malc-c

To be honest IMO you are pushing the equipment beyond its limits. I've been off the forum for a while and a few years ago the recommended mount for use with a 200P when imaging was an HEQ5. I started with an EQ5 and soon realised that the mount wasn't geared for imaging. The HEQ5 has finer stepping stepper motors, and higher load capability making it the more suited platform, especially when using DSLRs as the main camera. However, as you have already purchased the equipment there isn't much more you can do other than change the way you guid the scope. Using a finder as a guide scope has the advantage of being lightweight, but being a short focal length not a lot of movement would be detected, hence why your PHD traces were good but the resulting image had trails. Longer focal lengths will improve guide accuracy, to a point in that each guide step will only be as good as the resolution of the mount, so even if you opted for an off axis guider it may well be that the stars appear more rounded. Having said that the results may be perfectly acceptable, but most OAG, especially the narrow ones for Canon cameras to ensure there is enough travel on the focuser to focus the image on the sensor and guide camera are quite expensive, between £120 and £180. Also, an element of luck comes into play... sometimes the image you are capturing is in a position where balance of the scope works in your favor and it all works...

I have the D400 which was marketed as the Rebel and it is fine for use as an imaging camera. There are plenty of DIY circuits for a PC controlled shutter release as USB only permits max 30 second exposure. The camera is also fairly easy to modify to full IR

What version of EQ6 do you have - the new R version has a USB port that permits direct connection to a PC (basically the serial to USB chip is now on the motherboard) - But it seems after a little research it needs to set the port baud speed on the PC to 115200 bps in both the port settings and ASCOM driver setting. If you have the older mount with DB9 connector, and it works with the handset but not the EQDir cable, then it has to be a fault with the cable or incorrect communications settings on the PC / ASCOM

By "the same" are you saying that when you use an EQDirect cable your get a time out, but when you use the handset you have control? Presume you've check the obvious, that the comm port setting are the same that the EQDir cable device is set to ?

Actually it's the Elves that do the hard graft of pushing all the 'bits' around. The fairies do all the admin work to make sure the Elves behave themselves and keep things in order 😉

James, I've heard various analogies to describe something, but your little pixies had me in stitches If only Kstars supported those ASCOM pixies things would be a lot simpler, but would mean the INDI and Network pixies would be out of work and claiming JSA

Makes a slot of sense...Thanks

Darren, nice update Question as I'm confused about the scope control. You have a pi which I presume is running a flavor of linux, which I assume is connected to the mount via some interface cable. But you then ran Kstars on what seems to be a windows PC and showed it connecting to the scope. Then you remote desktop'd using an app into the Pi that also has kstars running..... Can you explain the set up of the scope control in more detail? - The bit that is confusing me is having Kstars on the windows PC because naively it doesn't support Ascom and trying to get 3rd party software interfacing to try and make this work is a real pain. My guess is that in order to have the windows version of Kstars support Ascom there is some costs involved in having the api licence or something... if not then it really does astound me that the developers of Kstars have not make it Ascom complaint already

Darren has started something now https://youtu.be/G89PagGQi0M

No, you need 470uF electrolytic capacitors - 35v (bit of head room from the 25v ones originally fitted) - These have polarity, so make sure you fit plus to plus and minus to minus as indicated on the side of the can

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/315150-heq5-sw-200p-dob-ota-bad-idea/ The EQ5 won't be as stable as the HEQ5 in the above thread, especially given the extra focal length of the dob OTA

The equipment mentioned will limit you to using a video (webcam or phone with adaptor) to record footage of the Moon, larger planets and the sun (using proper sun filters) and then stacking the frames in software. The EQ5 will offer better results as with excellent polar alignment it will track the targets so you'll get sharper images. So basically the 120 refractor on the EQ5 (assuming the scope is within the weight limit of the mount) would be your best bet

Back in 2011 I measured the current draw of my EQ-5 synscan. So your 5A power supply should be fine. There is no maximum. If you used a 20A supply the mount will still draw 1.8A. You'll just have more head room and the PSU won't brake a sweat supplying what the mount needs.

To be honest given the OP's lack of experience and knowledge about using a Reflecting telescope, I would't feel comfortable with them collimating the scope. I would suggest that they join a local astronomical group where someone can take them under their wing and help them get the most out of the scope

Found this form 18 months back https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/287800-eqmod-and-game-controllers-help-please/ OK that was related to a wii controller, but it discusses the use of wireless / wired connections. It does seem that BT isn't reliable, and personally I've always used a wired game controller (USB) and never had issues

You have to open the EQMOD folder to locate the EQASCOM folder from the start menu, which contains the toolbox app, so you must have found it.. For reference C:\Program Files (x86)\EQMOD With the mount powered up if you click on the ASCOM CONNECT button of the toolbox application it should launch EQMOD and connect to the scope. If you then click on the spanner, can you see and configure your gamepad ?

wow, resurrecting a 6 year old post !! Under your EQMOD folder you should have a gamepad monitor application - you could see if that's detecting the gampad Can you run the EQASCOM toolbox from the EQMOD/EQASCOM folder and configure the gampad

Guys, no expert, but here's my 2p worth If you can control the mount via the handset, but not with any EQ-direct cable then the issue isn't with the motor control board, it's an issue with the comms board (the smaller board where the handset plugs in). If both the BT module and Shoestring cable work with another mount but not yours then this would suggest it's the serial port on that board that mount that is to blame. I've never been a fan of the Shoestring & BT modules, preferring the use of a direct cable connection based on a 5V FTDL USB cable. When EQMOD reports com errors it's either because the settings are wrong, the port on the computer is mis-configured, the connections aren't perfect, or the cable is at fault. If you are positive that these options have been explored then I have no other suggestions, especially as the handset communicates with the mount perfectly. One possible option is to buy one of the cables that plugs into the handset and set the handset to PC-DIRECT mode - this would confirm if there is simply a compatibility issue with your mount and the shoestring cable / BT module.

I think that there would be little chance the main board has the same fault as mine as the mount is fully functional when used with the handset. I personally prefer a direct cable connection. Bluetooth has always seem flakey in my experience

Wow, that's a strange one. The fact the mount works fine with the handset would suggest the main board is fine, and its an issue with the EQDIR / BT adaptor. But you say that they both work with a second mount ?? - very confusing. Do you have an other PC that hasn't been used with the adaptors and try and install EQMOD and Ascom on that, then connect up the EQDIR cable and see if it communicates with the mount. If it does then the issue is with the original installation on the main PC. This may be port handling within Windows, or simply a corrupt driver that needs re-installing.

I just received an e-mail from OVL, they contacted a "skywatcher engineer" who gave the following response

Geoff, thanks for the explanation. I was guessing it was more PSU related as the charge pump caps would seem to be the four smaller caps near the PWM driver chips

Hi, No problem. It was the two 470uf 25v caps (top right of your picture). There was nothing physically obvious with them (no bulging or leaking) - I have no idea what part they play in the circuit, but swapping them out resolved the issue for me. Good luck

Well, thanks to a recommendation from a fellow SGL forum member, I contacted a guy on the East Midlands Stargazers forum. It was suggested that I replace two capacitors on the board as these seem to be very sensitive to voltage drops / spikes and fail. I didn't have the right can size as the ones I had in my electronics box were 35v rated rather than the 25v rated fitted by synta, but they were persuaded to fit, and as it isn't as if anyone is going to see it ! Well I'm pleased to say the mount is now fully operational

Does anyone know what the part number of the four 24 pin driver chips are on the mainboard are