Starlight Xpress dual linked guide camera?

[John Mills]

Hello,

For years I've used an SXVR-H9 with the old SXV guide head (which connects directly to the main camera) running under MaximDL. This works fine and never had a problem with it.  A friend recently recommended that I give PHD2 a try as he tells me the guiding is much better.

However, it would seem PHD2 will only work for standalone USB cameras (such as the Lodestar) and not for a guide head which links to the main camera? I can connect, but its to the H9 main camera and not the SXV guide head. Both of course share the same USB connection when running under MaximDL. I presume in this case PHD2 cannot be used with this (dual chip) configuration?

Regards John

[Andy Galasso]

Hi John,

I'm not sure how the SXV guide head works.  Does it show up as a distinct USB device in Windows Device Manager?  If so then you should be able to connect to it in PHD2 as "Starlight Xpress SXV" -- use the forked-arrows button to select the guide head (vs the H9.)  If you're not sure the answer I can ask Terry from SX.

Andy

[John Mills]

Hi Andy, thanks for your reply.

I tried what you suggested, but when clicking on the forked arrows I only get one option - 1:SX- H9.That is the main imaging camera.

In the Device Manager, when I plug in the USB cable with the camera connected, under Universal Serial Bus devices I get the 'Starlight Xpress CCD' driver added. If I click on that, it gives the version as 12.30.26.886 and the date 27/08/2015. I use the 32bit version of the SX CCD driver as my PC runs under Win7 32bit Home Premium.

Probably most SX users run their guide camera separately from their main imaging camera via a seperate USB connection. A good example being the Lodestar. However, when I purchased the SXV guider circa 2006, I don't recall them being around and the SXV guide head connected via a multipin miniature plug to either a USB interface box in the days when the MX range still used a parallel port connection or in the case of the USB SXVF/R - H9 via a patch cable to the back of the main camera.

Quite what determines which camera is used in the driver software I've no idea. I use MaximDL with the 'SX Universal driver' and its in its setup were one states whether a guide head is in use on not. If so, another box (Dual Chip Mode) has to be ticked in the Maxim Camera control window. Maybe its similar for SBIG cameras with the main and guide chips housed in the same body, but linked via one USB cable?

It would seem also with PHD2 there is only one option when using a SX camera - ie. 'Starlight Xpress SXV' and probably that applies to any model? Not only to eyepiece sized guiders, but to their main imaging cameras also?  As you say, probably Terry at SX would know,

ATB John

[Andy Galasso]

Hi John,

I'll contact Terry and let you know what I find out.

Andy

[John Mills]

Hi Andy, fine on that. Will be interesting to know what Terry thinks?

The camera I use (an SXVR-H9) is quite old and the SXV guide head even older. The later SX models such as the 'Trius' range come with 3 miniature USB ports so I guess would work with a standalone guider such as the Lodestar and that wouldn't be an issue to use with PHD2. The simplest solution would be for me to upgrade to a newer camera/guider, but sadly I'm not as 'solvent' as I once was :(

If Terry says it is possible I'll give it a try, but no worries if PHD2 cannot be used with the ancient imaging setup I use.

John

[Andy Galasso]

John,

The SX ASCOM driver will allow you operate the guider in PHD2 with the main camera connected to your imaging app.

First install the ASCOM platform if you don't have it already. https://ascom-standards.org/

Next install the SX ASCOM driver https://www.sxccd.com/drivers-downloads/

The ASCOM driver installer will walk you through your SX cameras so you can tell it about both the H9 and the guide head. When the installer is done you will have two SX ASCOM camera instances -- the Guider on the H9 and the H9 itself.  You can then connect to the H9 ASCOM camera driver instance in your imaging app, and connect to the Guider ASCOM camera driver instance in PHD2.

Andy

[John Mills]

Andy,

You'll be pleased to know I've done this... AND IT WORKS :)

I already had the latest ASCOM platform installed which I need for EQMOD. My mount is a Skywatcher EQ6. In the SX ASCOM installer I set H9 as the main imaging camera and SXV as the guider. So in PHD2 I set the camera to Starlight Xpress guider on H9 (ASCOM) and the mount to EQMOD HEQ5/6 (ASCOM) and they both connected. I also tested the H9 in MaximDL using ASCOM camera and that seems to be working fine also.

I need to test it out on the sky, but did some indoor tests using a hot pixel. PHD2 certainly found that and surprisingly even completed a calibration run! Quite how it did that I've no idea as these artefacts are always in the same place on the chip whereas a real star will change its position on the chip during calibration?

One question? In the past I have used pulseguide with EQMOD. Set the values, sliders, etc to get the best results. I presume using PHD2 that is no longer required and PHD2 handles all those functions?  i.e. Is there any parameter in EQMOD I need to set or just leave it with 'Pulseguide' set in the config menu/window?

I'll probably have a few minor issues when I try out PHD2 on the sky, but simply getting it to work with the linked SXV guider was a major achievement!  Many thanks for your (and Terry's) help with this.

Regards John (La Palma - Canary Islands)

[Andy Galasso]

Hi John,

Glad to hear that worked.

When using EQMOD ASCOM with PHD2 be sure to use the settings shown here: https://github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/wiki/EQASCOM-Settings

Andy

[John Mills]

Hi Andy,

Fine on that. I've set the values as shown. The version of EQASCOM I use is a bit old (v1.29a) and doesn't have the pulse width override slides or check boxes. I can always download a more recent version if that requirement is necessary?

Many thanks again for all your help. I'll let you know how I get on.

Regards John

[Andy Galasso]

The older version of EQMOD ASCOM will probably work fine. I generally recommend using the latest versions of drivers, but it's up to you.

[Thomas J. Shinal]

I'm anxious to try it!

I was told by Stark Labs that it couldn't be done!

You Sir, are a Sage!

On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 11:24 PM Andy Galasso <andy.g...@gmail.com> wrote:

The older version of EQMOD ASCOM will probably work fine. I generally recommend using the latest versions of drivers, but it's up to you.

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[John Mills]

Thomas,

If you use an SX camera with a guider which connects to it, I guess the SX ASCOM driver will work for you also? It certainly couldn't be done in the past.  I recall a few years I downloaded PHD (the old version) and it would only run with a standalone USB camera such as a Lodestar and not an SXV guide head which connected to the main camera.

All being well, I hope to test it out tonight if it remains clear!

Best of luck - John

On Saturday, 13 July 2019 04:53:58 UTC+1, Thomas J. Shinal wrote:

I'm anxious to try it!

I was told by Stark Labs that it couldn't be done!

You Sir, are a Sage!

On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 11:24 PM Andy Galasso <andy....@gmail.com> wrote:

The older version of EQMOD ASCOM will probably work fine. I generally recommend using the latest versions of drivers, but it's up to you.

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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Open PHD Guiding" group.

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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.