开云体育

Hi!

Maybe, just maybe, you have the same spikes as I have, Jamie. See the attached guide-log. First run is interestingly enough without spikes, 2nd and 3rd have spikes, all in the same direction (I still have no clue about how to be sure which direction this is....) - and all RA spikes seems to happen when given a small guide pulse in the direction of the spike.

4th run same pattern + some DEC + RA spikes. In these, the RA spike is not simultaneous to a pulse guide. Since these are in both RA and DEC, I guess this is something different. So I do not focus on them now.

So my thinking: the RA-only spikes, seemingly triggered by a guide pulse, could depend on RA backlash and the scope too well balanced - so the small guide pulse sends the scope off an unproportional distance, so to speak across the backlash. Does that seem reasonable? It can be tested by Michael's suggestion of hanging an extra weight on the eastern side and see what happens. Need to wait for clear skies and then try (too bad this can not be tried during the day, and when cloudy).

I'm guiding with a 600 mm guidescope with a Lodestar, piggybacked on a C11, on a G11 with untucked motors, OPW and high precision worm. I have PEC enabled (have tested on and off, seems not to affect these spikes now).

When I run PemPro of guiding assistant in PHD2, there is a very smooth curve and no spikes like this. Which I think would rule out anything like dirt in the needle-bearings or on the worm, etc. These spikes seems only to occur when actively guiding. Again: makes sense?

Maybe this resonates with your situation, Jamie?

Magnus