Guiding issue

[brisen]

I tried guiding with PhD2 over the weekend and went through the calibration process once I got everything aligned etc. Calibration seemed to go smoothing without PhD having a fit about anything and I started guiding. The graph immediately took a nose dive and never recovered beyond issuing corrections which simply moved the mount between 4 and 6 pixels in whatever direction PhD fancied at that point in time. I disconnected the guiding and moved to unguided shots just to get something out of a night out.

The mount was polar aligned well and I was able to keep an object on the CCD chip for an hour before needing to nudge it back towards the centre so I am pretty sure there was nothing mechanical at play this time. I didn't have a spare ST4 cable with me and now it is cloudy and raining again. Is my assumption that the cable is likely the cause of the issue correct?

Thanks

Brian

[glend]

Was the scope properly balanced for the oart of the sky you were imaging? Did you calibrate before you started guiding? Did you try altering the guide period.?

[brisen]

Hi Glen

Yes, balanced correctly and calibration done before I started guiding. Calibration seemed to proceed without it having an issue and then I started guiding. Tried changing the timing of the guide images from 5 seconds up to 10 seconds and let it go for a couple of minutes but the graph never cam back up, even taking it the other way had the same response.

Brian

[kens]

Can you post the guide log?

[brisen]

Hi Ken

I have found the log from the other night and attached.

Brian

[kens]

The calibration wasn't good. The two legs are not even close to orthogonal. What was the declination where you did the calibration?

[brisen]

From memory the calibration was done in the area around alpha centuari. Not near a computer to check the declination at the moment.