Does anyone use metaguide?

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

Although I'm pretty happy with PHD and PHD2 for guiding, I have a strange conflict on my laptop that only rears it's head after an hour or so and causes it to crash when I'm using SGPro. Both bits of software run fine on separate laptops, but this is a bit of a pain to take into the bush.
Until I sort this out, I've been experimenting with alternatives. I've had a few goes at getting metaguide to run, and although everything seems to work OK (mount movements, cameras etc), I can't ever get it to do a successful calibration. It all seems straightforward, but is there anyone out there using it who might be able to help?
cheers,
Andrew.

[torsion (Bram)]

Hi Andrew, Yes I am using metaguide and all works great.

Can you use the '1 sec pulse' direction button in the setup window? If so then metaguide can control the mount. What 'Guiding Method' are you using ASCOM or via ST4? Both work fine (used them both), although when using ST4 you may want to check the various polarities etc in the camera and mount. ASCOM is 'more' straight forward (same as setting up the mount in any planetarium software).

See to centre the guide star near the centre of the window (it complains when it is to far away for calibration). Once calibrated you can move the star to the edge of the window if needs to frame your image camera (particularly with OAG).

When you calibrate does it only do RA and then misses DEC? You could increase the 'LockRadius' a little so when there is a larger movement it is still able to 'follow' the guide star.

A 'FullCalibration' will take approx. 1-3 minutes (it does RA and DEC). A 'QuickCal' does RA only, can be useful in a similar night.

I always do a full calibration on a new target.

What camera are you using?
cheers,
Bram

PS. Happy New Year!

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

Thanks Bram,
I have a DMK41 I'm using as a guide cam - I use it for solar imaging and it's sensitive enough, so I can't justify a more dedicated guide cam. I have a G11 with digital drives, being driven via a GPUSB. I used the ASCOM interface, and it seemed to be able to drive the mount fine, but got hung up after a few minutes and never finished the calibration. I'll have a play with the 1 sec pulse and see if I have a proper connection.
Thanks!
Andrew.

Originally Posted by torsion

Hi Andrew, Yes I am using metaguide and all works great.

Can you use the '1 sec pulse' direction button in the setup window? If so then metaguide can control the mount. What 'Guiding Method' are you using ASCOM or via ST4? Both work fine (used them both), although when using ST4 you may want to check the various polarities etc in the camera and mount. ASCOM is 'more' straight forward (same as setting up the mount in any planetarium software).

See to centre the guide star near the centre of the window (it complains when it is to far away for calibration). Once calibrated you can move the star to the edge of the window if needs to frame your image camera (particularly with OAG).

When you calibrate does it only do RA and then misses DEC? You could increase the 'LockRadius' a little so when there is a larger movement it is still able to 'follow' the guide star.

A 'FullCalibration' will take approx. 1-3 minutes (it does RA and DEC). A 'QuickCal' does RA only, can be useful in a similar night.

I always do a full calibration on a new target.

What camera are you using?
cheers,
Bram

PS. Happy New Year!

[torsion (Bram)]

Originally Posted by alocky

so I can't justify a more dedicated guide cam.

I hear you, but it seems you have all the ingredients to make it work.

When you do a calibration, do you see the guide star moving in 'RA' first?

Cheers,
Bram

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

Got it going last night, and it does seem to work extremely well. Unfortunately, it looks like my problem has been the dmk41 locking up and not the guider software. It seems when I have acquisition and guiding software running the framerate from the dmk slows and stops after an hour or so. It's only when everything is running together - if I share the work across two laptops it will go all night.
Very annoying stuff!
Cheers
Andrew.

Originally Posted by torsion

I hear you, but it seems you have all the ingredients to make it work.

When you do a calibration, do you see the guide star moving in 'RA' first?

Cheers,
Bram

[torsion (Bram)]

Good to hear you got it working (you got some clear skies!).

There are two ways you can get video into metaguide, through WDM windows driver or via a 'third party' program. See if the 'Capture.AS' (presume you using that) can generate a live video stream of the camera. Then metaguide should be able to see that (not sure how to do that for the DMK, it may happen automatically when you restart metaguide).

With the EZPlanetary program from my QHY5L-ii camera I can provide a live video stream from that program. In metaguide I can grap that as the video feed. This provide better control of the camera settings (gain and fps in particular but also ave. dark subtraction etc).

This may help improve the stability.

The manual written by Frank is very good and provide some good initial settings. I have my frame rate at about 8 fps (actually tune it to about 9 fps, 110-125ms periods). Then if there are any major drops in the frames metaguide can still follow through.

Hope this helps.

cheers,
Bram