PDA

View Full Version here: : Auto guide graph.


xelasnave
20-05-2018, 07:36 PM
Here is my log.
It is the best so far and although it drifts off I expect for want of a better alignment or balance..
I am trying some 90 second exposure now and it seems ok.
So what should I be looking at to improve..the only way it seems to work is correction inteval set at 1 second...and it will say star lost but I leave it run and within a reasonable time (just then 30 seconds which the mount manages unguided) it says its guiding again.
Alex

Camelopardalis
20-05-2018, 07:50 PM
Alex, the crucial test is “do I have round stars?” ... if so, be happy :D

Try not to fall into the trap of overanalysing what PHD2 claims.

xelasnave
20-05-2018, 08:01 PM
They are holding at 90 seconds and in town thats more than I need.
Anyways I am happy to have some semblance of it going ..I remember when it was something I wanted to do and did not have a clue...
It seems ok I probably need another mount pull down it could be working better...I need to back off the gears befor dec will move reasonably☺but that may be a good thing.
Alex

Lognic04
20-05-2018, 08:19 PM
Looks good to me! My mount gets about the same - 1 arcsec RMS

LewisM
20-05-2018, 08:27 PM
Round stars is all you need. When you get that sorted, then look at the graph :)

Atmos
20-05-2018, 08:53 PM
As others have said, your star roundness is more important. If you're using a guide scope you can have a 0.5" RMS but still not have good stars if you've got to deal with differential flexure or other parts aren't nicely tight.

LewisM
20-05-2018, 09:20 PM
I just packed up - frustrated - tonight - cloud...more cloud...only got 1 hr. In between clouds, I at least got my flats done. ANYWAY, tonight, I had VERY tight stars - perfectly round - and the guide star was firmly locked, but the graph was so weird I simply turned it off! I had aggressive dither (with sufficient settle and exposure delay), but the seeing was SO variable thanks to the unstable air mass that the guide inputs were rather large (well, 0.8" for this mount is LARGE) - MaxIM still LOCKED it like magic though.

Going to be interesting the result ;)

kens
20-05-2018, 09:37 PM
Hi Alex - on the Help menu you'll find an option to Open Log Folder. There you'll find the log files which are much more useful than screen shots. Find the one with GuideLog in the name, zip it up and attach it. I'll be happy to have a look at it.
You'll also see files with DebugLog in the name. They are huge and only needed if you have problems with the program, so leave them.

ChrisV
20-05-2018, 10:22 PM
Looks better than my guiding on most nights Alex

xelasnave
20-05-2018, 10:38 PM
Thanks everyone I am having a go at 60 seconds at 1600 as that is as far as I can take things from light polution and round stars.
The main thing is I seem to have camera control via the lap top.
It was still all over the place..I would specify say 120 seconds and sais it took 235 or set for 90 and it would take 60 sirt of thing..
Thanks Ken I will see what I can put together tomorrow when the lappy is free...I am trying at those little Nebulas near Antares.
For many reasons 60 seems required ...its 100% on everything to date☺
Anyways making progress.
Alex

xelasnave
21-05-2018, 01:42 PM
I was up all night and only woke up a couple of hours ago.

The guiding was strange.

Some frames were perfect but some elongations.

But with having the image on yhe lappy was able to delete the rubbish.

My stack showed a need for flat frames which is what I need to work on next. The tracking of only 60 seconds seems to be the limit due to sky glow.

Ken I wont trouble you with a log review until I get the mount perfect which will take a while. A better polar align will probably see things improve but at the moment happy to have got the auto guide working reasonably well and the lappy camera control so I will work with all that until I exhaust that approach.

First image stars were reasonably round and I probably could have deleted more and the other capture still needs downloading and stacking.

Which can wait I need to go back to bed☺
I have been up to the wee hours for a week I think..I am so sleep deprived that I am not sure.
Its so hard. Its cold but I cant wera stuff on my feet and the cold seeps in that way evrn yhough my feet feel like they are on fire.

But so happy to have something to see and shoot and good result is almost beside the point.

Alex

LewisM
21-05-2018, 01:54 PM
Alex, I’ll send you a light pollution filter gratis. Which address?

I image in as bad LP but no longer filter it as I know how to remove it in PixInsight. I do either 10 min or 20min exposures and still remove the LP easily. I have even done 1 hr Ha shots with the OSC CCD.

xelasnave
21-05-2018, 03:16 PM
Thank you Lewis.
I have a Astronomik CLS 2" which I am not convinced that it does much..maybe its the wrong one?
But I thought I lined up the Prawn but it wasnt there so I blamed the filter...maybe I missed the target but surely using that filter it should be on target...no?
Well I need a filyer that does that as well☺

Anyways short exposure does not worry me I am happy playing with my toys like a grown up☺ but if you think the filter you have would work I would be happy to try it but I feel I should give you something but firstly I would like your opinion if your filter would be better...anyways what do you think?
In any event thank you very much I really appreciate your help.
Alex