9 replies to this topic

[suresh_nikon]

Hi,

 

Although there are many forum topics about Pectool., but none of them were helpful to understand the problems, I am facing,

 

To start off, let me explain my setup.

Mount: Celestron AVX

Telescope: Skywatcher 150P (its older 6" telescope)

Main Camera: Nikon D750

Guidescope : 120mm SvBony

Guide camera: SvBony SV905C

PC: Mele Queiter2 running Windows 11 with NINA (for the main image acquistion) and PhD2 for guiding. Also installed is Celestron CPWI and Pectool

 

My problem is that when I first connect the PC to the Celestron AVX via the Hand Controller and then try to connect the Pectool, the Pectool connects with the AVX, but then I disconnect the Pectool and then connects the CPWI to the mount, to do the star alignment and polar alignement and then slew to star near the equator, Vindemaitrix, to start the Pectool training. Now when I try to connect the Pectool to the mount to do the training, it does not connect and makes an error sound. I have no idea whats happening. On the Pectool, I connect to the COM port, I see in the device manager, but  it never succeeds. I thought may be CPWI is not allowing Pectool to connect as its holding that connection, so I quit CPWI (& PhD2) and then tried the again on the Pectool, but still no luck. I cannot connect to the mount from the Pectool.

 

Am i missing something, etiher in terms of configuration on the Pectool / CPWI or is it something I need to do in the device settings?

 

 

Another may be related issue, the last time I was able to do some imaging (hardly any clear days these days for me) , I used the CPWI and the main camera (Nikon, using the live view)  to do the initial star alignment (with 4 stars (2 in the east and 2 in the west)) and then did the Polar alignment using CPWI. Then I connected NINA and then tried the NINA's 3 point polar alignment, instead of being close to the CPWI PA, I got almost 30 arcmins error. Neither one seems to be accurate as 120s exposure after both the PA, produced oblong stars, with CPWI producing worse subs than the NINA one.

 

 

 

Please help me understand whats really wrong with it.

 

regards,

 

Suresh

 

 

 

 

[Tapio]

I really don't know the problem.

But instead of fighting I suggest you forget Pectool (which is old software and needs to be run in Compatability mode).

Instead use PHD2 and its PPEC algorithm.

[Elminster]

CPWI has PECTRAIN built in, very easy to use, no need to wrestle with pectool. Although I use pempro v3 as I get much better results but is not particularly easy to use and you have to pay for it (although there is a free trial).

Edited by Elminster, 22 May 2025 - 06:27 PM.

[suresh_nikon]

HI Elminister,

 

I tried to find the PEC training after connecting the CPWI to the mount, but could not find it only found "PEC Playback" in the mount settings. I enabled the the PEC Playback but no PEC training was found in the CPWI.

 

Let me know if I need to do something to make sure that PEC Training

 

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

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[Silent_Light]

My avx did not like pectool nor cpwi pec, phd2 was seamless

[Elminster]

HI Elminister,

 

I tried to find the PEC training after connecting the CPWI to the mount, but could not find it only found "PEC Playback" in the mount settings. I enabled the the PEC Playback but no PEC training was found in the CPWI.

 

Let me know if I need to do something to make sure that PEC Training

Wrong place.

 

 

Training takes 10 mins. Once trained, you should start seeing messages when aligning like this.

 

 

And then where you were looking should change to

 

[Elminster]

My avx did not like pectool nor cpwi pec, phd2 was seamless

Not sure what you mean. You can use PEC and PHD2 at the same time. PHD2 corrects tracking errors, PEC Train tries to prevent tracking errors in the first place. You use both.

[suresh_nikon]

Hi,

 

I found it in the menu. It showed up only after Star-alignment. it was working, but i had complications.

 

Based on this thread, https://www.cloudyni...-avx-with-cpwi/, i used my main camera & scope (Nikon D750 & Skywatcher 150P) for the PEC training. I configured the PHD2 to connect to the Nikon D750 using ASCOM DSLR controller and updated the configuration to reflect the new camera, then slewed to Vega and then started the PHD2 tracking and started the PEC training under CPWI. but soon I found that PHD2 stopped tracking, and I tried restarting the tracking but it would immediately stop. No Idea why it was doing this may be its the ASCOM DSLR controller, it's always been pain, I tried using it on Sharpcap and I would never be able to get it working. the PEC training completed after 10 mins and it Enabled the PEC Playback, but its not properly done, so have to repeat it again.

 

Though I thought of switching to the guide camera and scope (Svbony SV905C & 120 m scope) , and retry the PEC training. but clouds rolled in and I couldn't get it working.

 

So for now, until I get a different camera or retry with the guide scope, I have to live with what the PEC training learned.

 

Any suggestions for the next time.

 

thanks,

 

Suresh

[Elminster]

I did guiding for both PECTrain and later PEMPRO via my guide camera  (an Askar Super ED with ZME 220mini) and phd2. DSLR are not recommended for guiding from memory.

 

I did mean to see if guiding by a camera on the main scope made any difference but never got around to that.

[suresh_nikon]

Thanks Elminster.  

On the next clear night, I will try PEC training using the Guide scope and camera.