Slit guide problems!

[Forum_2015]

Hi guys
I`ve been trying to get the slit guiding to work over the past few evenings but not successful yet . I`m running Windows 10 64bit and all the software seems to run fine. I`m going through the slit guiding tutorial which is based on ccd 5.30 but I`m using the latest 5.43.

1- The tutorial says to take a sequence of shots with the guide ccd to move the star into the box but my main imaging ccd is my Atik 314 and my guide ccd is the Lodestar but you can`t seem to take a sequence of shots with the guide ccd only the imaging one?.
2- When do I perform a calibration for the guiding is it before or after enabling the slit guide?
3- If I get the star near to where I want it should the autoguiding lock on to the star as it doesn`t seem to do so?.
I`m using a 120mm f/7 Espirit Apo refractor with an Alpy 600 spectroscope. The guiding is done by using the Lodestar relays.
thanks
Steve

[Forum_2015]

Hi Steve,

I use an Atik 314 as well together with a Titan guiding the slit of my L200.

I find it more easy to start AA twice, one for the 314 and the other for the Titan and also the telescope.
Sequencing is in this way possible for both cams.
I also find it easy to first draw the rectangle exactly over the slit after a single image and then move the guidestar inside it using sequencing.
(I wish "new window" could be unchecked as default, as well as "guide on slit"
I then push the mark star button in the guide window and then activate guide on slit.
Btw I also find it helpful to make a note of the X,Y position on the slit, in that way it is easy to returnthe star to the slit.....
I did calibrate once but now I only tweak the parameters...

Regards Arnold

[Forum_2015]

Thanks for that Arnold, I`ve just returned to Astroart and you reminded me that I did run two instances of AA5 some time ago to achieve the sequencing!.
Not sure how your setup is but the slit in my finder FOV is off centre towards the bottom and if using 2x2 binning with the Lodestar guide ccd my ideal star position at mid slit is x+168,y=60 and when `Mark star` is selected the cross hairs appear in the centre and trying to tweak the crosshairs downwards with my hand controller the software seems to fight me to get it back central again??. Does the software `lock` onto the star when it gets within a certain range of the crosshairs or is it activated manually sonehow?
regards
Steve

[Forum_2015]

Steve, when I mark star, the green crosshair picks the star and locks (and starts guiding!) and after activating guide on slit, with my mouse by clicking at the edges of the guidewindow (little arrows appear) I can nudge the star towards the slit a pixel at a time....

[Forum_2015]

Ah! I had no green cross hair?? strange as the orange arrows indicating the Lodestar relays were kicking in kept appearing on screen showing they were guiding??
Wonder why the green cross hair was missing. When I click on `Mark star` I just get the yellow cross hair in the middle (and also the little arrows at the edge) which might explain why I`m not able to tweak the star onto the slit ? maybe??
steve

[Forum_2015]

Steve, just checked with simulators, if I mark star, the crosshair is green. If I then check guide on slit, the arrows on the sides appear (if I move the mouse there) and the crosshair turns yellow, the same color as the arrows...
Unchecking guide on slit makes the crosshair green again!

[Forum_2015]

Hi Arnold
Just tried it with simulators and this is what I get - no green cross?? . How do you actually enable aa5 to guide on the slit?.

[Forum_2015]

You are in slit-mode, so you can nudge the crosshair and thus the star in the direction of the slit when clicking on the arrows that appear on the borders of the guide image when you move the mouse there.
When you deactivate slit-mode, the green crosshair appears....

[Forum_2015]

This is what I get

Btw to enable or disable the slit-mode: shift-left mouse button or in the option tab

[Forum_2015]

Great thanks for the info Arnold,I`ll try it next clear night!
Steve

[Forum_2015]

Excellent stuff Arnold, tried it tonight and running two versions of AA5 the slit guiding works like a dream .
Why have I been manually guiding when I had AA5 on my laptop????

cheers
Steve

[Forum_2015]

Hi Steve, Arnold, I read late this topic. Arnold, thanks for supporting Steve for this problem. I confirm everything you said. I also use two AA instances (recently three with a third camera for photometric purposes). For example, this is a screenshot taken during the operations (a past comet):

I believe that in this way it's very comfortable to center the target in the guiding window field. Sometimes it is convenient to see the entire field so that we can locate a faint target and then place it in the guiding box (usually a very small field).

All the best!
Paolo