Issues with MX716 as guide any help please?

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Forum_2014
Posts: 255
Joined: 03 Dec 2018, 22:33

Issues with MX716 as guide any help please?

Post by Forum_2014 »

Hi am new to this forum. Have used AA for several years but have recently started to use ASCOM with EQMOD and AA together. I use direct USB connection for EQMOD connection and AA to run cameras and telescope control. I use an old MX716C as a guide and am having quite a few difficulties. Firstly the MX716 is very fussy and often requires it to be the first to be plugged into the computer (otherwise various conflicts can occur) and secondly I can't get AA to use it to guide - using scripts I can get the guide image up and then the guide window (sometimes!) a star is selected via the script and marked but then nothing much happens - it doesn't guide but just shows the same image (on the guide window) with no movement of the star or cross hairs. Any help would be much appreciated - am beginning to wonder if its time to ditch the MX716 but that would be a shame!

Cheers
Martyn
Last edited by Forum_2014 on 04 Dec 2018, 15:37, edited 1 time in total.

Forum_2014
Posts: 255
Joined: 03 Dec 2018, 22:33

Re: Issues with MX716 as guide any help please?

Post by Forum_2014 »

Hi, a USB confict between EQMOD and a CCD camera seems unlikely to me. If the MX716 is used to guide, what is the primary camera?
Does the problem show up if you use the simulator as primary camera?
Try to change the USB cable, in the past they were the cause.

Forum_2014
Posts: 255
Joined: 03 Dec 2018, 22:33

Re: Issues with MX716 as guide any help please?

Post by Forum_2014 »

Thanks for this response - do you mean the USB cable for the MX716?

I have now noticed also that the image within the guide window is not representative of the actual image - very small squares which clearly aren't stars from the actual image? Am using an Opticstar as primary but surely it doesn't matter if different family of cameras does it?

Have tried both pulse guiding through eqmod and direct guiding through AA to no avail - will be trying the guide without connecting through eqmod next to see if that works - the MX716 has been a bit odd with its images lately - if I try a longer exposure I get large round stars with black centres!

------

OK have now done some more testing and any help would be much appreciated!
The MX716 works if I select it as the only camera and use it in self-guide mode - no problems but if I select it as the guide (using either my Opticstar or the simulator as main camera) I have problems. I can get a guide image fine but when I mark a star and then hit guide again the guiding image is strange and not what I would get if it were a selfguiding camera - the image is finely pixelated and no stars show? It seems I cannot use the MX716 as a guide camera - only as the main camera and self-guiding. This problem has only occurred since I installed 5.0 and the following SP's so now wondering if there might be a bug. Previous to the upgrade I was able to use the MX716 as the guide camera with no issues.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Martyn

Forum_2014
Posts: 255
Joined: 03 Dec 2018, 22:33

Re: Issues with MX716 as guide any help please?

Post by Forum_2014 »

Hello Martyn,
please send by email (or post here) some screenshot of the MX716 setup window and the guide window.
In the MX716 driver be sure that Selfguide mode is not enabled. Selfguide must be used only when you use the MX716 for imaging and autoguide at the same tiome alternating the even/odd lines.
Ciao,
Fabio.

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