Go Back   IceInSpace > Equipment > Equipment Discussions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #1  
Old 02-10-2017, 08:47 PM
GOTO (Geoff)
Registered User

GOTO is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 150
PHD2 woes with ZWO and EQMOD...advice please

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps0eiwzt3b.jpg

Hi all,
Hopefully someone may be able to help?
I'm trying...again...to get everything to happily work together but PHD2 won't cooperate.
The main hardware I'm using:
1. NEQ6 with EQMOD and William Optic 132
2. 50mm guide scope with ZWO290MC
The software is:
1. ASCOM and EQMOD. Pulse guiding is checked
2. Cart du Ceil
3. PHD2
I have the ZWO connected to the computer and the the computer to the mount with the Shoestring DB9 plug.

I can see the star image in PHD2 but cannot get enough movement west after 60 or so iterations. In the PHD2 manual it says to take manual control to check the mount is talking to PHD2 but that doesn't work either. I've checked the calibration data and increases the duration of the pulse but no luck.

Am I missing something here? Does anyone haven advice please as I'm feeling frustrated after several days on just this issue.
regards
Geoff

PS why do I see the image in preview but only as a link in the actual thread?

Last edited by GOTO; 02-10-2017 at 08:47 PM. Reason: image missing in thread
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:08 PM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
Can you make the mount move with eqmod?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:22 PM
GOTO (Geoff)
Registered User

GOTO is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 150
Yes Peter all is well with EQMOD. I can drive the mount with the game pad or from the EQMOD control panel.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:23 PM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
What do you have selected as the telescope in PHD2
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:33 PM
GOTO (Geoff)
Registered User

GOTO is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 150
For the telescope in the Advanced Setup and Guiding tab: Focal length 162mm as its an Orion guide scope which give calibration steps of 1050 which in Manual mode I extended to 5000ms.

In the connect to equipment tab on the bottom left I've tried two different ways
Firstly
Camera: ZWO Camera
Mount: On camera
Aux Mount: EQMOD ASCOM HEQ5/6

and
Camera: ZWO
Mount: On camera
Aux Mount: None

Cheers
Geoff
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:38 PM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
To use on camera you need the st4 cable connected from the zwo to the guide port on the mount. You are better off using ascom pulse guiding. For that you enable pulse guiding in eqmod setup and select eqmod ascom heq5/6 as the mount in phd2
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:43 PM
GOTO (Geoff)
Registered User

GOTO is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 150
Thanks Peter, I will try that
Cheers
Geoff
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:46 PM
glend (Glen)
Registered User

glend is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Lake Macquarie
Posts: 7,033
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
To use on camera you need the st4 cable connected from the zwo to the guide port on the mount. You are better off using ascom pulse guiding. For that you enable pulse guiding in eqmod setup and select eqmod ascom heq5/6 as the mount in phd2
You can still use on camera with the ST4 cable connected to the mount. Just select the ZWO camera and on camera connection on start up. I do it that way with no issues at all. Make sure your guide star SNR is above about 10 and set the exposure to 2 sec to start with.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-10-2017, 09:58 PM
GOTO (Geoff)
Registered User

GOTO is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 150
Thanks Glen. I did use the auto guide port on the EQ6 and on camera until a few months ago when it all stopped working for some reason hence the revisit to EQMOD.
Cheers
Geoff
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-10-2017, 06:41 AM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
The advantage of using eqmod pulse guiding is that all the signals to the mount motors come through a single interface so you avoid eqmod saying drive forward for siderial tracking while the st4 connection is trying to slow the mount down for guiding.

Here's some reference material from the author of eqmod....

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/PEC_and_guiding.pdf

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/EQASCOM_Guiding.pdf
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-10-2017, 07:03 AM
glend (Glen)
Registered User

glend is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Lake Macquarie
Posts: 7,033
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
The advantage of using eqmod pulse guiding is that all the signals to the mount motors come through a single interface so you avoid eqmod saying drive forward for siderial tracking while the st4 connection is trying to slow the mount down for guiding.

Here's some reference material from the author of eqmod....

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/PEC_and_guiding.pdf

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/EQASCOM_Guiding.pdf
No doubt, i was not suggesting multiple interfaces, my point being the use of EQMOD is not required for good guiding, you don't need it. There is no requirement in imaging, or guiding, to control the mount from a laptop. Mounts work very well using the range of alternative control interfaces available, including standard hand controllers, wifi interfaced devices running Sky Safari, etc. Sure you need a app platform for PHD2, or Metaguide, and a camera app of some sort, but mounts respond to guide commands just fine without EQMOD.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-10-2017, 08:17 AM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
Pretty sure Geoff is already using eqmod and he also needs a computer to drive his zwo camera. In this case the st4 connection is not required.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-10-2017, 03:16 PM
Russj (Russ)
Registered User

Russj is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albury
Posts: 52
Geoff,
I have not got the solution to your problem,..........not a good reply is it,............. I have the identical fault, PHD2, Neq6, Zwo camera etc, running Eqmod in pulse, etc, I have tried 3 different computers, replaced all the leads, tried to guide in ST4, which worked once, gave me a flaky calibration then stopped working , changed every setting in Eqmod and PHD2, uninstalled the software and reinstalled, I connected an oscilloscope to the mount to watch the signal, this proved to be inconclusive or perhaps I just dont know anough above pulse widith modulation signals .......... I'm totally out of ideas after 5 weeks of effort.

I've spoken to service at Tasco who was very helpful, he sent me a replacement mother board for the mount, which I installed, the problem remains.
I can use manual mode in PHD2 and watch the "pulse guide monitor" window and see the pulses being sent as I push direction buttons in PHD2, (Dec works ok),
I checked the continuity of the windings on the RA stepper motor, which appear ok,

I have come against brick wall.

I've spoken to the tech at Tasco, he is currently looking into a solution at the moment.

None of this is fixing ur problem but at least ur not alone on this, if I come up with a solution, I will let you know,..... the solution may be returning the mount to the dealer, and buying another brand mount.

You can contact me offline if you would like to discuss this further

regards Russ

Last edited by Russj; 03-10-2017 at 04:58 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-10-2017, 05:22 PM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
Russ
In eqmod when you hold down the ra and dec buttons does the mount move?
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 04-10-2017, 04:39 AM
Russj (Russ)
Registered User

Russj is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albury
Posts: 52
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
Russ
In eqmod when you hold down the ra and dec buttons does the mount move?
G'day Peter, yes the mount moves in both axis
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 04-10-2017, 07:29 AM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
I think phd2 also has manual mount jogging buttons. Does it move when you try these?
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 04-10-2017, 07:39 AM
Russj (Russ)
Registered User

Russj is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albury
Posts: 52
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
I think phd2 also has manual mount jogging buttons. Does it move when you try these?
Only Dec. axis moves, Ra is the problem.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 04-10-2017, 09:50 AM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
Have you got the same guide rates set in eqmod for both ra and dec?
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 04-10-2017, 10:09 AM
Russj (Russ)
Registered User

Russj is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albury
Posts: 52
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
Have you got the same guide rates set in eqmod for both ra and dec?
Tried different rates without any reponse from ra

------Geoff, hope I'm not hijacking your thread-------
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 04-10-2017, 12:05 PM
peter_4059's Avatar
peter_4059 (Peter)
Big Scopes are Cool

peter_4059 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SE Tasmania
Posts: 4,532
Are you using pulse guiding via eqmod or st4 connection?
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 11:07 PM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Testar
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement