Please have a look at the image from my ST2000-XM guide chip that was taken through MaxIm DL v7.12. Is this a hardware issue or maybe software related? I ask because I was able to get useable images from the guide sensor when I disconnected the camera from MaxIm and used CCDOps instead. The main imaging sensor works just fine when using either program. Thanks Mike
It's very likely hardware-related. It could be power, aging capacitors, or something else. The old ST-series are unbuffered (eg the image is not downloaded in full to in-camera memory, prior to transfer), and are USB 1.1, so need to be on their own dedicated port, not shared hubs. Can you send FITS files (bias, 30s dark, light frame)? That way we can examine it.
Thanks Colin. Happy New Year! It may be a couple of days before I can send you the requested FITS files. I can do the bias and dark frames any time, but the light frame may have to wait a few days until the weather clears up. I will send you the FITS files from both the main imaging and guide sensors. The ST2000 FITS files are not as big as what we see on the newer model cameras, but would you still prefer that I put them in a Dropbox link or just attach them directly into this discussion thread. Mike
Just send guider images; they are small so upload here. BIAS and DARK may be sufficient to tell what is going on.
Hi Colin Here are the images you requested. All are from the guide sensor on the ST2000-XM camera. I have a 30 second light image with auto dark if you need to see it as well as some images with the main imaging sensor. Mike
Thanks Mike. An earlier message implied you were getting something different with CCDOps or MaxIm 6.50. Is that the case? e.g. if you get a "good" image with CCDOps or 6.50, please shoot bias, dark, light and upload. Preliminary is this looks like a hardware failure - capacitors or internal power supply, and non-repairable as no parts exist.
Thanks Colin. I thought I was able to get some images with the guide sensor when I connected to the ST2000 through CCDOps. Unfortunately, I didn't save any of them. The other night when I took the images that I sent to you I didn't get a chance to connect the camera to CCDOps because the sky clouded over. Hopefully in the next few days there will be a clear night, and I can try to take some images using CCDOps. I suppose the good news is that I really don't use the guide chip in the ST20o0 anymore, so if it turns out to be an unrepairable problem, it really won't impact me very much. The main imaging sensor still seems to be OK, and I don't use it very often either. For several years I was guiding all of my images using the main sensor in the ST2000 on a separate guide scope, but because of differential flexure, I went back to using the FW8G with my STXL16200 primary imaging camera. I need to get a new laptop so I can get my new AC455 going. Hopefully in the next month or so that will happen. Mike
Hi Colin. You are right. I set up everything indoors tonight and I was even able to take some light frames through the guide sensor using both CCDOps and MaxIm DL6 v6.50. However, I was still unable to get any good light frames with the guide sensor using MaxIm DL7 v7.12. Attached to this post are the FITS images taken with CCDOps. I will post the images taken with MaxIm DL6 and 7 on a separate post. My CCDOps knowledge is pretty rusty. I am not sure about the bias image. The only option I could find was to calculate a bias image from two successive images. The one I attached was calculated from two dark frames with 0.120 second exposure times. The light frames captured some distant trees and a power line behind my house. Mike
Hi Colin Here are the images I took through the ST2000 guide sensor using MaxIm DL6. I also took one light frame using MaxIm DL7 just to confirm that the problem seems to be with the images taken using MaxIm DL7. Mike
Bias level is high in 6.50 (11000); and very low in 7.1.2. (250). Any chance you have the guide sensor set to EXTERNAL in 7.1.2. ? eg it's not seeing the internal guide sensor, as all 7.1.2 images are virtually identical.
Hi Colin It looks like that setting may be the issue. The screenshot is what I saw when I started up MaxIm DL7 to connect to the camera. I should mention that the setting is the same (external) for the configuration that I use for my STXL16200 with the FW8G, and it works just fine when I am using the guide sensor in the FW8G. Is there a difference in how the sensor in the Fw8G is set up FYI The settings in MaxIm DL6 have the guide sensor set up as internal. I have been using it this way for several years. I have attached 3 second light frames of the distant trees that I took with CCDOps, MaxIm DL6, and MaxIm DL7 Mike
The ST-2000 guide CCD sensor is internal to the main camera body, located beside the main CCD, so it must be set to Internal. The STXL- camera, when used with a self-guiding filter wheel, FW8G-STXL, uses the external remote guide head port, so the sensor would be set to External.
Thanks Colin This is one of those settings that I overlooked when I started using MaxIm DL7. I need to look at all of the different scope and camera configurations that I have to make sure that setting is correct. I am assuming that it is correct for the configurations that are set up for the STXL with FW8G because I have been successfully imaging and guiding with this setup since MaxIm DL7 came out. Mike
No worries. I was pretty sure it had to be something simple, as I was involved in testing the early releases of 7, including on an ST-10XME. I'm glad it's sorted.
Hi Colin, I have one follow-up question. During this troubleshooting process I was switching back and forth from MaxIm DL6 and DL7. Every time I made a change from one to the other, I would get the message below. Can you tell me what this is about? As far as I can tell there were never any issues. I just answered Yes, and everything worked normally after that. Mike
MaxIm needs authorization to register itself for certain security-sensitive functions - for example, the scripting interface that allows third party programs to call it, file associations, that sort of thing. It will only happen when you switch or do a new installation.
