PHD advice

[Fay]

PHD has been playing up for a while now. difficult to assess when not outside frequently.

it is often "not responding"

when guide star is ready for calibration,   the broken green lines do not appear.  star just sits there with a box around it, no movement.
bottom left it shows east west etc calibration steps, but no lines appear.

the GPUSB cable is in the hub, but would this have anything to do with the problem?

I think i will have to do a full setup via direct computer connections

Thanks,

Fay

[RobertM]

Fay,

more cables = more stress, you should know this more than most !

The EQMod method is far superior - it does the same thing but with far less hassle.  I can help if needed.

Robert

[Carole]

That's really annoying as without Guiding what can you do?

What about a re-install of PHD? 

I have a Hitechastro USB guider if you want to borrow that to see if it makes any difference it works just like a GPUSB.  I have it for sale at the moment, but no-one has offered.

Carole

[The Thing]

Fay, some basic info please.

What version of PHD2? Should be version 2.6 from openphdguiding.org. Read the manual as it does loads of good things besides guide.

What guide camera? Are you still using an ST4 cable? I keep reading that they are a common point of failure. You should be using ASCOM/EQMOD via an EQDIR module these days as it enables PHD to get useful information back from the mount and to use pulse guiding which works by varying the speed of the mount rather than the ancient ST4 method from last century :}

EQMOD when you choose to use it, should be 1.28m or newer from the Yahoo group files section - not the Sourceforge version which is relatively very old.

The hub must be powered and be good quality, I am using a Belkin hub at my pier now and it is much faster than my previous Lindy.com (which never let me down) when downloading two DSLR images and guiding and guide camera traffic which points to better electronics and connectors.

But from your description I think it's much simpler than that. Once you have selected the star (green box) PUSH HERE DUMMY (that's what PHD stands for!) use the PHD button!

[Fay]

I do push the PHD button, but no broken green lines appear. I have uninstalled and reinstalled PHD1, version 14

DMK guide camera, i may buy a normal hub!

I have got EQMOD, but it is a palavar setting something else up when I have to set up and take down every time I use it.

I have the mount indoors, at the moment, so will be doing a bit of testing tomorrow. thankyou for all your suggestions, I will let you know what happens.

[The Thing]

I have uninstalled and reinstalled PHD1, version 14

That's so old and unsupported Fay, click the link I put in and get the latest version. You can keep PHD1 installed as it doesn't get overwritten as none of it is used in the new versions, all re-written and debugged as well as the camera drivers etc. being overhauled. It will even try and tell you what the problem is.

Just follow the Wizard prompts when it runs first time.

[Fay]

thanks Duncan

[Fay]

Good news is, the positive wire had come out of the power supply that the hub runs from. bad news is, I have to dress up with big  coat & boots to retrieve the GPUSB from the shed at the top of the garden!

[Carole]

Well at least you found the problem Fay, well done.

Carole

[Fay]

Hope i have found the problem. will have another go with EQMOD.