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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Dithering question when using Phd2 and Ekos

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This is a dumb question, as I of course could just try it and experiment, but I'm about to try Dithering for the 1st time...

Both Ekos and Phd2 seem to allow the enabling of dithering. If I configure Ekos to use Phd2 guiding do I also enable Dithering in Ekos or does Phd2 handle all of that?

Also trying a new ZWO ASI224MC as the guide camera rather than my QHY5IllM. Phd2 will directly connect to the ZWO, while (for me) it would only connect to the QHY via indi. This will get closer to matching rlancaste's suggested setup. :)

Thanks.
4 years 6 months ago #43885

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PHD2 doesn't dither by itself, as it knows nothing about ongoing exposures. It's always EKOS that triggers a dither (between exposures). For configuring it, look at the 'Options' in the Guide tab of EKOS, as well as in the Capture section of Settings->EKOS.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jerry Black
4 years 6 months ago #43929

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Hi Jerry, did you get dithering working while using PHD2? I've been binning2x2 while using internal guiding with direct pulses instead of using an ST4 cable, using 5pixel dithering every frame. It's been working well, even though it seems a bit overkill, but now I'm trying to experimenting with the settle setting, because I notice that with some dithering instances, tracking has a difficult time catching up, likely due to backlash.

I would imagine that if you have "receive external guide frames" checked (of course in the guiding options tab in options under the guiding module), dither would work just as well with PHD2 as with the internal guider.

I'd like to know what you find, just to have the knowledge going forward.

Best,
Jacob
4 years 5 months ago #44247

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I have used PHD2 with Ekos for several years now and it works extremely well. But there were some issues introduced recently into the code. So I just spent a significant amount of time last week fixing those issues again and making a whole bunch of improvements to the PHD2 Ekos code. It obviously is not in the release yet since no release has been made, but it is available in the nightly builds and it is available on git if you want to build it yourself. But my changes will eliminate the "receive external guide frames" option entirely. So basically if you have the same camera connected to PHD2 and Ekos, it will automatically recognize that. If that is the case you will be able to receive the full frames or click "subframe" to get just the guide star image from PHD2 in Ekos. If you aren't using an INDI camera and are just connecting your guide camera directly to PHD2, the "subframe" checkbox will be disabled (and checked) and you will just be able to get the guide star image. These changes will be in the next release.

If you are planning to use 3.3.6 with PHD2, make sure you have entered a focal length for your guide scope in PHD2! Also turn on dithering in the guide options of Ekos. And finally, I would definitely recommend disabling "receive external guide frames" since that is where the issues were that I fixed. As long as you have the focal length entered in PHD2, you should get all guiding data sent back including the guide star image.

Thanks,

Rob
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jerry Black
4 years 5 months ago #44251

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I haven't yet had a chance. The recent new moon was spent backcountry camping (Kejimkujik National Park) and doing time-lapse :)

I will try it soon.
Last edit: 4 years 5 months ago by Jerry Black.
4 years 5 months ago #44252

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