3ppa in Nina

[TiffsAndAstro]

I've been using Nina for 3ppa for a while and I get good results, easily less than 10". 

However, messing in phd2 with calibration assistant etc told me 1'3" pa error.

Watching some videos online and looking at my 3ppa settings and looking at what happens is confusing me. I've attached a screenshot below but it doesn't show my settings, but may give clues?

My start position was 53d and change. Measure distance 10d (I know 20 is more accurate, bare with my rambling) and east = off.

Pressing play mount slews left west?) until almost 90 degrees/horizontal takes pics moves 10d takes pic moves 10d takes pics done. If I change it to 20 the last move makes the Ra hit a bump stop and plate solving fails.

So...I changed start to 45d east still = off and 20d measure distance, but now the mount slews right/east until it hit that bump stop.

Should I just set it to 20d measure distance and start from current position IE home? Or any other suggestions:(

 

Could I set it to start at 320d so then 320-20 = 300 and 300-20 = 280 which is still above 270ish where bump stop is?

 

Edited May 18 by TiffsAndAstro

[PhilB61]

If you are guiding then anything under a couple of minutes is plenty accurate enough so don't worry about it. I just use the default settings in NINA 3PPA and usually start from home position unless my view to the north is blocked. I wouldn't use any settings that could inadvertently cause a hard stop to be hit. Comparing results from one program to another will likely give different answers because they all do their calculations slightly differently and also because budget mounts probably don't have the rigidity or fine enough adjustment to produce consistent results. I stop my PA adjustment when I achieve error of approx 1 min or less in both directions. My typical guiding rms is 0.6 to 0.8 arc sec, which is half my image scale so that is fine with me.

[TiffsAndAstro]

14 hours ago, PhilB61 said:

If you are guiding then anything under a couple of minutes is plenty accurate enough so don't worry about it. I just use the default settings in NINA 3PPA and usually start from home position unless my view to the north is blocked. I wouldn't use any settings that could inadvertently cause a hard stop to be hit. Comparing results from one program to another will likely give different answers because they all do their calculations slightly differently and also because budget mounts probably don't have the rigidity or fine enough adjustment to produce consistent results. I stop my PA adjustment when I achieve error of approx 1 min or less in both directions. My typical guiding rms is 0.6 to 0.8 arc sec, which is half my image scale so that is fine with me.

Ty I mentioned phd2 pa error because I thought it might be right due to my 10d measure step being less accurate.

Next time I will try 20d starting at home/Polaris ish and my finger on stop button try and do as you do.

I think you might be right about budget mounts, at least mine

1.4" to 1.8" for my 2" image scale is probably acceptable as my stars look ok.

 

Edited May 19 by TiffsAndAstro

[TiffsAndAstro]

On 18/05/2024 at 22:43, PhilB61 said:

If you are guiding then anything under a couple of minutes is plenty accurate enough so don't worry about it. I just use the default settings in NINA 3PPA and usually start from home position unless my view to the north is blocked. I wouldn't use any settings that could inadvertently cause a hard stop to be hit. Comparing results from one program to another will likely give different answers because they all do their calculations slightly differently and also because budget mounts probably don't have the rigidity or fine enough adjustment to produce consistent results. I stop my PA adjustment when I achieve error of approx 1 min or less in both directions. My typical guiding rms is 0.6 to 0.8 arc sec, which is half my image scale so that is fine with me.

Well I did a 3ppa from home ish and 20 degrees measure steps. Went very fast and easy, but then phd2  guiding assistant said  my pa was 8 arc mins error and guiding was bad all night.

If clear tonight I will reset phd2 start it again from scratch.

My subs looked ok in Nina as far as I could tell.

*****

doing some processing now on veil nebular with terrible guiding and dss has given most of my subs the highest score i've ever seen. Plus in a quick histogram i can clearly see the witches broom. So right now im happy but have no idea how.

This is clearly no apod, but for less than 2 hours I'm quite chuffed

 

Edited May 20 by TiffsAndAstro