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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Re:guiding calibration issues

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Unfortunately not. PHD2 DID work, what was a big step for me since it did NOT, the last time i tried.
But i initially got a failure about "Backlash Problem" right at calibration...

I think i will today:

Update to the latest nightly (if i not allready am running it)
correct my polar-alignment since i did not check that for quite some time
maybe run a polaralignment in Kstars or PHD2

And then try again.


cheers
Niki
Skywatcher EQ6-R | Lacerta 10" Carbon-Newton | Lacerta MFoc Motorfocus | Moravian G2 8300 Color | Canon EOS 5DMarkIIIa | Lodestar X2 guiding cam | KSTARS 3.4.3. on my outdoor-Laptop with KDE-Neon/Plasma | KSTARS 3.4.3. on Remote-IMac with Catalina | KSTARS 3.4.3 on Remote-Macbook Air with Catalina
4 years 11 months ago #37186

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I believe - ASI120 VIA ASI120 means ST4 port on the camera. and ASI120 via [your mount] is internal pulse guiding. I use the later.
PHD always liked a weak star. If I pick a weak star in the internal guider - it drops my selection and picks a BIG BRIGHT ONE?

The internal guide program likes big bright ones. PHD wants a weak start that has a nice pointed PEAK at the top and not a over exposed flat top.
I have good results with PHD (on windows my old setup) I tried PHD on the PI - as a server to the desktop (Kstars/ekos) in the house. It worked, but
not nearly as good as being on the local machine. I suspect it has to do with the PI 100 yards away running PHD and then sending the results to me
on the desktop in the house. IT FELT... LAGGY and guiding from (local at about .35 dropped on the PI to about .79. The internal guide code also
guides about .79. so I think it has to do with the REMOTE server delays.

I had problems too - but they just went away. We seemed to think it was due to lowering from 10 iterations to 3. It also complained I have backlash
but I have a high end mount and really doubt that.

The GUIDING code is the weakest link in the Kstars/Ekos software pack. Hopefully it gets a refit. PHD is open source why not combine it?
PHD has been combined into Asiair and works extraordinarily well with my cheap AVX mount I get around .5 total rms error. (with sighting down the tube to PA).

I'll attach - I have a PHD guiding on windows directly and I think I might have a cap of guiding with the internal Eko's guider.

PHD - typical direct from NUC PC in dome to mount.



Internal Kstars/Ekos guiding. Best I've achieved so far.

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

The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
4 years 11 months ago #37205
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Thanks Ron for the continued testing!

It is possible, but I haven't check, that the way RMS is calculated can be slightly off between the two programs. To compare apples to apples, you'd probably want to compare PHD2 running on StellarMate vs. the NUC, does that produce also around 0.6 RMS?

We considered using PHD2, but there is no PHD2 library to do that, you either use the full program or not. I'm not sure about ASIAir, they might be using PHD2 the same way we are (via connecting to the PHD2 server). Do you also use LX200 AP experimental on the ASIAir?
4 years 11 months ago #37222

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Testing yesterday again.

Installed latest nightly.
Changed gain of the asi120 from 28 upto 80.
Iterations in settings to three like it is default on new version.
Checked Paralignment through polarscope which was abit off, and fixed that.

First calibration running flawless.
Rms still at max 2,0 but 70% about 1,2 or so

Next i will test with phd. Maybe tonight, weather looks good.

To Rob.

I am not on remote atm. All tests are on a linux laptop with direct connection to the hardware. This to except delay problems between two computers, which i definitally have due to week wifi.

Cheers
Niki


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Skywatcher EQ6-R | Lacerta 10" Carbon-Newton | Lacerta MFoc Motorfocus | Moravian G2 8300 Color | Canon EOS 5DMarkIIIa | Lodestar X2 guiding cam | KSTARS 3.4.3. on my outdoor-Laptop with KDE-Neon/Plasma | KSTARS 3.4.3. on Remote-IMac with Catalina | KSTARS 3.4.3 on Remote-Macbook Air with Catalina
4 years 11 months ago #37223

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So I checked PHD2 code and it is indeed different way of calculating RMS from our method. So it could be the same performance, but the RMS is different.
4 years 11 months ago #37230

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So what's the difference (not mathematically but what RMS is PhD computing and what Ekos) and which one is "better"?
4 years 11 months ago #37231

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Does that mean that its working one as good as the other, and only the „drawing“ is different?
That would explain the still good stars though RMS of 2,0


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Skywatcher EQ6-R | Lacerta 10" Carbon-Newton | Lacerta MFoc Motorfocus | Moravian G2 8300 Color | Canon EOS 5DMarkIIIa | Lodestar X2 guiding cam | KSTARS 3.4.3. on my outdoor-Laptop with KDE-Neon/Plasma | KSTARS 3.4.3. on Remote-IMac with Catalina | KSTARS 3.4.3 on Remote-Macbook Air with Catalina
4 years 11 months ago #37232

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This post is just to mention it:

According to www.avalon-instruments.com/support/13-tr...suggested-parameters guider settings look different between tooth belt and worm gear driven mounts. This may apply to an EQ6-R as well.

CS
Klaus
4 years 11 months ago #37233

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I ran PHD on the nuc and was getting .35 tot rms.
I ran PHD (remotely I think adds lag?) from Ekos and PHD gave me around .79 RMS.
I then went to internal guiding in EKOS and was also around .79.

I wonder if it's because I'm using the PI and a server?
I have not done enough testing other than each one quickly the other night so these results are not definitive.
ASIair has a PHD 'lite' version of PHD. (not sure how they got it) but it's uppose to be all open source. The AIRair version works very well on my (cheapo AVX mount... usually around .50)

But do you think there is any delay in corrections if PHD is on the pi (as a server). would sending data to the client (100 yards away) be any different from being out in the dome connected locally to the PI? (smate).

_________________
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

4 years 11 months ago #37244

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Yesterday i did the following:

Checked my Polaralignement via the Polarscope. Again. (I am not doing this often because i am not moving my stuff anyway.
Did a "Polar-Drift-Align" in PHD after i got that information elsewhere. Did this 3 times for at least 20 minutes. So i am pretty sure Polaralignment is NOT the problem.
Then wanted to do an object and guide through phd. The calibration this time was ok, but i got the immidiate information that the alignment may not be very accurate. i don´t get why...
Tried some more times where the calibration suddenly stops without bigger reason. Finally decided to use the calibration though i got the info that it would not be accurate.
Unfortunately the guiding was way off.
Then i changed to the internal guider. This worked very well. So i started my session and went to bed.
I decided to make it a real challenge for the system and made 1200sec frames.
The first 3 frames were totally OK, but then something strange happened... But see yourself..

Thinking about it, and bout the constellation and the telescopes orientation in the morning, i think it just hit the tripod, can you confirm?

This brings me to the often discussed problem i also have. I would have had the mount to slew to this object from the other side, but i unfortunately can not controll that.
Or would there be a way?

My conclution now is, that the guiding would have been very good now, without this fault. I just do not understand why PHD does not work good for me, but i can life with that, as long as the internal guider works good.

cheers
Niki
Skywatcher EQ6-R | Lacerta 10" Carbon-Newton | Lacerta MFoc Motorfocus | Moravian G2 8300 Color | Canon EOS 5DMarkIIIa | Lodestar X2 guiding cam | KSTARS 3.4.3. on my outdoor-Laptop with KDE-Neon/Plasma | KSTARS 3.4.3. on Remote-IMac with Catalina | KSTARS 3.4.3 on Remote-Macbook Air with Catalina
4 years 11 months ago #37251
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Are you performing calibration with PHD near the celestial equator/Meridian? if not it will give you this error.
You can check the calibration (in the options) and you should see a nice RED and BLUE L shaped graphic.
If it's not orthogonally correct you will get that error. They should be at a true 90' angle. (orthogonal)

IT should not matter, but does. - try and make sure you ROTATE your guide camera so that North is aligned upward. (West will likely be flipped) that's okay. It is supposed to correct for this but I've experienced that it calibrates better and without error if North is up when you review the calibration data.

I have been using the internal guider as well - and I do find it to be less than consistent. = (
I'm about to swap my 6" APO for my 11" RASA which should be more forgiving... Spring time swap.
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

4 years 11 months ago #37264

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I performed my calibration on my object which indeed was standing quite high. But this should not make a difference, does it?
Have to stop testing due to bad weather for some time now.
rotating the guidecam is a bit of a problem for me, since i had to tinker the connection by myself, but i will give it a try.

cheers
Niki
Skywatcher EQ6-R | Lacerta 10" Carbon-Newton | Lacerta MFoc Motorfocus | Moravian G2 8300 Color | Canon EOS 5DMarkIIIa | Lodestar X2 guiding cam | KSTARS 3.4.3. on my outdoor-Laptop with KDE-Neon/Plasma | KSTARS 3.4.3. on Remote-IMac with Catalina | KSTARS 3.4.3 on Remote-Macbook Air with Catalina
4 years 11 months ago #37268

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