I haven't gotten 5 seconds in and I just had to say it brought a surprising smile on my face when you intro'd with "Hi there wonderful person!". Absolutely splendid!
Thanks for the video, just got my first mount (heq5 pro) had zero idea how to connect it.. now I do.. looking forward to having lots of fun taking pics.. thx so much.
I'm getting ready to try guiding for the very first time this weekend and this video is exactly what I needed. It answered a lot of my questions and cuts to the chase without getting overly complicated. Thank you so much for this video!
Synchronicity! I’ve been doing EAA and have been thinking about guiding for sometime, but as with most things astro, no one seems to start at the ‘very beginning-setting up a-to-z. Your video was perfect. Can’t thank you enough!!!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! That was exactly my main aim with this video, it should be simple enough for someone without any prior knowledge to start autoguiding. Glad to hear it worked out. Clear skies.
Hey Wido......I just got into autoguiding and just watched the video. Great info. I got my guide scope and camera setup the other night and did a quick autoguiding session. 40 mins on M81. Next time I'm out I'm going to run the Assistant to help with backlash. Again thanks for the info. Clear skies.
I have been using PHD and PHD2 for approximately 10 years with mixed results, but I never knew about the Guiding Assistant! Thank you heaps, it should fix my years long frustrations!! 👍
This is a great tutorial. I just started trying to guide with PHD2 and suffice it to say it didn't go well. All the folks that do videos obviously had them already setup and basically, they just say hit this, hit this, push this and it starts guiding. I couldn't get it to pass calibration and it was a windless night so that didn't help. Watching your video, I'm thinking that the guide scope focal length may be the issue. but the information on the guiding assistance is good information. Thanks for doing this video.
thanks for a great introduction! I hope to start auto guiding tonight - - and I am now much better prepared, I trust, than I would have been previously. Appreciate the work you put into this.
Great tutorial. Since I've been using auto-guiding I'd like to add a couple of things. 1) When changing targets, re-calibrate PHD2 to compensate for the change in backlash, and 2) using SharpCap for polar alignment has worked out well for me, it's easy to work through and very accurate. Thanks
@@AstroForumSpace Ok I've tried to do what you did but it didn't work as far as I know. My camera didn't show up in the list of cameras. and my mount wouldn't connect either. Now it connected before but now it want. If it's possible could you walk me though this if you can find the time!!!!
A quick question if I'm using a DSLR for imaging do I have to have some type of program such as eos backyard to run the camera or can I run it in NINA?
Thank you. Upgrading my old 10” Orion DOB to C11 with heavy mount. Also, beautiful scope. That is just a tad too unyieldly for me, but it had to have access to some really deep and dim celestial objects
Hi Wido, thanks for a very useful video. I have not used the guiding assistant and did not realise it was there. I am looking forward to trying it on our next clear sky night and hopefully will improve my guiding. Kind regards THU.
I keep coming back ,your video are really full of great information ,specially for me a total rookie ,so keep up the great work , any videos on ASI Air ? thank you
Thanks Nelson! I didn't buy the asiair yet, but perhaps in the future. I was thinking about buying a lightweight, mobile setup to get out of the city with the asiair...clear skies.
I am in happy mood when watching your videoes. They are so similar to mine. You make very good vidoes. This one is so clear on the use of PHD2. Now I wont have to do one ;-)
Great intro into Phd2. I would recommend the latest version as it has multistar guiding. Plus you can improve your Polar Alignment with the Drift Align tool and clearing your calibration data every session is ideal. Your total RMS seems a little high for 2000+ FL. Maybe try a scope and camera combo that is better suited.
you seemed very knowledgeable , see if you can help me with this... Im struggling with PHD2 and I can get it to finish the calibration, I get this error message " DEC Calibration failed: Star did not move enough" I have a ZWO 120mm mini and I hace tried differen set ups, 1) connecting the usb to the ZWO 294 MC Pro camera and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro and 2) connecting the usb to my PC and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro. Its getting very frustrating becasuse I cant pass this stage. Im already hassitating if the Sky guider is the problem or maybe I am, lol. I hope you can help me or redirect me to a solution cause I cant seem to find it anywhere.
@@clungebucket23 you mean RA only in the dither settings? NO, what I did though was checked the Assume DEC orthogonal to RA thinking that that could help, but I'll try your suggestion tonight,
Great tutorial. Thanks . Subscribed. I will have HE q5 ,102mm refractor and buget Svbony guide camera. If I want to view Andromeda,as an example. Do i first slew in the general direction and then choose a nearby star for PHD 2. One guiding...then get Andromeda aligned . Is that the process? Many thanks.
Great video...thank you very much. One question: the Dark Frame Library creation. Selecting 1.0 to 5.0 seconds, 5 images to average-- how many master Dark Frames are created in the folder? Are there 5 images averaged each 0.5 seconds, from 1.0 to 5.0? Thank you.
Very helpful as usual, so keep the videos coming. :) I have a question... Do you have to accurately align the guide scope to the main OTA or a rough alignment (pointing in the same direction) is sufficient?
I'm always picking a star that is in the FoV of my guidescope when I've slewed to my target. If somehow I get bad results I'll pick another star or recalibrate in PHD2.
Hi! Great video!! I wonder how do you focus the guide scope. I would like to know your routine. Do you use a bahtinov mask or you usually do manually? Which HFR values are acceptable to autoguide? Thanks!
Hi, I used to obsess over this but lately, I'm just using the live feed from phd2 to focus my guidescope. Your HRF depends on your focal length. You probably have a short focal length guidescope so then an hfr of about 2 would be fine. Cheers!
After watching your video on EQ mounts, I bought the mount you recommended. Now I'm going to save up for the guidescope and camera you recommended. My only question is - if I have an 8" RASA, would you mind steering me to what you consider to be the top guidescope and camera to pair with that particular scope? I won't ever use the guidescope for astrophotography - ever. (I do exclusively EAA.) Do I still need the Sky-Watcher EVOGuide 50ED and the ASI178MM? I would like to dither - but my exposures are seldom over 30 seconds. Thanks for any help you can give.
Hi there, the RASA gives you a widefield view at 400mm focal length, so a small guidescope,like a 50/150mm is good enough. The evoguide is expensive, but good if you also want to use your guidescope to take astropictures. If not, I would recommend aless expensive scope like the Orion 50/162mm mini guidescope. You also don't need the 178 per se, it's a great planetary camera but if you're only going to use that camera for guiding,I would buy the cheaper 120mm mini. Clear skies!
Thank you! Perfect timing, I am awaiting arrival of a ZWO guide scope and camera from OPT. I am still getting familiar with polar and star alignment but your videos along with Chuck's Astrophotography have helped me a ton! I have Similar setup as you and I will ask same question I did with Chuck. Do you have a video on Back focus for EdgeHD 8? I have same scope , no reducer with ASI224. I have an issue focusing with camera, stars looks like little fireballs. I was able to get the moon into focus with a 20mm eyepiece and WHAT A VIEW! My daughter saw craters, worth every penny. But the asi224 camera seems to be trickier to focus? I am just using the Celestron adapter plus ASI nosepiece. Stay Radical!
What did Chuck tell you:-)? You should be able to get sharp stars. You could first focus on the moon and then slew to a bright star. Next, you'll defocus the star and check if the black donut is in the center of the defocused star. If it is a little to the left, right, up or down, you'll probably need to collimate the telescope. You can do that by making very small corrections to the bolts in front of the telescope under the hyperstar cap.
@@AstroForumSpace Chuck uses SGP and the HFR method which I was unfamiliar but, will try it just for the experience. Some info I found out is that I may just be dealing with a limited field of view and back focus issue with the EDGEHD 8 and ASI224 because, I put a 20mm eyepiece into the scope and pointed at the moon and it was AWESOME! Crystal clear and focused nicely in eyepiece! Even my daughter said "Wow I can see the craters!" I am just learning but, like you said, it is a marathon, not a sprint!
How does Periodic Error Correction (PEC) come into play? Very informative video by the way. I just started using auto-guiding via PHD 2 and it's not really that hard. How good it works depends on how well you set it up of course.
You can use pec in combination with PhD2. You'll be able to run pec while autoguiding. You can first make the recording and then play back the information. If you have ppec, it will continuously monitor and send corrections when it detects structural tracking errors.
Hi Wido, For a starter in astronomy and astrophotography this video was very helpful! Question: what specs do you advice for the usb hub? I see usb hubs in Astro shop for couple of 100 euros.... what are the essential specification you want when buying a sub hub
I'm not sure as I'm using the mini PC :-). But you'll want to check speed, capacity and if it's an outdoor hub I think. If you're going to connect multiple devices, you may run into trouble buying a cheap hub that cannot support the data transfer...
@@AstroForumSpace thanks for the guidance! Should the Asiair Pro be a good option? Is also WiFi and made for use outdoors and will run with my ASI290mini as guidecamera and my future ZWO cooled dso camera
@@eugenedegoeij691 yes, lots of people use the asiair. I personally like a mini pc as it gives me freedom to install and work with different astrophotography software. Cheers.
Hi Mark. Yes, you can use the hand controller to slew the mount to a Deep Sky Object, after which you start the autoguiding process . Your "frustrating part" is unclear to me? Does it have something to do with the fact that even after polar alignment, the DSO is not always in the field of view perhaps? You can fully automate this process but it involves hooking your EQ6R Pro up to a laptop or PC, and working with astrosoftware that includes plate solving. I'm using sequence generator pro for this, here's a blog I wrote on how to use that program. Perhaps useful: astroforumspace.com/sequence-generator-pro-an-illustrative-guide/ Clear skies!
Hello Wido, I am a total newbie to this hobby. I am awaiting my first Telescope for arrival tomorrow. Celestron SCT AVX 8". I am very interested in astrophotography and just regular viewing as well. I have learned a great deal from watching your videos and have actually subbed to your channel. I have many questions BUT will only ask this one to begin with. With just simple viewing with an eyepiece, no photography at this stage, will I still need to use a guidescope to align OR can I get by with a simple Red Dot viewer? Thank you
Check: th-cam.com/video/Fs-zImN1avg/w-d-xo.html. And you'll be surprised to find out how accurate my guiding was, even with that short guidescope in the video here: th-cam.com/video/OBjYIH3MQAA/w-d-xo.html. Clear skies!
Hello Wido, I can't understand, how it must connect cables from camera and which cable I need. From camera to computer is on end USB and on other is what? And second cable from camera must put in montage ? What is that cable? It's basic problems for me. Past connection is another problems with software. I'm not good in computer technic and so it's all heavy discipline.
Hi there. I put all usb cables of my cameras and the telescope mount directly in my computer/Laptop. I've installed the ascom platform, which controls phd2 and the telescope mount simultaneously. Good luck!
Yes, you're right. But you'll be surprised how accurate my guiding is, even with that short focal length. Check: th-cam.com/video/OBjYIH3MQAA/w-d-xo.html. I'm planning on getting a new guidescope though. Clear skies!
hi mate, i've got an eq6r with usb port on it..i connect it to the mount via USB..when i use guiding do i need to use the st4 cable into the mount or can i just use the usb cable on the back of the guide camera (asi 120mm mini) into the laptop?
Hi Laurens, alright! I'm using a Dell mini pc, main software I use: SGpro, stellarium, sharpcap, firecapture, eqmod, PhD2. I'll try to make another video on that.
So if I want to shoot Orion neblua do I aim the scope at Orion and let the guide scope pic a star that's in the view of the guide scope? I'm super nervous about getting into astrophotography.
You'll need an ascom connection for your mount and guidescope I think so both can be controlled from your laptop. I know the newest version of ascom also supports WiFi so I think it's possible.
Rookie question: I've been using SharpCap for EAA, when using PHD2 I'm guessing you don't need to monitors; do you simply toggle back and forth between programs?
Hi Wedo! This is my first night trying autoguiding! I noticed, that where you set up your scope, the patio flexes quite a bit. Do you find that affects your polar alignment?
Great question! Our deck flexes quite a bit and I was considering going to the yard to set up, with blocking trees. Conclusion - stay on the deck and don't move! Dog stays in the house! LOL
Thank you so much, Wido, for this precisely clear video. I am embarking on auto guiding for the first time. While calibrating, I am getting the following error message: "PulseGuide command to mount has failed - guiding is likely too be ineffective". Here is my equipment list. 1) Redcat 51 Scope; 2) ES iExos-100 Mount; 3) ZWO guide scope & ASI120MM mini guide camera. I tried using both ST4 cable or ASCOM wireless driver to connect to my ES PMC8 mount. It says mount connection successful. However, ZWO USBST4(ASCOM) driver is not showing up in the mount selection. I have my rig setup image. I don't know how to attach my rig setup photo here. If I can have your email, I can send you the photo. I will appreciate your guidance. - Vinay Bhatt from Austin, Texas, Astrophotography newbie.
One thing that no one covers is cone error.... If the OTA has cone error things like polar alignment and guiding can be affected, especially if a flip occurs. Can you do a video on how to check and correct cone error on something like a Skywatcher scope.
Hi great video . Nice and simple. Some show rms error in arc seconds some in pixels. I noticed that my tot was just above 1.0 and sometimes just below in pixel setting and just the opposite in arc seconds below 1.0 like .70 or so. But the other difference was the graph . Even though the pixel error was a larger number the graph looked way more smooth and just the opposite in arc seconds way large corrections but lower number. So on the Facebook phd2 group I always wonder is that graph in pixel or arc seconds. Does it matter? Thanks again and waiting for your galaxy work .
Hi Dan, It is good to know and understand the difference in arc seconds per pixel between your main imaging camera/telescope vs. your guidecamera/guidescope. In general you may not want a difference in imaging scale greater than 1:5. RMS refers to the spread of guidepoints around the center for RA and DEC. They higher this number, the more your guidestar has deviated from center.
Not necessarily, PhD2 guiding can work with PEC. If you want to use it, you can let PHD2 guide while recording your PEC and after a couple of minutes you can play back that info to the mount.
I have the same scope set up as your 8HD but I notice that your dovetail is orange (not just a Dutch thing I'm sure) whereas mine is a stock black one. What is the difference and why did you change it?
@@AstroForumSpace I thought it might have been a modification to allow for extra tail weight. Agreed, orange looks better though. Good channel. I've learnt some good stuff from you. Keep it up and thanks.
how about you actually videoing you doing for instance M31 andromeda,in APT and phd2 and showing us how to set up lights,darks,etc.you know from start to finish. Im a beginner and have an eq6-r pro,canon 600d,zenithstar 61/flattener,asi120mc-s and waiting on first clear night to do AP. i watched someone doing stretching of final images butwould also like to know more on this
So, this means I can point the guidescope at a star and then the main scope at some nebula and still get decent guiding? I mean, they don’t have to point to the same object? Sorry if this is a silly question.
Hi Paulo, that's correct. The guidescope focuses on a star that is close to the object you're imaging, but it's not focused on that object like your main scope.
Thank you Wido! Keep up the great work - you present your videos in a very pleasant way, and I can say I have learned a lot. I’ll try auto guiding for the first time this weekend - let’s see how it goes!
Your video is just GREAT but I was hopping to get some help at the same time. Im struggling with PHD2 and I can get it to finish the calibration, I get this error message " DEC Calibration failed: Star did not move enough" I have a ZWO 120mm mini and I hace tried differen set ups, 1) connecting the usb to the ZWO 294 MC Pro camera and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro and 2) connecting the usb to my PC and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro. Its getting very frustrating becasuse I cant pass this stage. Im already hassitating if the Sky guider is the problem or maybe I am, lol. I hope you can help me or redirect me to a solution cause I cant seem to find it anywhere.
Hi Jay jay, that's frustrating indeed. I don't have a Skyguider so I can't help you with that. Perhaps a silly question but did you try and change the cables you use for connecting the guider?
Really good video, thanks. I picked up a used Meade off axis guider and I'd like to see if I can use it to set up autoguiding with a C6. I have a question: @8:42 If you are using an off-axis guider, do you input the focal length of your telescope + OAG train here?
Great video Wido as usual. Can you assist with an issue that I am having where during calibration I get the error message that pulse guide to the mount has failed. Any ideas how to correct this?
I had that error message happen to me. Check your USB cable and your USB input. I changed my USB type-A input to a USB type-C input and that's what fixed it for me. Also make sure all of your Windows drivers are updated and that your computer is running on at least balanced or best performance, especially if you are running off a laptop.
1@@dirkfierce2525 can you expand on what you mean by changing the usn type. I currently plug my USB 2 cable into the mount (AZ EQ6 GT) USB (type B male printer cable style head) directly and the other end (type A male cable style head) into my mini PC.
@@robertchandler2218 Just try using a different USB port on the mini-pc. I use a Microsoft Surface Pro which only has two USB ports - a type A and a type C. Something must be wrong with the type A port because using it was what was giving me the "Pulse guide" error message. I changed to the type C and it seems to have fixed everything. Sometimes USB ports act strangely. My A port still works for some things, but just not guiding...
I have a question AVX EQ mount is compatible with the PHD2 program? The connect page on the PHD2 program does not have the AVX mount as listed as a selection. The ZWO camera is working with the PHD2 on my laptop-- but the AVX is not working with the PHD2 program. Kinda wondering if a earlier version download has the AVX mount. Or is it that I need a driver of sorts ? Fill me in thank u
PHD2 has a celestron telescope driver that should connect to your avx. If not, then check if the USB connection is good and which com port is used. If you use windows, goto device manager, and check under USB controllers.
You say polar align first and then slew to target, before guiding. Should I polar align and" star align" so that the mount is already tracking the target? If this is the case when PHD2 starts to calibrate will this hurt the mount if it is already tracking ?
Hi, the proper steps are 1) polar alignment, 2) star alignment and 3) PHD2 calibration when your mount is already tracking an object. Lately, I've been skipping the second step.
so i am new to astro phography i have had the elescope for a while for star gazing but i am confused at times with astrophotgraphy, my question here is why can i not use the samecamera i would use for astrophotgraphy that is hooked up into my scope as my guide camera, the reason why i want to do this is, i assume if i use the same camera i can track objects that i want to take photos of and i know they will always be in view with the telescope but idk if this is a good system or what
Simply put, if the camera is taking a long exposure photo, it can't also be tracking a star with short exposure photos, that's why you'll need 2. There's a new(quite expensive) camera with two sensors that can do both, the ASI2600MM duo.
@@AstroForumSpace Oh, great I have alot of st4 cables and I don't know what ascom is. My mount havent USB ports. So, I have - a ZWO ASI 224MC camera; - a USB 2 cable; - a ST4 cable; - a laptop. Can I guide with PHD2? Do you know the connection? what goes where?
When I tried to get guiding going on a new mini pc, and I started PhD2 by pushing the green button, it needed a calibration since none had previously been entered. It went through the steps, and calibration failed. It said, no you are too far from the celestial equator to get a calibration. But where is the box that lets it search for a better spot in the sky to calibrate from? I had it do this previously on a different mini, but I couldn't find this function last night and I was dead in the water. Where is this function?
I'm not entirely sure. Are you sure phd2 is correctly connected to the telescope mount? E.g. i had some bad usb cables in the past that messed up my connection...
@@AstroForumSpace it was because a fresh install of PhD2 did NOT include Dev6 revision which places the calibration assistant into the “tools” menu. Sure enough when I installed that, it pointed straight up to the Milky Way and did its calibration there. Hopefully it will not need to do that every time.
I haven't gotten 5 seconds in and I just had to say it brought a surprising smile on my face when you intro'd with "Hi there wonderful person!". Absolutely splendid!
Lol, thanks
@@AstroForumSpace Ala Anton😉
Thanks for the video, just got my first mount (heq5 pro) had zero idea how to connect it.. now I do.. looking forward to having lots of fun taking pics.. thx so much.
👏👏. The Guiding Assistant is very helpful. Thank you for what you do so well.
Thanks, that means a lot to me!
I'm getting ready to try guiding for the very first time this weekend and this video is exactly what I needed. It answered a lot of my questions and cuts to the chase without getting overly complicated. Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Well done intro to PHD2. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome.
Synchronicity! I’ve been doing EAA and have been thinking about guiding for sometime, but as with most things astro, no one seems to start at the ‘very beginning-setting up a-to-z. Your video was perfect. Can’t thank you enough!!!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! That was exactly my main aim with this video, it should be simple enough for someone without any prior knowledge to start autoguiding. Glad to hear it worked out. Clear skies.
excellent video! very informative!
Thank you Javier.
Thanks so much! Very helpful video.
You're welcome
Hey Wido......I just got into autoguiding and just watched the video. Great info. I got my guide scope and camera setup the other night and did a quick autoguiding session. 40 mins on M81. Next time I'm out I'm going to run the Assistant to help with backlash. Again thanks for the info. Clear skies.
Excellent tutorial. Best I've seen on this subject!
Glad you enjoyed it!
A big THANK YOU from Austria! Just starting to get into that topic with my EQ6 R Pro and your assistance is a gold nugget!
You're welcome!
thank you Wido.
Nice shot to the point and full of information with details i.e. polar align your mount first before anything. Excellent content.
I have been using PHD and PHD2 for approximately 10 years with mixed results, but I never knew about the Guiding Assistant! Thank you heaps, it should fix my years long frustrations!! 👍
Hope it will! Clear skies.
WOW! That’s a huge scope!
This was fantastic!. I wrote down everything you said/did so I will be ready when my gear has all arrived. Thanks so much.
Glad it was helpful!
Didnt know about guiding assistant, ty. Will hope it improves mine next chancde i get
Thank you!
Many thanks, keep up the great work
This is a great tutorial. I just started trying to guide with PHD2 and suffice it to say it didn't go well. All the folks that do videos obviously had them already setup and basically, they just say hit this, hit this, push this and it starts guiding. I couldn't get it to pass calibration and it was a windless night so that didn't help. Watching your video, I'm thinking that the guide scope focal length may be the issue. but the information on the guiding assistance is good information. Thanks for doing this video.
thanks for a great introduction! I hope to start auto guiding tonight - - and I am now much better prepared, I trust, than I would have been previously. Appreciate the work you put into this.
instaBlaster.
Excellent content, excellent presentation, thank you!
Goede uitleg. Dank. Hierdoor kan aan de slag
Graag gedaan!
thank you
Great tutorial. Since I've been using auto-guiding I'd like to add a couple of things. 1) When changing targets, re-calibrate PHD2 to compensate for the change in backlash, and 2) using SharpCap for polar alignment has worked out well for me, it's easy to work through and very accurate. Thanks
Great tips, I also use sharpcap for polar alignment, works like a charm. Clear skies!
Outstanding video my man keep up the good work!!! We need more videos for beginners!! Again outstanding!
Thanks for the positive feedback! Check my channel for more 😉
@@AstroForumSpace Ok I've tried to do what you did but it didn't work as far as I know. My camera didn't show up in the list of cameras. and my mount wouldn't connect either. Now it connected before but now it want. If it's possible could you walk me though this if you can find the time!!!!
A quick question if I'm using a DSLR for imaging do I have to have some type of program such as eos backyard to run the camera or can I run it in NINA?
Nice video Wido well explained and put together 👍
Nice video.
An easier way to select a star for guiding is to click on the star icon at the bottom left of the screen.
Clear skies.
JM
duidelijke tutorial!
Merci :-).
Thank you. Upgrading my old 10” Orion DOB to C11 with heavy mount. Also, beautiful scope. That is just a tad too unyieldly for me, but it had to have access to some really deep and dim celestial objects
Hi Wido, thanks for a very useful video. I have not used the guiding assistant and did not realise it was there. I am looking forward to trying it on our next clear sky night and hopefully will improve my guiding. Kind regards THU.
Great, I'm glad it was helpful.
Complimenti 👏
Very helpful Wido, thank you.
Thanks
I keep coming back ,your video are really full of great information ,specially for me a total rookie ,so keep up the great work , any videos on ASI Air ? thank you
Thanks Nelson! I didn't buy the asiair yet, but perhaps in the future. I was thinking about buying a lightweight, mobile setup to get out of the city with the asiair...clear skies.
Nice
Again very well explained video Wido, the multi star guiding in the new PHD2 also gives a much better guiding result I suppose
I think it's not yet in the stable version of PhD2, is it? Clear skies!
I am in happy mood when watching your videoes. They are so similar to mine. You make very good vidoes. This one is so clear on the use of PHD2. Now I wont have to do one ;-)
Great intro into Phd2. I would recommend the latest version as it has multistar guiding. Plus you can improve your Polar Alignment with the Drift Align tool and clearing your calibration data every session is ideal. Your total RMS seems a little high for 2000+ FL. Maybe try a scope and camera combo that is better suited.
you seemed very knowledgeable , see if you can help me with this... Im struggling with PHD2 and I can get it to finish the calibration, I get this error message " DEC Calibration failed: Star did not move enough" I have a ZWO 120mm mini and I hace tried differen set ups, 1) connecting the usb to the ZWO 294 MC Pro camera and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro and 2) connecting the usb to my PC and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro. Its getting very frustrating becasuse I cant pass this stage. Im already hassitating if the Sky guider is the problem or maybe I am, lol. I hope you can help me or redirect me to a solution cause I cant seem to find it anywhere.
@@jjaimesmx have you disabled / turned off the declination in the settings... Or RA only?, I can't remember how they word it
@@clungebucket23 you mean RA only in the dither settings? NO, what I did though was checked the Assume DEC orthogonal to RA thinking that that could help, but I'll try your suggestion tonight,
yeah the RA only was checked and I delete all my configurations and started from scratch and still didnt work.
Excellent 👍👍👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Have u ever used NINA? Wondering the sequence of steps of using PHD2 and NINA, which I think can incorporate PHD2 ?
I'm sure Nina can do that. I use sgpro, mostly out of habit. I've been using it for years and it almost never failed.
Great tutorial! Will this work for an alt/az mount?
No, unfortunately. You'll need an equatorial mount
Get yourself a equatorial wedge.
Great tutorial. Thanks . Subscribed. I will have HE q5 ,102mm refractor and buget Svbony guide camera. If I want to view Andromeda,as an example. Do i first slew in the general direction and then choose a nearby star for PHD 2. One guiding...then get Andromeda aligned . Is that the process? Many thanks.
Great video...thank you very much. One question: the Dark Frame Library creation. Selecting 1.0 to 5.0 seconds, 5 images to average-- how many master Dark Frames are created in the folder? Are there 5 images averaged each 0.5 seconds, from 1.0 to 5.0? Thank you.
Nice tutorial. Subbed. How often do you run the PHD2 mount calibration?
Thanks! I usually run the guiding assistant only once. I calibrate PhD2 with every new target. Clear skies!
Very helpful as usual, so keep the videos coming. :) I have a question... Do you have to accurately align the guide scope to the main OTA or a rough alignment (pointing in the same direction) is sufficient?
Thanks. A rough alignment is good enough. Polar alignment is important. Clear skies!
@@AstroForumSpace Thank you.
Does the position of the star in the sky matter for guiding assistant and calibration? Thank you.
I'm always picking a star that is in the FoV of my guidescope when I've slewed to my target. If somehow I get bad results I'll pick another star or recalibrate in PHD2.
Hi! Great video!! I wonder how do you focus the guide scope. I would like to know your routine. Do you use a bahtinov mask or you usually do manually? Which HFR values are acceptable to autoguide? Thanks!
Hi, I used to obsess over this but lately, I'm just using the live feed from phd2 to focus my guidescope. Your HRF depends on your focal length. You probably have a short focal length guidescope so then an hfr of about 2 would be fine. Cheers!
Hi Wido! Do you believe it is helpful to change the guiding algorithm to PEC (instead of Hysterisis) for drives with a worm gear?
Hi there. to be honest, I get very similar results :-).
After watching your video on EQ mounts, I bought the mount you recommended. Now I'm going to save up for the guidescope and camera you recommended. My only question is - if I have an 8" RASA, would you mind steering me to what you consider to be the top guidescope and camera to pair with that particular scope? I won't ever use the guidescope for astrophotography - ever. (I do exclusively EAA.) Do I still need the Sky-Watcher EVOGuide 50ED and the ASI178MM? I would like to dither - but my exposures are seldom over 30 seconds. Thanks for any help you can give.
Hi there, the RASA gives you a widefield view at 400mm focal length, so a small guidescope,like a 50/150mm is good enough. The evoguide is expensive, but good if you also want to use your guidescope to take astropictures. If not, I would recommend aless expensive scope like the Orion 50/162mm mini guidescope. You also don't need the 178 per se, it's a great planetary camera but if you're only going to use that camera for guiding,I would buy the cheaper 120mm mini. Clear skies!
@@AstroForumSpace thanks soooo much!
Thank you! Perfect timing, I am awaiting arrival of a ZWO guide scope and camera from OPT. I am still getting familiar with polar and star alignment but your videos along with Chuck's Astrophotography have helped me a ton! I have Similar setup as you and I will ask same question I did with Chuck. Do you have a video on Back focus for EdgeHD 8? I have same scope , no reducer with ASI224. I have an issue focusing with camera, stars looks like little fireballs. I was able to get the moon into focus with a 20mm eyepiece and WHAT A VIEW! My daughter saw craters, worth every penny. But the asi224 camera seems to be trickier to focus? I am just using the Celestron adapter plus ASI nosepiece. Stay Radical!
What did Chuck tell you:-)? You should be able to get sharp stars. You could first focus on the moon and then slew to a bright star. Next, you'll defocus the star and check if the black donut is in the center of the defocused star. If it is a little to the left, right, up or down, you'll probably need to collimate the telescope. You can do that by making very small corrections to the bolts in front of the telescope under the hyperstar cap.
@@AstroForumSpace Chuck uses SGP and the HFR method which I was unfamiliar but, will try it just for the experience. Some info I found out is that I may just be dealing with a limited field of view and back focus issue with the EDGEHD 8 and ASI224 because, I put a 20mm eyepiece into the scope and pointed at the moon and it was AWESOME! Crystal clear and focused nicely in eyepiece! Even my daughter said "Wow I can see the craters!" I am just learning but, like you said, it is a marathon, not a sprint!
@@PlayStore-mi7gb yes, if you use SGP you can take 2s or 3s snapshots and watch the HFR.
I have the Sky Watcher AZ-GTi mount in EQ mode. Can it track with a 400mm lens on a crop sensor without auto-guiding? I've had success at 300mm.
Depends...I think the limit would be around 1 minute max. Great for widefield milkyway pics...
What part of the night sky should calibration be done. I was told in the Eastern sky, around 30 degrees. Is that correct?
Polar alignment is most important. Calibration is best done close to the target your tracking.
How does Periodic Error Correction (PEC) come into play? Very informative video by the way. I just started using auto-guiding via PHD 2 and it's not really that hard. How good it works depends on how well you set it up of course.
You can use pec in combination with PhD2. You'll be able to run pec while autoguiding. You can first make the recording and then play back the information. If you have ppec, it will continuously monitor and send corrections when it detects structural tracking errors.
Hi Wido,
For a starter in astronomy and astrophotography this video was very helpful!
Question: what specs do you advice for the usb hub? I see usb hubs in Astro shop for couple of 100 euros.... what are the essential specification you want when buying a sub hub
I'm not sure as I'm using the mini PC :-). But you'll want to check speed, capacity and if it's an outdoor hub I think. If you're going to connect multiple devices, you may run into trouble buying a cheap hub that cannot support the data transfer...
@@AstroForumSpace thanks for the guidance! Should the Asiair Pro be a good option? Is also WiFi and made for use outdoors and will run with my ASI290mini as guidecamera and my future ZWO cooled dso camera
@@eugenedegoeij691 yes, lots of people use the asiair. I personally like a mini pc as it gives me freedom to install and work with different astrophotography software. Cheers.
do I use the hand control to object search after polar align then pick star to track .I am using EQ6RPRO FRUSTRATED
Hi Mark. Yes, you can use the hand controller to slew the mount to a Deep Sky Object, after which you start the autoguiding process . Your "frustrating part" is unclear to me? Does it have something to do with the fact that even after polar alignment, the DSO is not always in the field of view perhaps? You can fully automate this process but it involves hooking your EQ6R Pro up to a laptop or PC, and working with astrosoftware that includes plate solving. I'm using sequence generator pro for this, here's a blog I wrote on how to use that program. Perhaps useful: astroforumspace.com/sequence-generator-pro-an-illustrative-guide/ Clear skies!
Hello Wido, I am a total newbie to this hobby. I am awaiting my first Telescope for arrival tomorrow. Celestron SCT AVX 8". I am very interested in astrophotography and just regular viewing as well. I have learned a great deal from watching your videos and have actually subbed to your channel. I have many questions BUT will only ask this one to begin with. With just simple viewing with an eyepiece, no photography at this stage, will I still need to use a guidescope to align OR can I get by with a simple Red Dot viewer? Thank you
Hi Phil, thanks and no. You don't need autoguiding for visual observations. Enjoy the hobby, clear skies!
Great and informative video!
I own a EdgeHD 9.25. Can you recommend a guide scope and/or camera?
As long fl as possible or OAG
Check: th-cam.com/video/Fs-zImN1avg/w-d-xo.html. And you'll be surprised to find out how accurate my guiding was, even with that short guidescope in the video here: th-cam.com/video/OBjYIH3MQAA/w-d-xo.html. Clear skies!
PHD2 was written to use the USB cable from the guiding scope camera to the PC.
Nah 😀
Hello Wido, I can't understand, how it must connect cables from camera and which cable I need. From camera to computer is on end USB and on other is what? And second cable from camera must put in montage ? What is that cable? It's basic problems for me. Past connection is another problems with software. I'm not good in computer technic and so it's all heavy discipline.
Hi there. I put all usb cables of my cameras and the telescope mount directly in my computer/Laptop. I've installed the ascom platform, which controls phd2 and the telescope mount simultaneously. Good luck!
Isn't your guide scope too short to guide at 2032mm? Have you tried multistar guiding too?
Thanks for your video.
Yes, you're right. But you'll be surprised how accurate my guiding is, even with that short focal length. Check: th-cam.com/video/OBjYIH3MQAA/w-d-xo.html. I'm planning on getting a new guidescope though. Clear skies!
hi mate, i've got an eq6r with usb port on it..i connect it to the mount via USB..when i use guiding do i need to use the st4 cable into the mount or can i just use the usb cable on the back of the guide camera (asi 120mm mini) into the laptop?
You can download the Eq6r-pro eqmod driver and you don't need the ST4 cable. Check: th-cam.com/video/C4wGuV_ctKM/w-d-xo.html
Halo Wido, can you let us know which kind of mini PC you are using and how you have configured it, it would be helpful. Thanks
Hi again, Sorry for asking, I just found the answer in one of your older video, Thank you for your help
Hi Laurens, alright! I'm using a Dell mini pc, main software I use: SGpro, stellarium, sharpcap, firecapture, eqmod, PhD2. I'll try to make another video on that.
So if I want to shoot Orion neblua do I aim the scope at Orion and let the guide scope pic a star that's in the view of the guide scope? I'm super nervous about getting into astrophotography.
Yes, the steps are 1) setup and polar alignment, 2) slew to object, 3) start autoguiding. You can use autoselect star or pick a star yourself.
If I connect my guide camera directly to my laptop can I use my built-in wifi in my mount to connect to my laptop?
You'll need an ascom connection for your mount and guidescope I think so both can be controlled from your laptop. I know the newest version of ascom also supports WiFi so I think it's possible.
Excellent overview. I assume you’re mini PC runs Win10 also and you connect via remote desktop or similar?
Yes, I'm using TeamViewer at the moment. Splashtop is another option
Rookie question: I've been using SharpCap for EAA, when using PHD2 I'm guessing you don't need to monitors; do you simply toggle back and forth between programs?
Yes, that's right.
Hi Wedo! This is my first night trying autoguiding! I noticed, that where you set up your scope, the patio flexes quite a bit. Do you find that affects your polar alignment?
Yes, I need to walk back and forth to polar align my mount with and without the weight of my body 😉
Great question! Our deck flexes quite a bit and I was considering going to the yard to set up, with blocking trees. Conclusion - stay on the deck and don't move! Dog stays in the house! LOL
Thank you so much, Wido, for this precisely clear video. I am embarking on auto guiding for the first time. While calibrating, I am getting the following error message: "PulseGuide command to mount has failed - guiding is likely too be ineffective". Here is my equipment list. 1) Redcat 51 Scope; 2) ES iExos-100 Mount; 3) ZWO guide scope & ASI120MM mini guide camera. I tried using both ST4 cable or ASCOM wireless driver to connect to my ES PMC8 mount. It says mount connection successful. However, ZWO USBST4(ASCOM) driver is not showing up in the mount selection. I have my rig setup image. I don't know how to attach my rig setup photo here. If I can have your email, I can send you the photo. I will appreciate your guidance. - Vinay Bhatt from Austin, Texas, Astrophotography newbie.
One thing that no one covers is cone error.... If the OTA has cone error things like polar alignment and guiding can be affected, especially if a flip occurs. Can you do a video on how to check and correct cone error on something like a Skywatcher scope.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it.
Hi great video . Nice and simple. Some show rms error in arc seconds some in pixels. I noticed that my tot was just above 1.0 and sometimes just below in pixel setting and just the opposite in arc seconds below 1.0 like .70 or so. But the other difference was the graph . Even though the pixel error was a larger number the graph looked way more smooth and just the opposite in arc seconds way large corrections but lower number. So on the Facebook phd2 group I always wonder is that graph in pixel or arc seconds. Does it matter? Thanks again and waiting for your galaxy work .
Hi Dan, It is good to know and understand the difference in arc seconds per pixel between your main imaging camera/telescope vs. your guidecamera/guidescope. In general you may not want a difference in imaging scale greater than 1:5. RMS refers to the spread of guidepoints around the center for RA and DEC. They higher this number, the more your guidestar has deviated from center.
Phd2 not find my svbony 205. And it is connected. What I missing? I'm new on this
Question: why didn't you use the PHD 2 Dev4 version, which can do multiguiding?
Hi Andreas, this is a beginner tutorial + DEV version (not yet completely stable). Clear skies.
Amazing video
Very helpful
Do i have to do PEC with autoguiding ?
Thank you
Not necessarily, PhD2 guiding can work with PEC. If you want to use it, you can let PHD2 guide while recording your PEC and after a couple of minutes you can play back that info to the mount.
@@AstroForumSpace thanks 😊
Hi. I have no usb port on my EQ5 or hand controller. Can I use usb to st4 lead form my laptop to the mount for ascom control?
I think you'll need a ST4 to rs232 cable, and an rs232 to USB cable, but I'm not sure.
@@AstroForumSpaceThanks
HI there , do I have to polar alignment every time even when using plate solving for more accurate guiding ?
Yes. And for more accurate Goto's. Clear skies.
@@AstroForumSpace thanks for very quick response 👍
I have the same scope set up as your 8HD but I notice that your dovetail is orange (not just a Dutch thing I'm sure) whereas mine is a stock black one. What is the difference and why did you change it?
I didn't change it, it was orange out of the box. Not sure why, but I like it.
@@AstroForumSpace I thought it might have been a modification to allow for extra tail weight. Agreed, orange looks better though. Good channel. I've learnt some good stuff from you. Keep it up and thanks.
Hi, Wido. Interested in your about the guiding of the refractor telescope 1000/100 mm, alenka 4.5 kg, achromat lens (ed). Sory my English.
Hi there, I've a separate video on guidescopes and cameras. You can check it out here: th-cam.com/video/Fs-zImN1avg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, mount ioptron ZEK 25 fit for my telescop?
how about you actually videoing you doing for instance M31 andromeda,in APT and phd2 and showing us how to set up lights,darks,etc.you know from start to finish. Im a beginner and have an eq6-r pro,canon 600d,zenithstar 61/flattener,asi120mc-s and waiting on first clear night to do AP. i watched someone doing stretching of final images butwould also like to know more on this
So, this means I can point the guidescope at a star and then the main scope at some nebula and still get decent guiding? I mean, they don’t have to point to the same object? Sorry if this is a silly question.
Hi Paulo, that's correct. The guidescope focuses on a star that is close to the object you're imaging, but it's not focused on that object like your main scope.
Thank you Wido! Keep up the great work - you present your videos in a very pleasant way, and I can say I have learned a lot. I’ll try auto guiding for the first time this weekend - let’s see how it goes!
Good luck!
Your video is just GREAT but I was hopping to get some help at the same time.
Im struggling with PHD2 and I can get it to finish the calibration, I get this error message " DEC Calibration failed: Star did not move enough" I have a ZWO 120mm mini and I hace tried differen set ups, 1) connecting the usb to the ZWO 294 MC Pro camera and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro and 2) connecting the usb to my PC and the ST4 connected to my Ioptron Skyguider pro. Its getting very frustrating becasuse I cant pass this stage. Im already hassitating if the Sky guider is the problem or maybe I am, lol. I hope you can help me or redirect me to a solution cause I cant seem to find it anywhere.
Hi Jay jay, that's frustrating indeed. I don't have a Skyguider so I can't help you with that. Perhaps a silly question but did you try and change the cables you use for connecting the guider?
@@AstroForumSpace I have a that's not working. Thanks for answering tho.
Really good video, thanks. I picked up a used Meade off axis guider and I'd like to see if I can use it to set up autoguiding with a C6. I have a question: @8:42 If you are using an off-axis guider, do you input the focal length of your telescope + OAG train here?
Hi there, thanks. I can't help you unfortunately, I never used OAG.
Great video Wido as usual. Can you assist with an issue that I am having where during calibration I get the error message that pulse guide to the mount has failed. Any ideas how to correct this?
Maybe you could try the guiding assistant to check for backlash?
@@AstroForumSpace I do not think that I can get that far but I will try.
I had that error message happen to me. Check your USB cable and your USB input. I changed my USB type-A input to a USB type-C input and that's what fixed it for me. Also make sure all of your Windows drivers are updated and that your computer is running on at least balanced or best performance, especially if you are running off a laptop.
1@@dirkfierce2525 can you expand on what you mean by changing the usn type. I currently plug my USB 2 cable into the mount (AZ EQ6 GT) USB (type B male printer cable style head) directly and the other end (type A male cable style head) into my mini PC.
@@robertchandler2218 Just try using a different USB port on the mini-pc. I use a Microsoft Surface Pro which only has two USB ports - a type A and a type C. Something must be wrong with the type A port because using it was what was giving me the "Pulse guide" error message. I changed to the type C and it seems to have fixed everything. Sometimes USB ports act strangely. My A port still works for some things, but just not guiding...
I have a question
AVX EQ mount is compatible with the PHD2 program?
The connect page on the PHD2 program does not have the AVX mount as listed as a selection.
The ZWO camera is working with the PHD2 on my laptop-- but the AVX is not working with the PHD2 program.
Kinda wondering if a earlier version download has the AVX mount. Or is it that I need a driver of sorts ?
Fill me in thank u
PHD2 has a celestron telescope driver that should connect to your avx. If not, then check if the USB connection is good and which com port is used. If you use windows, goto device manager, and check under USB controllers.
You say polar align first and then slew to target, before guiding. Should I polar align and" star align" so that the mount is already tracking the target? If this is the case when PHD2 starts to calibrate will this hurt the mount if it is already tracking ?
Hi, the proper steps are 1) polar alignment, 2) star alignment and 3) PHD2 calibration when your mount is already tracking an object. Lately, I've been skipping the second step.
so i am new to astro phography i have had the elescope for a while for star gazing but i am confused at times with astrophotgraphy, my question here is why can i not use the samecamera i would use for astrophotgraphy that is hooked up into my scope as my guide camera, the reason why i want to do this is, i assume if i use the same camera i can track objects that i want to take photos of and i know they will always be in view with the telescope
but idk if this is a good system or what
Simply put, if the camera is taking a long exposure photo, it can't also be tracking a star with short exposure photos, that's why you'll need 2. There's a new(quite expensive) camera with two sensors that can do both, the ASI2600MM duo.
Is a 162mm guide scope a good match for an 8 inch SCT?
Yes, definitely
HI, I have an EQ5 mount and a 224 ZWO ASI camera as guide. IS a USB cable to pc and a ST4 cable to the mount enough for guiding?
You don't need an st4 cable if you have a usb from the guidecam to the mount if you use ascom with your mount.
@@AstroForumSpace Oh, great I have alot of st4 cables and I don't know what ascom is.
My mount havent USB ports.
So, I have
- a ZWO ASI 224MC camera;
- a USB 2 cable;
- a ST4 cable;
- a laptop.
Can I guide with PHD2? Do you know the connection? what goes where?
What software do you use to control your mini-pc from your laptop?
Sequence generator 2, Phd2, stellarium...take your pick
When I tried to get guiding going on a new mini pc, and I started PhD2 by pushing the green button, it needed a calibration since none had previously been entered. It went through the steps, and calibration failed. It said, no you are too far from the celestial equator to get a calibration. But where is the box that lets it search for a better spot in the sky to calibrate from? I had it do this previously on a different mini, but I couldn't find this function last night and I was dead in the water. Where is this function?
I'm not entirely sure. Are you sure phd2 is correctly connected to the telescope mount? E.g. i had some bad usb cables in the past that messed up my connection...
@@AstroForumSpace it was because a fresh install of PhD2 did NOT include Dev6 revision which places the calibration assistant into the “tools” menu.
Sure enough when I installed that, it pointed straight up to the Milky Way and did its calibration there. Hopefully it will not need to do that every time.