Data for PECPrep?

[Magnus Larsson]

Hi all!

I'm just getting to know the softwae PECPrep, to be able to better understand the periodic error on my Losmandy G11-mount. However, I cannot figure out how to produce proper data for PECPrep with PHD2. THe manual for PECPrep says that should collect data when not guiding. SO how do I do this in PHD2? Or is it OK to guide and then just use the guidelog? Any advice warmly welcome.

Magnus

[Kenneth Crichton]

Hi Magnus,

Im also in the process of learning pecprep! You can disable guiding in phd by either running guiding assistant or not sending guide pulses to the mount using the appropriate tab in the "brain".

Maybe someone more experienced would be able to better explain.

Ken

[bw_msgboard]

You should collect and analyze unguided data to measure PE.  Once you build a correction curve for the mount and upload it, the native PE should be reduced.  Then PHD2 will typically guide out the remaining error.  To collect raw tracking data, disable guide output in PHD2:

 

 

Good luck,

Bruce

 

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[Ken Self]

Make sure that you untick that box before you click on the Start Guiding button so you don't get any guided output in the log and click the stop button at the end. Also, PECPrep only picks up the first guiding run in the log file so if your unguided run is the second one or later then PECprep wont pick it up 

I usually do a calibration then set up PHD2 to use the saved calibration. Then I close PHD2 and restart it to get a fresh log with only the unguided session. Not sure if there is a better way to do this. Maybe an enhancement to give an "open a new log file" option would be nice.

[bw_msgboard]

Hi Ken. Seems like there should usually be no need to do the initial calibration unless you’ve rotated the guide camera.  Fire up PHD2, probably using auto-restore calibration, turn off guide commands, loop, then “guide.”   I rarely re-do calibrations, so maybe I’m missing something.

 

Cheers,

Bruce

 

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From: open-phd...@googlegroups.com [mailto:open-phd...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Ken Self

Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2016 2:56 PM
To: Open PHD Guiding

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[Ken Self]

Hi Bruce, I also use auto-restore calibration. What I was trying to explain was that to make a file for PECPrep:

1) The unguided run must be the first one in the PHD2 log file or PECprep wont read it. So start PHD2 afresh to get a new log file

2) The data should not contain any guided portions or it contaminates the PECprep analysis. So use auto-restore calibration, and disable guided output before clicking the Loop button

Cheers

Ken

[Magnus Larsson]

Hi!

Great, thanks!

But... PECprep says the file contains no data?

This is what I did: started PHD2, calibrated (didn't think about restoring calibration), disabled guided output, and let it guide for a while.

Then I manually deleted the calibration part of the file. Se the attached result. What's wrong with it?

If I load a guide log, made after this, WITH guide output and calibration data included (I did all that because the system crashed), PECPrep treats it as data and displays things. So why not the special file prepared for PECPrep?

Magnus

[bw_msgboard]

This looks like the same problem as before, you have commas as decimal separators.  Log analysis apps aren’t going to handle that, include PecPrep.  You need to wait until the next Linux release package is available from Patrick or manually edit all the floating point numbers in the guide log.

 

Bruce

 

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[Patrick Chevalley]

Magnus,
You use a too old version of phd2, the guide log say 2.6.1dev7.
You must upgrade to today build of 2.6.1dev8 from the ppa. This one use the last INDI library version with fixed decimal dot.

The installed deb package version must start with 2.6.1.rev20160509, you can check with the command:
apt-cache policy phd2

Patrick

[Magnus Larsson]

Great, thanks! Upgrading to that version as I write.

I did a workaround, meanwhile, just setting the numbers locale to US
made a new log file workable in PECPrep.

Thanks again! Wonderful support!

Magnus