finder guider

[cardconvict]

hi all i have just made a finder guider and was just wondering what everyone else was using for the settings on PHD just to give us a heads up before wasting half a night trying to set it up.

[michaelmorris]

Hi Ian

Piccies please!!!

You'll probably need to increase the calibration step size because of the small image scale.

[adamsp123]

Try 1500 cal step in RA and up the DEC as well till you get aorund 10-15 calibration steps. That works for me so long as I have got the rest of the set up right, ie correct inbalance and cables/flexture sorted.

[cardconvict]

do you have your star slightly defocused

[adamsp123]

do you have your star slightly defocused

Probably LOL, doesn't seem to make much difference ...maybe finders aren't top notch refractors so pin point stars isn't the norm in most?, star profile is important, select nothing too bright and has a nice peak in the profile ie not flattened.

[cardconvict]

ok thanks

[Glider]

With my setup for imaging;

RA aggressiveness 90

RA Hysteresis 10

Max RA duration 1000ms

Search region 25 pixels

Min motion 0.15 pixels

Calibration step 2500ms

Time lapse 0ms

LE Port 378

Dec guide mode Auto

Dec algorithm Resist Switch

Dec slope weight 5.00

Max dec duration 260ms

Star mass tolerance 0.30

Noise reduction None

Force claibration Yes

Time lapse and LE port only really matter for certain guide camera and if they suport serial port controlled long exposures.

I run with the image slightly defocussed, and certainly not saturated/clipping at the top end.

Often the 'brightest' is not the 'bestest'.

[cardconvict]

thanks adamsp123, glider just what i'am looking for

[cardconvict]

help please phd keeps coming up with large star mass change help

[Glider]

Yes, that's a new feature in the latest version. Mine does it but only once or twice a minute at most. I ignore it, I really must read the manual and figure out what it means though.

Sorry can't be anymore help for a quick fix except to try an older version of PHD, or perhaps increase/decrease the 0.3 default value till it "goes away'"!

[cardconvict]

ok all sorted now, i increased the star mass tolerance 1.00 that did the trick cheers glider

[adamsp123]

I see the new PHD s/w has a move guidestar feature which will help me to get the object I wish to image nicely framed, been a bit hit or miss in the past for me.

to quote - - Manual lock position mode added. Enable and it will ask for the position. Click on the star you want to move to that position and hit Guide. It'll move it there (albeit slowly, at guide speed).

[Merlin66]

I just noticed this as well........

could be a great feature for guiding spectroscopes - to nudge the star image onto the slit.

Al's reticle V2.2 works very well as an overlay.

Ken

[Psychobilly]

hmmmm....

I will have to downlaod the latest version then.. TVM for the info...

Peter...

[Glider]

Can't actually find any info on what 'star mass' is, anyone found a pointer?

Nice feature on the guide star nudging.