Guide problems.....

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Is there any way of confirming that the ST-4 port on a guide camera is working OK, other than on a real star?
I know about SGE but in this instance I can't get a telescope set up to use it.
Just need to be able to confirm that the ST-4 is sending the guide signal to the mount.
Any help appreciated.
(We're talking about a Lodestar/PHD2/EQmod/NEQ6 arrangement)\

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ken

ST4 ports on the mount can be triggered by just shorting the 4 direction pins to ground as required.
As such, the 4 camera pins must normally be open circuit relative to ground.
If you use a multimeter ( in resistance mode ) between ground and each pin from the camera in turn, it should go from open circuit to dead short as the pin gets asserted.

Andrew

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Andrew,
Thanks.
I think I understand...
Is there a method you can suggest to get the camera/ software to "trigger" the various pin signals?

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Hmmm.
May not be appropriate??
I connected the guide camera to PHD2, set to "on camera" and tried the manual guiding option.
With a "good" ST-4 cable and the multimeter no reaction to any of the pins to ground (pin2)
Need to re-assess.......

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ken
On my ST7, there is a test section where you can see a LED in the camera come on when the line is asserted, so you know when its on.
Not sure for your setup, but the test method you have listed should work.
How are you connecting the multimeter???
I fitted a short bit of 6wire phone cable with an RJ connector
and then exposed the ends so i could clip the multimeter to it.
Also, maybe up the pulse time to give the meter time to react.

Andrew