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AstroEQ for EQ mounts


Oily

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I've just received my AstroEQ DIY kit from Tom.If your wondering what AstroEQ is have a read here:http://www.astronomyshed.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=7051 and here: https://github.com/TCWORLD/AstroEQ/blob/master/README Basically AstroEQ is an alternative to the expensive SynScan upgrade for EQ mounts.

I'll be posting up pics of the build (just soldering components to a PCB!)if anyone is interested and reporting my progress as and when.

post-24070-0-95307500-1371902717_thumb.j

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Just ordered mine from Tom Carpenter after seeing Oilys working. How cool is this a fully working go to system with guiding abilitys currently all for 90 quid all built. Come on people support Toms project its the best thing to happen for eq5 owners in yonks. Hopefully if Tom gets enough orders this will become a positive alternative for those of us looking for a reliable cheaper guiding go to system if you have an eq5 mount. Oily you should post your video of the set up working on this thread so others can see ot working ;)

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk 2

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Your accents fine some people think I come from deepest Norfolk when they see my utube channel but Suffolk is very different.

When I get my AstroEQ from Tom I will do some video tutorials as well

Getting quite excited at being able to have a go to system with all the benefits of eq mod as well sure beats using sky watchers dual axis control units and Tom tells me the AstroEq unit is protected against wrong polarity.

Hooray for inventive diy astronomers :D

cloud cloud go away come again another day

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Oily,

looks like a tidy piece of kit. thinking about putting a request in for one from her indoors.

you say in your video you had to take the weights of the mount because the motors won't turn with them on!

is there a need to buy better motors with this AstroEQ ???

Tim

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Oily,

looks like a tidy piece of kit. thinking about putting a request in for one from her indoors.

you say in your video you had to take the weights of the mount because the motors won't turn with them on!

is there a need to buy better motors with this AstroEQ ???

Tim

No Tom,it's just because the scope isn't on to balance out the weights,it slews great once everything is balanced.You can buy better stepper motors/belt drives to give you better slew speeds though,costs around £100,you can ask Tom for more details about the motors he used.

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My order is now in place so looking forward to getting my AstroEQ from Tom. I'm now in the process of taking apart my garden shed and its going to be converted into an observatory for the winter time. It will be quite simply done just having two areas one sectioned off for me to sit in and control the telescope with my laptop and software.

The other section will have the telescope and a removable roof but I am not putting it on a pier as will have to move it out sometimes and it will be fine on the tripod legs once its polar aligned and sorted. Being able to use the AstroEQ box to give me full go to and being able to use EQMOD is going to be fantastic..

No more sitting out in the freezing cold for me this winter time. Was thinking of doing a separate thread to show my progress with all this what do you think?

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G

My order is now in place so looking forward to getting my AstroEQ from Tom. I'm now in the process of taking apart my garden shed and its going to be converted into an observatory for the winter time. It will be quite simply done just having two areas one sectioned off for me to sit in and control the telescope with my laptop and software.

The other section will have the telescope and a removable roof but I am not putting it on a pier as will have to move it out sometimes and it will be fine on the tripod legs once its polar aligned and sorted. Being able to use the AstroEQ box to give me full go to and being able to use EQMOD is going to be fantastic..

No more sitting out in the freezing cold for me this winter time. Was thinking of doing a separate thread to show my progress with all this what do you think?

Go for it Mark :)

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OK, well I am going to do the progress update on my blog first so just head over to www.astrocasto.blogspot.com to keep an eye on the shed conversion. When I get my AstroEQ from Tom I will do a full review of the set up on my EQ5 mount and how I get on with it all. And communicating with Oily we will hopefully encourage other EQ5 users to take up the challenge and try this alternative to buying a synscan unit or suffering burned out dual axis control pads.

I like to support diy money saving projects so this should be fun to do. Almost as fun as my monster thread last year on the guiding conversion of my EQ5. The good thing is though that Toms AstroEQ has done away with much of the headaches that project gave us all.

Let the fun begin..

I will post more pics of the AstroEQ when I get it along with some videos so others can see it in more detail but Tom as pics of it on herepost-8732-0-99357600-1378983316_thumb.pn

https://github.com/TCWORLD/AstroEQ/tree/master/WikiFiles/Examples

post-8732-0-99357600-1378983316_thumb.pn

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Oily / Mark

I look forward with eager anticipation to see how your collaborative project goes.

I have mentioned on an other thread that I have had my Sky-watcher duel motors and hand set for a couple of years but have not had any issues un-like Mark who has had ‘nightmares’ with the hand sets. That said we can not predict the future so it’s with this in mind that I will be following how you guys progress with the AstroEQ and look forward to the videos and full review.

Tim

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Nice one Tim it will be good to have all three of us progressing with this.My plan is to start work on my observatory now and when I get that sorted get my eq5 and 200p set up in the observatory with my laptop and AstroEQ and EQmod all running the telescope and mount from a separate sectioned of part of the shed/observatory. I still intend to have a portable set up as well but don't want to freeze this winter like I did last year. I remember last year when we got stuck into the guiding mod and how long that thread went on for and the interest it created. It was a fun project but quite challenging as well hopefully this will make things a little bit easier, and I'm all in favour of easy. :grin:

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Tim,I see you're in the North West,I'm in Radcliffe,Manchester,you're more than welcome to come round and take a look for yourself.

Yes oily i live in Carnforth but originally from sunny Salford. It would be good to have look at how you,ve set it all up but the video will have to do, unfortunately I'm working 10hrs a day- 7 days a week for the next 2 an half months.

work Hey it a hard life but someones gotta do it. at least i can justify buying an AstroEQ. ;)

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We'll AstroEQ arrived this morning just waiting for the st4 cables then we can start having some fun. A full report will be forthcoming.

cloud cloud go away come again another day

Mark,

Hope you are going to your usual good job and take lots of photo's of what goes where and which bit plugs into which. ;)

Tim

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Yes indeed, as you know I am not terribly good with electrics and such things but do like to make things easy as possible when it comes to astrophotography and imaging. So lets begin.

I got my AstroEQ unit today it all arrived in good condition and was very well packed. Tom sent it to me only the other day so it arrived the next day.

The first thing you will notice is that it is actually quite small and tidy. Here are a few pictures of it so you can see what it looks like.

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You will also need to get yourself some cables and a 12 volt power supply

I bought the following items: 2 five foot long st4 to st4 cables

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190738599768?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

The 12volt power supply recommended by Tom

http://uk.farnell.com/ideal-power/25hk-ab-120a250-d5-fr/power-supply-ext-plg-in-2-5a-12v/dp/2334609

And the usb cable to the Astroeq connection mini usb connector I had one spare but this is what your after

http://www.misco.co.uk/productinfo/productinfo?productCode=198283&affiliate=GooglePLA&cm_mmc=google-_-Product_PlusBox-_-cables-_-198283&catargetid=530001250000014536&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CLWrno_K17kCFZQZtAodjh0Aew

Ok so thats all your cables sorted out if you have them laying around even better.

Next thing you will have to do is install the software to run everything

That is EQASCOM and EQMOD from the website

And Cartes du Ciel star chart

and then Toms config utility and drivers from his site.

If your not sure on what to install ask Tom he will tell you what to do and was very helpful answering all my daft questions.

I will do a video of the whole set up and how it all works once I get my st4 cables this week so watch this space. I will also be putting all this on my blog as normal.

And when I get the roof done on my observatory it will all be put in there and set up on a permanent basis.

Cant wait... :grin:

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I too have an AstroEQ, untested yet as I don't have my new pier and EQ3-2 back from my friend.

Ah Gonzo great news another one on board please keep us informed of your progress on this thread as well thats 3 of us working on the same project great stuff.. :grin: I love cheap diy projects that save us money and drive us all bonkers.

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I still have to buy the stepper motors as I want to replace the original EQ3-2's ones. I was told you can use them, however slewing will be quite slow with them....

My custom made "portable" pier should be finished soon now, I will post pictures of it in my other thread and update this thread on how I get on with the AstroEQ.

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I have a pair of stepper motors left over from one of my dual axis kits for the EQ5 mount, £20 quid if you want them plus postage.One for RA one for DEC both in good working order.

That will still leave me with another pair for back up so just let me know.  I don't think sky-watcher sell these motors on there own and I am not sure if the EQ5 motors will fit your EQ3 mount.

Any way there here if you want them. :smiley:

A custom pier sounds interesting I was thinking of getting one of the sky watcher ones for my observatory but think I will be fine with the mount, although it would give me more leg room I guess.

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