I have a new STT8300 with the built in filter wheel autoguider. I am working with Bill on the guider possibly being defective since it won't image (even with CCDOps5 in the self guiding and calibration routines; though it will work in the autoguide routine, go figure) but I also want to make sure of a couple of things. First off, I use SkyX Camera Add-on for image capture and guiding and never had any issues using my STF8300 and ST-i guider. With the STT system, however I ran into a couple of problems. First, I could never get an image on the autoguider. Second, when I gave up and tried using my ST-i for guiding instead, I ran into issues there as well. In setting up SkyX CAO for my STT system, I selected the only SBIG guider setting that looked applicable, namely "Imagers built-in Autoguider" under the SBIG tab. If that is the wrong setting and I should use something else, please advise. Second, when I tried to use my ST-i with the STT, I couldn't calibrate the guider, nor would to do any dithering (it was a long two nights manually dithering between every frame). Is there something in the STT architecture or in the CAO which won't allow it to play nice with an ST-i even when the STT guider cable is detached and I run the ST-i separately from the STT? Thanks, Jim
Please contact Software Bisque for help with TheSkyX. They're the experts on that. The STT shouldn't even be aware of the ST-i when you are running two cameras. The SBIG driver includes a camera index. When the control software calls a driver function it provides that index so the command goes to the correct camera. It's really simple - command goes to camera 1 or camera 2. Maybe it's a software setting issue?
I have been working with Bill on the filter wheel guider and he suggested I post here. Weird things are happening and Bill thinks it may be a software issue. As indicated above, I have not been able to get the autoguider to take any images with Camera Add-on. It connects, but gives me either an empty image, a black image with a big light section on the edge or corner (but which is not a star since it never comes into any better focus) or one with tons of horizontal streaks. At Bill's suggestion, I tested it last night with CCDOps5 and got half way home. I was able to get an image under track and accumulate, but just a blank image or one with the streaks with self guide and calibrate. I tried all of them repeated times, always with the same result in each test. I was able to connect right up (same with Camera Add-on) using the external guider setting for the STT so its not how I'm connecting. I also made sure I was using the latest drivers from the SBIG downloader before running the tests. Any ideas?
