SARA-KP Autoguider Notes
First note the Autoguider camera (the QSI) may lose communication with Maxim.
Just “Disconnect” the cameras under the “Setup” tab and then “Connect” back
and it should be fine. There are 2 cameras connected to Maxim, the guider QSI
and the spectrograph camera FLI. Please do make sure the coolers are turned
back on once you reconnect the cameras to Maxim.
The users manuals have a description of autoguider use, but it's not all that complete. Part of that
description includes a screen capture of the guider settings, but those should always come up in
default mode and I would advise against changing anything there. Farther below I have put
images from the most recent screen captures with settings that were currently working very well
for SARA-KP as of 04/02/2016.
Maxim has a "guider" tab that controls the camera. You would need to set the "Declination
value" (this compensates for the angular RA size), the exposure time, and make sure the radio
button for "expose" is on. Then take an exposure and the image window automatically opens up
in Maxim. You can adjust the contrast, image size, etc. as for any image in Maxim. If you see a
star(s), you can check the focus (with fwhm from the info gui window in Maxim). I've found
around 10 (maybe 7-8 on a really good seeing night) pixels maybe the best achievable since the
pick off mirror is off axis. If needed, you adjust the focus with the controls in ACE under the
"X-stage guider tab" under instruments and can also choose a different fov for the mirror.
NOTE, the guider never occults the main telescope beam. Even the "0" position is usable and
actually the best for focus if a star is in the field. Once you have a focused star, then take a final
image, change the radio button to "track", then click on your chosen guide star in the image and
then the "start" button. NOW, go back to the ACE program and click "on" the autoguider radio
button in the guider tab. It should then run by itself. WHEN DONE, just don't forget to "Stop"
the exposures in the guider tab in Maxim or the guide camera will keep exposing (with shutter
wear) continuously. Moving the telescope will automatically turn off the guider communication
so the telescope won't continually be looking for guider input with a new target. You would
have to change the radio button from "track" back to "expose" and start the whole process over
with your new target.
See Screen Images for Settings Below:
Figure of “GUIDE” tab in Maxim. You will need to put in telescope declination value and your desired
exposure time for the guide images. ONCE you have a focused guide star (S/N at least 30), then click on
the “track” button, go to the guide image and center the cursor on the guide star and click on it. THEN
click on the start button on the above tab screen and Go To the telescope computer and click on “ON”
for guiding on the X stage Tab.
Figure here is for the “Settings” under the Guide Tab in Maxim. DON’T mess with these unless it seems
clear someone else has. Above Settings were good as of 04/02/2016.
Figure here is for the X-Stage Guider Tab on the telescope computer. The “Gain” could be adjusted
here, but generally 0.1 (as shown) or maybe 0.2 would be the choice values. You can choose the field
for the guider pick-off mirror and focus the guider camera here.