Guiding with PHD2 and use of SC

[umasscrew39]

While I wait for Hurricane Dorian to leave the Florida area, I tried setting up inside my observatory guiding using PHD2. I was able to connect with PHD2 via ASCOM with my AP mount and my SX guide camera. I was also able to have PHD2 connect through SC. Since I have never tried guiding, I am a little confused as to the benefit of having PHD2 connect with SC as I thought I still need to use PHD2 program directly to click the loop button to begin star selection and calibration. Is my understanding wrong? The SC documentation talks about 'monitoring' PHD2 guiding but I am not sure what 'monitoring" means or how that helps or necessary if I am using PHD2 directly to do guiding. Maybe just to control when to start and stop stacking while guiding?

[nexusjeep]

SharpCap will monitor the guiding status of PHD2 so can pause the stacking if guiding is lost also the same applies to dithering as PHD2 will notify SharpCap whilst a dither is in progress and once it has settled.

Hope that helps

Nick

[admin]

Yes, basically PHD does all the hard work of guiding but you can ask SharpCap to keep an eye on what it's doing so that if PHD has a problem SharpCap will pause the live stacking to avoid ruining a stack already in progress.

Cheers, Robin

[umasscrew39]

Got it- thank you both. Just wanted to make sure I was not missing something.

Bruce