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I'm going to try it out tonight! I won't have too much time, so I'll probably need a few nights to have a solid understanding, but hopefully this will help! Anyone else tried this yet??

Jamie

So far from last night I'm not seeing any earth shattering improvements. It's hard to tell if I am getting better RMS results as they usually vary by at least 10-15%. The first part of the night I saw all kinds of random huge spikes. I'm guessing phd2 was just getting confused about the centroid, and the guiding was actually fine because the images looked great. I ended up deleting all config files for PHD2 and starting again, and I didn't see the spikes anymore. My RMS results went back to normal, actually better than what I've been seeing lately. Lately I've been getting around 0.9 -- 1.0 RMS, but last night it went down to 0.9 -- 0.7.?

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Glad to contribute. I'm using a hyperstar on an edgehd8. Guiding is with a 60mm / 242mm focal length Astromania guide scope + ASI 178MC camera. I measured the focal length with a plate solve, so it should be pretty accurate.?Everything is running on an astroberry updated to the latest yesterday (Astroberry Server release 2.0.3 I believe that phd2 was beta2.). And the mount is a maybe 2 year old GM811G.?
Jamie

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 04:02 PM, Brian Valente wrote:

In general, it's incredibly easy. just go to advanced settings->guiding and check the 'use multiple stars' checkbox

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some thoughts:

- it uses only automatic star selection. Any manual selection will disable multi-star

- People are seeing 10-15% improvement in guiding

- the amount of improvement depends in part on your focal length: the longer the focal length, the less impact it seems to have. be interested in your results here

Ah-Ha!
You left out that special detail. I now have that box checked. The devil is in the details.
I always do use the automatic star detection. It's just so convenient for me.
Used it every since it showed up.

If you have an inside track Brian, could you suggest a way that when PHD2 is opened, it automatically opens the last parameters it used? (A check box in program would be nice.) (I always use my quick start menu to open the programs I use.)
That way, I wouldn't have to do the shift-click to open the same camera and mount as I always use anyway. ;^) (How many folks actually change their camera and mount from night to night? I don't.)?

Mostly, I'm always interested in what's on the cutting edge.?

I don't have multiple cameras I use, but my Atik Infiniky program opens with the camera ready to start primary imaging. That eliminates several repetitive steps for me, for example.

I look forward to actually trying the Multi star feature in PHD2. I'm wondering if it can correct drift during hour after hour of imaging. I see it in Stellarium, but not in my images. So if it isn't in my picturds, I've been dismissing it as a program error in Stellarium. Because my images are coming out my best ever.
I typically pick a single object, and just suck the light out of it all evening. No flip, no adjustments. I'm weird. 8^)
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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

After resetting the config files (.PHDGuidingV2 and .phd2) last night I didn't see any spikes or issues with the centroid.?I think that something in the old config files was confusing it. I have seen this before, and have made a habit of saving off good config files, and restoring them before starting a session. I hate this kind of mystery fix, but there it is. I'm going to do a diff on a good config file vs a bad one and see if I can find an obvious issue with the config.?

So after resetting the config files I was seeing what looked like an improvement, but it's hard to tell with just last nights session. I'm going to toggle the multi-star next time to get a better understanding of the performance differences.?

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 09:42 AM, Brian Valente wrote:

you mean like the feature that is there now? :)

Nope, that is checked when installed, natively. (And is checked. I checked, to see if it was checked, and it's checked. ;^)))? )
What I was hoping for is... maybe a cookie (?) that when PHD is opened, it does an automatic connect to the last mount and camera used.
It would eliminate the Shift-click on the Dillon O'donald USB A symbol.
Not that actually starting that is such a PITA, but if PHD2 (or 3?) could auto-start, well I know I would like it. But it might not be something most would like.
I realize the way it is also allows me to chose just the camera during testing or fooling around without the mount. (Like setting up the new Guide Camera.)

If I can find a lazier way to do stuff, I'll always be looking for it. LOL! ;^)
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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

I believe tools like NINA have the capability of controlling PhD2 remotely. At least when i use it, and i connect the guider, it starts PhD2 and starts guiding automatically without any intervention

Guilherme

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 10:24 AM Sonny Edmonds <pedmondsjr@...> wrote:

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 09:42 AM, Brian Valente wrote:

you mean like the feature that is there now? :)

Nope, that is checked when installed, natively. (And is checked. I checked, to see if it was checked, and it's checked. ;^)))? )
What I was hoping for is... maybe a cookie (?) that when PHD is opened, it does an automatic connect to the last mount and camera used.
It would eliminate the Shift-click on the Dillon O'donald USB A symbol.
Not that actually starting that is such a PITA, but if PHD2 (or 3?) could auto-start, well I know I would like it. But it might not be something most would like.
I realize the way it is also allows me to chose just the camera during testing or fooling around without the mount. (Like setting up the new Guide Camera.)

If I can find a lazier way to do stuff, I'll always be looking for it. LOL! ;^)
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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

Is there a new version of PHD2?? I have the latest, based on their website and I don't see an option for multi-stars.

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 09:50 AM, Michael Herman wrote:

Just curious...what are your autoguide exposure times??

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Glad you folks are testing the multistar idea.??

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If your polar alignment is near perfect multistar alignment should work.? If your polar alignment is off, the different guide stars will appear to rotate with respect to each other.? I think then the algorithm must have some smarts to know what to do.? In fact a multistar alignment using multiple stars rotation data should be able to show the mount polar alignment is off.

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The ASI178 is a backside illuminated chip...very sensitive.? I was even able to see M1 in 2 sec guide exposures last night in my 80mm piggyback guide scope (ASI178MM mono version).??

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I also have to use the max size 50 pixel search box...I wish PHD2 would increase that limit!??

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Stay well, and send some pictures home (to us here!)

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I'm using the default 1 second exposure, as a rule. Sometimes I'll change it, but not normally.

I've been using SharpCap to PA. I take it to extremes though, I try to get all zero's. But atmospheric gives me some anomalies.
But over all I think I'm getting the best results ever now.

I'm using a new ZWO ASI 290 MM mini guide camera. My images have gotten smaller background stars with it guiding. I don't know is it is back illuminated.

I do remember it is using 15 stars as it's search region. And it seems to be working for me. What is gained with a wider search area? (I did broaden mine to 30, from 15. FYI)

Pictures? I'll send you off site to save bandwidth here. ;^)? ?and
I had never heard of the latter one. And beginners luck, it came out right side up.

Anyway, just ribbing Brian a bit. When I pick on you, you come to realize you are a good friend.
Sorry to pirate your reply Michale. ;^)
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SonnyE


(I suggest viewed in full screen)

I think that I was using 30 pixels for the search box. I was worried in the past that phd2 would get lost if it had too many pixels to search through -- I have no idea if there is any validity to this worry.?

My alignment is generally good, both RA and DEC drift align were showing around 1.?

Yes, I've found that I can make out the deep space objects in the guide pictures. It's really cool to see that.?

Thanks for asking for photos! This hobby can seem pretty solitary sometimes!
These are some of my latest shots that I've taken trying out my Hyperstar. Only Ha, and OIII for now, and I'm still learning how to do things with the hyperstar. I've been having quite a bit of fun with it, I can get so much more data at F1.9 Wow!?

I designed and 3d printed a dew-shield-bathinov-mask-wire-guide-cap for it that allows me to leave the camera on as long as I like without getting too worried about it. I'm quite proud of my self!?



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