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PHD2 callibration

newbie alert

By newbie alert
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newbie alert

newbie alert

Posted
Posted

Hi all,just starting on my guiding using phd2 and after what seems like an age and plenty of fiddling I got the connection to the mount..next step is callibration...i keep getting the same outcome "star didn't move enough "  how do I resolve this as can't find any answers..

Any help appreciated..

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Ouroboros

Ouroboros

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Two standard replies to this oft asked question are: 

1 Is the star moving at all? i.e is there something wrong with the connection to the mount etc. 

2. Try increasing the callibration step. You'll find how tondo that in the manual. 

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geoflewis

geoflewis

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10 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

i keep getting the same outcome "star didn't move enough "  how do I resolve this as can't find any answers

Are you sure that you are on a star and not a hot pixel. Have you tried using the Manual Guide tool to check that you can 'move' the star in the PHD2 display? If you are sure that you selected a star then have you read the Openphd manual troubleshoot section? http://openphdguiding.org/manual/?section=Trouble_shooting.htm#Problems-_Mount_Control

or indeed any / all of the PHD2 manual which is full of excellent information to get you started http://openphdguiding.org/manual/

Good luck, Geof

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RichLD

RichLD

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Are you using ST-4 or pulse guiding? The guide rate on EQMod can also make quite a difference, especially with pulse guiding - I hike up the rate higher (0.5) for calibration then take it down to around 0.2 once calibrated.

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RichLD

RichLD

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It does seem counter-intuitive doesn't it? It's one of those things that just works for me - apologies if I appear to be giving duff advice :icon_biggrin:

I use this technique and manage to get 0.7 - 1.0" RMS on my graph every session, dependant on seeing of course.

Mount is a HEQ5 with Rowan belt mod.

HTH 

Rich

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newbie alert

newbie alert

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9 hours ago, RichLD said:

Are you using ST-4 or pulse guiding? The guide rate on EQMod can also make quite a difference, especially with pulse guiding - I hike up the rate higher (0.5) for calibration then take it down to around 0.2 once calibrated.

I think I'm pulse guiding as no port on my camera..im using ascom drivers

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RichLD

RichLD

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3 hours ago, newbie alert said:

I think I'm pulse guiding as no port on my camera..im using ascom drivers

Hi there

On the expanded view of EQMod there are Pulse Guiding rate sliders for RA and Dec. If memory serves they default at x 0.1 which I find is too low to allow PHD to calibrate on my set up, even with the calibration step set as recommended by the software. It may be worth hiking this up to see if you get a bit more movement of the star whilst calibrating - if you do it will at least rule out the hot pixel idea and let you know that PHD is sending corrections to your mount. As Michael quite correctly pointed out my method of changing settings on the fly is a little unorthodox so YMMV ?

All the best and good luck

Rich

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newbie alert

newbie alert

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1 hour ago, RichLD said:

Hi there

On the expanded view of EQMod there are Pulse Guiding rate sliders for RA and Dec. If memory serves they default at x 0.1 which I find is too low to allow PHD to calibrate on my set up, even with the calibration step set as recommended by the software. It may be worth hiking this up to see if you get a bit more movement of the star whilst calibrating - if you do it will at least rule out the hot pixel idea and let you know that PHD is sending corrections to your mount. As Michael quite correctly pointed out my method of changing settings on the fly is a little unorthodox so YMMV ?

All the best and good luck

Rich

Thanks for the reply Rich but I'm not using EQMOD that I'm aware of and I'm letting phd select the star which as I've read stops the hot pixel being selected as far as I know..

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RichLD

RichLD

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41 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Thanks for the reply Rich but I'm not using EQMOD that I'm aware of and I'm letting phd select the star which as I've read stops the hot pixel being selected as far as I know..

Ooops! Sorry about that and I hope that you get it sorted ?

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Atreta

Atreta

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Posted
On 6/11/2017 at 17:03, newbie alert said:

Hi all,just starting on my guiding using phd2 and after what seems like an age and plenty of fiddling I got the connection to the mount..next step is callibration...i keep getting the same outcome "star didn't move enough "  how do I resolve this as can't find any answers..

Any help appreciated..

How are you connecting your mount to the computer,  with an eqdir cable?   I ask because you said that you aren't using an st4 cable and the answer for you not being to calibrate may be in it. 

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iapa

iapa

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@newbie alert

I probably missed it, but, which mount are you using? I noticed you have setup a Generic hub rather than a manufacturer's ASCOM driver here.

Have you created a Bad Pixel Map or taken Dark frames for the guide camera? Darks | Dark Library or Bad-Pixel Map. That should help to reduce the probability that a hot pixel has been selected.

Can you move the mount using the ASCOM driver? Tools | Manual Guide will bring up a control panel you can use. This will confirm there is connection to the mount.

Have you selected the correct COM port to connect the mount driver to?

There are a number or USB-Serial adapters which do not function properly. I use those based on Prolific chipset.

Screenshot 2017-06-13 08.52.00.png

Screenshot 2017-06-13 08.55.51.png

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newbie alert

newbie alert

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I'm using a AVX mount and used the generic hub as that's the only one that I found that works to connect the mount..

Yes I did a dark library and it helped enormously..

Com ports?? I'm not computer minded as you might be able to tell so all this is like another language to learn!

I've not tried to move the mount by using the control panel of the ascom driver..trying a step at a time

My idea was to get it calibrated..the run the guiding assistant and use the advisory settings it suggested..

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iapa

iapa

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19 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

I'm using a AVX mount and used the generic hub as that's the only one that I found that works to connect the mount..

Yes I did a dark library and it helped enormously..

Com ports?? I'm not computer minded as you might be able to tell so all this is like another language to learn!

I've not tried to move the mount by using the control panel of the ascom driver..trying a step at a time

My idea was to get it calibrated..the run the guiding assistant and use the advisory settings it suggested..

CELESTRON mount ACOM driver link is here http://www.ascom-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm

In the days before USB port we had Serial aka COM ports which were (usually) 9 pin 'D' shaped connectors - you will have that in the cable from the NexStar+ hand controller at the PC end.

When you connect this to your USB-Serial adapter and plug into the USB port of the PC the driver software creates a 'COM port' which is how ASCOM driver connects to the mount.

You must make sure that you can control the mount through the ASCOM driver - if you can't, PHD2 won't be able to move the mount, and you will get 'star did not move'.

Once you have confirmed that you can control the mount, then you can follow the instructions to calibrate the mount in PHD2

Screenshot 2017-06-13 09.29.23.png

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iapa

iapa

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The blue adapter is the USB-Serial adapter .

When it is plugged in, then, in Windows Control Panel | Device manager you will see 'ports' collection. Expand that and it will show the COM port number you use in the ASCOM mount driver.

In my case, it is the Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port.

As you can see, it is set up as COM 4, so, in the ASCOM driver for the CELESTRON mount I would select COM4.

Screenshot 2017-06-13 10.27.46.png

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