PHD2 step sizes

[Jezphil]

I have set up EQMOD with Sequence Generator Pro and an HEQ5 mount. Up until now, in the PHD2 settings, under ‘connect equipment’ I have always entered ‘on camera’ and this has worked fine. Now, have switched to EQMOD ASCOM and SGP I have changed that entry to ‘EQMOD HEQ5/6 (ASCOM)’ and this worked fine and connected. I then calibrated PHD2 and did this with a star just above the celestial horizon. For calibration I’ve always used a calibration step of (ms) 2000 with this telescope/camera and it has worked fine giving me about 15 steps. This time, after making the above switch to EQMOD/ASCOM, the steps were way too small - it went beyond 50 steps and then the software gave up. It tried this on different stars so it wasn’t a hot pixel issue. I had to change the rate up to 10,000 to get big enough steps. Then it calibrated very slowly (lots of long ‘looping’ signs), but got there in 11 steps. Then it guided fine. Pixel scale and focal length are all entered correctly by BTW.

So my question is this: Isn’t 10,000 a massive number to enter there? Why so big? And should I be doing that, or have I missed something? Does it matter? And, actually, why would it do this when switched to EQMOD/ASCOM?

Just to add a further query please… now it has been calibrated with EQMOD, using a suitable star near the celestial horizon , I am assuming I don’t need to do this every time now like I used to? Or do the other calibration process that goes through the Guiding Assistant? PHD2 should now know where the telescope is pointing in the sky and account for it right?

Thanks in advance.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Jezphil

[michael8554]

EQMOD ASCOM Puleguide setting too low.

Set to 0.5 or more

Michael

[Jezphil]

41 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

EQMOD ASCOM Puleguide setting too low.

Set to 0.5 or more

Michael

Thank you Michael - that looks like it is the issue. Much appreciated. 

[The Lazy Astronomer]

8 hours ago, Jezphil said:

Just to add a further query please… now it has been calibrated with EQMOD, using a suitable star near the celestial horizon , I am assuming I don’t need to do this every time now like I used to? Or do the other calibration process that goes through the Guiding Assistant? PHD2 should now know where the telescope is pointing in the sky and account for it right?

Thanks in advance.

I will clarify my statements by saying I have only actually been guiding for the last month, so probably have no idea what I'm talking about!

That said, I see no need to recalibrate unless the guiding isn't good. I calibrated once, ran the guiding assistant for 15 minutes or so and accepted all its recommendations. For every session after that, all I've done is select a star and started guiding. RMS is generally in the region of 0.6 - 0.8". Could it be better? Probably. Does it matter? At my image scale, not really.