Celestron's StarSense AutoGuiding Setup for Perfect Guiding
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- @This is how to set up the Celestron StarSense AutoGuider to get precise guiding. It's important to install the latest firmware via CFM (Celestron Firmware Manager which I will show you how. Once this is completed, then you can use the AutoGuider in NINA or CPWI.
Link to Celestron Firmware and CPWI: software.celestron.com/instal...
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Chapters:
0:00 Setting up StarSense Autoguider
2:00 Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM)
4:25 CPWI
7:22 Using StarSense Autoguider in NINA
14:40 Testing the SSAG
19:20 Hamburger Galaxy Example
20:45 Final Images - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
i LOVE the SSAG. It really is a game changer for folks in the Celestron ecosystem. Even with a rough polar alignment, I am getting 180s CLEAN exposures. Bravo, Pat!
That's great to hear, Mike. I now have it working quite well in NINA. I am generating a new video concerning that.
Clear skies
Pat, awesome. I have the ssag on a cgx with the edge 11.. two weeks ago 10 min. Exp.. tge other night I was up to 20 min exposures at 2800mm.. just wow, a great guider.. thinking about getting another 1 for my cpc11 edge, on a wedge, with the hyperstar 4.. I absolutely love astronomy... thank you Pat, you had a part to play in me buying an 8" cpc back in 2020...
Thank you so much for your comment. Wow, 20 minutes. You must be perfectly polar aligned. I also got the SSAG to use when I attach my Hyperstar to take the scope down to f/2. You can't use an OAG with Hyperstar. I fell in love with astronomy at the age of 7 ... many many years ago.
Thank you very much. This is just the kind of info I've needed.
Glad I could help.
I just tried it out using the Starizona's HyperStar reducer and it worked like a champ.
Awesome setup Pat! Congratulations!
Hi Ray,
How have you been. Everything going smoothly in Texas for you?
Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Clear skies Pat!
Thank you so much Jason.
Wow what a lovely setup Pat! Really interesting! Super images, the details were amazing! Great video 👍 Clear skies!
Hi Simon,
Thank you. I was rather impressed with the final results. I am also loving the Poseidon monochrome camera and the Antlia filters.
pretty cool Pat! great guiding!
Thanks, Jason
Appreciate this comprehensive video! Very helpful.
Thank you, Tyler
Thanks Pat. Very informative as always 😊
Thank you, Perry for watching my video
Ive only had three nights with my SSAG but it did great. 300sec exposures guided great with my 8se. Thanks for the video.
Glad to help. I was able to update the CPWI software and now it does show the graphing chart in real time. I am making a new video on that using the Sunflower Galaxy as the target. Thank you for watching my video
Great video Pat keep them coming. Got the same set up as you ,,,, weather has been not friendly for astro work here so not had chance to try it all out. so heres hoping for some clear skies.
Hi Lee,
I understand the weather has been awful for many astrophotographers lately, and not just in the US, but in Europe and South America too.
Here hoping for clear skies for you before the moon gets anywhere toward full phase.
👊Keep the videos coming.
Thanks, Derek,
That's the plan.
Thank you, Pat! Your video is exactly what I have been searching the web for over the last couple of months. My SSAG journey has been tumultuous because of the poor documentation provided by Celestron, my desire to use NINA's Adv Sequencer ( and it's learning curve...i.e., autofocus settings!) but most importantly, the fact that I'm a newbie! I 've had several really GREAT nights of imaging (I've been able to successfully and consistently capture up 10 minute subs on my setup, too with guiding at about 1.5 arc-secs, avg, at f/6.3 & 10) with the SSAG but I've had just as many frustrating nights with a myriad of strange issues. Your video filled in some of the gaps on how to properly use the SSAG and for this, you have my heartfelt gratitude! I would not have thought to switch off Precise Goto and Meridian Flip because Christian Sasse argued for leaving them on, but he also used the legacy sequencer in his demo. I can hardly wait for the next clear night to try the new settings and actually turn the guiding functions in NINA back ON! Up to this point, I had been experimenting with different settings between NINA and CPWI in order to figure out what works best for my setup (which is very similar to yours: C9.25, CGX, Dew Controller 4x, Celestron Focuser, MeLE MiniPC, Hyperstar & ASI533MM). But the wrong settings were sending the mount slewing toward unpredictable directions - sometimes even below the horizon and past my preset RA limits so thank you for the clear, unassuming directions on your video. They really help people like me who don't even know what questions to ask in some cases. Your fantastic results speak for themselves.
BTW, at the risk of the blind leading the blind, I read in a Cloudy nights forum post that the CPWI SSAG Option for PHD2 Server was to be used with Direct Guider in NINA to allow dithering. Seemed plausible to me but I was hoping to see the SSAG output its tracking error in RA/Dec to NINA's DG plot in the Imaging module. Well, it is time for me to reach out to Celestron for actual assistance, I think!
Clear Skies, sir!
This is great to hear that your are getting great results with the SSAG. I got the graphing function working and having NINA doing meridian flips and changing to new targets automatically with no input from me. I am currently generating a new video concerning that.
Thank you for your comment and for watching my video.
Clear skies
Wow! Well then, sir, I will stay tuned! @@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy
Thank you.
Nice.
Thank you! My guiding so far has not been great, but I think there's a lot of user error there. I was thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to throwing in the towel and buying an ASIAir, but you gave me some stuff to try to make my SSAG work better.
Hi Tiffany,
I'm glad I am able to help. If you have any quesions, you can e-mail me at patofsavannah.gmail.com.
Also, be sure you are in good polar alignment and your rig is level.
Pat, I’m using the SSAG as well and I’m also very pleased with it. It’s working well at f10 and f4.
I just updated it to version 10.30.32. I would be curious what version is on yours.
Thanks for all your great videos. 😊
The SSAG firmware that I have is also 10.30.32. For CPWI, it is version 2.5.5 beta 3. If you figure out what that PHD2 server switch does, please let me know. I cannot find any documentation about it. I am currently seaking some more galaxies, i.e. M63, M64, and M51. After I get satisfying results, I plan to connect the HyperStar lens which will take me down to f/2. I will be exciting to see how well that tracking will be.
This is just the video I needed! Thank you! Quick question, what do I do if I can’t find CPWI in the telescope drop down menu? Thank you again!
Be sure to have the latest ASCOM platform loaded on your system and the latest version of CPWI and NINA. I am glad the video is helping.
Thank you for your video. I was hoping you were going to show SSAG mode in n.i.n.a. You had mentioned it in your video, but did not show it.
Hi Donald,
I was hoping for that too but it doesn't show up. For NINA, select CPWI for the telescope driver and in your guiding dropdown tab, select "Direct Guiding". Thank you for watching my video
Awesome work Pat. So do you think the Starsense works as well as an OAG for guiding? It's pretty much like a regular guide scope right, or does it somehow work better than the usual guide scope running PHD2? As you showed if there is no graph during guiding the only feedback is the stars.
Hi Ron.
The SSAG is similar to a regular guiding scope except it has its own miniature plate solving computer embedded within it which creates better guiding, or so it seems. In the Non-Beta version of CPWI, the guiding graph does work, however, in this beta version, 2.5.5 beta 3, it did not show it, but as you saw, it was certainly guiding. I am going to try a different version of CPWI to see it I can get it to guide AND show the graph as well. Thank you for watching my video.
Another great video Pat. I've got the SSAG as well and I love it. I was struggling with an OAG and now I've been able to do 5 and 10 min subs consistently. I do have one question though, I've been using it without having the usb cable connected and just using the ST4 cable w/out issue. What's the USB line for???
Hi Ken,
Fitst of all, thank you for your support of my channel. I greatly appreciate that.
For what I think I know, the USB connection is for the live view function and also for updating the firmware.
I am happy you too are getting 5-10 minute accurate guiding with the SSAG.
What version of CPWI are you using and do you know the firmware version of the SSAG?
Clear skies Ken
Ahhhhh! Thanks so much Pat.
What camrea were you using for that image plse Pat? Was it your Poseidom M Pro with the IMX571 sensor? I'm asking bcus that sensor has a pixel size of 3.76 microns which at your focal length of around 2000mm would have meant your arc senconds per pixel would have been around 0.35, making your set up over sampled, as they say. Yet, your images came out really well!
I'm asking all this becuase I too have a C11 and I want to invest in an upgraded camera ( I currently use old DSLRs) but I want to make sure I get the correct sensor size. I am assuming that if I was over sampled that I could use binning? Thanks for any advice you can give and thanks for all your great vidoes.
Hello Holloman,
I did use the Poseidon with that small pixel size and did get decent results. However, it is better if I use the reducer taking it down to under 2,000mm (f/7). I've tried 2x2 binning but didn't find much of a difference other than the much smaller image file size. On the other hand, for my One-Shot-Color cameras, I use the ZWO-071 which has a 4.7micron pixel size which works very well and I just acquired the ToupTek SkyEye24 which has a pixel size of 5.97 microns. That camera works wonderfully on the EdghHD 11" at 2800mm. BTW, it even works well on my shorter ED80T scope with a focal length reduced to 400mm. I didn't think it would, but I tried it and was impressed. The ToupTek gives a much wider field of view.
Clear skies
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hi Pat, thank you so much for taking the time out to reply to me in that detail. I appreciate itr and it has really helped me out.
With my C11, I have been using an old Canon 5DMKii wich has a full frame sensor of about 6.41 microns. I had some issues with the image quality which I think was due to a faulty sensor.
Since my first post to you, I have actually gone ahead and purchased the Poseidon C Pro with IMX571 sensor with a pixel size of about 4.76 microns. I got that one mainly for my RASA 11 (Lucomatico rates that combo highly) and to use with my 7" refractor.
I think I will also try it with my C11, probably with the .63 reducer on. I think the only way to *really* know about which set up works best and how a given pixel scale affcets the image is to actually get out there and experiment, which I believe you and I try to do.
Like you, I've also been experimenting with the Celestron Star Sense Auto Guider and thus far have been pleasantly surprised that it actually does what it says on the side of the tin!
Clear minds & happy skies,
Simon
@@HollomanUFOLanding Plus, one of the great advantages of the dedicated astro camera is the ability to cool the sensor to alleviate the background noise. I usually cool the sensor down to -10C. With the Poseidon, there is no amp glow, so there is no reason to record black calibration files.
Happy Viewing
Can you describe all your equipment you have in your video? Seems like you have a great setup. Thank you
My C11 rig is basically the Celestron CGX mount with the focus moter, the dew heaater ring, the Celestron power box and the Star Sense Auto Guider. It all connects to a mini Windows computer which I remote into from my desktop computer in my office.
Hi Pat, thanks for the upload.
Do you know - can I use the SSAG simply just for guiding, without having any kind of alignment (Star Sense or otherwise) in place first or does the SSAG require that one first does an alignment? I want to be able to simply just use the guiding functionality only without having to an alignment. I can switch tracking on manually on my mount, thereby not needing an alignment first. Thanks
Yes you can. That is basically what I did in this video. I used the SSAG to guide the scope. Everything else was done in NINA.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Thanks Pat. Rewatching your video, I saw that you enabled 'Quick Align' first, which I believe switches on tracking. I have a CGXL mount and will be using CPWI to control the guiding. Btw, the production of your videsa is first rate, it's obvious you put a lot of work and I thank you for that.
Thank for the video! For some reason when I try and update my StarSense Autoguider it crashes and I get a blue screen message. If I try updating my hand controller and mount not problem at all it works fine. All application are up to date with latest version. I have the Guider connected to the mount and a USB cable to my laptop but crashes every time. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Can anyone help?
Hmmm, how old is the laptop that you are using? Also, it could be your USB connection. Are you connecting using USB3?
I am trying to use the ssag with edge hd 8 and getting trails after slew and settle.
Hmmm, are you using CPWI to control your rig or another software package such as NINA?
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy I connect with CPWI and use NINA
Get an OAG and guide without flexure
True, but another reason for the SSAG is for when I attach the Hyperstar to the front of the scope. There is no way to use an OAG with that.
Maby do a video strictly using the hand control --- Only
Hi Arman,
Well, that might be a problem as I really don't use the hand controller at all. I use Celestron's remote software (CPWI) to control the scope and rig.
PHD Guiding and old HEQ6 I guide for 20mins for HA celestron gimic waste of money