Has anyone ever encountered this type of guiding error before where the guide star almost instantaneously shifts to the edge of the guiding field ? The shift is occurring in the RA axis, and it is happing every time I try to take an image. I am using the Self Guide function in CCDOps and imaging through an old ST2000 camera with an Astro-Physics 800 mount by way of a Relay Adapter Box. I have attached a copy of the guiding histogram that shows this shift. I have also attached a copy of the guiding calibration that was done immediately before I tried to take the image. You can see that it was a good calibration. As for troubleshooting, I have checked: Balance of mount - OK, but I have experienced this problem with the weight evenly balanced as well as biased on both sides of the meridian. Backlash seems to be OK There was some slipping in the clutch that is on the RA worm, but I have corrected that, and the problem still persists. Any suggestions to help me figure this out would really be appreciated. I am at my wits end.
Have you tried any other software to determine if it is your hardware or CCDOps? You could try the MaxIm DL demo and see if it does the same thing. http://diffractionlimited.com/product/maxim-dl/#tab-demo
Hi Tim. I received the temporary Maxim DL license, and I installed the software, but when I tried to enter the license key, the User Registration dialog box was completely disabled.
I have removed the image. Instructions on installing the license are available here: http://www.diffractionlimited.com/help/maximdl/Installation.htm
Problem solved I think that I have solved my guiding error problem. It seems to have been due to the guide rate setting on the hand controller for my Astro-Physics 800 Mount. The guide rate had been set at 8X (sidereal), and when I changed the setting to 2X, the guiding performed as expected. I can not remember ever really paying attention to this setting because I thought that the guiding was controlled by the software, and I assumed that as long as I got a good guiding calibration, everything would be OK.
Thanks Doug. I read in the CCDOps manual that the guide rate should be set at 0.5X, but the 8010 hand controller that came with my Astro-Physics 800 mount only has two options; 2X and 8X. I will ask the folks at Astro-Physics if it is possible to have a lower rate.
Mike, if my memory server, that mount was discontinud about 20 years ago, and not really up to modern software standards even though it was really well made. I think the 2x mode is what you want for guiding - it supports that for guiding, and I suspect it works like 0.5x rate, and the 8x is for centering an object.
