malc-c

Looking at images of both devices a USB cable that has a type B connector one end and type A the other. Ideally if you are going over 4m I would suggest using a 5m Active cable rather than passive. An active cable boosts the signals .

Excellent... now all that you need to do is work out why you are experiencing Venus's temperatures rather than Earths

Just to follow up Davis post - here are the links to GS Server and The Discussion group

Open up windows device manager and under ports confirm the LYNX EQDIR cable is registered when it is connected and that the driver has installed correctly (ie no warnings) Select the PORT and right click to select PROPERTIES and then select the second tab PORT PROPERTIES Confirm the BITS per second is set to 9600, databits to 8, parity NONE, stop bits 1 Close Device manager Open EQASCOM TOOLBOX and select DRIVER SETUP Ensure the same port number that you just checked in Device Manager, and select the same baud rate of 9600 Click OK to close Power up the mount From the toolbox select TEST CONNECTION. EQMOD should launch and make connection with the mount. To the right of the NSWE buttons are two sliders for RA and DEC rate. Between them is a drop down option - select 4 Use the NSEW buttons to move the mount. If the same "No connection" message comes up, power down the mount, remove the EQDIR cable and connect the handset. Power up the mount and confirm that the handset connects to the mount and doesn't display a "NO RESPONSE " message for either or both axis

From a limited google search I believe that the basic control under EQMOD works, but there maybe an issue with the support for encoders. I'm not sure of the "version" of EQ8 my friend has, be he recently switched to GSServer as it supports full current drive of the stepper motors, which apparently EQMOD doesn't EQMOD have an active discussion group, and they may be able to advise you further.

To be honest, all this statement on anywhere between 50% and 80% of the mounts visual payload is meaningless to a degree as each instance will be different. A mount with a large scope that is well within that "limit" may perform poorly in one location due to the site being exposed, but gives good results in a more sheltered location. Like I stated above my set up was around 75% of the HEQ5's maximum load capacity (which Stuart has stated in his opinion is undermounted), but even with a basic Dslr camera and with guiding enabled manage to get results like this from the middle of a modern town Or with a webcam and a double stack of 2x barlows, the 200P even gave me some decent planetary data to work with Granted I have the advantage of a sheltered observatory, but often even then if the wind is blowing well I don't bother going out and image with the scope as it can still affect the scope. If the mount was so undermounted then these image swould have been a major struggle Malcolm

That's really interesting, and effectively the reverse of how I thought the circuit worked. The confusing thing for me was that the datasheet stated that the counter would trigger with a negative edge, and the transistor was current sensitive rather than voltage, which threw me. But what you describe makes sense as you would want to have a device that is as frugal on power as possible so it makes sense to have the transistor turned off in its wait state rather than powered and wasting battery..

I think I may have had my original description of how I think the circuit works back to front (well it was late after a long day !) The transistor is switched on when NO CURRENT is seen on its BASE. With the reed switch open (as most are made that way) CURRENT is not flowing as the voltage through R4 has no path to GND. With the transistor turned on a circuit is formed using the Emitter / Collector (in reverse BIAS action so the transistor acts as a switch rather than amplifier) and 1M ohm resistor, so inputs A/B are both held HIGH. When the reed switch is closed a circuit is made as CURRENT flows through R4 and R3, which in this arrangement form a voltage divider to GND. With CURRENT detected on the BASE of the transmitter the transistor being PNP is turned OFF, and inputs A/B are tied LOW via the 1M resistor. When the reed switch opens once more, the lack of current on the base once again turns the transistor on, and the inputs are taken HIGH once again. This would comply with the DS2423 data sheet where a count is registered by falling triggers, ie from HIGH to LOW. Now if the reed switch is one of those N/C type the reverse would happen, But whether the reed switch is normally open or normally closed us irrelevant as you would still get a change of state on the inputs A/B, they would still see a HIGH to LOW transition.

Flocked my 200P around a decade ago, following a thread on this forum, used a black fablon material which was cheap and did / does the job well

Googling the part number the DS2423 is a one wire EPROM with a function. According to the datasheet, the counters are triggered by inputs A and B, respectively, increment with every low-going pulse on their input. I'm not an electronics expert, but from your schematic it would seem that in order to do that pins 5 and 6 are pulled down to GND via the 1M resistor, but in order for the pins to register a pulse that must mean that they are held high through the transistor, which as there is no current flowing to its base will be turned on (its a PNP type). So when turned on, current / voltage flows through the transistor to ground with the 1M resistor forming the "load" inputs A/B are held high. When the reed switch is closed by the magnet voltage flows through R4 and R3 to ground. With current momentarily flowing through R3 and R4 the transistor is turned off, so inputs A/B are grounded via the 1M resistor. The only bit that confuses me is the Diode arrangement. Normally one wire data lines are pulled high via a 4.7K - 10K resistor. In the schematic, D1 will take the 3v form the battery and allow current / voltage to flow to the transistor and vBat terminal. I think there would be a 0.7v voltage drop as this is normally associated with diodes. D2 blocks power getting to the data line, but I have no idea how it would effect the data line. Like I said, I'm no electronics engineer, but that's how I follow the schematic.... If you get stuck with the reed switches I have these two which I can send you. One is very small and sensitive (well it needed to detect a small magnet on a passing n gauge train)

I was looking for the image of this setup, but couldn't find it at the time. Excellent planetary combo IMO.

James, most reed switches are normally open, being closed when affected by the magnetic field. I think the negative edge trigger is a read herring, as a normally open reed switch, having been triggered will go form high to low when the magnet releases the switch. In the sea-saw arrangement (if the module is similar to the Maplin stations) rain water fills the small bowl on the sea-saw, causing it to tip. If the magnet and reed switch is on the opposite side this would result in the negative going "logic" triggering a counter, as the magnet would be moved away form the switch allowing the reed to open. If however if the magnet and reed are under the bowl the reed will be closed when the sea-saw tips under the weight of the water, but then as the water is emptied, the reed is opened again as the sea-saw gets reset once again. I'm sure I have a selection of reed switches left over from the days of using them with model railways for train detection if you need some.

For me I found the 200P + an ST80 + QHY5 + Canon D400 (plus finder and cabling) was about the limit for imaging with an HEQ5. Approximate all up weight of around 11 - 11.5kg, so around 75% of the quoted maximum payload of the HEQ5 But that was on a solid concrete pier mount and inside an observatory which naturally gave some protection form the wind

Welcome Tony, As one of the founding members of the Letchworth & District Astronomy Society I would recommend you join us. Pre-Covid we met up for regular meetings and start parties at Standalone Farm in Letchworth, and have a dedicated imaging section with members who range form having basic equipment (like me) through to those with serious kit that have produced images that have graced the covers of leading national magazines. We also have a our own observatory containing a computerised 14″ Meade LX200 on an equatorial mount, so we have a lot to offer. We also have telescope workshops form time to time, where members can bring their scopes along and be instructed on setting them up or servicing them etc. The link is in Steve's post, so no need for me to duplicate it here. But for £17 pa plus meetings it's well worth the cost (naturally I'm biased )

Ahh I see.... yes the functionality is more or less the same by the look of things.

Do iOptron use the Skywatcher command protocol then... EQMOD doesn't list iOptron as a supported mount on its compatibility table posted on the prerequisites web page That would suggest that the iOptron Commander software could be used with Skywatcher mounts them

A quick google search and I found this - An ASCOM driver is available, looks like a stripped down EQMOD but with a more modern GUI. The direct connection is via USB to the handset which shows up as a TTL Com port under windows. I can't find any info on the handset pin outs to see if an EQDIR cable used for Skywatcher could be substituted, but as damage to the mount may result I would suggest sticking with USB via USB to the handset. Being ASCOM compliant it should be possible to use most of the ASCOM supported applications such as NINA, CdC, Stellarium etc.

When I was looking at getting a scope I made arrangements to visit a local(ish) stockist and go and physically look at them. I didn't realise just how large and impressive the eq5/200P was. They also demonstrated the slewing of the mounts. I originally was considering the Celestron 6" cassagrain on the GT5 mount, but when I heard the mount slew it just sounded too loud and course... The 200p/eq5 actually worked out a few quid cheaper, and so I placed my order. Now with CV19 etc, some shops are not open to the public, or only by appointment, but its worth making that journey if the logistics are plausible. If not then you are covered by the distance selling regulations, but its a lot of hassle to return something like an HEQ5 and 200P, and quite costly too. You'll always be at a loss... for the reasons I mentioned. I've owned two mounts, and I've voiced my opinions on both. Others will give you the pros and cons on any mount they have owned too.. The guys that work with these bits of kit can give you the best advice as they have access to all the mounts in the range...

Well having owned an EQ5 (goto) they are indeed a nice capable mount. It worked well with my Celestron 127 MAK, but wasn't that stable with the 200P on board when it came to imaging. The 200p acted like a sail and caught anything but the lightest of breeze. As I said in my other post, we will all have differing opinions, and for me the suggestion of an ALT/AZ mount for imaging, even planetary is something I would avoid as field rotation is a real issue. In fact have a look at the new Astrobiscuit video which has an animated image of Jupiter in which the bands make a complete arc making the planet appear to rotate around its centre. IMO ALT/AZ are fine for widefield where images are not going to be stacked or animated, other than that an EQ mount makes the task of imaging easier.. As for the HEQ5. The white pro goto mounts have been the bread and butter entry level imaging mount for decades. It's not advisable to opt for one of the old black versions (if you could still find them) as they lack the precision the newer versions have. But they are not light. They can still be portable if the site has the facility of parking the car next to where you want to set up, but if you were having to lug it half a mile form the carpark that could be another thing altogether. For me as I was looking at a permanent set up in an observatory, portability wasn't a consideration.

I would say yes it should be possible. Originally Skywatcher mounts were connected through serial cables to the handset with the handset connected to the mount, but then the EQDIR cable was developed and allowed for a direct connection between mount and PC. However, as to what cable you would use for a Celestron mount I can't say. Most google searches seem to suggest a serial cable is used, but that would most likely still need the handset to act as the "translator" between mount and PC. I did find these videos that may help, plus there does seem to be a wi-fi adapter that could remove cables altogether and part two here

The choice of mount and scope will be a personal one, and dependent on lots of variables, such as portability, location, and budget. When it comes to any imaging set up, the mount is key. You want a mount that will make the optical tube as stable as possible. To a degree a stable mount is important for visual too, but doubly so for imaging. Often you might see what looks to be a silly combination of a small 80mm reflector on an HEQ5 / EQ6 mount, but the reason is that that combination gives a very sturdy and stable platform. As for suitable mounts, well that is some legwork you are going to have to put in. Trawl through this forum, there are hundreds of similar threads asking for recommendations for a setup within a certain budget. Astro imaging also ranges from hanging a mobile phone in front of an eyepiece, through to dedicated cooled astro CCD cameras and filter wheels controlled through software running on dedicated computers. It can be a simple snap of the Moon, through to a large mosaic of images taken over months to show a wide field nebula. And each will require different level of equipment. Part of the problem is the cost. Astronomy isn't cheap. The subject of cheap (sub £100) telescopes has been covered in Astrobiscuits latest video on youtube, and yes the final refractor performed well and outclassed the others FLO had sent him to "review", but only when it was placed on a £150 tripod / mount. I would say that anyone with £1000 or less will struggle to get an imaging rig. You'll spend £200 on a camera, either CCD or second hand DSLR. The mount will be 50% or more of that budget, so you're left with £200-£300 for the optics. The choice of optics will depend on what you want to image. Long focal length scopes are more suited for planetary work, short focal for DSO's. There is an overlap to a degree, and you can image bright DSO's through an f10 scope and take images of large planets and the moon with f5 reflectors, but often it involves additional items to make it work well. There are lots of threads on the forum where people have produced stunning images on budget gear - a 150P on an EQ3 for example, but equally these threads are often littered with 1001 issues that needed to be overcome to get those results. Having a more capable bit of kit often makes the task easier, but not always. One other thing.. if you can, plan ahead. If you want to run an guided imaging rig, even with "entry" level cameras then save up and get a mount that can easily take a decent payload. Often you buy on a tight budget then realise the kit you have just can't cope with the payload and you need to upgrade the mount, losing money in the proceeds. I'm talking form personal experience. I purchased a 200P / EQ5 pro goto package, and within a year had sold the mount and purchased a second hand HEQ5 (a lovely mount) to take the 200P and ST80 guidescope. The EQ5 probably would have coped well if I had an 130/150P (these are normally bundled with an EQ3-5 mount), but I went for that extra aperture. Make a post saying you have a budget of £xxxx I want a scope to do X/Y/Z and you'll get dozens of different suggestions. What appeals to me or suits my needs will be different to someone else's. Not all of us have experience of every scope or mount on the market, unless you work for FLO or RVO - maybe a visit and call to them could narrow down your choices. Hope that helps

I agree, PA helps a lot, but another factor that can affect guiding is cone error, and flexure, both of which have been documented here on the forum and no doubt on Youtube This is an old video, but one of the best Then perform a Polar alignment

With most things there are always multiple ways of doing things. I'm not saying my way is the way it should be done, just one that I found works for me... I've never done plate solving, other than the routine used by Sharpcap to get polar alignment. But I also have the luxury of having an observatory so once set up there should be less need to repeat that step. Good luck, and let us know how you get on

My routine is more or less the same. Being permanently set up, there is no need for me to PA each session. This was done using Sharpcap's excellent PA tool. Open Cartes Du Ceil, connect to the mount via EQASCOM, unpark, and slew to ta bright star near the intended target Place a Bahtinov mask over the OTA and open up APT and take an un image for focusing - adjust if required. Remove mask and slew to target via Cartes Du Ceil Take an unguided image to check framing If' the framing is OK, launch PHD2 and connect to the mount and guide camera Let PHD2 autoselect the start and let it run a calibration session Once its started guiding, let it settle for a minute or two before running a plan in APT I don't use APT for target selection or any other integration. It's simply used to control the DSLR and run the plan which is typically 30 subs of 5 minutes at 800 ISO. Any longer exposures and I start to get bright background due to being in a town location. I'm old school, I run a planetarium application to control the scope, a guiding application to handle the guiding and an imaging application to control the primary camera... These days IMO there are too many applications that try and merge the boundaries between those tasks, and I think this is where the problems lie.

I know what you mean. Over the past decade I developed a multi-channel thermostat controller, basically 8 thermostats and two timers in one unit. Parts wise probably around £180, but the time spend on R&D, and then to assemble and wire everything up priced the item well above what people wanted to pay (and that's not including the £25,000 I would have had to spend on having the unit tested to be able to CE mark the unit). The only saving grace was that there is nothing like my design on the market that is commercially available