PHD2 guiding

[newbie alert]

Hi all..after a bit of guidance from the more experienced please..im very new to guiding..not quite comfortable with it yet as I've only done it a few times..im sure my settings are wrong somewhere but can't see where..last night I had some big bumps in the RA, as I've never seen them before and stars in the subs didn't quite look as I thought they should I ran the guiding assistant and applied both RA and DEC recommendations..it said PA was 0.01 out on RA and 0.03 in DEC but after applying the RA and DEC was at .51 in the box on the left of guide graph..

Any ideas?

I will add that guiding subs were worst than unguided subs..

[gnomus]

It is difficult to comment given that we can only see a portion of the screen.  Assuming that you have the 'scale' set to around 4", then I would say that the bit of the guiding graph you show is outstanding.   Your reported PA is also excellent.  In the lower left corner, PHD2 should report your guiding error.  I don't think that the correction pulses that are being sent are anything to worry about especially (except perhaps ... see below).  

Two things occur.  Firstly, your SNR is somewhat low at 7.1.  I usually end up with an SNR of more than 100 (often more than 200), but that is partly down to my guide camera.  Even when I was using a ZWO though, I was getting 40+.  The low SNR might be an issue.  Can you increase gain (or maybe exposure time) on the camera, or pick a brighter star?

Secondly, you say that your guided subs were worse than unguided, yet your guide graph is, to all intents and purposes, flat.  This would make me think that you have some flexure between the guide scope and the imaging scope.  PHD2 is keeping the guide scope pretty much perfectly on track, but the guide scope is moving slightly in relation to the imaging scope.  If that is happening then it may be that those series of blue pulses that you have represent the time when the guiding scope is shifting.  What do you use for guiding? 

[newbie alert]

Thanks for your input Gnomus,I'm using a 9x50 finder guider setup on a ed80..them little blips in the RA were the first time I've seen them and yes youre correct in the low snr on the star.. I do lose the guide star every now and then so i try to bump up the exposure next time..i use a Skyris 236m..

I regard to the finder/guider,it's sitting in the shoe and I find it quite high..is there a better way of mounting  for less flexture? Much appreciated again

Added info.. I've always used the auto guide star selection as I don't want to pick a hot pixel..it always picks a fairly small star..is that better than say a larger one ?

[gnomus]

1 minute ago, newbie alert said:

Thanks for your input Gnomus,I'm using a 9x50 finder guider setup on a ed80..them little blips in the RA were the first time I've seen them and yes youre correct in the low snr on the star.. I do lose the guide star every now and then so i try to bump up the exposure next time..i use a Skyris 236m..

I regard to the finder/guider,it's sitting in the shoe and I find it quite high..is there a better way of mounting  for less flexture? Much appreciated again

If you think about it, that finder gudier is being held in place by one (maybe two) little grub screws.  It is sticking up in the air and it could well be wobbly.  You might get away with it on a short focal length scope (then again you might not), you probably won't get away with it on anything of any length.

The optimum way forward would be an ST80 bolted on top of your imaging scope (it doesn't need to be aligned).  Failing that, there are some 'finder guider' sets up - ZWO do one.  But the ST80 isn't that expensive.  

[newbie alert]

Yes its held in by quite a substantial nut but like you say it's up in the air a bit.. could well be flexture but again not had it on previous guiding,was on a different target thou..

Food for thought...thanks again for your input..much appreciated..

[gnomus]

No worries.

[alacant]

Hi. The calibration may be wrong. Send us the guide log and we'll be able to advise more thoroughly. Cheers and clear skies.

[newbie alert]

Ok..i try but not very computer literate!

[alacant]

1 minute ago, newbie alert said:

Ok..i try

If you're using windows, it's the last entry under:

Documents\PHD2

HTH.

 

[newbie alert]

16 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi. The calibration may be wrong. Send us the guide log and we'll be able to advise more thoroughly. Cheers and clear skies.

Think youre right as the RA seems to mirror the DEC,i think this is the right guide log

 

PHD2_GuideLog_2017-08-18_231012.txt

[alacant]

 Hi. Both calibrations are incorrect. The first gives an error, the second doesn't but shows DEC all over the place. Neither show anything for RA. Both guiding sessions were done via the simulator so ATM we can't tell if anything is wrong with your setup

Recommendation: start again from scratch with a new profile:

Connect Equipment > Manage Profiles > New using Wizard

If you want to get to grips with PHD2 using the simulator (recommended) then create a different profile. Good luck and hopefully the new profile will get you going...

[newbie alert]

I was going to do  just that..scrap the settings and star again..

Strange thing is as my first guiding run the RA and DEC looked like they should as in both RA and DEC correcting their own guiding lines..heres a screen shot as the video won't upload on here

[newbie alert]

26 minutes ago, alacant said:

 

Recommendation: start again from scratch with a new profile:

Connect Equipment > Manage Profiles > New using Wizard

If you want to get to grips with PHD2 using the simulator (recommended) then create a different profile. Good luck and hopefully the new profile will get you going...

Thanks for info..i will do just that..but think I know where I've gone wrong.

The simulator,where do I find that?

[AKB]

2 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

The simulator,where do I find that?

There are simulator options for both mounts and cameras build into the connection panel in PHD2.  Just select 'simulator' instead of your actual device, but, indeed, DO create a new profile so as not to screw up your actual settings.

[newbie alert]

Thanks ,will give it a go..

[alacant]

3 hours ago, newbie alert said:

simulator

You already have it set in the profile corresponding to the log you posted. HTH.

[newbie alert]

Ok..i have to look..I've not looked at it but I know some settings are wrong..

Just to ask a question while you are there..on the  brain settings it has the pixel size in microns.. according to the Skyris book it has a pixel size of 3.75 nut also says it's. 28 microns..so which do I enter..another quick question is I thought sidereal rate was .50 but when I've gone back in it's changed itself to 1.01...any ideas? Or is it because the settings are all wrong?

[alacant]

15 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

which do I enter

3.75

16 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

thought sidereal rate was .50 but when I've gone back in it's changed itself to 1.01

The rate for both ra and Dec are set in the mount. 0.5 is a good starting value for both. 

What mount are you using and how is it connected to the device running phd2?

[newbie alert]

17 minutes ago, alacant said:

3.75

The rate for both ra and Dec are set in the mount. 0.5 is a good starting value for both. 

What mount are you using and how is it connected to the device running phd2?

I use a AVX mount but because I use a Skyris which hasn't got a guide port I have to use a ascom platform and connect with like the telephone cable to the handset. 

Again I've been told to enter the com port code but looking into ascom I've never found the code  so I connect  like this

[alacant]

11 hours ago, newbie alert said:

I connect  like this

OK. I don't know Celestron mounts but doesn't the avx have an ascom driver? But hey, if that allows you to move the mount manually in PHD2 and you've entered the correct focal length and pixel size, that looks fine. Does this configuration allow PHD2 to see stars? If not, there will be parameters to tweak in the camera settings; next to the Disconnect button on the Camera line. HTH.

[newbie alert]

The ascom is more because of the camera as it hasn't got a guide port.. the avx has..im sure if I got another camera I could plug straight into the guide port of the mount..

I don't mind ascom..seems to have lots of features I could use..just need to learn how!!

Thanks for your help

[alacant]

42 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

if I got another camera I could plug straight into the guide port of the mount

IMHO that's a disadvantage; another cable in the mix and the need for recalibration whenever you change target amongst others. If there is an avx ascom driver use that, but select that as your mount connection rather than the hub. HTH. 

**Maybe start a new thread to ask if any Celestron avx users can help you.

[newbie alert]

It's fine for now as I concentrate on 1 target anyway..its still only 2 cables..1 from camera to laptop and the other from laptop to handset..im happy..at least I'm guiding (well sort of!)

And I'm not going to be keeping the camera for ever

[iapa]

On 31/08/2017 at 08:23, alacant said:

OK. I don't know Celestron mounts but doesn't the avx have an ascom driver? But hey, if that allows you to move the mount manually in PHD2 and you've entered the correct focal length and pixel size, that looks fine. Does this configuration allow PHD2 to see stars? If not, there will be parameters to tweak in the camera settings; next to the Disconnect button on the Camera line. HTH.

There is a Celestron Ascom driver that covers most models, including AVX; http://ascohttps://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/serial-cable-for-skywatcher-and-celestron-mounts.htmlm-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm

you need https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/lynx-astro-rs232-serial-cable-for-celestron-mounts.html to connect to the hand controller from laptop

probably https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/sky-watcher-synscan-usb-to-serial-rs-232-cable.html unless you have a very old laptop with a serial port.

USB to imaging camera

USB to guide camera

No need to use guide port, actually, some do say you are better not using the guide port for a number of reasons.

 

 

[newbie alert]

28 minutes ago, iapa said:

There is a Celestron Ascom driver that covers most models, including AVX; http://ascohttps://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/serial-cable-for-skywatcher-and-celestron-mounts.htmlm-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm

you need https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/lynx-astro-rs232-serial-cable-for-celestron-mounts.html to connect to the hand controller from laptop

probably https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/sky-watcher-synscan-usb-to-serial-rs-232-cable.html unless you have a very old laptop with a serial port.

USB to imaging camera

USB to guide camera

No need to use guide port, actually, some do say you are better not using the guide port for a number of reasons.

 

 

Thanks,yes those are the cables I'm using ..but thanks for the link as the lynx one looks great quality..i got the 12v power cable from Flo a couple of weeks ago and far superior to the tosh that's supplied with the scope/mount..