Auto darks

Is there a way to do autodarks? I have a guide camera with a built-in shutter. Phd kept mistaking a hot pixel as a star.

You need to create darks or a bad pixel map in PHD, not in SGP. I would suggest using a bad pixel map. PHD makes it super easy to do this. Just go to the Darks menu and click on Bad Pixel Map. PHD will then instruct you to take a series of images (with the scope covered) and create a bad pixel map for you. Those hot pixels will then disappear!

You only need to do this once with each equipment profile, as PHD will save the bad pixel map between sessions.

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Following up on this conversation, I understand what was explained here is the ability PHD has to store a library of darks, but how about cameras like SBIG with a mechanical shutter?.

I’m evaluating SGP, very impressed so far BTW!.

Is there an option to select “auto dark”?, then the camera will take one auto dark then all images in the guiding or focusing sequence will be a dark “auto” subtracted image (for example when playing with the plate solver or frame and focus)… this without having to physically cover the scope, avoids having to create a library for guiding or focusing/plate solving on hot pixels.

Looked everywhere and can’t find where to configure this…hope I’m not asking a repeated question. thanks.

I’ll try to answer the PHD2 part of your question…

PHD2 does not require the camera to be covered if the camera has a mechanical shutter. If the camera has a mechanical shutter PHD2 will automatically use the shutter when taking dark frames for a dark library or bad-pixel map. For guide cameras without a mechanical shutter PHD2 will prompt you to cover the scope and uncover it when done taking the dark frames.

SGP really has nothing to do with the guiding part, though it does manage focusing and plate solving of course.

Andy