Connect Mount & Camera to PHD2

[Gregory Scharf]

Newbie here and extremely overwhelmed and not even sure how to connect everything correctly.

I need help please!!!!!!

I've downloaded ASCOM, EQMOD, GS Server 

My mount doesn't even show up as an option - I get the following - see attached picture for mount

The only thing I know that is correct is the camera choice and me filling in the guide scope focal length

I have an Atlas Sirius EQ-G and ZWO ASI224MC

First - the cables

Camera USB from camera to computer - got that - easy

Camera ST4 cable from camera to mount auto guide port or from camera to hand controller??

Using the setup wizard

Got camera correct and the guide scope focal length entered - got that - easy

Now the questions and confusion:

Mount - please see attached picture of options - all the instructions I found say to choose on-camera - is this right??  If I choose on-camera, then I get  "you may want to choose AUX Mount" and none seem to work (as in I keep getting choose AUX Mount and I do not even see my mount listed)

Or do I have to connect the scope in the ASCOM device hub and choose a ASCOM 

If so, which ASCOM - Simulator (ASCOM)

Sorry for all the questions - buy I can't find anything that explicitly tells you everything you need to know and where to get it 

Plus, I don't even know what I downloaded is correct

I thought this was easy, but I am finding it very confusing and frustrating to just get started

Please bear with me if I do not answer questions promptly, I do not have a lot of free time during the work day unfortunately. But, I will reply.

Thank you for any help.

[steve]

Mount: on camera

Aux mount: none

HTH

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[Gregory Scharf]

Unfortunately I don't think that will work.  I get a message "it doesn't provide PHD with the scopes pointing direction. Need to recalibrate when slewed and other featured will be disabled.

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[Jack Thewlis]

Hello Gregory,

You seem to have a similar connection setup to mine (a Meade LX200), where you need an ST4 guide connection from camera to mount. With this situation, the Wizard offers 'On Camera' for the Mount type. I believe this is what you need. You then select Aux Mount and choose the ASCOM GS option.  Check this works by clicking the Connect All button.

Cheers, Jack

[Brian Valente]

This*will* work. PHD is only pointing out it has limitations when guiding

Given your scope's capabilities, it may only be capable of this type of connection.

It's not a huge deal, you will just need to recalibrate for each target and reverse guiding direction when you flip at the meridian

Brian

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Brian 

Brian Valente

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[Gregory Scharf]

Thank you for the replies

Let me make sure I have this right

I'm doing the right way by connecting the ST4 cable from the camera to the hand controller, correct?

Then in the wizard for mount choose "on-camera" and the aux mount I can either choose "none" or the "ASCOM GS Sky Telescope"

The "none" gives me a response

 "This configuration doesn't provide PHD2 with any information about the scopes's pointing position. This means you will need to re-calibrate whenever the scope is slewed, and some PHD2 features will be disabled. You should choose an ASCOM or INDI mount connection for either 'mount' or 'aux-mount' unless there are no drivers available for your mount. Please review the Help guide on 'Equipment Connections' for more details'  Then my options are  Go Back, Proceed, Don't Ask

If I choose this option, I'll just have to re-calibrate every time I choose a new target.

After choosing "on-camera" and then going to the next pop up screen I get this

"Since your primary mount connection does not report pointing position, you may want to choose an 'Aux Mount' connection. The mount interface you chose in the previous step doesn't provide pointing information, so PHD2 will not be able to automatically adjust guiding for side-of-pier and declination. You can enable these features by choosing an 'Aux Mount' connection that does provide pointing information. The Aux Mount interface will be used only for that purpose and not for sending guide command."

I choose ASCOM GS Sky Telescope, hit next and it says "connecting to mount...." and my options are Back, Help, Next

Does this mean I'm good since it was connecting to the mount?

I hate to keep asking these multiple and long questions.  I do appreciate the help.

[Brian Valente]

Hi Gregory

Basically yes, you are good

the longer answer is that it's not as black and white as you would like it to be

There are two approaches to connecting your camera and mount for guiding

there is the older ST-4 style, which has drawbacks, and when you connect this way, PHD is giving you a friendly warning that there are drawbacks. But it will work, and you need to be aware of the things that are now your responsibility to manage when guiding (such as recalibrating for each target, changing guide directions when you do a meridian flip, etc.)

Of course the manufacturers and software designers recognized these shortcomings and came up with pulse guiding, where the mount is connected via ASCOM and the camera connects to your computer instead of directly to the mount. This approach eliminated most of the shortcomings of ST-4, so it is now the preferred way to do guiding

It sounds like your mount does not support pulse guiding, and instead supports only the older ST-4. 

Unfortunately for you as a newcomer, you are now saddled with not only climbing the learning curve of astrophotography, but you are using tools that are outdated and create additional challenges for you.

you might try contacting Orion and ask them if they have an ascom driver for your mount (i'm not sure which model you have: is it the atlas or the sirius?) If they do, or if you can figure out a way to get to pulse guiding, you will be better off

So yes, you will be able to get it to work, but it's going to take more effort and patience on your part to understand what's going on and do the things that are required (and PHD warned you about) to make guiding successful

You might ask why PHD is giving you this warning when either approach will work? This is because most modern mounts support pulse guiding, but people aren't always aware of this. they see a guider port on the mount and a guiding port on the camera and just assume that's how it should work. PHD is making sure you are aware there is most often a better way. 

i hope that makes sense

Brian

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[Gregory Scharf]

It makes sense

I did have a lengthy chat with Orion Telescope yesterday.  I apparently had the wring mount driver. Now I have the correct mount driver and I can choose the Sky Watcher telescope just as Orion said I could.

My only problem now is that I cannot connect to mount because there is no port comm number.  For the life of me, I cannot figure out to set up the mount in ASCOM with the correct port.  I choose the tools menu by the mount in PHD2 and the ASCOM pop up screen comes up and I can type in all of the telescope info amd the comm port, but it will not save the port value.  Mine is Comm 8.  Already found it on my laptop.

Ugh - hate electronics. 

It's always something little that makes a larger problem.

Once again, any help would be very appreciative.

Thank you everyone