PPEC for EQ6r pro

PhotomanTom

How do I deal with PPEC using a ASIAIR plus?

ckoos

You can't enable PPEC using the ASIAIR, you need to use the hand controller. It's a feature many owners have asked for, but ZWO has decided not to implement.

PhotomanTom

I ditched the hand controller for computer control shortly after I got the EQ6r Pro. Does that mean I have to, as a first step, connect the hand control and do the PPEC training and then disconnect it to hook up the asiair+?

ckoos

Yes, if you are connecting the ASIAIR to the hand controller port. I assume that means you don't have a USB port on the mount.

Using the hand controller, follow the EQ6r manual to program PPEC into the mount (you should only have to do this once). Then go into the Setup menu and select Tracking/PEC+Sidereal. The led on the mount will start blinking in 3's. Now hook up the ASIAIR and go from there. You'll need to enable PEC+Sidereal each time you power cycle the mount.

Personally, I haven't found that PPEC has improved my guiding, so I don't bother to enable it.

PhotomanTom

ckoos I do have a usb port on my EQ6r pro. Considering your and others comments, it appears PPEC is not essential if I auto guide.

enaiman

PPEC and AsiAir is not a good idea when AsiAir is not supporting PPEC (which isn't right now).
If enabled on the mount they can end fighting if each one is trying to move in opposite/different directions. If not fighting then making the guiding more difficult - it is simply looking for troubles.

ckoos

PhotomanTom
That's what I've found with my EQ6R, PPEC doesn't improve guiding in back-to-back testing. The good news is, that means your mount's tracking is good enough that PHD2 alone can give you good guiding results. If you weren't using auto guiding, PPEC would probably be worth using.
Is there a reason you are using the hand controller port to connect the ASIAIR rather than the USB port? Seems like using the USB port will have less electronics/firmware between the ASIAIR and the motors in the mount. Less means fewer opportunities for failure. Plus, you will then have the ability to have the hand controller plugged in if you wanted to. Although, other than enabling PPEC, I can't think of a time I needed the HC once I switched to ASIAIR.

PhotomanTom

ckoos I use an EQDIR cable because I’m a rank beginner and watched a video that recommended it. Cable plugged into the hand control port, Mount has worked perfectly. Now that I’ve ordered the Asiair+ trying to figure things out with that. Haven’t used the hand controller since I discovered plate solving. Manufacture’s manual for the most part are useless. If it wasn’t for Astro forums this hobby would be impossible, or at least, much more difficult until the mass of slowly accumulated knowledge overcomes the ignorance. At first I had to request definitions of terms used before I could understand what people were talking about, seems the community loves abbreviations. I at one time I had a tshirt “the journey is the destination” very true of Astrophotography.

ckoos

I think normally the EQDIR cable is used on mounts that don't have a USB port. But if it's working for you, I wouldn't change it. What you need to do is get to a point where everything is working before you start to "improve" your set up. When I first started, for the first 6 months, every night something didn't work, and every time it was something new. I was about ready to buy a baseball bat to teach my equipment who was boss. Thank goodness for Google search, astronomy forums and the ASIAIR.
Be careful about taking advice from, "some guy on the Internet", including me. Try to get your info from those that have genuine expertise, not just rehashed Internet "knowledge". Here's a few examples:

https://agenaastro.com/articles/guides
https://optcorp.com/pages/opt-university
https://openphdguiding.org/PHD2_User_Guide.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RH93UvP358
Very useful videos by PHD2 developers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXFGRta98rs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzjyjEpDW90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifbLY6Q-cN8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzjyjEpDW90&t=90s

PhotomanTom

ckoos I hear you about “some guy on the internet”. I’m glad to report that in the year since I upgraded to the EQ6r Pro I have solved most problems and been imaging successfully. The asiair+ appealed to me because of less set up time and less battery power requirements. I use a 500wh Jackery battery. My computer would only allow about 4 hours of computer time along with dew heaters, mount and my new asi2600 mc pro.

Thank you for the list of recommended knowledge sites. That would have been helpful 2 years ago! I’ve already checked some and looks like good stuff!

RomainD

PhotomanTom I just started using the EQ6R with the Asiair with not so good results. What did you do to make it work for you? What about the PEC ?

PhotomanTom

RomainD Don’t want to sound facetious, but I plugged it in and it worked. I use auto guiding so no PEC, not necessary. The worthless “owners manual” makes good kindling. I’ve found very specific questions here and Cloudy Nights gets the help needed. General questions like “how do you make it work” makes answering difficult or impossible.