PHD2 with Altair 130c GPCam2 Mono Settings

[Prolifics]

Hi having a few issues with my guiding and focus.

Just a couple of questions especially if you have one of these guiding scopes.

1) Which driver should I use Altair or ascom altair? I am using eqascom setup.

2) What gain should I use on the guide camera as a ballpark? Some say gain 1x (lowest) if you can set in ascom if using the Altair Ascom driver.

 

Finally a link to my actual guidescope. I have also in phd2 software set the noise reduction to 2 x 2 mean as recommended by several people.

https://www.altairastro.com/Altair-GPCAMv2-130-Mono-Guide-Imaging-Camera.html

 

Many thanks

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by Prolifics

[michael8554]

What are your issues.? 

Michael 

[Prolifics]

15 hours ago, michael8554 said:

What are your issues.? 

Michael 

Hi Michael I am struggling to get a snr of more than 15 mostly around 4 to 8. Guiding stars are sometimes lost. 

 

Regards David

[michael8554]

The link was to the camera, but assuming you have their guidescope too, I'm surprised that you're struggling.

I have an older ZWO ASI 120MM mono camera and a 200mm F3.5 guidescope, and I've never failed to find loads of guidestars with PHD2 at 2secs with no noise reduction. 

Do you have a Dark Library in PHD2? 

I guess you've tried upping the gain until the sig/noise in PHD2 goes from green to amber, which is a reasonable setting.? 

Are you letting PHD2 autoselect the star.?

How is your focus.? Adjust until HFD in the PHD2 Star Profile is at minimum, mine is 3-ish.

Michael 

Edited July 10, 2019 by michael8554

[Prolifics]

17 hours ago, michael8554 said:

What are your issues.? 

Michael 

Hi thanks for the advice. My guide scope is listed in my signature. Only thing I havent tried is the HDR below 3 I will check it but cloudy skies here for a while and get back to you.

 

Regards David

[michael8554]

24 minutes ago, Prolifics said:

HDR below 3

It's HFD, and below 3 would be great, but minimum might be higher and would be the best you can get.

You can check your current HFD in a PHD2 guidelog, search the text file for HFD. 

Michael 

Edited July 10, 2019 by michael8554

[Prolifics]

21 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

It's HFD, and below 3 would be great, but minimum might be higher and would be the best you can get.

You can check your current HFD in a PHD2 guidelog, search the text file for HFD. 

Michael 

Many thanks that was the next question  I have been focusing on objects about 40 m away and it works fine so not sure what the problem is. I am using the adapter that came with the guidecam so you can get focus.

[Prolifics]

Just a note been looking through my last PHD2 logs and my HFD is beween 2.2 and 7 averaging 3.8 which i guess is not good?

[michael8554]

If your camera and guidescope aren't separated between sessions the focus and hence HFD shouldn't change, and 2.2 is great. 

If you're not separating them, then are you guiding on saturated stars sometimes (flat top to star profile).? 

Auto selected stars don't do that. 

Michael 

Edited July 10, 2019 by michael8554

[newbie alert]

I found with low snr that they wasn't stars..it was just noise..

To remedy the problem I use sharpcap..have the camera looping and adjust the focus, have a look at the gain and exposure and replicate ish in phd... I find a 3 sec loop suits my setup better.. 

[newbie alert]

As a add on , a great tip that someone suggested on here is to move the mount either on the handset or on screen manual guide..if your stars don't move, they aren't stars..

[Prolifics]

On 10/07/2019 at 18:29, michael8554 said:

If your camera and guidescope aren't separated between sessions the focus and hence HFD shouldn't change, and 2.2 is great. 

If you're not separating them, then are you guiding on saturated stars sometimes (flat top to star profile).? 

Auto selected stars don't do that. 

Michael 

Hi Michael Found 20 minutes of gaps between clouds tonight done all the things you mentioned and with hazy clouds was getting between 40 and 90 snr on quite small stars. Thats a big improvement and I think will solve the issue and be even higher without clouds. I also loaded up sharpcap and turned on polar align. I have never had more than 9 stars detected it was at 19 tonight

Oh and that was on gain 1x using the ascom altair driver. Did not get chance to up the gain clouds rushed in fast!

 

Thanks for all your help in this matter

 

Regards David

Edited July 11, 2019 by Prolifics