Using Sharpcap and PhD2 at the same time

[Moonstruck]

I will be buying a guide camera soon, and anticipate using PHD2 for guiding and Sharpcap for capture. How does this work- do I open PHD2 and Sharpcap separately, or do I open PHD2 through a Sharpcap screen? And when running Sharpcap to capture images, would I minimize the PHD2 screen, or do they both stay open at the same time?

Also, do I connect the guide camera to the mount via ST4 cable? I have seen a video where it says connection to the mount isn't needed and that you go right to the laptop from the guide camera... just curious how this whole thing works- connection and use of both programs at the same time.

If it matters for your response, I will have a Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro mount, off-axis guider, ZWO asi 174 guide camera, and ZWO asi 294 main imaging camera. My OTA will be a Celestron CPC 800 Edge. I don't have any of this gear yet, but will be getting it as soon as the backorder situation is resolved. Just curious for now.

[admin]

Hi,

Roughly speaking, what you do is this...

Initial setup...

Run PHD2 on its own, get it all set up to talk to the guide camera, etc.
Connect PHD2 to control your mount either via the ST4 cable from the camera or via your ASCOM mount driver
Choose 'Enable Server' in the PHD2 tools menu - this lets SharpCap talk to PHD2

Imaging session...

Run PHD2, get it guiding, minimize it
Run SharpCap, configure it to talk to PHD2 if you want dithering or you want SharpCap to monitor PHD2
Run captures in SharpCap - flip to PHD2 now and then to check all is well

cheers,

Robin

[Moonstruck]

Thanks Robin, this is very helpful. I'll probably be asking more questions after I get my mount/camera and start using it!

[Sagitarius]

Run SharpCap, configure it to talk to PHD2 if you want dithering or you want SharpCap to monitor PHD2

Hi, i'm using the pro version and would like to know how exactly i can connect the Phd2 and sharpcap when autoguiding with Star Adventurer 2 (st4) or Celestron Avx st4 or usb (ASCOM).I was using SC mainly for planetary but now i start using for deep sky targets.
My set-up will be
Guiding scope: 1)SvBony mini guide, SvBony Sv198
Scopes: Askar FMA135, TS optics 60 photoline.
Thanks

[admin]

Hi,

the best approach is still to work through the steps in this post above : viewtopic.php?p=25665#p25665

If you get stuck at one stage or another then feel free to ask for more details.

cheers,

Robin

[TheAstrophotographer]

Robin,

I would like to use Celestron Unified Driver 6.1.7350 for mount control in SharpCap for the purposes of GOTO and platesolving. At the same time for PHD2, I am using ST4 guiding from my ZWO ASI220mm-mini guide camera to my NexStar 8SE Alt/AZ mount with the Celestron Unified Driver 6.1.7350 in the Aux Mount position for PHD2.

Since the Aux Mount on PHD2 would not be used for any kind of mount control I believe this to be an appropriate pathforward and ST4 guiding is the most direct mechanism for PHD2 guiding.

As such, do you see any issues with conflict between SharpCap and PHD2 if the Celestron Unified Driver 6.1.7350 is used in this manner?

Thanks,

Edmund

[turfpit]

Edmund

You have a guide cam, the handset is already connected to the PC (from your other post). Why not just connect the guide cam to the PC as well and have a setup the same as most people do for guiding?

Dave

[admin]

Hi,

I think Edmund is referring to using the ST4 connection from the camera to the mount to drive the guiding movements - the camera would still be connected to the PC and PHD2 would be monitoring the images and sending the guiding commands.

I've never done it that way, but it should work. The only thing to worry about is the use of the 'Aux Mount' option in PHD2...

If you use ST4 guiding in PHD2 without Aux Mount then you need to calibrate every time you change declination, since PHD2 would not know the telescope co-ordinates in the sky, and therefore cannot work out the adjustments needed due to changing declination. With Aux Mount, it can fetch the current position from the ASCOM driver (but pretty much nothing else) to avoid that recalibration requirement.

If you are using the mount via ASCOM in SharpCap *and* as Aux Mount in PHD2 then you have two applications trying to talk to it at once. For the Celestron Unified driver this will (I'm fairly sure) only work if you use the ASCOM Device Hub to share the connection.

cheers,

Robin

[turfpit]

Robin

I used to run as you describe in paragraph 3, the repeated calibration was 'inconvenient'.

Now I have:

• Mount Hand Controller to (mains powered) 4-port USB2 hub

• Guide camera to (mains powered) 4-port USB2 hub

• USB2 hub to laptop (one cable)

I also run a camera and filter wheel into the hub (which is mounted on the scope carrying handle).

I am using the same Celestron Driver version as Edmund.

That arrangement got me (from a 10x1200s capture):

Ha_7x1200s.jpg (344.2 KiB) Viewed 2285 times

Yes, 1200s guided with a Celestron AVX mount.

The 3 lost frames came from last October's magnificent Aurora (Altair/M27 are lower left):

Aurora_10_Oct_2024_scaled.jpg (332.09 KiB) Viewed 2285 times

Dave