PHD Use Multiple Stars disabled

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Fabrice Lamidey

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Feb 18, 2026, 3:39:30 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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Hello everyone,

I recently changed my main scope and moved from an OAG to a Guidescope.

Since then, I have had an issue with the Use Multiplte Stars option in PHD2. 

After some events (mainly star lost because of low snr), the multi-star guiding is disabled. Then, not only does it never kick in again, but the checkbox in the Advanced settings gets unchecked and I have to recheck it to start multistar guiding.

I do not remember ever seeing this behavior before (multi star kicked back in as soon as appropriate snr was found again), so I may very well have done something wrong in my settings but I do not understand what.

I am using a 240mm guide scope barlowed x2 on a ASI220mm mini. 

I attached the logs for last night, where the problem is shown in section 14 at 04:14. Prior to that, multistar guiding worked fine but it got deselected after that and never kicked back in, the checkbox was found unchecked as well in the morning.

https://openphdguiding.org/logs/dl/PHD2_logs_YNnh.zip

Any help is appreciated.
Fabrice

Brian Valente

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Feb 18, 2026, 3:42:37 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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Multi-star guiding is disabled for comet tracking, it appears you were using quite a bit of that?

 Line 381882: 06:00:01.617 00.002 9672 MultiStar mode disabled
Line 381883: 06:00:01.619 00.002 9672 Comet tracking disabled, user's multi-star mode restored
Line 381896: 06:00:01.640 00.001 9672 MultiStar mode disabled
Line 381897: 06:00:01.641 00.001 9672 Multi-star mode disabled for comet tracking

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Brian Valente

Fabrice Lamidey

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Feb 18, 2026, 3:51:16 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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Thanks Brian for looking!

If I did (use comet tracking), I was completely unaware.

Is that an option to disable ?

Fabrice Lamidey

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Feb 18, 2026, 3:53:35 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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As far as I can tell, Comet tracking is not enabled
SdfpK29aYw.png

Fabrice Lamidey

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Feb 18, 2026, 3:57:38 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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And I do not use Orbitals, just regular NINA guiding.
Wg55S8Nb4W.png

Bruce Waddington

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Feb 18, 2026, 5:36:36 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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This is being caused by a server command coming from NINA to enable shift-lock parameters.  This signals the intent of the client application to modify the PHD2 lock position on its own, usually for the purpose of tracking a comet.  If there is no intent to control the lock position that way, the 'enable' command shouldn't be sent.  Are you re-using a NINA script that was previously used for comet tracking?  This isn't something we normally see with NINA usage unless the user is intentionally trying to track an object that's not moving at the sidereal rate.

Bruce

Mike Ales

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Feb 18, 2026, 6:14:13 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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it could be as simple as the mount has not been set, reset, or the power on default is wrong.

He needs to do a set tracking sideral either in the equipment mount pane on NINA or a set tracking sideral in the advanced sequencer.

Like was suggested this might have occurred because of prior sequence or a reused sequence that had a different tracking rate.


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Fabrice Lamidey

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Feb 18, 2026, 6:33:52 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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I have never used any comet tracking sequence or comet related instructions in any of my sequences.

There is a Set Tracking Sidereal as well as Restore Guiding but nothing unconventional.

I am using now the Flexure Compensation Plugin though and I am guessing it might well be the culprit. I will investigate further.

Thanks for your inputs! 

Brian Valente

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Feb 18, 2026, 6:37:09 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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Flexure compensation sounds like the culprit. It adjusts the tracking rate


Brian 



Brian Valente
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