PHD or EQmod not sending dec guid commands

[White Rabbit]

Hi Guys.

I had a probelm last night that I couldnt resolve on my own, and as this is the first decent weather when it hasnt been a full moon I'd like to get some imaging done.

I'll post a screen dump tonight but just in case anyone has an idea (I know it's very broad) what could cause dec comands not to be sent I'd appreciat the speculation. I seem to have all the right box's ticked and guide pulses are the length I normally have them. I have a lot of dec backlash but I've always had it and it's never been an issue.

PHD will callibrate fine so it will send commands in dec when calibrating so I know it's not hardware or a cable issue, and I can slew around the sky just fine from Starry night 6, it just wont guide in Dec. Balance is fine as well.

Polar alignment is really good in both directions and I'm using the newest versions of PHD and EQmod.

There must be something I'm missing.

Any ideas no matter how obviouse they may seem would be welcome

Thanks

[seeker372011]

I had the exact some issue
After struggling for a long time trying various things,in the end it was the cable
And PhD did its calibration and started to guide and then it all went downhill a few minutes lateR. actually sent the mount back saying it was defective
Turned out it was the cable after all

[seeker372011]

sorry for the random typing this is on a phone

[White Rabbit]

No I appreciate it, I'll have a look at my cable and let you know.

Cheers

[White Rabbit]

well I made a new cable tonight but the same thing happend. I'm stumped, I thought it might be a balance issue as I had my 1000d and a 24-105 lens riding piggy back on my 102 refractor but I took that off rebalanced it and the same thing happend.

Oh well I'll try again tomorrow night...

Cheers.

[RobF]

Sounds like a bother from what you describe. Are you cal'ing in the same part of the sky? Perhaps a connection coming loose when you slew to final position for tracking?

Most guide programs have manual movement buttons. Are those able to push DEC? You don't have Min move/max move or DEC filtering or movement turned off perhaps?

[seeker372011]

here's some advice that sounds silly and improbable but has worked for me
Again its cable related
I simply swap the cable ends so the connector originally plugged into the mount now goes into the GPUSB box
Go figure it works!

[seeker372011]

in other words its the connector rather than the actual cable
did you use a new st of connectors when you made the new cable?
Just a suggestion

[White Rabbit]

Yeah new every thing, I'm going to buy one from bintel just in case

Thanks guys.

[danielsun]

I had the same problem a while ago and it also drove me crazy. I pulled my mount apart thinking that maybe the dec motor was binding but in the end If I remember right I think I had to increase the " max Dec duration steps to 750 or over and maybe also the calibration steps to and it fixed it.
Hope this helps.

Cheers Daniel.

[White Rabbit]

Thanks Daniel, I'll give it a go, but my set up has never changed so It would be odd indeed if it were that.

Any thing is worth a try though, thanks.

Sandy

[danielsun]

Mark just posted this with his similar problem, http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=71491
May also be worth checking.;)

Cheers Daniel.

[White Rabbit]

thanks but I have dec guiding turned on checked that box....a lot lol.

I just got a this mesage come up for the first time. "ascom driver failed pulseguide command".

Now we might be getting some where, not sure where but it's a clue.

[seeker372011]

ok-just reinstall ascom and you should be away- i recall having something similar a couple of years ago

[White Rabbit]

I actually got it working last night and was able to get some data, 10 min subs with no trailing. But in my graph I get spikes in ra guide just small ones but enough to bug me. I'll try a re install today and see how we go.

Thanks guys.