PHD2 Stars not moving enough for calibration

[Gumminess8083]

Hello everyone,

 

I just started using a new pc for my setup, and I installed everything copying the exact same settings from my old one.

 

Unfortunately, I seem to be unable to calibrate PHD2, since the program keeps telling me that the stars are not moving enough, and the history graph is showing nothing.

 

Could anyone help me figure out what is going wrong? Everything worked flawlessly with my old setup (altough, admittedly, I haven't had the chance to use it in a month, since the skies have been cloudy).

 

I am ataching 2 log files from tonight, just in case.

Thanks in advance!

Log 1.txt Log 2.txt

[Synchronicity]

I can't offer any advice beyond checking the minimum move setting (can't remember the exact term).

If your stuck the first video in this thread might help...

 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/401913-phd2-calibration-talk/#comment-4312746

Michael

[pipnina]

Something I noted was that PHD would fail to calibrate if too close to the north pole. Because 60 seconds of RA movement covers a far smaller star movement at +80deg DEC than 60 seconds of RA movement at +60deg DEC.

What was your target?

[Clarkey]

Assuming you are using Eqmod have you adjusted the pulse guiding rates? I think they default to 0.1 but need to be much higher. I think mine are set to 0.7.

[scotty38]

I noticed the guide speeds were massively different for RA and Dec but I must admit I;ve not looked into what issue this would cause, if any

[Jonny_H]

I had this issue the last time I used my set-up. Similar to you I hadn't used it for a while.

I Re-installed PHD2 and made sure all other drivers for other apps were updated and that seemed to do the trick.

Try reinstalling PHD2 first to see if that resolves the issue and go from there.

HTH,

Jonny

[windjammer]

When you put it into manual guide mode does the scope move when you toggle E/W and N/S ?  If it does then check the pulse durations in manual mode are the same'ish as the pulse durations in calibrate mode. if manual mode  doesn't move the scope after twiddling pulse widths then  clearly something is not communicating: driver installations etc.  If you use ST4 then a scope on the control lines will show pulses - or not.  If its fancy ASCOM then beyond my pay grade, unfortunately.

Simon

[Gumminess8083]

1 hour ago, Clarkey said:

Assuming you are using Eqmod have you adjusted the pulse guiding rates? I think they default to 0.1 but need to be much higher. I think mine are set to 0.7.

yup, I have both set to 0.9

[Gumminess8083]

1 hour ago, scotty38 said:

I noticed the guide speeds were massively different for RA and Dec but I must admit I;ve not looked into what issue this would cause, if any

I initially started with 0.9 and 0.1, since I forgot to change both of them, but I later tried with both set to 0.9 and it made no difference whatsoever

[Gumminess8083]

43 minutes ago, windjammer said:

When you put it into manual guide mode does the scope move when you toggle E/W and N/S ?  If it does then check the pulse durations in manual mode are the same'ish as the pulse durations in calibrate mode. if manual mode  doesn't move the scope after twiddling pulse widths then  clearly something is not communicating: driver installations etc.  If you use ST4 then a scope on the control lines will show pulses - or not.  If its fancy ASCOM then beyond my pay grade, unfortunately.

Simon

The scope does move, and the cables are connected via Usb, so there shouldn't be any problem, as I could clearly see from the guide scope.

[Gumminess8083]

1 hour ago, Jonny_H said:

I had this issue the last time I used my set-up. Similar to you I hadn't used it for a while.

I Re-installed PHD2 and made sure all other drivers for other apps were updated and that seemed to do the trick.

Try reinstalling PHD2 first to see if that resolves the issue and go from there.

HTH,

Jonny

Thanks for the suggestion!

I actually wanted to try that first, but I didn't want to have to redo all my settings without being sure that it would fix the problem.
Since it did the trick for you, I will try and see if it works

 

edit: no candle. The graph still shows up as empty...

 

 

Actually! As I was writing this message, it started working! Hopefully it isn't just the clouds moving around... I'm doing another run and it still shows a dead graph... This is strange

Edited January 6 by Gumminess8083

[woldsman]

Try increasing the calibration steps to something like 1050 in advanced settings. 

[Gumminess8083]

Just now, woldsman said:

Try increasing the calibration steps to something like 1050 in advanced settings. 

It's already at 1350, automatically calculated...

Maye I should change the minimum move?

[newbie alert]

7 hours ago, Gumminess8083 said:

Thanks for the suggestion!

I actually wanted to try that first, but I didn't want to have to redo all my settings without being sure that it would fix the problem.
Since it did the trick for you, I will try and see if it works

 

edit: no candle. The graph still shows up as empty...

 

 

Actually! As I was writing this message, it started working! Hopefully it isn't just the clouds moving around... I'm doing another run and it still shows a dead graph... This is strange

This shows you're way out of polar alignment, and both axis are on a downward trend

[Clarkey]

8 hours ago, Gumminess8083 said:

yup, I have both set to 0.9

The download seems to suggest the scales are different, as per the comments from @scotty38.

"RA Guide Speed = 13.5 a-s/s, Dec Guide Speed = 1.5 a-s/s"

If you have them set the same, there is obviously something else amiss. From memory PHD2 does the Dec axis first which would explain the lack of movement at 1.5 arc secs per pixel.

EQMOD can be a bit quirky at times, so I would maybe try to re-enter the values again and see if this changes the values in PHD.

[Gumminess8083]

2 hours ago, newbie alert said:

This shows you're way out of polar alignment, and both axis are on a downward trend

could it just be the clouds messing up the readings?

 

I double checked my polar alignment both with the polar scope and the three-points polar alignment tool, and it was perfect within 2 seconds at most

[Gumminess8083]

1 hour ago, Clarkey said:

The download seems to suggest the scales are different, as per the comments from @scotty38.

"RA Guide Speed = 13.5 a-s/s, Dec Guide Speed = 1.5 a-s/s"

If you have them set the same, there is obviously something else amiss. From memory PHD2 does the Dec axis first which would explain the lack of movement at 1.5 arc secs per pixel.

EQMOD can be a bit quirky at times, so I would maybe try to re-enter the values again and see if this changes the values in PHD.

I did try changing the values in eqmod, as I later realized I had the RA set to 0.9 and the DEC to 0.1, but once I tried seeing if it worked, it was already too cloudy, unfortunately, and the reading were messed up, as per my last post yesterday night.

As soon as there's another clear night, I will try and see if it works

[alacant]

Hi

You are trying to calibrate too far away from the equator - meridian intersection but anyway, most if not all the settings for your guiding arrangement are incorrect, except maybe the pixel size for the zwo.

I'd strongly recommend starting again. Make a new profile with the camera and mount attached and live with the mount guide speeds for RA and DEC both at 0.9. Take ALL the default values. Change nothing

Focus the guide camera and slew south around DEC zero and within say 30 minutes of the local meridian. Make certain the mount moves using PHD2's manual NSEW controls (watch the stars move on the display and/or listen for motors). Finally, slew N for a few moments. Now calibrate.

Hopefully that will get you calibrated.

Cheers and HTH

Edited January 6 by alacant

[newbie alert]

3 hours ago, Gumminess8083 said:

could it just be the clouds messing up the readings?

 

I double checked my polar alignment both with the polar scope and the three-points polar alignment tool, and it was perfect within 2 seconds at most

Polar scope is regarded a rough polar alignment method.. run the drift tool and it will show you the errors

[michael8554]

To sum up:

Setting the EQMOD ASCOM PulseGuide settings  correctly for RA and Dec should enable PHD2 to Cal in about 12 steps.

If possible Calibrate at +/- 20 degrees of Dec = 0, not Dec = 61.6 deg.

Michael

 

[Gumminess8083]

On 06/01/2023 at 11:34, alacant said:

Hi

You are trying to calibrate too far away from the equator - meridian intersection but anyway, most if not all the settings for your guiding arrangement are incorrect, except maybe the pixel size for the zwo.

I'd strongly recommend starting again. Make a new profile with the camera and mount attached and live with the mount guide speeds for RA and DEC both at 0.9. Take ALL the default values. Change nothing

Focus the guide camera and slew south around DEC zero and within say 30 minutes of the local meridian. Make certain the mount moves using PHD2's manual NSEW controls (watch the stars move on the display and/or listen for motors). Finally, slew N for a few moments. Now calibrate.

Hopefully that will get you calibrated.

Cheers and HTH

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try again using default values and see if anything changes, although, besides changing the algorithm to PPEC and changing the step size, I don't think I've changed much.

 

Unfortunately I cannot image too close to the equator, and my mount is located in my garden, and it can only see a specific window in the sky.

 

I guess the biggest problem for me now would be waiting for a clear night.

[Gumminess8083]

Update: Just had a chance to try again last night, and, after reinstalling everything one more time and re-checking all the settings, it is now working!

Thanks for the help, everyone!

Edited January 15 by Gumminess8083