QHY5 & PHD

[MishMich]

So, I did the synscan upgrade to the HEQ5, which led me to strip & rebuild the gears to stop the motor complaining when I put the SPX on. Tonight I had some clear sky, and perhaps a bit over optimistically decided that I would try and get the mount aligned using the handset, then moved on to establishing the EQMOD connectivity 'live', so to speak, using StellariumScope and Stellarium. So far so good, although the moving Com port threw me a bit, but once I changed it from last time, it worked more or less OK.

I moved to Sirius, connected up the QHY5 and I couldn't get an image using PHD. So, went to Mars (as I know I can get to see that in QGVideo from imaging Mars what seems an age ago). I got Mars all focused up, when disaster hit. My partner popped out, saying Gemma (our Jack Russell) wanted to say hello - no sooner had I got the words 'watch the wires' out, when a whirlwind rushed straight through them, pulling power leads and USB cables out of their housings in her wake. The air was blue for a few seconds.

This drama continued when, having got everything reconnected, I was told off for that - and the brief distraction was just long enough for the cords to wrap themselves round the mount and bring the RA motor, full of protest, to a halt, with the telescope slewed up at the zenith, rather than Alnitak.

This time, only a complete reboot of the laptop, and resetting the mount, parking, realigning, etc. would get me back up and running again. So, I got Sirius into QGVideo, used the mask to focus, then shut down QGVideo and loaded up PHD. Loaded in the mount via EQMOD, then the QHY5 via ASCOM5, but I couldn't see a thing in PHD (apart from noise and a handful of hot pixels). Moved back to QGVideo, and on to Alnitak again, centred with the EP, then in QGVideo, then over to PHD - nothing (100% gain & tried settings between 1 & 3 seconds. Checked the camera by taking it and pointing towards the monitor - definitely working with PHD, just no stars.

By then cloud was rolling in, and I had had enough of the cold after four hours or so. Packed up and called it a night, somewhat frustrated because I'd had to re-start the process twice unnecessarily, and not got as far as I had hoped. At least I managed to get all the bits more or less in place 'live', although I was taken aback how much wire was leading out of the conservatory - and realised I need more than a lone 3m USB extension lead. One serial-USB to the handset, one to the QHY5, one to the EOS, and the mains-12v supply feeding a triple lighter socket, feeding the mount and the EOS. I guess this will be where the cable ties will start to come in handy.

All the 'bits' seem to work, just getting a star from the QHY5 into PHD was not possible. So, anybody got any suggestions what I might be doing wrong? Have I missed anything obvious? I'm assuming less that 1 second exposures will be too dim to pick up a star in PHD, as people talk about needing >1s. Should I be using shorter exposures while I locate/centre a guide-star?

M.

[Starflyer]

What camera were you selecting in PHD?

Did you hit the loop button in PHD - this starts capturing images from the camera.

I find 1s is okay most of the time to find a star and get it focussed, you don't want to guide on too bright a star btw. When you're focussed increase the exposure time, I find that 2 - 3s is ideal, pick a faint star and click PHD to start calibration.

Cheers,

Ian

[brendant]

What settings are you using with PHD, set exposure to 2-3 seconds, slide the slider 3/4 the way to the RH side and hit rhe green circurlar arrow to loop the exposures - should work as the camera is working in QGvideo it's just a case of getting the exposure correct.

Brendan

[MishMich]

I focused in GQVideo first (to ensure the star was in focus first), then closed it.

I selected ASCOM v5 Camera in PHD, then CMOS QHY5 Camera from the list of cameras.

I pressed the blue loop arrow to capture.

I tried 1,2 & 3 seconds, with gain up high, tried Sirius and Alnitak - no sign of a star, just blackness.

Camera appeared to be working and connected in PHD (tested using a strong light source).

Regardless of whether I can use either of these two stars, I need to be able to see something before finding a more suitable star - which is why I was using them to start from.

So, is there anything I am missing that is stopping me seeing stars in PHD that I have already focused and aligned in QGVideo?

M.

[jgs001]

I've not changed the settings in the ASCOM components for the QHY5v, but what I did notice is that you have to enter into the ASCOM options once and ok it prior to being able to connect to the camera. I'd check those settings and see if you've overidden the config to effectively turn off the sensitivity of the camera there. I can't do it at the moment, but later on I can probably get a screenshot of my 5v ASCOM config screen if you'd like.

[MishMich]

OK,

Connect camera to USB port

Select: ASCOM v5 Camera at bottom of list

Takes me to ASCOM Camera Chooser window

Select type: CMOS QHY5 Camera

Select Properties brings up QHY5 Configuration window (driver version 2.0.0)

Only option is a Gain slider, set at 50% - I tried this at 50, 80 & 100%

Select OK, OK on main window, and PHD shows CMOS QHY5 Camera connected

Press blue loop arrow, red light on camera active, can see a few hot pixels on screen.

Point at bright light, screen goes from black to white.

So. all looks connected, but I haven't gone into the advanced the screen as yet.

Ah! just found something. The screen gamma (brightness) slider is right over the RHS, which I had assumed would be the brightest, but when I move it to the left, the image becomes lighter. Perhaps this is the problem? Usually brightness is to the right and dark to the left on sliders, but this one works the other way around? I also assumed this related to the gain setting in the ASCOM setup, it isn't.

I'll give it a try with that slider about half way tonight. A bit counter-intuitive (but so far I have found little to do with telescopes that isn't counter-intuitive). Thanks.

M

[MishMich]

My partner has just pointed out photocopiers work that way. Just checked my laser printer - that does it that way, but my graphics packages do it the other way. There's just no standards these days...

M.

[jgs001]

I'd be surprised M. The QHY5v picked up the stars in M45 without any issue or adjustment of the gamma slider. I'd be very surprised if you didn't get Alnitak or Sirius on that basis.

[Merlin66]

Are there any differences under PHD between the settings for the QHY5 and the QHY5v....

I use the QHY5 with no issues.....

Ken

[MishMich]

Mine is the QHY5.

John, that's what I'd have thought - I mean Sirius really stands out in QGVideo, and while Alnitak isn't as bright, it is a bright star. I figure I should see enough to start fiddling. I know the camera works OK, I have images of Mars through it, and can see stars in QGVideo.

One thing I find odd is that I can see some hot pixels, but no stars (I know they are hot pixels, as they persist when I have the lens cap on, or the guider on its own with its cap on). It doesn't make sense to me. I can see stars in the frame in one piece of software, I can see hot pixels in the other, but I can't see the stars. Focus, position, connectivity, nothing else has changed - only the application, which appears to be connected.

I've posted the Stark Labs forum.

Thanks,

M.

[Merlin66]

Could it be that the camera downloads are still being controlled by GQVideo even when it should be taken over by PHD....

What happens if you ONLY use the camera with PHD... no GQVideo...

Ken

[adamsp123]

I selected ASCOM v5 Camera in PHD, then CMOS QHY5 Camera from the list of cameras.

I pressed the blue loop arrow to capture.

I tried 1,2 & 3 seconds, with gain up high, tried Sirius and Alnitak - no sign of a star, just blackness.

Camera appeared to be working and connected in PHD (tested using a strong light source).

Regardless of whether I can use either of these two stars, I need to be able to see something before finding a more suitable star - which is why I was using them to start from.

So, is there anything I am missing that is stopping me seeing stars in PHD that I have already focused and aligned in QGVideo?

M.

First, I thought QHY5 cams you select CCD Q labs guider for the camera in PHD.

Did you take any darks?

just a couple of thoughts

[MishMich]

I tried taking darks, just in case.

The CCD labs Q camera does not find the camera - the ASCOM v5 Camera driver finds the QHY5 CMOS Camera.

Is there something I need to install to make the CCD lands Q guider option, that is not detailed in the QHY downloads and setup files I used? That still doesn't explain why I see either black + hot pixels or bright light, but no stars.

I am not using the Beta, I am using the full version of the download.

M.

[MishMich]

Instructions seem pretty clear - using PHD under 64 bit windows, connect using ASCOM, not the CCD labs Q camera.

M.

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm

I'm only using XP sp2...

The Q labs seems to work for me with the QHY5....

[adamsp123]

Have a word with Bern at Modern astronomy, he knows about this subject in depth.

[MishMich]

I have tried installing the latest pre-release version of PHD, and tested at 1 second (with cap on), and taken darks first, I now get a grey screen (with cap on) rather than a pitch black one, and even with the slider right over to the right with gain on the camera set at 50% I get some signs of noise (there was no noise showing before, just blackness). If I get a chance I'll try it out tonight & see what happens. Will also try putting together a loom, and see if I can make the wiring Jack Russell proof...

I'll see how that goes, then try calling if no better.

M.

[Merlin66]

Mish,

quote:

The CCD labs Q camera does not find the camera - the ASCOM v5 Camera driver finds the QHY5 CMOS Camera.

unquote

Can you get the CCD labs camera to now see the QHY5??

I remember there was something about re-installing an earlier Cmos.dll ( Someone help me here...)

[MishMich]

No, I tried that, it doesn't. I read somewhere you have to download and drop an earlier DLL in the QHY5 directory. Looking on their forum, that is OK with Win 32, but not Win 64, because PHD is 32 bit, while the drivers for 64 bit windows are not, so to access the camera you have to load the drivers through ASCOM for PHD to use them.

M.

[adamsp123]

Have you tried running PHD with only the camera attached to the computer? no Ascom, select CCD q labs -loop and see if you get an image, you should, I certainly do, up to trying to calibrate and realising I hadn't attached the ST4 cable to the mount, mind you I don't use ascom as I have a Vixen starbook controller.

Another thing which IIRC Bern metioned was that the drivers have to be installed in the right sequence...I might to talking through my hat here! edit - or you have to load the QHY5 drivers before PHD?? and use the same USB port as the first time you use the device, plugging the QHY5 into a differnt USB port won't work.

[MishMich]

Thanks Pete. The QHYCCD forum announcement suggests that the 64 bit download for QHY5 will not work with 32 bit PHD on 64 bit Windows Vista or 7.

Tonight I tried again. I loaded the latest pre-release version, didn't run QGVideo first, went straight to PHD, tried the CCD Q Labs driver, which didn't work, then went to the ASCOM driver, left it at 50% gain, loaded, and set the loop capture. I could see two unfocused stars. Got them in focus, moved them into the centre using EQMOD direction buttons, and selected auto-selection, then hit the guider button. It seemed to be working, although looking at what was going on on the screen and in the graph, I don't think it was pulse-guiding. I'll read up some more, and maybe try with the ST4 port connected. I managed to get some images of Orion just using the EOS 1000D & 50mm lens. At least all the bits are connecting up and working now. Getting them all to work together is for another night. Was a lovely clear night though. Not feeling too well, so once I'd achieved what I wanted I packed up. Shame, I've been desperate for a night like this for a couple of weeks.

I think I need to find a cheap game pad somewhere - using the laptop is OK, unless you are at the scope trying to align using the finder.

M.