Ready to guide

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #1 29-09-2009, 05:02 PM

Ok, tonight I'm going to try to set up for guiding.
I have the Heq5pro mount, serial to usb adaptor, a Meade LPI (yuk, I know, but it's only a practice run) I have a range of software to use, but need help choosing which would be best for my particular set up.
autostar suite
phd guiding
guide dog
k3ccd tools

I understand that I'll need to set up eqmod as well.

If anyone has the time to write a short and sweet idiots guide that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance.

matt · #2 29-09-2009, 05:08 PM

Looking forward to seeing this thread develop.

This is a path I'll have to head down shortly too.

Good luck Jeanette....and be sure to report back with your findings

Davros (Lauren) · #3 29-09-2009, 05:09 PM

Oh arnt you jumping n the deep end. Good luck with the run.

gbeal · #4 29-09-2009, 05:17 PM

Go Girl, good luck. Can't say I have used your mount, but PHD is what I would use. I have used K3 many years ago, and it worked OK, but PHD really is the dummy software, plus there is a great support base on this forum.
Make sure you can actually move the mount with the software, and make equally sure you don't "guide" on a hot pixel.
I am sure as you go, you will find other questions, just go for it.
Gary

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #5 29-09-2009, 05:30 PM

Thanks Gary. I've heard good things about Guide Dog too.

TheDecepticon · #6 29-09-2009, 05:41 PM

Good luck for tonight! I would use PHD, it is by far the easiest to use for beginners. I was just having a look, I'm not sure that PHD supports the LPI, it is not listed. Auto Star Suite will only talk to a Meade mount unless you can find the patch that makes it think the mount you have is an LX200, can't remember what it is called now. As for Guide Dog, never used it and I thought K3CCD Tools was rubbish, so never used it after buying it.
EQMOD is great stuff, made me forget what a hand box looks like. I found it in the back of the cupboard the other week and wondered what it was and where I got it!

Just remember to have a quiet 2 mins before you go into battle and breathe!

troypiggo (Troy) · #7 29-09-2009, 06:06 PM

Not sure about the LPI - is it a Windows type WDM camera? If so, PHD will be able to use it.

Idiot's guide written by an idiot:

Get ASCOM and install it
Get EQASCOM and install it
Get Cartes du Ciel and install it
Get PHD and install it
Set up scope
Polar Align scope
Run CdC
Connect to telescope, choose EQMOD
Use CdC to slew to a star. If the alignment is a little off, manually slew to align with the star. Right click on the star in CdC and click "sync"
Do this for a few stars and now CdC and EQMod will be aligned
Slew to the target you want to image and frame the shot.
Run PHD
Click on the camera and choose yours. I assume it's a WDM capture type one as mentioned above.
Click on the telescope and choose EQMod
Start looping. Play with exposure settings so you can see stars.
When you've found a suitable guide star, stop looping.
Click on star to get green box.
Click the PHD/Guide button. PHD will calibrate, may take a while. Once it's guiding the crosshairs will turn green.
Image away.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #8 29-09-2009, 07:01 PM

Good luck Jeanette. If you can get the LPI accepted as a WDM device you will be away. Unfortunately I don't think it is going to be that easy. I seem to recall trying the LPI with K3 once and giving up. From memory I think I had to select it as a TWAIN device. PHD doesn't have that option. For your sake I hope I'm having a seniors moment.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #9 29-09-2009, 07:05 PM

Which means I'm going to have to use Autostar. Dang.
How much for a stand alone guider??

Bassnut (Fred) · #10 29-09-2009, 07:08 PM

Guide dog is about as simple as it gets for starting IMO.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #11 29-09-2009, 07:28 PM

K3ccd recognises the camera. Might give that one a go if I can't get guidedog to work.

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #12 29-09-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt

Looking forward to seeing this thread develop.

This is a path I'll have to head down shortly too.

Good luck Jeanette....and be sure to report back with your findings

Me too! I'm about to start down this path myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by troypiggo

Not sure about the LPI - is it a Windows type WDM camera? If so, PHD will be able to use it.

Idiot's guide written by an idiot:

Get ASCOM and install it
Get EQASCOM and install it
Get Cartes du Ciel and install it
Get PHD and install it
Set up scope
Polar Align scope
Run CdC
Connect to telescope, choose EQMOD
Use CdC to slew to a star. If the alignment is a little off, manually slew to align with the star. Right click on the star in CdC and click "sync"
Do this for a few stars and now CdC and EQMod will be aligned
Slew to the target you want to image and frame the shot.
Run PHD
Click on the camera and choose yours. I assume it's a WDM capture type one as mentioned above.
Click on the telescope and choose EQMod
Start looping. Play with exposure settings so you can see stars.
When you've found a suitable guide star, stop looping.
Click on star to get green box.
Click the PHD/Guide button. PHD will calibrate, may take a while. Once it's guiding the crosshairs will turn green.
Image away.

Thanks Troy - that's very much appreciated, and simple enough so that this dummy can even follow the instructions.

Good luck Jeanette!

Dave

[1ponders] (Paul) · #13 29-09-2009, 07:46 PM

If K3 recognizes it then phd should recognize it as well. This is a very good thing. What does K3 recognize it as? WDM or TWAIN?

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #14 29-09-2009, 08:05 PM

Can't remember off hand Paul. I'll check later when I finally get outside.

RobF (Rob) · #15 29-09-2009, 08:21 PM

How's it going JJJ?
Sounds like you've set yourself up to climb a pretty steep hill tonight.

Figuring out EQMOD and using it to drive the scope is quite a handful in itself, but you probably need it to drive the scope (pulse guiding) if no ST4 interface. Getting just the guiding going can be quite a bit of work on its own. If does become too much, I've got a GPUSB you could use for a while so that you only have to worry about Phd, cameras and guidescope set up for a while.

Where are you up to?
(and have you got plenty of booze and chocolate nearby

)

[1ponders] (Paul) · #16 29-09-2009, 08:31 PM

Oh yes, you will need a GPUSB. Otherwise you will be stuck using Autostar and the Serial to RJ12 cable to the hand paddle.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #17 29-09-2009, 08:38 PM

All I've done is set the scope up Rob. Can't seem to find the back door.
I've been waiting on feedback on this thread, and downloading necessary programs.
And now Shrek the Third is about to start.

Plenty of time to get out there.

RobF (Rob) · #18 29-09-2009, 08:40 PM

Oooo - Shrek the 3rd - I haven't seen that...
(dashes off....)

troypiggo (Troy) · #19 29-09-2009, 09:27 PM

As Paul mentioned, if it works in K3CCDTools, good assumption it'd work in PHD.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #20 30-09-2009, 12:04 AM

Well that was almost a complete waste of time. I couldn't get passed step one, plug in the usb pda adaptor. Didn't have the drivers for the device did I, and the download link for it at Belkin wasn't working.
There's always something isn't there.
Paul has kindly offered me a lend of his gpusb thingo for now, Ta Pablo

.