Starting to research auto guiding - What do I need?

[chrisshillito]

I'm running EQMOD into a NEQ6 Pro mount and the ST80 with a QHY5 guidecam using PHD to guide. I normally plug in the ST-4 cable from the guidecam to the mount, is this wrong?

No, there's nothing wrong with ST-4 guiding its simply that EQASCOM offers you an alternative method of guiding, ASCOM Pulse guiding. With Pulse guiding PHD sends ASCOM guide instructions to EQASCOM which in turn implements the guide pulse by commanding the mount to make appropriate changes to its tracking speed. Because these commands are issued over the serial connection to the mount the Guide Port on the mount is not used at all.

Pulseguide offers a few extra bells and whistles (greater range of guide speeds, close integration with PEC etc) over ST-4 but both methods get the job done.

Chris

[Photosbykev]

Everything is running through eqascom so I guess the st-4 cable isn't being used even when it's plugged in lol. That's one less cable to worry about

[dmahon]

The ST4 cable is being used if you select "on camera" in PHD. If you select ASCOM, then it isn't.

Personally, I find ST4 works better (well, they both give round stars but ST4 calibrates quicker), but that may just be because I don't have the numbers set up optimally for pulse guiding.

What settings do people use for pulse guiding on an ED80 scope, particularly:

1) PHD calibration step

2) EQMOD RA/Dec Rate

3) EQMOD Minimum Pulse Width

4) EQMOD DEC Backlash