At Qld Astrofest this year there were so many guys using SGP I figured I needed to give it another try. A friend was getting plenty of assistance from regular users which also helped me up the start of the learning curve.
It would be great to hear any tricks and tips from power users. I haven't really devoured the manual or spent too much time on the Main Sequence forums to be honest. Some initial thoughts on SGP/PHD2 versus Maxim/CCDC, both using a full licence of Pinpoint for plate solving:
Pros:- Meridian flips and guiding re-acquisition seem reliable (no point automating if this doesn't work!)
- Autofocus routines robust and easier for me to understand than FocusMax through CCDC
- Powerful, configurable graphic interface
- Love the way you can pause a sequence, refocus or tweak something, then resume
- Plate solves failing to Astrometry.net (believe later Maxim versions may now do this?)
- PHD2 now offers very high level of configurability over versions from years ago - which used to be huge Maxim advantage IMHO
- CCDC very configurable, but impressed with the level of integration between SGP/PHD2 (Maxim/CCDC/FocusMax always seems to leave me scratching my head about pier flip guiding settings, why focusing failed - maybe just hadn't invested enough effort to understand)
- Love the Polar Alignment routine in PHD2
- Dithering easily configured
- Price
Cons or concerns:- Setting up equipment in sequence/Control Panel/Equipment Manager seems non intuitive - why wouldn't the Equipment Manager always maintain your current profile settings for example without clicking to reload? I can appreciate the flexibility the extra dimensions add for having different equipment configurations saved, but it seems overly complex figuring out when you're changing current settings, default settings, profile settings, etc
- Would be nice to be able to see camera status (temp etc) a little bit easier - is Control Panel the best way to see this?
- Some very minor issues with sub-windows fighting for priority on occasion - the Control Panel would go to the back sometimes when I was trying to manipulate it with the Big Status window
Really kicking myself haven't invested the time to get my FSQ rig properly automated in recent years. Where does all the time go!
Couldn't find a specific SGP thread here but have seen many positive comments in recent years. Does anyone have any tips that took a while to figure out or websites/resources worth checking out?
Thanks in advance.....