Revised Startup for APT/Stellarium/PHD2 et al.

I've updated all the software I use for image acquisition: APT, PHD2, Stellarium, and ASCOM. 

All the updating went without problems, so Yay!

However, my old way of starting all these in order of APT first, then Stellarium, and finally PHD2 seems to not work well any more. What seems to happen is that APT and Stellarium can't work through ASCOM correctly, and APT sometimes launches an instance of PHD2 out of impatience?

Some experimenting was needed, and the result is that the order of starting now goes like this:

1. Power the mount and allow time for it to boot. My Gemini 2 takes a couple of seconds, most others are probably faster
   
2. Power up everything else and insure it's all running and has made its USB connections.
   
3. Start Stellarium and let it connect to the mount (if all is good it should correctly show the direction in which scope is pointing)
4. Start PHD2 and connect it to the guide camera and mount
5. Start APT and connect it to the camera
6. Start the camera cooling via APT
7. Connect APT to the mount
8. At this point use PoleMaster to do a polar align using the ASCOM hand control, finishing with the scope in its park position (counterweight-down and approximately targeting the NCP)
9. Re-aim the scope far away from the NCP and train PHD2. You can delay this step until after you have pointed the scope at your target.
   
10. Sync the mount using APT's Point Craft (I use ASTAP for plate solving---it's amazingly fast and almost never fails to solve!
    
11. Use either Stellarium or APT's Go-To to acquire your imaging target. Do whatever composing you want.
    
12. Start PHD2 guiding or let APT handle things. 
13. Make sure your focus is perfect and start your exposure plan

Basically: power up, start the helper apps, start APT, start camera cooling, do polar align, sync the mount, acquire target, train PHD2, start imaging. If you're using autofocus, insert its setup where appropriate.

Worth noting is that the use of Stellarium (or any planetarium program) is entirely optional. APT provides extensive object lists and has similar Go-To and Sync features---everything you need to image.

APT + Stellarium Imaging Workflow

I came across an excellent video last week by Matt's Astrophotograpy. Matt's setup and choices for software are much like mine but his experience is vastly greater so I took a lot of notes.

I'm going to post those notes here and alter them as I do more imaging.

Software

Please consult each software's documentation to determine how it is to be configured.

Imaging Control: Astro Photography Tool

Once upon a time I used ImagesPlus camera control, then moved to BYEOS when I switched to a DSLR. My first impression of APT was that it was a mare's nest of capabilities and was too tangled to tame. I tried to like SGP, but the way it functioned seemed counter intuitive. I found NINA interesting but had to give it up when I found it didn't support my SBIG CCD or the QSI I was hoping to buy. Maybe by the time I buy that QSI it will be supported. So I sat down and started learning APT!

Be sure to install version 3.84 or later so you get ASTAP support (see next section).

Plate Solving:

I think you really only need to install ASTAP and its G17 star database. ASTAP seems superior for both near and blind solving compared to the old standards, PS2 and ASPS. And please don't tell me about AstroTortilla. Not to diminish the role it had in bringing plate solving to the masses, I always found it to be slow and unreliable.

Guiding: PHD2

Obviously.

Planetarium: Stellarium

This is a personal preference thing. I like Stellarium; it's pretty and it does what I need. This workflow will make use of Stellarium.

You may want to install version 20.1 instead of 20.2, as the latter requires you to manually connect to the mount.

Stellarium tip: The config.ini file lets you configure Stellarium's defaults. Here are two examples...

Turn off full screen mode, look in the [video] block, and set fullscreen = false

Turn off daytime sky brightness, look in the [landscape] block and set flag_atmosphere = false.

Slewing/Parking/PEC:

Slewing in RA is needed for Polemaster, which will want you to slew your mount several times. This can be done conveniently from within an ASCOM control panel or by using a hand control.

If you would rather slew entirely from within APT, do this:

Start with the mount at counterweight down (CWD) orientation and the RA axis pointed at Polaris. Connect APT to the mount. Copy the values of current RA & Dec to the GoTo fields. To do the requested rotation, usually just subtract one hour from the RA and click the GoTo button. (If the stars turn in the opposite sense of the PoleMaster display arrow, add instead of subtract.) Repeat for the second rotation.

To return to the start orientation, undo the RA changes in one step. DO NOT use the APT park button!

Setup & Initializing

Assemble

Start by assembling the components of your imaging system. This includes making all the data and power cable connections.

If your system is portable, this means rough-aligning your mount to north and balancing it for imaging.

When ready, power it all up: Laptop, Gemini II, imaging camera, dew heaters.

Make the data connection to your laptop. (In my case the data connection must be made after power-up because it could damage the SBIG camera if made too soon.)

Start APT and optional Camera Cooling

Steps marked with an asterisk are required even if not using the cooling aid.

*Launch APT
*APT/Camera / Connect
APT/Camera /Cooling Aid. Check settings and start.
*APT: Tools / ATP Settings / Main. Set image destination folder (optional)

Polar Align

(I use a PoleMaster for polar aligning. I agree with Matt 100%: PoleMaster is the way to do polar alignment.)

 

APT/Gear: Connect Scope (This launches an instance of the GeminiTelescope ASCOM driver.)

Attach PoleMaster to mount, connect USB
Launch PoleMaster software, and connect

Perform slews using one of these methods

ASCOM controller

1. Find the Gemini ASCOM driver icon in the Windows tray area. Right click and choose Show Hand Controller
2. Confirm Speed is "S" and that PEC is checked.
3. Use the hand control RA buttons to perform slews
4. When finished use the tray icon menu to close the hand controller. DO NOT minimize it!

APT

Use the add/subtract RA method described earlier

Disconnect and Remove PoleMaster

Sync

Launch Stellarium

Stellarium: If using version 20.2, manually connect the mount (use the telescope control plugin)

Stellarium: left click a suitable sync star, then use CTRL-1 to go to it

APT/Gear: Open Pointcraft

APT/Camera. Verify that exposure time is appropriate (I use 10s with my ccd and L filter)

APT: Shoot
APT/Pointcraft: "<< Scope Pos" to populate approx. position fields
APT/Pointcraft: Solve
APT/Pointcraft: (assuming solve is successful) Sync
Stellarium: Should now show true position of scope. Use CTRL-1 to center star in FOV
APT: Shoot new image to confirm star is now reasonably centered. If it is not, use Pointcraft Aim as described later and then Sync again

Focus

Please refer to APT documentation to learn how to best use the focus aids. I use a Bahtinov mask whenever possible.

APT/Gear/Filter Wheel/Go To Filter: Select filter to focus
APT/Camera/Bulb Seconds: Set appropriate exposure time

Attach Bahtinov mask
Shoot single images or use Live View. If Live View is used, possibly disable Live View Automation (APT:Tools/APT Settings/Main/Live View Automation) to prevent binning
APT/Tools/Bahtinov Aid: Make sure focal length, aperture, and pixel size are correct; turn on Cross mode

Drag Aid window so that focus star is at crosshairs

Recalc as needed if not in Live View mode
Adjust focus until satisfied with focus
Close Bahtinov aid
Remove Bahtinov mask!

Acquire

Obtain and Compose Target

Obtain a Target Object

    Find target in Stellarium, CTRL-1 to it
    APT Pointcraft:  <<Scope Pos
    APT Shoot image
    APT Pointcraft Solve
    APT Pointcraft Aim, click on image to refine center if desired
    APT Pointcraft GoTo++
    When completed you are good to go.

   
Go To Specified Coordinates

    APT Gear Enter coordinates into Center FOV boxes
    APT Pointcraft GoTo++
    When completed you are good to go.

Resume an Old Session

    Find target in Stellarium, CTRL-1 to it
    Open image from previous session
    APT Pointcraft Solve
    APT Pointcraft << Solved
    APT Pointcraft GoTo++
    When completed you are good to go.

Autoguiding

Launch PHD2
Toolbar Connect Icon or simply CTRL-C, connect guide camera and mount
Main Menu/Tools/auto-select star or simply ALT-S
Click SHIFT-toolbar Guide button to calibrate
Let PHD settle

APT/Gear/Guide to connect to PHD2 and configure optional dithering

Acquisition

APT/Camera Select Imaging Plan

APT/Camera Start

Shutdown

APT/Camera/Warming Aid: Warm the camera slowly (optional)

APT/Gear/SHIFT-Guide to disconnect from PHD2

PHD2/Toolbar/Stop button

PHD2/Toolbar/Connections disconnect all

Close PHD2

Find the Gemini ASCOM driver icon in the Windows tray area. Right click and choose Show Hand Controller

ASCOM Hand Control/Park (optional)

APT/Gear/Disconnect Scope

Tray ASCOM icon/Right click, Exit

When warming is complete, APT/Camera/Disconnect

close APT

close Stellarium

Turn off Laptop

Turn off Gemini II

Disconnect USB cables from any devices that may be harmed (Applies to my SBIG ST-8300M)

Disconnect all from power supply