Using kstars 3.7.5 (latest stable). I use client/server configuration. I have phd2 on server which is an Intel minipc running vnc and kstars on client (intel workstation).
In past versions of kstars going back years, when I checked “…reuse guide calibration” in EKOS and “Autorestore calibration” in PHD2 then I could run Calibration Assistant in PHD2 and then slew to a target and it would reuse the calibration and start guiding.
Now PHD2 seems to re-calibrate every time I slew. Not ideal.
Mount EQMOD using pulse guiding.
Pilot error ? Something else need setting ?
It is a new server I recently installed so maybe I missed something ?
Cheers,
Nick
Duuhhh.
I had “Reset guide calibration after each slew” ticked !
Not sure why anyone would want “reuse guide calibration” and “reset guide calibration” both set but they can be ?
Nick
Nick, you’re completely right! I discovered this imprecision just this morning. I’m working on refactor of the internal guiding module and I will take a look after solving this.
Toni. Having used Kstars/Ekos for years, sometimes changes in settings options throw me.
Familiarity breeds careless use.
I just didn’t see what was in front of me.
Maybe it’s the 4k screen combined with too small a font and bad eyesight ?
Also EKOS tries to cover every possibility and sometimes impossibility.
Cheers,
Nick
I’m sorry, but I have to withdraw my statement above. After a detailed analysis I think there is some impreciseness (why you can check “Reset Guide Calibration …”, when “Store and Reuse Guide Calibration …” is not checked?), but it’s ok to check both!
Please compare the description of the two checkboxes
Reset Guide Calibration after each Mount Slew
Store and Reuse Guide Calibration when possible
If you want to store and reuse the guide calibration in all situations (e.g. after a rotation or for a resumption of the guiding) except after a mount slew, it’s utterly correct to check both boxes at the same time.
I think it’s better - at least for the moment - to leave the situation as it is and to revive the discussion later.
Toni. There is not any issue for me now I realise there are 2 options.
It is doing exactly what I want it to.
I guess some may have some more complicated requirements.
Cheers,
Nick
Hi!
Following on this, I have the “restor and reuse” always checked, and the “reset on slew” uncheck (else I need to recalibrate after every single alignment). But still I have to redo calibration very often. Not every time, but maybe every third time I center on a new object. I have checked the restor and resue option in PHD2 as well. If you have any ideas on this, I’b be happy to hear.
Magnus
You mean you have to recalibrate because the saved parameters lead to a bad guiding?
The recalculation for a new mount position normally does score quite well, if there is no essential change in the rotation of the camera. In the case of the latter you have to recalibrate definitively to get correct parameters.
BTW that’s exactly on what I’m working currently: Recalculation of all parameters including a rotation. The current implementation cannot do that just yet.
So if you do not change the position angle of the camera, there should be no problem to use the stored parameters values. For the internal guider You can check the current rotation of the axis in the calibration plot and the stored rotation of the axis together with the current pulses in ms/arcsec in EKOS options “Configure Calibration” und “Calibration”. I’m no expert with PHD2, but I think these parameters are displayed also somewhere. These figures can help to understand what is happening, after a slew or a realign.
Hi!
No, I mean recalibraion is forced, before guiding begins. As if it fails to load the previous, or is in some other way is forced.
THis happened a few years ago too, seems to have returned somewhat (but every time).
Magnus
AFAIK EKOS option “Store and reuse guide calibration …” in “Configure Calibration” refers only to internal guiding. The internal guiding parameters are stored in file “kstarsrc” in string “SerializedCalibration” under [Scheduler].
For the location of the PHD" guide log with the corresponding stored parameters look here.
Hi!
Yeah, I know where the logs are. So far, however, I have failed to understand why re-calibraion is so often forced. Maybe another deep dig into the logs could help, so I’ll do that next time.
Magnus