QHY5-II compatibility

[Chris Ottaway]

I recently purchased a QHY mini guidescope thinking I could just connect a QHY5-II that I'd had from a beta testing program a few years ago. The first problem was that the two wouldn't fit together so managed to get a replacement faceplate. Problem solved? Of course not. Connected the camera to a new laptop I've set up for imaging. Native and ascom drivers installed. I can connect to the camera with no problems through SharpCap but PHD just drops the connection if it connects at all. When it does connect momentarily I get a checkered pattern. The machine is USB3 only but even when I try to connect to an older laptop via USB2 the connection holds but I still get the same banding/checkered pattern. Has anyone had problems with QHY compatibility?

[Andy Galasso]

Hi Chris, we did not get the attachment.  You mention a checkered pattern -- is the camera a color camera by any chance? A color camera Bayer array can cause a checkered pattern. If that is the case, then the workaround is to select the 2x2 mean noise reduction option on the Camera tab in the brain.

Andy

[Bruce Morrell]

Use the ascom driver to connect....

[Chris Ottaway]

Hi Andy. Thanks for your reply. No, it's actually a mono. With the machine I'd ideally like to use (USB3) the camera will connect but once I try to loop it will immediately disconnect or possibly show the pattern momentarily before it disconnects. Can't see an option to add an attachment on here to show the image.

[Chris Ottaway]

Hi Bruce. It does exactly the same with the ASCOM driver unfortunately. :-/

[Chris Ottaway]

So after testing another QHY5L-II on my laptop I've discovered a pattern as to when it will successful connect. If I physically connect the camera and then load PhD2 it won't work. If I load PhD2 and then physically connect the camera it works. This also works with my version. Makes no sense whatsoever but there it is.

[Michael Phillips]

QHYCCD offer a "check Updates" application.  Run it with the camera attached to see which version you have.

I had endless problems with my QHY5L-ii until I chose the correct driver to use in PHD2, updated it, tweaked the settings and also connected via a powered USB hub.  I have no problems now.  I sometimes see the check pattern if I don't used the PHD2 2x2 noise reduction. But I only see the checkered pattern when pointed at something inappropriate (eg, in daylight or a cloudy patch in a night sky).  I've not seen the checkerboard when looking at a normal starry sky.

The correct driver for me in PHD2 is the one called QHYCCD-Cameras-Guide (ASCOM).  Other choice lead to camera disconnects for me.  In PHD2, before clicking 'connect', click the little spanner/settings button and I set Readout Speed to High and USB Traffic to 255.  I haven't changed the other settings.  I also use 'subframes' in the PHD2 Camera Brain settings.

One bit of advice I also read was regarding the slight flakiness of QHY install applications.  It's best to uninstall old versions first before installing newer ones.  Whether there is any truth in that is beyond me, but it can't hurt ;-)

Also make sure all the USB power saving options are turned off in Windows. (I think you use the Device Manager and also Power Plans in control panel for that)

Good luck!

[Brian Valente]

Michael thanks for posting that’s good to hear. I too have had endless problems with the QHY5K-II, so much that I just stopped trying.

 

I’ll give your suggestions a shot

 

Thanks

 

Brian

 

 

Brian Valente

Brianvalentephotography.com

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