Using Celestron's StarSense Autoguider in N.I.N.A.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

N.I.N.A. seems sophisticated.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

It is and yet quite simple to use

[@perry3928]

Hi Pat. Beautiful images. Glad it's all playing together nice. Great start on the garden. Can't wait for spring to get out in the yard. Looking forward to the upcoming eclipse. 99% totality here. Clear skies.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Perry, Thanks. I did a lot of garden work today under clouds and some light rain. No astronomy tonight or tomorrow due to more clouds. Last solar eclipse here was cloudy with heavy rain falling during maximum eclipse. I assume it will be the same this time, as it seems to always be, unless, I don't plan for it. Yeah, that's the ticket, I won't plan for it. Ha ha. Clear skies.

[@victortapia-montano8114]

I really appreciate your video! I have a 9.25 Edge on a CGX-L and had struggled to make the SSAG work with NINA until I came across a Celestron video demonstrating SSAG with NINA, and it basically says to build your sequence without plate solving and to let the SSAG handle it along with the meridian flip. I will try your way tonight and will let you know how that goes. Loved the video!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Victor, I found that turning off the SSAG options to plate solve and meridian flip works better for me. I would rather let NINA do it. Plus, in the advanced sequencer, there is an option to monitor if the target has drifted off the center. If it has, then NINA will recenter it. However, you can still use SSAG to plate solve and flip, and it does a good job at it, but I think NINA does it better Clear Skies

[@LogansAstro]

Nice images Pat. Looks like the StarSense autoguider is working well.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Logan, Thank you. My main target was the Sunflower galaxy but the Crab came out much better than I would have hoped. Clear skies, Logan.

[@SimonsAstro]

Hey Pat! That edge HD is some scope! Great video, glad it all worked! All you need now is an observatory 😀 Then You can go to bed and forget all about it! Super images as always! The garden looks a little bare this time of year, nice to see all the telescopes in it🤣 Clear skies Pat👍

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Simon. Yes, the Celestron 11" is a beast but I seem to have trouble to get it in sharp focus. It's always been that way ... hmmm. The garden may look bare, but there is a lot of underground activity going on. It will look totally different in about 6 weeks (or less). Clear skies, Simon. Always good to hear from you.

[@craiglowery4427]

Great video. I couldn’t get the SSAG to work when I have a IR pass filter attached

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Thank you, Craig. The filter I am using is a luminance UV/IR cut. It seemed to help.

[@mikemoran5439]

Same here. I got an SVBony SV183 IR 685nm IR pass filter. According to the manual, this should work just fine, but my SSAG could not detect stars. I ended up returning it.

[@mamanasonova]

Cool image))))

[@ronm6585]

Thank you. 👍🏻👏🏻

[@mamanasonova]

Hello Man))))) Thk from your work)))

[@davidmorris3759]

Pat, Did you ever get dithering working with the Celestron autoguider in NINA? Thanks

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi David, Not really. I discovered, when I did have NINA set to "Direct Guider", it would dither, but in doing so, it would add spikes to the guiding hence causing the stars to shift in the same subframe, making that frame useless. So, for now, I just keep the dithering set to off. I wish Celestron would set it up with ASCOM so it would be controllable.

[@DrNormile]

Was telescope auto sync in Nina on or off when going through CPWI

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Yes, the auto sync in NINA is set to "ON"

[@CrisBonnett]

Question: Do you polar align before you do your videos, or do you not need to because using the autoguider with NINA?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Chris, Since I leave the rig intact and it is already polar aligned, I usually just periodicly check its alignment. Even with the StarSense Autoguider, the rig needs to be polar aligned and level to get the best results. When I do a polar alignment, I first get a rough alignment, then I go through the 3-point Polar Alignment routine in NINA. Clear Skies

[@traviscondit7007]

I find that N.I.N.A fights the SSAG when centering on my AVX if I leave guiding always on enabled. Not sure why that happens, but I have to wake up in the middle of the night when switching targets to re-enable guiding.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Travis ... Hmmm. That doesn't sound right. I assume you have version 2.5.5 in CPWI and the firmware is up to date. And you definitely have the Precise Guiding turned off and meridian flip turned off?

[@traviscondit7007]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Sorry, just now seeing this reply. Didn't get a notification for some reason. Yes all firmware is up to date and using CPWI 2.5.5. Precise goto and meridian flip are both off. Since 2.5.5 was released Celestron is recommending using the PHD2 server from CPWI in NINA. They updated the manual with instructions. I've tried that implementation but it freezes when the dither command is issued and will not progress to the next image in the sequence. I have been working with Celestron support for a few weeks now and have sent them quite a few logs from CPWI after trying all the usual things, and hopefully they'll get back to me soon. I'll comment with an update when I hear from them. In the meantime, you should check out the new SSAG user manual regarding dithering and see if that methodology works for you.

[@traviscondit7007]

​@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hi Pat, sorry I didn't see this reply until now revisiting your video. I am indeed using CPWI 2.5.5 Final and all the latest firmware for the SSAG and the hand controller. My auto meridian flip and precise goto were both off. As of CPWI 2.5.5 Final, Celestron has updated the SSAG user manual to state the preferred method for dithering is using the PHD2 server in CPWI and connecting to the PHD2 option in NINA, though I found this only works if PHD2 is uninstalled, otherwise it will launch the actual PHD2 application which is not compatible with the SSAG. NINA recognizes the PHD2 server from CPWI and connects, but I still have issues with dithering in that the sequence will freeze once a dither command is issued by NINA to CPWI via the PHD2 emulated server and will not proceed to the next image in the sequence. The guider also will freeze if the "start guiding" in the sequence is toggled. I have been working with Celestron tech support for several weeks now and have provided them numerous logs which engineering is taking a look at. Hoping to have an answer soon and will update you in the comments with their response. In the meantime, if you want, you could check out the new SSAG manual from Celestron related to dithering using PHD2 and see if the new PHD2 emulator method works for you. Cheers and clear skies.

[@traviscondit7007]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hi Pat, sorry I didn't see this reply until now revisiting your video. I am indeed using CPWI 2.5.5 Final and all the latest firmware for the SSAG and the hand controller. My auto meridian flip and precise goto were both off. As of CPWI 2.5.5 Final, Celestron has updated the SSAG user manual to state the preferred method for dithering is using the PHD2 server in CPWI and connecting to the PHD2 option in NINA, though I found this only works if PHD2 is uninstalled, otherwise it will launch the actual PHD2 application which is not compatible with the SSAG. NINA recognizes the PHD2 server from CPWI and connects, but I still have issues with dithering in that the sequence will freeze once a dither command is issued by NINA to CPWI via the PHD2 emulated server and will not proceed to the next image in the sequence. The guider also will freeze if the "start guiding" in the sequence is toggled. I have been working with Celestron tech support for several weeks now and have provided them numerous logs which engineering is taking a look at. Hoping to have an answer soon and will update you in the comments with their response. In the meantime, if you want, you could check out the new SSAG manual from Celestron related to dithering using PHD2 and see if the new PHD2 emulator method works for you. Cheers and clear skies.

[@traviscondit7007]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hi Pat, sorry I didn't see this reply until now revisiting your video. I am indeed using CPWI 2.5.5 Final and all the latest firmware for the SSAG and the hand controller. My auto meridian flip and precise goto were both off.

[@DrNormile]

Any update with cpwi and Nina with SSAG. Still direct guider. Called Celestron they don’t seem to know

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Nothing yet. I've been experimenting (when I had somewhat clear skies) and the other night I did get great 10 minute guiding with round stars, and that was with poor seeing conditions as thin patches of cirrus clouds were floating by. This was the scope at f/7 ... about 2,000mm focal length. I've stopped using the dither commands in NINA as I was getting some double images with wierd shifts, Since I turned the dither off, my guiding has been very good. Once the sky clears out, I plan to test the SSAG at f/10 on the Celestron 11" EdgeHD. Well, it is galaxy season afterall.

[@DrNormile]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy I have exact same setup but use 2600mc pro camera. I just switched to the hyperstar. Talked to Celestron to see when they are going to add Ascom for the sssg. Does appear to be soon

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

@@DrNormile ... I hope you are right about the ASCOM aspect for the SSAG. That way, it would work with NINA and PHD2, or one would think.

[@anata5127]

HFR is 6+ for Edge and 3.5+ for EON. Isn’t it too high? Why is it difficult to focus with Edge? It should be otherwise, since it has large critical focus due to high FL.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Where have you been, Ana? I have missed your comments on my last several videos. Anyway, yeah, that's a good question. I have never been able to get a shapr focus on the Edge. I think the collimation is spot on. I am wondering if it due to that I am at nearly sea-level and am looking through all that atmosphere. Watching in real time, the stars will go from sharp focus then out of focus and then near focus and so on. The average is always a soft focus. I might experiment in binning 2 to see if that helps. Anyway, thank you for your comment(s).

[@anata5127]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy I see. Do you focus on line (moving mirror) or off line (rigidly fixed mirror with two knob-screws on Edge)? If it is on-line, then you defeat purpose of big scope - resolution, since sharp focus is paramount. I have Edge 9.25. I use it with 0.7x reducer, just like you. I got off line focuser from Moonlite (see their web page). Now, focus solid like rock even after meridian flip. Nevertheless, you could have bad seeing, which obviously impossible to fight off. There are such regions in the US. I am lucky in this respect, but my location is bortle 8. Almost inner city. Anyway, do you check FWHM and eccentricity of each frame in Pixinsight?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Well, that makes sense. I do have an off-line focuser but I never really put it through the test. I will give that a try ... after these pesky clouds move out of here. Thanks for the hope.

[@anata5127]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy It is great to measure FWHM using image scale (it should be very low in your case; probably 0.3-0.4”/pixel). If FWHM is consistently above 3.5”, then it is focus. If variability of FWHM is high, then seeing is dramatically change during night. This is impossible to change. Only possibility is to have a remote observatory in Arizona, NM, CA, etc. Unfortunately, it is very expensive.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Question: When using your off-line focuser, where do you park your mirror on the Edge 9.25? Is it all the way forward or all the back or somewhere in between?