCOM driver v 1.0.2.1.6 if that's needed to do what I've suggested above)

Thanks for your offer to help.  

 

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open up eqmod tool box first ,click on driver setup select com port that has eqdir adapter attached then it will stay open im doing this from memory lol watch this video it will explain all 

 

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1 hour ago, Jonk said:

The EQAscom panel only stays open when communication with the mount is successful.

The reason the EQASCOM panel disappears is the client application that is starting it has requested a mount connection and when that fails it decides to terminate EQASCOM (eqascom doesn't close by itself). Repaeted flashing occurs when the app repeats this process. If however you use an ASCOM client that doesn't close EQASOCM on connecitn failure (such as the toolbox app that installs with EQASCOM) you will find EQASOCM stays open allowing any error messages it might be displaying to be read.

Chris.

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Thanks MSH1 and chrisshillito for your help.

Unfortunately my IT skills are seriously lacking so I struggle to understand your recommendations (no disrespect intended) so any solution needs to be simple. I watched the video but I'm on Windows 10 which looks different so I couldn't find the Comms Ports on my laptop.

I powered up the mount (AZ EQ6) and fired up PHD2

I then connected an ST4 cable between my asi120mc camera and mount (indoors) and then used a USB to connect the camera to the laptop.

A fuzzy image appeared so the camera was working.

I then clicked on tools then manual guide and 4 boxes appeared with North, East, South and West but when I clicked on them the mount did not move.

 

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