NewB Help Please!

Sequence Generator Sequencing
1

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing the software, lots of features at a very attractive price. I have been learning it over the past few days by looking at the documentation. Last night I gave it a go under the stars. I encountered a problem. Here is my setup.

AP1600 Mount
APCC running the mount
Borg 77ed doing mainly guiding work at 500mm
RC10 main imaging scope at 1700mm
Full version of Pinpoint 6. something…
Maxim DL6
SBIG ST8XE
CFW8a
PHD2

I was able to create a profile for the equipment and the user. I was able to apply the parameters to the sequence. I built a LRGB sequence with a designated target coordinate, pinpoint solve, repositioning to get it spot on, followed by taking the images. All the steps were active.

The scope slews beautifully to the target.
It takes and image successfully
Pinpoint solves successfully
I already have the guider on and working
Then, nothing happens. The sequence does not run thereafter.
It just stops.

I tried to set one of the tasks as current and bypass the targeting and pinpoint solutions since they were repeaditly successful and I tried to use the practice guider so I could isolate just taking the images and it runs and says the sequence is done but no images are taken.

I spent hours on this last night. Anyone have some suggestions? Also note that yes, I did have the checkboxes toggled in the imaging tasks so they should have worked. I had some issues with the camera but I think it was user error. I was able to take images utilizing the frame and center separately as well as pinpoint solve. Don’t know why it does not go through the imaging part of the equation.

SGP talks to the scope via APCC and the ASCOM Driver
SGP talks to the cameras via standard SBIG drivers.

Other software seems to work okay. Just does not execute the image part of the equation.

2

For people to help you please provide a SGP log of your session.

3

Thanks.

I will forward that tonight to the group.

4

Thanks for the lead. That was easy. I did a fresh install just in case, and started everything again. I provided the same input, and when it clean failed, I looked at the log. The camera was waiting for the guider to report back that it had settled in accordance with the criteria set forth in the associated parameter. The default parameters were too tight. I loosened them up.

That did the trick. This is spectacular. I just ran a five target test. Everything was spot on. Wonderful. This is probably a game changer.

1 Like
5

Andy,

This is killer. I love it. I saw you guys on the astro-imaging channel and decided to try it out. Wonderful. I am sold.

6

just wait till it does an AUTO meridian flip for ya…its a thing of beauty :blush:

7

I already think it is a thing of beauty. Worked flawlessly last night. I even integrated in the focusing function, which worked just about as well as any other focusing routine I have used except for maybe focusmax. Then again, I only used it around 7 times so time will tell. So far it was great.

I really like the structure of the program. It took me about five or five hours to drill into most of the functionality and read the documentation behind it. This time also included some time allotted to learning APCC. Then I spent another two or three hours testing and integrating the different functionality. I am sure I will continue to discover tweaks. I found a couple of graphics issues associated with having the help windows open, and trying to work the software on multiple monitors, but they were just irritants and did not affect the performance.

The PH2 guiding integration was great, and the shut down and start up of the guiding with little intervention was impressive and consistently worked. I am a little confused as to why the dim stars are chosen for guiding, but I suspect it has to do with PHD2 maximizing the SNR for the guide star. It worked well even though I could not see the guide star that well.

I am fortunate to have an AP1600, so I hope to keep those meridian flips to a minimum, but for amusement, I will probably try one out next night out.

I can’t wait to try out the mosaic features and for sure want the email functionality. However, for now, it is probably best to continue to test run the existing installation for a while before I progress. I am going to try out the local ansrv functionality. I already have it running with pinpoint, so I will want that integrated in to SGP.

8

just saw this post… yes, PHD likes to make sure it picks stars that are not saturated. Mosaic feature is really cool !! and the email notification system is a GREAT help toooooo. :sunglasses: I used to use astrometry all the time but now that is my backup. PS2 is the way to go !!!

1 Like