Stop moving Dammit 4

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Astroglide65
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Stop moving Dammit 4

#1

Post by Astroglide65 »


Hello everybody,
Yesterday as told by the Celestron Tech Support I updated the Firmware both HC and MC, 12 packages total. Followed the instructions https://www.celestron.com/blogs/knowled ... n-eq-mount and got Polar Aligned to Azm: +00 00 03 Alt: 00 00 02 and re-calibrated PHD2 and ran Guide Assistant. It made a difference in performance but wasn't as good as it once was. The Celestron 5 amp power cable came the other day so I shut down and changed power supply and powered back up. I chose to use the previous alignment. I re-calibrated PHD2 again and ran Guide Assistant again. I slewed to M74 and ran some long exposures. PHD2 was running very smooth! This didn't last long....The RA line kept climbing and climbing. I slewed to another target M45. This time PHD2's RA line started looking like a crosscut saw blade! Out of straws to pull I shut down PHD2 and looked at what was happening to the mount. I had the exposure in Sharpcap 3.2 set at 2 seconds and gain wide open. I watched the stars slowly move like a step every 2 seconds up and left on the screen for 6 steps, freeze in place for 6 seconds and suddenly down and right to where this all started. Over and over.....

Help!
Dano
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JayTee United States of America
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#2

Post by JayTee »


My AVX mount, which I have dubbed "the paint can shaker" because the R.A. line in PHD2 looks like a sawtooth, is at a point where either I have to open it up and investigate or I send it back to Celestron and let them bring my mount back from the dead.

Not the news you were looking for but that is what I believe is your next step.

Not cheers,
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."

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Astroglide65
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#3

Post by Astroglide65 »


Well, I've been emailing them, I just told them what's going on.
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#4

Post by SkyHiker »


If you use ASPA for polar alignment keep in mind that you need to iterate. After polar alignment you need to redo the goto alignment, then ASPA again, then goto alignment again, etcetera until the adjustments are small. If you only do one goto alignment followed by ASPA, your tracking can be off and that could result in what you see.

I got tired of this so I do polar alignment first with my own method, followed by one goto alignment, no further iterations necessary.
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
Astroglide65
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#5

Post by Astroglide65 »


Maybe barking up the wrong tree but could the problem be in ASCOM's drivers? The last two night's the driver stopped working and I had to restart PHD2.

Dano
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#6

Post by JayTee »


The easy way to find out is, don't start the ASCOM drivers and do just a timed (with no guiding) exposure to see what happens. A 3-5 minute exposure should tell you all you need to know.

Cheers,
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."

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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#7

Post by SkyHiker »


Astroglide65 wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:27 am Maybe barking up the wrong tree but could the problem be in ASCOM's drivers? The last two night's the driver stopped working and I had to restart PHD2.

Dano
I think I advised earlier already to use ST4 autoguiding to take ASCOM out of the loop.
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
Astroglide65
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#8

Post by Astroglide65 »


Yeah, the ASICAP software from ZWO allows ST4 guiding, I looked that over one night instead of using PHD2 but didn't really try it out.

Will do!
Dano
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#9

Post by Astroglide65 »


JayTee wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 2:09 am The easy way to find out is, don't start the ASCOM drivers and do just a timed (with no guiding) exposure to see what happens. A 3-5 minute exposure should tell you all you need to know.

Cheers,
JT
Wednesday night I turned off PHD2 and slewed to M45, centered up one of the bigger stars, up/right keys. As I watched the star would go up/left like stairs every 2 seconds. After 6 steps it would pause for 6 seconds and go right back to where it started and then do it all over again.

Dano
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#10

Post by Astroglide65 »


If without the OTA mounted and the clutch opened I turn the RA clockwise it spins freely but if I turn counter clockwise it tightens up in a turn and a half. Can this be my problem I'm chasing?
Dano
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#11

Post by JimMinCT »


You know, I had this issue, albeit not to the extent you seem to be having it, last night.
A couple of good pushes on the HC in the opposite direction stopped it dead. I'm assuming you've tried this as well?
OTA's: Kson 1026-C, 4" Carbon Fiber ED Refractor, Home-built, 6.1", f/2.? APO refractor... (In Progress) 8" Meade LX2 SCT Mounts: CGX Imaging: ZWO ASI 1600MM, Canon 550D (T2i) Software: PixInsight, APT, PHD2, SharpCap, SGP, Stellarium, Registax, Stuff: Astro-Tech 0.8x FR/FF, Hotech SCA FF, ZWO 7nm 31mm LRGB-SHO filter set, ZWO 8 position EFWObsy: "Maybe Spaceship" Observatory
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#12

Post by Micke187 »


Are you sure your polar alignment is good? And also the balancing is very crucial or else you will experience backlash.
It almost feel like its a combo of poor PA and balancing you experiencing. It can look good in the beginning but when the backlash takes over you get this problem with the spikey graph.
Or you got some pinching in the gears in somewhere.
TS-optics photoline 115mm triplet + 1.0x flattener
Guiding: qhy5lll APM 50mm guidescope
Main camera: ASI1600MM pro +Starlight xpress filterwheel (Ha,OIII, SII ,LRGB baader filter)
Mount: heq5 Rowan mod
Zwo EAF focuser
Programs: APT, DSS, PIxinsight, Nebulosity3, Phd2, CDC Eqmod
Astroglide65
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Re: Stop moving Dammit 4

#13

Post by Astroglide65 »


Micke187 wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2019 6:26 pm Are you sure your polar alignment is good? And also the balancing is very crucial or else you will experience backlash.
It almost feel like its a combo of poor PA and balancing you experiencing. It can look good in the beginning but when the backlash takes over you get this problem with the spikey graph.
Or you got some pinching in the gears in somewhere.
Yeah I'm pretty sure I polar align almost dead nuts. I have gotten 4 minutes exposures effortlessly one night and half hour later after slewing to new target it goes to crap. On PHD2's graph I've seen flat lines suddenly split up, RA diving and DEC climbing. I turned off PHD2 and slewed to a big star, centered it using up/right buttons on HC and watched it on the monitor. The star steps up/left every 2 seconds 6 times, pause there for 6 seconds and then down/right back to where it started over and over. I've balanced equal, East heavy West heavy....I've balanced the OTA on a table top on a pencil, marked that spot and centered it up in the mount clamp.

Dano
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