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Old 27-09-2013, 04:40 PM
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PRejto (Peter)
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MaxIm + TSX Guiding Setup?

Hello!

I'm having a few issues with guiding using the camera add on (CAO) in TSX and would just like to try some different software to see if my problems are software related.

I'd like to try MaxIm but I'm unsure of how to set up the two programs. Will MaxIm allow the equivalent "direct guide" that the CAO provides, or must I use a guiding cable from the ST-i to my MX (and if I do the latter is it necessary for MaxIm to talk to TSX)? CCDSoft has a setup page where one can select TSX to integrate with. I cannot find where there might be a similar setting in MaxIm, though I did find a setting in setup (on the guider page) that allows one to select The Sky Controlled Telescope via ASCOM. Is that all I need to do (to avoid using a guide cable)?

On a related matter I would be using CCDSoft for guiding comparison but I really want to see a live plot of guiding error like the CAO provides (as does MaxIm). Is there any way to see a live error plot in CCDSoft? I found a link to software that may do this on the SB site, but the link is dead. (on this page: http://www.bisque.com/help/ccdsoft%2...interfaces.htm )

Many thanks!

Peter
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Old 27-09-2013, 05:49 PM
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RickS (Rick)
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Peter,

I don't know much about the Bisque mounts but I guide an A-P mount without a guide cable. Go to Guider Settings from the Guide tab in Camera Control. Set "Autoguider Output Control Via" to the appropriate option. For me that is "Telescope" or "ASCOM Direct".

Cheers,
Rick.
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Old 27-09-2013, 07:01 PM
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Thanks Rick. I'll give that a go. I tried ASCOM tonight and whilst the mount would move I was unable to calibrate and it seemed as if once the mount started moving it wouldn't stop.

Peter
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Old 27-09-2013, 09:11 PM
cfranks (Charles)
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What kind of problems are you having Peter? I use TSX CAO for my imaging and guiding with no problems. Recently I took 3600 sec exposures and the guiding coped very well. My PMX mount is fairly well set up & polar aligned and must be a factor of course.

Charles
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Old 28-09-2013, 01:38 AM
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Tandum (Robin)
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Peter,
Until recently, bisque had not published their direct guide interface. Anyone with some computer savvy could see it listed in it's directx interface using 3rd party viewers but as it was not a published interface it wasn't used by developers as it could be withdrawn at any time.

As soon as they documented it, everyone moved to it. I suspect the required code was ready, waiting and already tested. They call it Direct Guide, everyone else calls it Pulse guiding.

However, there is no ascom driver for a bisque mount. You have to use the Sky Controlled Telescope driver which talks to the The Sky version 'n' which talks to the mount. How much guiding lag you get going this way can only be observed by you.

On the otherhand, you bought a bisque mount, deal with it.
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Old 28-09-2013, 03:36 AM
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Quote:
deal with it.
My what a fountain of sweetness and light you are.
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Old 28-09-2013, 09:05 AM
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Lol, nice.
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Old 28-09-2013, 10:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfranks View Post
What kind of problems are you having Peter? I use TSX CAO for my imaging and guiding with no problems. Recently I took 3600 sec exposures and the guiding coped very well. My PMX mount is fairly well set up & polar aligned and must be a factor of course.

Charles
Hi Charles,
Thanks for your reply! I've got a post going over at SB in the MX section detailing the problem. My mount is also well setup with excelent PA and pointing. My problem comes and goes randomly. I may have identified it today as a problem in the focuser of the guide camera. Too simple if that is what it is!

Peter

Last edited by PRejto; 28-09-2013 at 10:31 AM.
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Old 28-09-2013, 10:29 AM
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Peter,
Until recently, bisque had not published their direct guide interface. Anyone with some computer savvy could see it listed in it's directx interface using 3rd party viewers but as it was not a published interface it wasn't used by developers as it could be withdrawn at any time.

As soon as they documented it, everyone moved to it. I suspect the required code was ready, waiting and already tested. They call it Direct Guide, everyone else calls it Pulse guiding.

However, there is no ascom driver for a bisque mount. You have to use the Sky Controlled Telescope driver which talks to the The Sky version 'n' which talks to the mount. How much guiding lag you get going this way can only be observed by you.

On the otherhand, you bought a bisque mount, deal with it.
Thanks Robin. I appreciate the clarification! I'm not too sure what you mean when you say there is no ASCOM control of TSX. The attached photo shows how I connected. When I select "telescope" (rather than ASCOM direct) I do not get any settings that show it is connecting to TSX, but "apply" seems to work - so it must be connecting to something! I just don't know what at this point. I'll try that setting tonight.

I'm doing my best to cope with the MX. Sometimes it gets complicated enough to ask for a bit of assistance. I appreciate you helping out!

Peter
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Old 28-09-2013, 05:29 PM
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However, there is no ascom driver for a bisque mount.
Of course there is. It's called TheSky Controlled Telescope ASCOM driver. Who wrote it, who maintains it and how it is implemented internally are not an issue. It exists and is well implemented. The author and maintainer is stalwart and reliable. Anyone with a Paramount also has TheSky by definition, so not an issue.

Quote:
They call it Direct Guide, everyone else calls it Pulse guiding.
Direct Guide has existed since before ASCOM existed. Before anyone came up with the name PulseGuide. The only reason everyone didn't call theirs Direct Guide too is that Software Bisque had trademarked that name.

The current 5.2.12 version of The Sky Controlled Telescope ASCOM driver does use Direct Guide to implement PulseGuide. Just be sure to enable it in the driver properties.
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Old 28-09-2013, 06:01 PM
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PRejto (Peter)
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Originally Posted by frolinmod View Post
Of course there is. It's called TheSky Controlled Telescope ASCOM

The current 5.2.12 version of The Sky Controlled Telescope ASCOM driver does use Direct Guide to implement PulseGuide. Just be sure to enable it in the driver properties.
Thanks Maestro!

I'd better check on the version of ASCOM that I'm running. I have not updated TheSkyControlled Telescope in more than a year.

Thanks,
Peter
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