Help With Orion Autoguider PRO Mono

[Stickfarm8]

I need some help with an Orion Autoguider PRO. After a call to Orion technical support today, we got the camera working. There was a conflict with the laptop camera, and once the lap top camera was disabled, and the SSGPRO driver reinstalled, the camera appeared to be working. The guide scope is an Orion Mini 50 mm with Helical Focuser. Despite trying the camera inserted various amounts, and running the focuser to its limits, I still cannot seem to get a good focus. I have tried looking at the image with the camera software (Astrocap), as well as the star field in PHD2.  When the calibration is attempted in PHD2, it fails. No matter which way I have the helical focuser positioned, the star field does not appear to change.

I also removed the front lens, and checked to make sure the helical focuser is moving in and out. It is.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

Rich

Edited August 10, 2019 by Stickfarm8

[Stickfarm8]

I may have stumbled on to the problem - its the Dell G7 laptop I use.  Over at Cloudy Nights forum on this exact guider, someone had similar problems.  https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/625500-orion-starshoot-autoguider-pro/ .  Apparently Dell's implementation of USB 3.1 can cause issues with USB isochronous cameras (Orion and ZWOs). When I tried the camera on my son's ASUS laptop it works as it should - at least with the AstroCap software.

One solution I'm going to try tonight is to use a USB 3.1C to USB 3.1A docking hub - it will use a different path /chipset through the system.  If that fails, I'm going to pick up a cheap laptop and use it for the Pole Star and Autoguider before next weekend. I really need to get the Autoguider working. My images of Andromedia (had to stay up WAY too late to get the chance to image it as we have a large tree-line blocking it until after ~11 pm this time of year) had a slight amount of star tracking - but otherwise after looking at the output TIFF from DSS of the images from last night - at least I got the exposure right. 

There were problems when I went to use the Orion Pole Star camera and software the first time on this laptop. The images would freeze during the rotation step or at some random point in the alignment process. The fix for that was to play music using windows media player.  I was skeptical that could do anything - but without media player working - the image is almost certain to freeze. With it playing - no problems.  This issue seemed to be more general in nature - not just Dell laptops.

Thank heavens for the internet !

Rich