AutoGuiding and Windows 10

[Tim99]

Hello Friends,

I was thinking about buying the Orion Starshoot Autoguider but it is not compatible with Windows 10.  I have PHD which works on my Windows 10.  What guide camera would you recommend for PHD that will work on my Windows 10 Machine?

Thanks,

Tim

[Davey-T]

Hi Tim, having the same problem ATM , choice between a lot of money for a Loadstar or cheaper CMOS Altair Astro GP Cam, can't find any reference to the Loadstar not working with Win10 but need to check, the Altair Astro one says it works with Win10 but needs a special version of PHD downloading, the Loadstar is more sensitive and I already have one on my obs'y setup on an OAG, for a mini guider setup the Altair should be sensitive enough, also still need to check out QHY offering for compatibility with Win 10.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Hi Tim, having the same problem ATM , choice between a lot of money for a Loadstar or cheaper CMOS Altair Astro GP Cam, can't find any reference to the Loadstar not working with Win10 but need to check, the Altair Astro one says it works with Win10 but needs a special version of PHD downloading, the Loadstar is more sensitive and I already have one on my obs'y setup on an OAG, for a mini guider setup the Altair should be sensitive enough, also still need to check out QHY offering for compatibility with Win 10.

Dave

Hi Dave

PHD2 has a dev release which supports the gpcam and works fine. There is also a beta ascom driver available via the AA google group though at last look it only works in 8-bit mode. I'm sure there will be more releases. Don't know about Win 10 - I'm keeping away from it for now!

Louise

[SXBB]

I've been using a Short Tube 80 & DSI Pro II with the latest Dev release of PHD2.5 with excellent results.  if you could mate the 1.25" nosepiece of the DSI to a finderscope it would work quite well but I believe it would have to slide into the finder scope to achieve focus.

Bruce

[Davey-T]

I've been using a Short Tube 80 & DSI Pro II with the latest Dev release of PHD2.5 with excellent results.  if you could mate the 1.25" nosepiece of the DSI to a finderscope it would work quite well but I believe it would have to slide into the finder scope to achieve focus.

Bruce

Are you using Win10 ?

Dave

[Magnus_e]

Not shure what all the fuzz is about when it comes to windows 10?

I have been using windows 10 since one of the technical previews, then insider preview and now the released windows 10.

Have not found any software i'm using that does not work with windows 10.

Have used the Orion SSAG with all of those wersions, and windows 8.1 whitout issues.

Do remember something about having to install a patch for PHD2...

Dont have my SSAG where i am now, so cannot reinstall it to see if there is something "special" to do when installing, but it has been working without issues....

/ Also worth mentioning that somethimes in windows you must right click the installer -> properties -> compability, and set compability mode to win 7, or XP. Not shure if i had to do that with teh SSAG.

[Davey-T]

Don't know how you got it to work, here's my recent reply from Orion 

Dave

[Magnus_e]

Don't know how you got it to work, here's my recent reply from Orion 

Dave

Orion SSAG.PNG

Thats strange He does say ALL of the win 10 pc?

I will se if i can get a hold of my SSAG and reinstall it. I do loosley recall that i might have used the older v2 driver from the orion page http://www.telescope.com/Product-Support/Astrophotography/Autoguiding-Solutions/Orion-StarShoot-AutoGuider/pc/191/c/244/sc/287/p/99565.utsbut i cannot remember for sure. I just checked my laptop and it is installed.

What are the issues that others have? Does it not install, not run, or dosen't guide?

[Davey-T]

Thats strange He does say ALL of the win 10 pc?

I will se if i can get a hold of my SSAG and reinstall it. I do loosley recall that i might have used the older v2 driver from the orion page http://www.telescope.com/Product-Support/Astrophotography/Autoguiding-Solutions/Orion-StarShoot-AutoGuider/pc/191/c/244/sc/287/p/99565.utsbut i cannot remember for sure. I just checked my laptop and it is installed.

What are the issues that others have? Does it not install, not run, or dosen't guide?

Just says "no drivers "

I've tried all the drivers I can find on the Orion site

This snippet from Orion SSAG page

Dave

[Magnus_e]

Hmm..

Acording to windows programs and features it's SSAG v2.0 i am using

Just uninstalled SSAG v2.0, downloaded SSAG Autoguider drivers V2 (Win XP/Vista/7) , Doubble clicked on the SSAGSetupV2.exe, ok to unzip then ran StarShoot AutoGuider 64-bit Drivers/SSAGSetup.exe and it installed. Did not need to select any compability mode for it to install.

[Davey-T]

Thanks Magnus, will have another go.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Nothing's easy, can't uninstall the existing SSAG drivers, tried compatability mode and the compatibility mode trouble shooter to no avail.

Dave

[Magnus_e]

Is it the v4.0 driver that wont uninstall? I remember that there was some issues with it, thats why i ended up with the v2.0

If the installer failed, then it might have been partially installed or registrered without installing. If the uninstall.dll is not there it might be worth looking in C:/Program Files(x86)/Orion/ and see what is there. In the v2.0 driver there is a /Orion/uninstall000.exe, Or you can try ControllPanel -> Programs and Features -> SSAG uninstall

[Davey-T]

Yes V4, uninstalled all the others I'd tried.

Dave

[Magnus_e]

To see if i could be of any help i uninstalled v2.0, installed v4.0 (SSAGdrvfull.exe), rebooted and uninstalled in programs and features.

If you check C:\Program Files (x86)\Orion\SSAG_Drivers_WIN8\ does that folder exist? if the SSAG_Driver_WIN8\ folder does not exist or is empty it is uninstalled. Maby Windows just failed updating the programs list (it does happend sometimes).

If the folder is there, then there should be a C:\Program Files (x86)\Orion\SSAG_Drivers_WIN8\uninst000.exe Try to run it and see if you get the same missing dll error. And do try to reboot after this, as windows loves rebooting

[Davey-T]

Win8 folder is there but get the same message if I run uninst001.exe, got uninst001, unist002, uninst003 but no uninst000.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Managed to uninstall eventually, installed V2 but still get unknown device and no driver messages.

Dave

[Magnus_e]

Thats a shame, cannot say why it's not working for you.

Just a last note. Is it when you connect the device you get a unknown device message from windows, or is it in PHD2?

When the SSAGSetupV2.exe is unpacked to StarShoot AutoGuider 64-bit Drivers, there is a StarShoot AutoGuider 64-bit Drivers/PHD/SSAGIF.dll that should be copied to C:\Program Files (x86)\PHDGuiding2\SSAGIF.dll , but if windows is still not recornizing it then that wont help.

[Davey-T]

When I plug it in no message about "found device" etc appears, in device manager I get unknown device and no driver installed.

PHD says not connected.

Have purchased an Altair Astro GP Cam today which works on Win10 so will use that for now and keep an eye on the Orion site for updates, this must be costing them sales as they do it as part of a guider package so maybe they'll make an effort

Thanks for all your help

Dave