Star Adventurer Guiding - ST4 Connect guide camera and PHD2

[bdlbug]

All,

I have been searching forum for information and there is some but I am still confused as to exactly what cables go where in a Star Adventurer ST4 port using a small guide scope Cam, ST4 and a Laptop running PHD2.

I am absolutely up to speed with using EqDirect  cable plugged into the handset socket of my AZEQ6 mount  into USB on my laptop running PHD2 to  create pulse guide corrections based on images sent from a LodeStar X2 in my guide scope. This is all very clear and I am happy I know what I am doing.

Whats really confusing me and I don't want to plug things in where they shouldn't be is how guiding is setup with the Star Adventurer ST4 configuration

Before I get into detail - Yes I understand star Adventurer can only be controlled in RA, and I'm not sure if I really want to guide, as I've got a polestar and got the Star Adventurer adapter so I can get the mount accurately polar aligned. I am looking at a wide field capture setup with 50mm or less lens on my ASI1600 that should allow 60s+ unguided, but given the current weather I'm looking at how to exploit all the features I bought with this new mount - and this is driving me nuts trying to work out the correct configuration.

So to set up a Star Adventurer to be guided do I use the same wiring configuration as I have with my main mount but plug my EqDirect cable into the ST4 socket on the Star Adventurer , everything else is the same and PHD2 issues ST4 commands based on images from the guide cam ?

OR...do I have to use a ST4 cable and connect the LodeStar X2 ST4 output into the Star Adventurer ST4 input and then Lodestar X2 USB connection to Laptop - but I then don't understand how PHD2 will send tracking commands into the ST4 input.

I've seen screenshots where people have posted their guide plots with Star Adventurer using PHD2 - so clearly it can be done -

Anybody done this and can post a diagram or annotated image of what cable goes where, and possibly a why explanation, or if there is a post or link that has this info I'd appreciate that as well.

thanks

 

[Davey-T]

There's really no need to guide the Star Adventurer, it can easily do 10 minutes unguided with a 24mm lens and 90secs using 300mm lens.

Dave

[Davey-T]

If you really want to then connect as you said camera to ST4 and USB to the laptop using PHD in "On camera" mode

Dave

[CraigT82]

Quite a few people guide their Star adventurer, it helps to eliminate tracking errors due to the fairly large periodic error. It will work best with spot on PA so your polemaster will be very handy. 

As above you need to set it to 'on camera' in PhD then connect cam USB to computer and St4 on cam to st4 on mount. 

With a 50mm lens and PA using polemaster youll be able to get 10min unguided subs easily, you might have to throw the odd one away though.

[bdlbug]

Thanks for the quick replies - the  cable setup described sounds very straight forward - I will give it a try out, but as posts above are stating I don't really need to guide, but  finding out what is possible as a backup if I did put a longer FL lens on the Star Adventurer is very useful to know,

thanks again

[Albut]

On 23/02/2017 at 15:34, bdlbug said:

All,

I have been searching forum for information and there is some but I am still confused as to exactly what cables go where in a Star Adventurer ST4 port using a small guide scope Cam, ST4 and a Laptop running PHD2.

I am absolutely up to speed with using EqDirect  cable plugged into the handset socket of my AZEQ6 mount  into USB on my laptop running PHD2 to  create pulse guide corrections based on images sent from a LodeStar X2 in my guide scope. This is all very clear and I am happy I know what I am doing.

Whats really confusing me and I don't want to plug things in where they shouldn't be is how guiding is setup with the Star Adventurer ST4 configuration

Before I get into detail - Yes I understand star Adventurer can only be controlled in RA, and I'm not sure if I really want to guide, as I've got a polestar and got the Star Adventurer adapter so I can get the mount accurately polar aligned. I am looking at a wide field capture setup with 50mm or less lens on my ASI1600 that should allow 60s+ unguided, but given the current weather I'm looking at how to exploit all the features I bought with this new mount - and this is driving me nuts trying to work out the correct configuration.

So to set up a Star Adventurer to be guided do I use the same wiring configuration as I have with my main mount but plug my EqDirect cable into the ST4 socket on the Star Adventurer , everything else is the same and PHD2 issues ST4 commands based on images from the guide cam ?

OR...do I have to use a ST4 cable and connect the LodeStar X2 ST4 output into the Star Adventurer ST4 input and then Lodestar X2 USB connection to Laptop - but I then don't understand how PHD2 will send tracking commands into the ST4 input.

I've seen screenshots where people have posted their guide plots with Star Adventurer using PHD2 - so clearly it can be done -

Anybody done this and can post a diagram or annotated image of what cable goes where, and possibly a why explanation, or if there is a post or link that has this info I'd appreciate that as well.

thanks

 

“So to set up a Star Adventurer to be guided do I use the same wiring configuration as I have with my main mount but plug my EqDirect cable into the ST4 socket on the Star Adventurer , everything else is the same and PHD2 issues ST4 commands based on images from the guide cam ?”

Is the above possible as I want to try something similar in guiding my SA. I have a 1.3mp HD camera with guide scope. So if I connect camera to laptop via usb and then eqdir cable from st4 on mount to usb on laptop will I be able to guide this with phd2? The camera sends signal to laptop/phd2 and then corrections are sent from laptop/phd2 to mount to guide.