PHD2 Guide Scope Issue

Stephen Mills — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:59:12 -0000

I have been using an OAG for over a year with a Starlight Xpress SX694 camera and a Starlight Lodestar guide camera attached to the OAG. I just took the Lodestar off of the OAG and attached it to a separate guide scope. When I started PHD2, I noticed that the 'camera' i n the dropdown list was set for the MAIN camera. If I change the 'camera' to either the 'Starlight Xpress guide camera' or the 'Starlight Lodestar camera', I get an ASCOM error basically saying that there is no driver for that choice. Likewise, if I keep the camera chosen as the MAIN camera, and start PHD2. I end up having the MAIN camera acting as the guide camera !

The Starlght Xpress website only has ONE driver to install, so now I wonder if i have EVER had the Lodestar acting as a guider.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Steve

Request - New communication method for EQMOD with GPS corridinates provided by IPv4 NTP server

JD Waren — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 23:54:33 -0000

Another way to access NTP time and GPS data in general with Windows is to use certain NTP server devices available for sale on eBay at a modest price. Google search EEVblog and FC-TNP-100 to see more discussions about this.
I have one of these tiny devices now and it simply plugs into computer's Ethernet port. For illustration a program already available for download (PowerGPS) can display all sorts of GPS data coming from IP 192.168.0.245 , port 4001.

This method gets around need for device drivers on Windows and need for serial ports. I think this communication method could be figured out and applied as another source input option of GPS data in EQMOD.

Slewing rate

Bertrand Olivier — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:32:07 -0000

Hi everyone, there is a way to increase slewing speed upper than 800? I want it to reach 1000 / 1100 please

Olivier

EQMOD Disables tracking

Carles Zerbst — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 15:07:47 -0000

Whether you mount the "u" or "w" version of EQMOD the mount tracking is stopped... but it turns out that it only happens if you use NINA's telescope direction controls on the contrary if you use the controls in the EQMOD... NO PROBLEM and tracking does NOT stop.

I know that it is a very rare case to use the controls of the mount from NINA or from the management program that we use, but at least this is my case, discovered as a result of using the NINA plugin "Polar Alignment by three Points" that in turn you need to move the AR axis when executed.

Possibly it is a set of circumstances but whatever way I use to connect the AZ-EQ5 GT mount to NINA whenever I go through EQMOD I have this problem (with simulators and in real work).

On the contrary, when using GS SERVER, which obviously has nothing to do with EQMOD, everything works without problem in NINA, the direction keys of the mount or the Alignment Plugin DO NOT DISCONNECT the tracking of the mount, in short, somewhere in NINA there is a communication issue with EQMOD regarding mount control directly by directional buttons in AR or when external software requires directional movement in AR.

Copying info from -nina.plugin.polaralignment/PolarAlignment/FAQ- " Automatic mode requires the mount to move along the correct axis of ascension. To achieve this, a special ASCOM method "MoveAxis" is used, which is different from standard slews." therefore I deduce that the problem is in the communication of ASCOM -MoveAxis with NINA.

EQMOD Time and LST Issue

Joseph Hunt — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 17:59:06 -0000

Figured it out. I looked back into the PC's time settings, while I had previously changed the actual time, the time zone was still off. After changing that, everything is now working properly. EQMOD now displays the correct LST and NINA now has the correct moonrise/moonset/etc times. The system is now able to quickly plate solve, etc.

EQMOD Time and LST Issue

Joseph Hunt — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:53:05 -0000

I’ve been having quite the difficulty getting EQMOD to work with my Skywatcher HEQ5 & NINAsoftware. In NINA’s it shows moonrise at 14:11, moonset at 05:52. Those seem off to me. For instance, Photopills says moonrise should be 7:12AM and moonset is 10:53PM. Doing some digging, I think it could be a time mismatch issue. I did change the PC's time to current time. didn't seem to make a difference in what NINA thought the sunrise, sunset, etc time should be. Other than the coordinates in EQMOD, I don't see where it shows the current time. It does show LST (Local Sidereal Time). Checking a link online to double check what my LST should be specific to my longitude (122.00 W) right now, I get around 4:33. Right now the EQMOD says my LST is 21:40:31. Way off?? If EQMOD is showing the wrong LST, how would I fix this? Seems like it would calculate it from the longitude provided, which is correct to best of my knowledge.

Thank you,

Joe

EQMOD moves the mount on it`s own very slightly in DEC and Ra while parked

Rob Lewis — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:04:54 -0000

Ok..i found my issue, turns out its my xbox one wired controller sending erroneous signals to the mount .

EQMOD moves the mount on it`s own very slightly in DEC and Ra while parked

Rob Lewis — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 22:14:40 -0000

I noticed my mount making slight humming noises as if it is trying to slew in the DEC and RA... i watched the mount and could see slight movement in both axis...after restarting EQMOD it seems fine....version is v2.00w...any known bugs in this ?, it happens in park and unparked...i tried it with the toolbox connect and with stellarium and get the same results but not every time.

Ascompad focuser connection problem

Charles Clark — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 13:33:50 -0000

Hi Chris i have tried v2.13 of gamepad and the focuser now connects and operates with ascompad in absolute mode. I have mamaged to get it to communicate through the ascom platform with APT, As I am only a beginner with APT i am only feeling my way around. i
I found that I had to come out of APT and close it down before it connected properly. after creating some profiles and trying out the goto function for the focuser everthing appears to be working as it should. The only thing that dis happen and I dont know if it was operator error, when i was creating the profiles APT closed down somehow. Dont know why it might of been me doing something wrong. However when i opened it up the previous profiles i had created were still.there. Many thanks for your prompt response regarding my query.
Regards Charles Clark

Ascompad focuser connection problem

Chris Shillito — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 17:05:56 -0000

Hi Charles,

Some test releases were made only to the EQMOD group (now on groups.io was previously yahoo). I've just uploaded the latest test release (V2.13) to sourceforge so give that a go.

Chris.

Recent posts to Discussion

PHD2 Guide Scope Issue

Request - New communication method for EQMOD with GPS corridinates provided by IPv4 NTP server

Slewing rate

EQMOD Disables tracking

EQMOD Time and LST Issue

EQMOD Time and LST Issue

EQMOD moves the mount on it`s own very slightly in DEC and Ra while parked

EQMOD moves the mount on it`s own very slightly in DEC and Ra while parked

Ascompad focuser connection problem

Ascompad focuser connection problem