PHD2 not to good

[Astroglide65]

Hello everybody,
Last night I set up my Mak-Newton/AVX out back and used my ZWOASI224MC as the guide camera. The PHD2 profile I created worked good but just to kill some time I re-calibrated and ran the Guide Assistant again. Everything went really well! Today I'm planning on using my camping setup a 60mm ED Refractor on a iEXOS mount. The ZWO camera will be the guide camera. I had created the profile on PHD2 but hadn't used it yet so this morning I decided to try it out. I started up PHD2, connected the mount and camera, hit the loop circle and up popped the grey fuzzy image. I messed around with the exposure setting and the focus but no results. Went to Sharpcap Pro and connected the camera there, set the exposure and got a good image. OK the camera works, back to PHD2, camera doesn't work!!. OK so back to Sharpcap, connected the camera and then went back to PHD2..OMG it's working now. Went back to Sharcap turned off the camera there. Back to PHD2 it's not working now. Grrrrr....deleted the profile and created it again. Same boat, OK leave it connected to Sharpcap and PHD2 at the same time for a cheap fix. Not! After awhile PHD2 kept losing connection to ZWO over and over.

What's wrong and do you know how to fix? This is a first for me.
Dano

P.S. Hope everybody is well!

[Astroglide65]

Oh, I checked and it's up to date.
Dano

[Baskevo]

What is your main imaging camera, a DSLR? and how are you connecting the guide camera to your computer?

[yobbo89]

I get the same annoying problem...

Try using ascom driver in phd or if you already are then switch to the direct zwo driver, try either one.try 8 bit mode and bin 2x2 Change usb bandwidth settings if you can, typically 1 to 2 sec exposure is reasonable. This should deal with any bandwidth problems, it also seems sometime phd looks like it is hanging but it's not, locate a star and see if frames are going through instead of having the lense cap on and checking the random noise it generates as an image.

If no luck, I would be looking at usb cords, usb sockets, cleaning or replacing them, process priority settings in windows. Then last thing the camera.

[Astroglide65]

What is your main imaging camera, a DSLR? and how are you connecting the guide camera to your computer?

Sometimes I use the DSLR, sometimes I use the ZWOASI224MC. I've been using another camera the Revolution Imager 2 as guide camera but it's kind of unreliable. I connect using the USB cables that came with them. Last night everything worked great.

Dano

[Astroglide65]

I re-installed PHD2, all the ZWO drivers and still not working. Cables are fine when using Sharpcap. Will try your suggestions.
Thanks!
Dano

[Baskevo]

I agree with Yobbo, I was going to suggest messing with the usb limit settings. Usually lowering it is required if you don't see an image. Also try 8 bit mode if it's not already, and try 16-bit if it is already in 8 bit mode.

Are you connecting the guide camera to a USB hub, which connects to your computer? Have you tried another USB cable?

[Astroglide65]

I agree with Yobbo, I was going to suggest messing with the usb limit settings. Usually lowering it is required if you don't see an image. Also try 8 bit mode if it's not already, and try 16-bit if it is already in 8 bit mode.

Are you connecting the guide camera to a USB hub, which connects to your computer? Have you tried another USB cable?

No hubs, my laptop has 3 USB ports. I always connect each USB to the same port each time. The cables work fine using them on Sharpcap and same camera. Worked fine last night and I haven't changed anything except the mount. From AVX to iEXOS where I have to use POTH to make the erial connection to laptop.
Thanks,
Dano

[Astroglide65]

OK,
It's cloudy here tonight but I took the guide scope/camera (ZWO) outside with the laptop. Fired up PHD2, connected to the ZWO camera and set the exposure to Auto just to look. Pointed at the Moon behind the trees and OMG I got a good image of the tree. Guess I can't use ZWO on PHD2 in the DAY like I can on Sharpcap. Who'da known?
Thanks everybody!
Dano