Paramount MyT - Day 9 - Using Laptop, PHD2 finally works!!!

I want to use my laptop for imaging, so I needed to setup all the software (so far, there was only the processing software on it):

1. Ascom Platform
2. MyT
• Install MyT driver
• Install Ascom2XMount driver
• Configure in TSX:
• Set Park position
• FOVI
• Bad Samples setting
• Configure COM port
• ImageLink setup
• SGPro:
• Need to start TSX once as admin to allow it being invoked from other apps
• Configure Ascom settings: Inhibit Syncs
• PHD2:
• configure Ascom settings: Enable Tracking offsets, Enable PulseGuiding, Can Get Pointing State
3. Atik camera
• Install Artemis package
4. FLI
• Install FLI Software Installation Kit
• In Ascom settings: turn off homing when connect
• In TSX: setup filter names
5. Install Dimension 4 Time
6. TPoint
• Enter EXACT location and elevation (installed 2 Android apps for that!)
• Setup Horizon
7. CCDAutoPilot: copy license file, adjust paths

Took me a good deal of the day, but I was done by dawn. Yei!

First, I tried to capture dusk flats with CCDAutopilot. Worked REALLY well (actually seemed to be faster then with the NUC - I could almost capture 20x5 (Ha, SIII, OII, Lum, Red, Green, Blue) flats!!!

Then I started with setting up a new model from scratch:

1. Home
2. Closed Loop Slew to Arcturus, Sync
3. 20 point model - adjust polar alignment
4. 50 point model - adjust polar alignment
5. 270 point super model - adjust polar alignment
6. recalibrate portable to check polar alignment

Final PA:

MA: 1.1 arcsec (!!!)

ME: -53.7 arcsec

Then I wanted to use PHD2 to log tracking errors. But when I tried the initial calibration, I had the issue again that PHD2 didn't move the mount in the proper directions. Read through various forums again and it seemed as if people didn't enable PulseGuiding but DirectGuide. Did that - and then everything worked!!!

Tried to capture a new PE curve, but with the same results (PE got better - but only marginally). But while logging this, I could see that the tracking error was REALLY small (the guiding star stayed in the subframe during the 25 min run - and only moved a little).

So, finally, I enabled guiding in PHD2 and let the mount run (had to go to bed). The next morning, I checked with PHDLab:

Clearly, I have to tune my guiding parameters in PHD2, but an RMS error of 0.7arcsec in 3+ hours isn't too bad.