|
Hello all,
?
My L6 G11 has been a dream for the past 11 months now. However, two nights ago, it was not so nice.
?
I had these dec spikes that appeared to be periodic but I am not sure, and overall the guiding was messy. I did a worm adjustment just in case it was wrong, regreased the worm gear, and then back for round 2 last night. Last night was not much better.
?
Usually the mount guides at around .4-.5 ish but last night it was more around .9. Here is an attached image of a section of my guide log. Does anyone know what I can do to improve my guiding? Maybe I need to replace the wavy washer? It's been two years. Maybe a clutch pad replacement? ?Worm bearings?
?
Also to note, my polar alignment error was 1.5 arc minutes which is fine. I have been at 2.7 and still guided at .59 throughout the night. I will also attach a good guide log from a couple months ago.
?
Good log:
Bad log:
?
Thank you so much for your help!
?
Clear skies,
Michael
--
Gear:
Mount: Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Gti w/ pier extension, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics: Stellarvue SVX102T-R Raptor, Redcat 51 V2, Askar FMA180 w/ focal reducer, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera: QHY 268M, ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guiding: ZWO 290mm Mini + Askar FMA 180 w/ focal reducer, ZWOASI 120mm, ZWO 30mm f/4
Accessories: Optec Alnitak Flip Flat, TSE Prowler 3rd Gen Night Vision, QHY CFW, Stellarvue Diagonal - 2", Meade HD-60 Eyepieces. Focuser: EAF w/RC51 kit, PLL Sesto Senso 2
Brain: PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4S(spec'd out with upgrades), PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4, Asiair Plus(32 GB), Asiair Mini
Filters: Antila V-Pro LRGB, Antila 4.5nm Edge Sii and Oiii, Antila 7nm Ha, Optolong L-Ultimate, Optolong L-eNhance, Astromania Luminance Filter, Thousand Oaks Optical Full Aperture (Solarlite Polymer) Solar Filter
|
On Fri, Aug 2, 2024 at 10:30 AM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Hello all,
?
My L6 G11 has been a dream for the past 11 months now. However, two nights ago, it was not so nice.
?
I had these dec spikes that appeared to be periodic but I am not sure, and overall the guiding was messy. I did a worm adjustment just in case it was wrong, regreased the worm gear, and then back for round 2 last night. Last night was not much better.
?
Usually the mount guides at around .4-.5 ish but last night it was more around .9. Here is an attached image of a section of my guide log. Does anyone know what I can do to improve my guiding? Maybe I need to replace the wavy washer? It's been two years. Maybe a clutch pad replacement? ?Worm bearings?
?
Also to note, my polar alignment error was 1.5 arc minutes which is fine. I have been at 2.7 and still guided at .59 throughout the night. I will also attach a good guide log from a couple months ago.
?
Good log:
Bad log:
?
Thank you so much for your help!
?
Clear skies,
Michael
--
Gear:
Mount: Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Gti w/ pier extension, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics: Stellarvue SVX102T-R Raptor, Redcat 51 V2, Askar FMA180 w/ focal reducer, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera: QHY 268M, ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guiding: ZWO 290mm Mini + Askar FMA 180 w/ focal reducer, ZWOASI 120mm, ZWO 30mm f/4
Accessories: Optec Alnitak Flip Flat, TSE Prowler 3rd Gen Night Vision, QHY CFW, Stellarvue Diagonal - 2", Meade HD-60 Eyepieces. Focuser: EAF w/RC51 kit, PLL Sesto Senso 2
Brain: PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4S(spec'd out with upgrades), PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4, Asiair Plus(32 GB), Asiair Mini
Filters: Antila V-Pro LRGB, Antila 4.5nm Edge Sii and Oiii, Antila 7nm Ha, Optolong L-Ultimate, Optolong L-eNhance, Astromania Luminance Filter, Thousand Oaks Optical Full Aperture (Solarlite Polymer) Solar Filter
What did you change? Something in your guide software or maybe the guide scope got loose?
?
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
|
On Fri, Aug 2, 2024 at 01:30 PM, Michael Telesco wrote:
I had these dec spikes that appeared to be periodic but I am not sure, and overall the guiding was messy. I did a worm adjustment just in case it was wrong, regreased the worm gear, and then back for round 2 last night. Last night was not much better.
?
Hi Michael,
?
Maybe posting a PHD2 guide log would help. The screen shot is hard to read. Here are some common issues causing spikes in DEC:
?
- Backlash adjustment -- too much or not enough backlash causes DEC direction reversal to overshoot. Can be caused by poor mechanical adjustment or software backlash compensation
- Autoguider calibration -- make sure PHD2 is properly calibrated for that session, before you start guiding. Reduce guider aggressiveness if too large, or increase if too small
- Something loose in the optical train -- a little shifting over time in the optical train can cause sudden jumps
- Old grease, some dirt in the grease, not enough grease can also cause sudden jumps
I'd start with the first two as the most likely culprits (and easier to find and fix).
?
Regards,
?
? ?-Paul
|
Michael,
?
Are you sure it isn't just the atmosphere?
?
The way to tell is to keep logging on but turn guiding off.? Then de-trend the data to take out any drift. What is left in DEC is the atmosphere. What is left in RA is the atmosphere + gear "noise".
?
All the best.
?
Mark C.
|
More ideas for a change in Dec guiding:
?
-the Dec clutch has come loose and does not respond fully to motor pulses
-the Dec clutch pad got oily and need to be cleaned
-the scope may have been bumped or otherwise lost some polar alignment?
?
Other than that, your guide log will help diagnose, as already mentioned.
?
John
?
?
--
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user
|
Hello everyone,
?
Thank you for all of your replies! I will attach the guide logs now. Yeah, a replacing of the clutch pads might help.?
?
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
|
On Sun, Aug 4, 2024 at 10:23 AM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Hello everyone,
?
Thank you for all of your replies! I will attach the guide logs now. Yeah, a replacing of the clutch pads might help.?
?
Hi Michael, I've not looked at the logs in detail yet, but it appears you're connecting to the secondary Gemini driver (#2) instead of the primary one in the log. That driver is meant to be used when you have two Gemini units connected to the PC simultaneously. It shouldn't hurt to use it with just one Gemini, but if you have the other ASCOM profile configured with the correct settings while #2 profile is not, and you use the #2 driver, you may get unexpected results.
?
Use?  and not  ?
Regards,
?
? -Paul
?
|
I have been using Gemini #2 for as long as I remember surprisingly and its been fine. Maybe worth trying #1 though...
?
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
|
On Sun, Aug 4, 2024 at 10:32 PM, Michael Telesco wrote:
I have been using Gemini #2 for as long as I remember surprisingly and its been fine. Maybe worth trying #1 though...
?
If that’s the driver you’ve been using, then you should probably just stick to using it. It’s only a problem if you accidentally switch to using the other driver, that isn’t configured yet.
|
Yikes its getting worse. Guiding at like 1.5 right now its horrid.?
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
|
On Sun, Aug 4, 2024 at 11:51 PM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Yikes its getting worse. Guiding at like 1.5 right now its horrid.?
Ouch! I'll try to review your PHD2 logs today and see what I can find.?
|
On Sun, Aug 4, 2024 at 10:23 AM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Thank you for all of your replies! I will attach the guide logs now. Yeah, a replacing of the clutch pads might help.?
?
Hi Michael,
?
I don't see any large issues in the guide logs. It appears both, RA and DEC guide with nearly the same RMS error, and there are no spikes, periodic or otherwise, that I can see in either axis. In the first 2 hour guide session, RA RMS is 0.61" and DEC 0.62".? This seems like just a seeing variability issue and not mount-related.
?
Second two hour session, DEC was very slightly worse (RA 0.61", DEC 0.69"). Not a big difference.
?
I'd try to adjust the aggression to less than 100% in Y axis, as this could be causing overshoots. Backlash in DEC could be causing a slight degradation in DEC guiding as it takes the mount 4-5 guider corrections to reverse directions. Check and adjust TVC setting in Gemini (I usually have it set to 0).
?
Also, you may benefit from a bit longer settling time after dither. I fsee frequent major swings in both, DEC and RA after the settle time is completed.
?
Regards,
?
? -Paul
?
?
?
|
Got it. Also for some reason my guide scope now has huge halos which I think is IR getting in so I got a 1.25in IR/UV cut filter for my guide cam. That will hopefully bring the HFR down and thus produce some more kind results.?
?
Thanks again for the help!
?
Best,
Michael
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
|
On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 05:49 PM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Got it. Also for some reason my guide scope now has huge halos which I think is IR getting in so I got a 1.25in IR/UV cut filter for my guide cam. That will hopefully bring the HFR down and thus produce some more kind results.?
?
Thanks again for the help!
?
Best,
Michael
--
?
Huge halos? Focus? Dew? Contaminated optics or camera sensor??
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
|
On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 05:49 PM, Michael Telesco wrote:
Got it. Also for some reason my guide scope now has huge halos which I think is IR getting in so I got a 1.25in IR/UV cut filter for my guide cam. That will hopefully bring the HFR down and thus produce some more kind results.?
?
Thanks again for the help!
?
Best,
Michael
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
Michael,
?
So what happened?
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
Astrospheric Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
|
Sorry for the late response. Cloudy until tonight. Guiding is not as bad as before, but not better. Ranges from .8-1.2.
?
Going to replace clutch pads and wavy washer. Maybe I should clean the worm gears? Its been a couple years. I could take them out and clean them well.?
?
Want to get this sorted before the BFSP this sept!
--
Gear:
Mount:?Losmandy G11G Gemini 2 Level 6, Star Adventurer Pro
Optics:?Redcat 51 V2, Canon EOS 18-135mm Zoom Lens
Camera:?ZWOASI 533 MC Pro, Canon EOS 80D (Stock)
Guide Camera:?ZWOASI 120mm
Guide Scope:?ZWO 30mm f/4
Brain:?PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4
Filters:?Optolong L-Ultimate, Astromania Luminance Filter
|
Chip Louie
Paul Kanevsky