Lesson learned: if the data's wrong, look out of the window!

[BrendanC]

So, second night of guiding. Everything going really nicely between APT and PHD2, thanks to great support on this forum. Suddenly dithering goes wrong - RA goes through the roof. Darn it. Start everything again. Everything goes wrong again - this time it's Dec.

I've just been fiddling a bit and thought that was why it was better. Maybe I was wrong. Can I reset everything and start again? I surely can. Unfortunately I didn't realise that also resets the calibration.

So, I try and calibrate (this is all indoors - controlling the laptop by remote - you can guess what's coming up can't you?)

I can't. Nothing is working. What on earth has gone wrong?

Stick my head out of the window. Cloud. Doh!

So, lesson for today is: don't just go by the data, stick your head out of the window and LOOK UP!

Now I have to get everything set up again just as it was before... Still, at least I 'learned' something, right?

Edited November 5, 2020 by BrendanC

[Budgie1]

I find another good indicator is to look at the image from the guide camera in PHD2.

[BrendanC]

Yes, but it was sort of ok at the time! I think it was just on the cusp of being a viable image, but not sufficiently for PHD2 to maintain the star. I dunno. Only my second time, as I say, but in future I will most definitely check the image AND stick my head out of the window!

[Budgie1]

You can also set the "lost guide star" alarm on PHD2 that will show up in the log on APT. It can get annoying when there's thin high cloud but at least you've got an idea what's happening.

I've been there a few times as well, since bringing the laptop inside. PHD2 starts complaining, look at the screen and the image is white, think the camera has gone off!  Then check outside and see half the sky covered in cloud.

At least you managed to get out tonight. It was looking good at 6pm up here and then the clouds rolled in. All I managed to do tonight was get my guide camera focused in my new 60mm guide scope. My last proper imaging session was on the 15th October! 😭

[BrendanC]

Completely understand the frustration. I'm just emerging from 'cloudageddon' after literally months of little to no opportunities at all.

The alarm would have to be REALLY loud for me to hear it from the garden! Laptop is outside, connected via Powerline to the network and then controlled from inside.

I'll still be going 'analogue' as a first check in future though ie employing eyeballs and looking upwards!

[tomato]

Yes, it does pay to leave the screen and look at the kit/sky from time to time. My rig is inside a dome and the aperture is aligned by lasers where the beams are interrupted by extended dew shields on the scopes. My usual set up has been replaced by a single shorter scope and I knew the lasers wouldn’t work so I was manually moving the dome. My guiding suddenly went haywire but when I looked up at the sky it was still clear. The lasers were still on and shining down my guide scope....