PHD 2.2.2a

[jimwc6491]

anyone

 

is anyone using the new PHD 2.2.2a?

any problems I should look out for?

If anyone knows a setup for Celestron CGEM mount and ORION StarShoot AutoGuider to start with?

 

 

[John999R]

s3igell

 

Thanks.

I have seen the Yahoo group but it is for all the software that stark-Labs generate. Ill check out the Google site for PHD.

BTW I was able to use PHD2 a couple of nights ago and it seemed to work great I didn't do any imaging just concentrated on guiding. Now I need to do a PEC.

 

Jim

 

Hello Jim,

I just posted up a question or two on Astronomy Activity Stream similar to the issue you were having, but with the original PHD.  Previously I couldn't get my CGEM to work with PHD, but had no problems with a new mount I bought, a ZEQ25.  I put the CGEM away until last night because I used a different calibration step value at 3000 and increased my guide rate to 100 on the ZEQ25 so I figured I would try that on the CGEM.  No such luck. After reading your post I thought the best course of action right now would be to try out the newer version of PHD.  I didn't consider upgrading PHD before because it was working so well with the ZEQ25. 

[jimwc6491]

John

 

I did get PHD2 to run on my CGEM. I did find a thread on the stark labs Yahoo group that gave the settings for PHD so I used those for PHD2 and it seemed to work.

 

I could never get my CGEM to guide more than about 30 seconds if that much with PHD so I just put those settings on the back burner and didn't try them on PHD.   now with PHD2 I'm pretty sure it guided more than 90 although I didn't time it. next time out Ill try to time it.

 

in the mean time I had my mount Hyper Tuned by ED so I was thinking of recording a new PEC file. 

a question for you should I use PHD2 or PEC or both?

 

 

[Jim]

I am using PHD 2.2.2. Seems stable now I have provided my guide camera with its own USB connection. Sorry can't help with Celestron CGEM settings.

Settings from others may not be right for your set up as they may have different load, FoV, etc.

 

Jim

[jimwc6491]

Jim

 

Thanks.

that was one of the things I was wondering about was it stable.

Ill just have to wait to see if any one else has started using this new version. I noticed the settings are a little different from the earlier version.

 

Jim

[s3igell]

PHD2 has a vibrant Support Community centered around their forum at OpenPHDGuiding on Google Groups.  There are several threads available there which include suggested Initial Settings for various Hardware Combinations.

[jimwc6491]

s3igell

 

Thanks.

I have seen the Yahoo group but it is for all the software that stark-Labs generate. Ill check out the Google site for PHD.

BTW I was able to use PHD2 a couple of nights ago and it seemed to work great I didn't do any imaging just concentrated on guiding. Now I need to do a PEC.

 

Jim

[Jim]

General question. How important do the group think that doing a  PEC run and mount correction is useful and improves performance if one is using PHD 2 for guiding?

 

I have seen suggestions in other groups that imply it is better not to have PEC or backlash correction turned on (for the iEQ-45).

 

Regards

 

Jim

 

P.S. Guylain, if you think this should be in a different thread please move it as you think fit.

[John999R]

Sorry my reply is so late, I more or less lost this site.  I'm back to trying to getting the CGEM to work with PHD and I think the problem in my case is poor balancing.  Not that I can't balance the mount, it's the fact there is so much stiction in RA and DEC there is no way to balance it even close to where is should be.  When you mentioned Hypertuning I think that is the solution, unless Celestron has another way, but I doubt that.  I'll give PHD2 a try and see what happens there.

[jimwc6491]

John

 

Welcome back

 

I think I was having a problem with stiction before hyper tuning among other things. I cant say enough good things about hypertuning. it sure saved the day for me. I can now shoot unguided almost 2 minutes.

 

Ed said my mount was one of the worst he had seen. he even had to cut (and replace) the nut that held the one of the axes together two much "locktight". Ed is a super guy and does very good work. now I can balance everything. I did have to adjust the RA a little but Ed gives you instruction on this.

 

Balance is CRITICAL. and sometimes it is hard to achieve even when your mount is "hypertuned".

 

as far as PHD2 I think you will have to do some tweaking with the settings under the "brain" section.

If you need the settings I am using let me know.

[John999R]

Jim,

 

Yes, I would like to take a look at your PHD2 settings.  I took a brief look at it today and one difference is the imputing of individual OTA settings.  I'm at the point where it's not in my best interests to keep the CGEM any longer and I've decided to cut my losses and move on.  As I like to upgrade things, I put another $580 into it with ADM bling, another counterweight and the functional TPI cnc machined tripod spreader.  I've been contemplating for a while now buying the iOptron CEM60 because it's a bigger 

version of the ZEQ25 and for me the ZEQ25 has been a fantastic mount and another key point is the fact the CEM60 mount weighs only 27 lbs. Add a tripod to it and your looking at a portable 44 lbs total with a 60 lb payload, thats 20 lbs more than the CGEM and 10 lbs more than the DX model.  A couple other features is the superior illuminated polar scope, I've gotten consistent 5 to 8 minute subs using it for polar alignments and I have to say the polar alignment software makes it easier to get more precise positioning in the scope.  You don't have to flop the mount over in DEC either with the iOptron "Z" mounts (handy) and with the CEM60 the azi bolts are located behind the mount not in front like most mounts.  You don't have to contort your arms to make those final adjustments in azi because the bolts are right in front of your face.  One of my goals after deciding to pursue AP was to go to dark sky locations to image, the CGEM just wasn't suited for this compared to the iOptron mounts just based on weight alone, notwithstanding the awkwardness of that weight. 

 

While trying different values on the CGEM the other night I did have some good results which showed me I dialed in my polar alignment pretty well using the polar scope.  Since I couldn't get PHD to cooperate I decided to check the accuracy of the polar alignment and I was happy to get 60 sec to over 100 sec unguided images with round stars.  This was a first for me, because previously star trails started rearing their ugly heads even as early 20 sec!  On this occasion I didn't cinch down the center tripod shaft as tight as I used to and when I did tighten it down I turned the shaft knob very slowly and deliberately. I allowed a little freedom of movement to happen between the mount and tripod. I also previously lubed the two surfaces with Super Lube.  As they say, with an excellent polar alignment you don't need guiding, haha.

 

Because of the stiction issue and it hanging the mount up where I can't balance it correctly, it doesn't make much sense to me to pursue other fixes because if I were to keep it as an imaging mount I would without delay send it in for hypertuning.  I think if I did that the other issues could be resolved. The iOptron mounts make it easy to balance them because you can release the gears in RA and DEC, giving you unrestricted mount spin, like a top.  This enables you to achieve precise balance of your mount, as Jim stated, "balancing is critical".  I couldn't agree more.

 

In response to Jim's question regarding PEC training, I heard the same thing, don't need PEC with a good polar align and PHD.  

[astroman133]

I had stiction issues with my CGEM when I first bought it, but after hypertuning it the mount moved much more freely and I was able to get good images as long as 15 minutes with PHD doing the guiding.  I have since moved on to a different mount for imaging but I still use the CGEM for visual observing and outreach.

[jimwc6491]

Jim,

 

Yes, I would like to take a look at your PHD2 settings.  I took a brief look at it today and one difference is the imputing of individual OTA settings.  I'm at the point where it's not in my best interests to keep the CGEM any longer and I've decided to cut my losses and move on.  As I like to upgrade things, I put another $580 into it with ADM bling, another counterweight and the functional TPI cnc machined tripod spreader.  I've been contemplating for a while now buying the iOptron CEM60 because it's a bigger 

version of the ZEQ25 and for me the ZEQ25 has been a fantastic mount and another key point is the fact the CEM60 mount weighs only 27 lbs. Add a tripod to it and your looking at a portable 44 lbs total with a 60 lb payload, thats 20 lbs more than the CGEM and 10 lbs more than the DX model.  A couple other features is the superior illuminated polar scope, I've gotten consistent 5 to 8 minute subs using it for polar alignments and I have to say the polar alignment software makes it easier to get more precise positioning in the scope.  You don't have to flop the mount over in DEC either with the iOptron "Z" mounts (handy) and with the CEM60 the azi bolts are located behind the mount not in front like most mounts.  You don't have to contort your arms to make those final adjustments in azi because the bolts are right in front of your face.  One of my goals after deciding to pursue AP was to go to dark sky locations to image, the CGEM just wasn't suited for this compared to the iOptron mounts just based on weight alone, notwithstanding the awkwardness of that weight. 

 

While trying different values on the CGEM the other night I did have some good results which showed me I dialed in my polar alignment pretty well using the polar scope.  Since I couldn't get PHD to cooperate I decided to check the accuracy of the polar alignment and I was happy to get 60 sec to over 100 sec unguided images with round stars.  This was a first for me, because previously star trails started rearing their ugly heads even as early 20 sec!  On this occasion I didn't cinch down the center tripod shaft as tight as I used to and when I did tighten it down I turned the shaft knob very slowly and deliberately. I allowed a little freedom of movement to happen between the mount and tripod. I also previously lubed the two surfaces with Super Lube.  As they say, with an excellent polar alignment you don't need guiding, haha.

 

Because of the stiction issue and it hanging the mount up where I can't balance it correctly, it doesn't make much sense to me to pursue other fixes because if I were to keep it as an imaging mount I would without delay send it in for hypertuning.  I think if I did that the other issues could be resolved. The iOptron mounts make it easy to balance them because you can release the gears in RA and DEC, giving you unrestricted mount spin, like a top.  This enables you to achieve precise balance of your mount, as Jim stated, "balancing is critical".  I couldn't agree more.

 

In response to Jim's question regarding PEC training, I heard the same thing, don't need PEC with a good polar align and PHD.  

 

John

I will PM those settings to you some time tomorrow if that is ok.

Is your mount a CGEM or a CGEM DX?

I found a problem with the center post being sloppy on the DX that is easily fixed.

and have you tried using the all star polar alignment procedure it works great.