QGuider - some success, but problems with PHD & CCDSoft

[rogerg (Roger)]

G'day all,

I'm having a go with my QGuider & PHD, and CCDSoft. Got some problems perhaps people can help with:

PHD: The camera connects fine. I click to start calibration, the status bar says "" and then the computer makes a sound like a USB device has been disconnected, and PHD freezes. I've left it for quite some time and still nothing. I force it to close. The QGuider's light stays on the whole time, suggesting it remains connected.

CCDSoft: CCDSoft will autoguide fine when I configure the autoguider settings manually, but it will not run a calibration routine. It says it's moving X direction, does so for a short time (a second or less) then takes another shot and says the movement in X is too small - it doesn't report any error that caused it to stop moving X after a short time rather than the 5 - 15 second calibration time I have specified.

Any ideas on either problem?

I am managing to use it successfully with CCDSoft and a manual autoguider configuration, but it's far from optimal.



Thanks,
Roger.

[Gama]

What version of PHD are you using Roger ?.
With the drivers being Astrosoft, there may be a easy fix. Email Tom with the same problems as see if theres a fix already in place. Check for latest drivers.
http://www.astrosoft.be/qhy5.asp

I have duplicated your condition on my vista laptop and XP desktop Roger.
Looks to be a driver or software bug.
I'll do some asking and digging around to see whats the problem.



OK, you dont have the latest driver from Astrosoft, so get it here http://www.astrosoft.be/QGUIDER/CMOSDLL.DLL and replace the original CMOSDLL.dll file in the PHD directory.

Thats it, have fun guiding.

Theo

[rogerg (Roger)]

PHD version 1.7.0. I'll have a look at getting in contact with Tom.

CCDSoft I have discovered is working, but I have perhaps always misunderstood the calibration times. It says calibration times are in "sec" which I took to mean seconds but perhaps they're arc seconds (if there's a difference). Thing is, if I put the calibration time up at 300 instead of about 10, what I'd use on my LX200), it "works" - last night it didn't get a good calibration, but that's my fault for a shocking "plonk it down alignment".

For the coming astro camp next weekend I'll just stick to CCDSoft and my manual calibration, if a proper calibration doesn't work down there. I got some well guided images last night, so that's great

Roger.