AM5 - Guide performance underwhelming and varies

MrAstro

w7ay If you are using an ASIAIR, I would recommend stopping and then restarting the autoguiding once every hour or so

Thanks Chen, your explanation is simple and logic as usual ..
I want to know please.. is that problem solved in PHD2? how ? because you specified ASIAIR.
Does PHD2 automatically compensate that?

BR,,

w7ay

MrAstro is that problem solved in PHD2?

I have not looked into PHD code since Craig Stark open sourced it years ago. I know that Craig did not compensate for it, but then it was in the days of single star guiding, so it was not a problem.

Chen

seaber

Hi Chen,

I dont use the asi air for imaging, I use NINA for my imaging runs and a Polemaster for my PA process. Would I benefit from disabling multi star guiding in PHD2?

On my run that im doing right now, i'm under clear bortle 4 skies with great seeing and after running the guide assistant and lowering my guide exposures to 0.5, i'm seeing even worse numbers. Its currently at 1.27 which is pretty much where I was with my AVX mount.

I'm sure theres a setting somewhere that im missing and its a brand new mount to me with a steep learning curve. I just have no idea how to tame this thing and get the awesome numbers everyone else is seeing. I dont think its a weight issue either. We're probably looking at 15-20lbs. And in regards to balance, I dont even know how that could be achieved.

Any suggestions here would be great.

w7ay

seaber Would I benefit from disabling multi star guiding in PHD2?

I don't know. You will need to ask the N.I.N.A. developers if they are compensating for the slow field rotation when doing multi-star autoguiding.

If you are getting a long term deterioration, it is easy enough to stop imaging and resetting the autoguiding every hour or so to see it things improve (and not cause by flexure, clouds, city lights nearer the horizon, and other problems).

Chen

seaber

ASIMount@ZWO It i indeed a great review, but I personally am not seeing any setting recommendations in it as to how they achieved the consistent 0.4 listed in the closing. I see that they recommend bin 2 for the guide camera setting and shorter exposures.

No mention as to what algorithms used etc. Which is a question id like to know as im using predictive pec and resist switch.

Byrdsfan1948

w7ay WOW Brilliant Chen!!!! You may have just explained an issue that has had me baffled for a long time. I have been experiencing similar guiding issues as seaber mentions. In my case however probably even worse. BUT what I have noticed is that no matter how bad it gets whenever I do a meridan flip almost like magic my guiding is immediately greatly improved. I have been searching for a reason why for a while now.
Because of the limitations of my field of view from my home, most nights involve a MF. Then after that, I only have at most another hour or so I can do any imaging on that target before some trees get in the way and I switch to a different target that then is coming into my FOV..........
You may have explained to me why the best guiding adjustment I can make each night to improve my guiding is an MF :-))) Thanks Al

w7ay

Byrdsfan1948 what I have noticed is that no matter how bad it gets whenever I do a meridan flip almost like magic my guiding is immediately greatly improved.

Hi Al -- since you don't use a strain wave drive, that could also be explained by third axis balance. I.e., third axis balance is potentially different between the two pier sides.

When you check for third axis balance, you need to do it for both pier sides.

But, it is easy enough to stop and restart autoguiding, to see if field rotation is your problem.

Chen

MrAstro

Hi all,
Can anyone clarify please..
If I need to change Max RA duration or Max Dec duration during guiding, Should I stop guiding and recalibrate ?
Thanks

Kevin_A

MrAstro no need to recalibrate etc after changing durations, but after an hour or so just stop auto guiding and restart it to get asiair multistar more accurate.

MrAstro

Kevin_A
Thanks Kevin..
I am using PHD2, Is that benefit to do with PHD2 also?

Kevin_A

MrAstro i dont believe so. But it never hurts if you see your numbers going up. I often do it just so it picks better stars if the numbers get worse.