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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Issues guiding with new scope and OAG on a CGX

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I recently got an EDGE HD 11 with .7 reducer and an OAG to guide with. I'm having trouble getting guiding to work at all.

I mostly have the default settings set. I configured all the new hardware including the main telescope with a focal length of 1960mm and am using the main scope for guiding with the OAG. I have it set to pick a guide star automatically. It picks one, then as soon as it starts guiding the star moves out of the guide box within about a second or two, and then it never regains the star, and I end up with an error message about how the guiding didn't work.

I was using the Celestron NexStar driver with the CGX as well as the ZWO ASI290mm.

First time using an OAG, so I don't know what difficulties there are.

I was able to guide successfully in PHD2. RMS was around .6-1.5 arc seconds.

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5 years 6 days ago #36842
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I should add that I reduced the guiding rate down to .1 and all the way up to 2, with virtually no difference. I didn’t mess with any other settings.
5 years 6 days ago #36843

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I'll join you on this one as I had nearly the same question. I have the software running very well right now. Everything works great except guiding.
What you are seeing is what I see - when you start guiding it goes into calibration and the steps are HUGE. Trying to move my experience of PHD into the internet guider of Ekos isn't working ;-)

During calibration my mount (Mach1 with 6" apo / 912 with .75FR). has to slew during each step! (hahahah) IT star hops across the sky and the dome is chasing it.

Oddly on the first night after a lot of this hopping I did get it to work (not sure how).
Last night I tried again and star hopped huge amounts. I lowered values hoping to hit on step size and no help. I then ran out an installed a ST4 cable. (I always used direct to mount before). AT first it star hopped to far. I did find a setting buried in the mount driver settings to turn on "pulse guide" and I think that may have solve it. Not sure but it started working (it calibrated in small steps) then did a fair job guiding at .8 RMS. Then got worse all night but the full moon did rise.

I also setup and tried PHD on the PI and I liked how that was suppose to work, but it didn't. The camera kept losing connection. "I THINK That may be due to my distant wifi connection". It's usually fine but can come and go for brief hiccups. Though my IP camera was showing it was stable?

PHD (while I preferred it) seemed futile for some reason so I went back to the internal guide code. Not sure if it was using the ST4 or direct (is there a switch?) I looked for one but again such things are buried in various places.
1. cllicking options while in the guider page brings up (2 more settings areas) hidden.
2. the indi drivers have things scattered. (mount has, guide camera has guide settings).
3. of course the primary guiding tab has it's options.
4. There are hidden setting under the guide pulse target graphic as well.
(changing them seems to have no effect).

I've watched Jasem's video 3-4 times. No help really because it doesn't go into what each setting does or what to do if you're steps are great giant strides. ;-)

TO continue learning the software I did some short test seq. Most had wiggle guiding errors. I did manage a decent first frame. The rest had zig zags. So I too have the same issues and some!

Sometimes it would seem to get stuck and would error in a line.



I set params as logic would suggest.



More weirdness. But seemed to be working? messing with numbers
corrections aren't pulses? they're wide continuous bars?
I typically guided at .35 tot rms average .26 - .38 typically wit PHD on windows.



Of course I can do nothing more than play/text until I can guide. But EVERYTHING else is working wonderfully.
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

Last edit: 5 years 6 days ago by Ron Kramer.
5 years 6 days ago #36854
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Anyone? Last night I couldn't test/image - tonight looks promising. I'd like to test guiding again. I've watched the videos but they don't really saw - this does that.
Under the plot circle I did see calibration settings. They default a calibration pulse of 1000 (1 sec) is that why I'm hopping 10 degrees per step?

ANDREW - any progress? I'll try and test again tonight. not sure if I should be ST4 cable or not. Internal guiding or PHD. I posted today to bump your topic up ;-)

ALso can someone verify? I select my guide camera and "VIA" is either Guide camera Again? (for ST4) or "MOUNT" if no ST4? (is that the only switch for cable and direct(no cable)?

Andrew - I am finding good reading here.

docs.kde.org/trunk5/en/extragear-edu/kstars/tool-ekos.html scroll down to guiding info.
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

Last edit: 5 years 5 days ago by Ron Kramer.
5 years 5 days ago #36894

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So I did have some progress, just not with the internal guider. I was able to guide successfully using PHD2. It has no issue tracking and following the star and making corrections. So last night I set up EKOS to interface with PHD2, and had my first imaging session (albeit short at only 30 minutes before the clouds rolled in). I had a decent run with sub arc second accuracy at times, but seeing was a limiting factor. Total RMS was around 1.1.

Here's the resulting image.


5 years 5 days ago #36907
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PROGRESS. I'm going to try that again tonight. CLEAR here for days after 4 months of clouds.
1.1 not wonderful but in the park and nice image. Neat little cluster of blue white stars.

So I'm trying to cypher here. = )
a edge 11 is 2800 FL? with .7 reducer 1960. What imagine camera are you using? ASI294mc? I'm trying to determine your image scale. (do you know what it is?) If a 294 - I think it's 0.49
Which would suggest you'd need to guide under .50 for a good stable image. Or so I've been told. But proofs in the pudding, you have nice round stars.

I'm gonna switch back and try PHD again tonight. LAst time I had issues with the guide camera images coming in... the camera kept disconnecting. May have been my cable? or network. I'll try it again and see.
Did you try turning on PEC? there appears to be a lot of repetitive error in your dec.
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

Last edit: 5 years 5 days ago by Ron Kramer.
5 years 5 days ago #36909

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Hi Ron. The pixel scale is .5". My first attempt guiding two nights ago with PHD2 (before the image above) was around .3-.7 RMS. Much better than last night.

My main imaging camera on this scope is an ASI071MC-Pro using the ASI290mm-mini through the OAG.
5 years 5 days ago #36911

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I forgot to mention that I do see the PE from the guiding log, though I’ve not made any attempt to fix it. In fact, I’ve done almost nothing to improve guiding. This is the performance right out of the box for the CGX.
5 years 5 days ago #36912

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Very good performance. My PHD average before EKOS - was .35 and that's with a Mach1. Those CGX's are killer and about 1/2 the price.
I'm reset to try again with PHD on the PI and ekos in the house. Waiting for darkness. About another hour.
my sky data... kramers.mynetgear.com:10443/

I have a weird thing. It says camera needs dark library. (I've made one about 6 times). And it keeps saying that. Maybe the indi guider is confusing it. I'm not sure how to make a library that it will detect as "good to go".

For PEC usually you can just click RECORD PEC and after 7 minutes or so it will go into playback mode to reduce PE. That's the quick n dirty way.
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

5 years 5 days ago #36914

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That’s strange. It should only ask you to make a new dark library when you create or modify a new connection.
5 years 5 days ago #36915

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Andrew, thank you for the log. The issue was immediately obvious. The calibration was overshooting. Due to some backlash, the guide module increased the pulse by 200% to get it to move back to the original point. Even though this was brought down to 100%, the mount still had momentum and it overshot the target position and it just went worse from there. I just updated the code to delay the aggressive pulsing up until there is a more significant backlash issue that needs to be corrected. I'd also suggest you adjust the iteration to 3 (down from 5). It is in fact the default value now in KStars. Please try the next nightly and let me know how it goes.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Andrew Burwell
5 years 4 days ago #36919

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Ron, did you get my email? I proposed we schedule a session to check out the guiding issue.
5 years 4 days ago #36920

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