PHD

[MarkH]

Ok guys I need a bit of advice here. I'm just starting to get my act together and put my imaging rig together. I have phd installed and I have downloaded software updates from orion. whenever I try to connect my starshoot solar system imager phd comes up with a prompt "failed to connect to camera". am I missing some simple step?

[mickw]

Does PHD support the starshoot ?

Any clues in the instructions ?

[MarkH]

Yes Mick the exact camera is in the software list, and I've also downloaded orions own software updates but still no connection.

[mickw]

In PHD "Tools" - Enable Server  is sometimes missed

[MarkH]

OK found the problem, the camera is not capable of guiding, a slight difference in the naming of the camera which took ages to uncover. So next question is what would anyone recommend as an entry level guiding camera? Thanks for your efforts Mick.

[Mike]

Is the camera a stills or video camera? Is it capable of video? If so, try MetaGuide.

[MarkH]

Cheers Mike, orion list the camera as not being capable of guiding, whether that is because of software or not I don't know but it is video so I'll give your suggestion a try.

[MarkH]

Thanks Mike I've downloaded metaguide and connected first time, it was processing data immediately so I,m hopefull it will work. 

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi Mark,

Which camera is it?

Chris

[MarkH]

Hi Chris, it's an orion starshoot colour solar system immager, I'm just about to start a thread in chat about the overall system.

[The Thing]

Hi Mark,

You can probably use the Starshoot as a Windows WDM camera (basically a webcam) in PHD. A camera with an ST4 guide port is usually given the moniker guidecam but any supported imager can be used to provide the image for the guiding software to use, the guiding software then sends instructions to the mount usually via ASCOM. I believe Metaguide supports video streams from webcams and specifically supported cameras, PHD uses stills.

BTW In PHD the Server option is to allow other software to interact with PHD such as when dithering between exposures to offset exposed pixels on the CCD. If you use APT you can enable this benficially, and Metaguide and APT support dithering as well.

[MarkH]

Cheers Duncan, I'm starting to fill in various parts of the picture, lots to learn. What is so difficult is filtering out the un-necessary info.

[RobertM]

I'd start simple then add features.  So once you get guiding and are happy with the results then enable dithering so you can see what difference it makes.

Robert

[MarkH]

Cheers Robert, mmmmm dithering, I think I understand the principals behind it about getting as much info as possible o the ccd. Now, I am going to start by dumping my images onto the cf card and download them later, I know it's jurassic but it's one less complication on the night. So I'll be using an slr remote, will I need to build timings into the remote programme to acccommodate dithering ......when I get there.