HEQ5PRO Mount and autoguiding

[Jeffkop (Jeff)]

Hi all, Jeff here once again and once again having problems.
OK - first of all the problem. I have just purchased a SBIG ST2000XM and cannot get the thing to auto guide. My mount was purchased in late Feb and has not seen much work because of the weather. So basically what I'm alluding to here is, all the equipment is new.

Doesn't matter which software I use CCDops, MaximDL, CCDSoft, they all stumble with calibrating the mount and of course auto-guiding.

For those familiar with the calibration processes I get "Invalid movement in X axis" errors a lot, or if I don't get that when it tries to do a +Y movement of the mount it almost always sends the star it was looking at out of the picture, and so looses it and Calibration fails.

I have sent the mount back to the supplier and was supposedly given a replacement, however this replacement has suspiciously the EXACT same sound when it moves in DEC as the one I sent. So I don't know.

I have tested the guiding inputs into the mount and they all appear to move the mount except for I think its a +x command. Now I think this is because in that direction we don't have to move the mount but rather stop the sidereal tracking, then the earths rotation will supply the star movement.

Has anyone had to test this out on other mounts ?? Should ALL 4 axis move the mount IE (+x -x +y -y)

I have checked the Cameras outputs all work fine, active low to the axis that has to be shifted.

Other considerations such as

1. Balance of scope - good
2. Polar alignment - can drift align for 10 mins no problems for both stars.
3. Mount has had PEC training

Anytime that I have tried to self guide, the guide errors keep compounding in BOTH axis. So if the guide star drifts a little say down and to the right, the next obvious thing that should happen is the system counter this error and bring it back to the center but it doesn't. It almost always just keeps drifting in the same direction until it goes of the screen and i get "guide star too dim" or "lost guide star errors".

So I am once again beating my head against a wall.

Is there some other steps that I have missed in this process?

Should I reasonably expect that I can just connect these equipments together and they will provide auto-guiding or is there some step I have left out.

Will the HEQ5PRO mount do this job?? OR am I wasting my time with this mount.

Ive certainly seen examples of pics taken with the camera to know it is a worthwhile purchase.

And last question ... Is there a way I can test all this in a dark room or similar. Waiting until the sky is friendly around here at the moment is like waiting for this weeks powerball numbers to magically appear.

Thank You