+RonC Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 I don't have a problem guiding but I noticed a lot of folk use Pulse guiding and I'm using ST4. What's the difference, how is it done and is it any better than ST4 guiding?? My PHD graphs are very good but if it is an improvement I might give it a try! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) ST4 is done off the guide camera and pulse guiding is controlled by EQMOD. I suppose the old adage of -- If it ain't broke Don't fix it springs to mind. At one time all guiding was ST4 I use pulse guiding myself Edited June 18, 2021 by Graham +RonC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 1 hour ago, RonC said: I don't have a problem guiding but I noticed a lot of folk use Pulse guiding and I'm using ST4. What's the difference, how is it done and is it any better than ST4 guiding?? My PHD graphs are very good but if it is an improvement I might give it a try! Ron When I first started guiding I used ST4 but never got very good results so I quite quickly switched to pulse guiding. As far as I'm concerned, the only downside of pulse guiding is you need an extra USB port and cable (to connect to the mount). If my understanding of the 'Ladybird book of guiding' is correct, if you use ST4 then PHD2 can't find out where the scope is pointing so you effectively need to recalibrate for each target, but if using pulse guiding PHD2 can read the scope declination and adjust the guiding parameters as necessary (I've never recalibrated PHD2 since switching to pulse guiding nearly 2 years ago). +RonC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Thanks both, I don't use EQMod so I better stick with ST4 as it works well for me, especially with the multi-star option! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 40 minutes ago, RonC said: Thanks both, I don't use EQMod so I better stick with ST4 as it works well for me, especially with the multi-star option! I don't use EQMod either, my PC connects to the mount via the hand-controller USB port (or to the RS232 port with a USB to RS232 adaptor on older hand-controllers). You just need to download the Skywatcher ASCOM driver from their website and PHD2 will talk directly to the mount via that. But as Graham said 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Out of interest, how often do you calibrate PHD2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 I calibrate it when I get to my target and unless I move to a different part of the sky then that's it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 5 minutes ago, RonC said: I calibrate it when I get to my target and unless I move to a different part of the sky then that's it! That was probably my problem when I was using ST4, I didn't recalibrate when I changed target. But after I switched to pulse guiding I didn't need to, whether it is on the same night or a year later (any time not spent unnecessarily phaffing about wasting imaging time is a bonus in my view 😊) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Agreed, but I tend to choose targets in the same part of the sky so rarely re calibrate, each to his own and if it works then stick to it! 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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