Gina

I have INDI library and drivers on the laptop and PixInsight on desktop but I also have ekos on the laptop. So I have a choice. I read about time and position settings on the INDI web site I think.

Been reading the INDI web sight. Connecting mount seems quite straightforward Plug in USB to serial adaptor and power mount. Go to INDI in PixInsight and choose mount control. Sounds all too easy to me but we'll see. Must be something I've missed

Thanks Wim

INDI libraries installed on Dell laptop plus drivers and kstars-bleeding Tomorrow I'm hoping to connect to the NEQ6 mount and control it remotely from PixInsight. I shall need to find out how

Raining too!! Weather forecast is hopeful for tomorrow night though If it doesn't change by then!

Linux Mint 18 installed, TeamViewer 11 installed and working, and now downloading and installing INDI libraries and dependencies

Now installing LM 18 on Dell laptop. Partitioned whole HD - 100MB for /boot, 20GB for /, 2GB swap and the rest for /home.

I thought as much - so I'm stuck with what's in there. Oh well... Tried installing TeamViewer 11 as the installed TV 10 isn't working but I got a system error on trying to run Gdebi so I guess it's a complete new install on the whole HD with Linux Mint 18 and have a nice clean system. At least I'll have the full 80GB of HD space.

Now I'm wondering what to do. There's only 20GB of space on the HD. I guess that's enough to try INDI for mount control. A replacement HD probably wouldn't fit any better than the SSD - being a Dell I guess it's a bit non-standard - I've heard this about Dells I might reinstall Linux Mint afresh on the whole HD.

Well, I have a problem! The SSD doesn't fit properly in spite of looking the same as the HD. The connectors are loose - the HD slides in and I can feel the connectors engage properly whereas the SSD is just loose. So I've put the HD back in.

Yes, laptop is a much better idea I have a Dell Lattitude D630 which has 2GB RAM, 80GB HD, 4 USB2 ports and nothing else that's useful. Not even an SD card slot. But I think it could be useful for trying INDI before I go the whole hog and use RPi 3s. I think 2GB RAM would be adequate as the RPi has only 1GB. I think I'll replace the rather tiny HD with the 500GB SSD drive. If I can sort out Linux imaging that will give me plenty of room. Currently the HD has dual boot with Linux Mint and Windows 7 Home Premium but I don't think I want the latter No, I know I don't want that!! I can simply take out the HD, replace it with the SSD and install Linux Mint 18 from USB stick. Then install TeamViewer 11 and INDI library. I'm currently copying the stuff I want viz. Marlin firmware for 3D Printers and other Arduino stuff, to USB stick.

Took the side cover off the Linux tower and it doesn't look very hopeful. I was going to add a PCI USB3 card but they seem to be PCI-E and there's only one of those and it has the graphics card in it. I've found a PCI one but this only increases USB speed to 1.3GHz due to limitation of PCI bus. Anyway, if I was to put this PC in the observatory to get INDI working I won't need USB3. The mount only uses USB2 and the camera will be fine as I'm not using high speed video. I could load it up with the INDI library and set things up indoors. I'll update it's OS to Linux Mint 18 too. I have a WiFi USB dongle for remote connection - I'll run it headless in the observatory. OTOH it's pretty heavy and I might be better advised to use my Linux Mint laptop

I seem to have mislaid one of my RPi 3s - the one with Ubuntu Mate and INDI library installed I was about to try mount control. Found INDI mount control client in PixInsight I need to clear up! For one thing I want to put the new tower where the Win 7 one is and put the older one behind it with the water cooler on top (not using cooler ATM but may add water cooling to the new PC). There's also a Linux tower next to the settee that's not doing anything ATM. Must see what I've got in that - it's one I made up myself. Pretty old now.

Thanks Chris Yes, I think a NAS is a good idea - I've had one in the past but didn't replace it when it failed and used a USB external 2TB drive instead for backups.

Very little vignetting which is easily corrected with Flats Here is a calibrated master Flat using Bias and Dark frames processed in PixInsight. Applying histogram stretch shows the vignetting.

3nm SII filter is out of stock with Ian King - expecting more in a week or so OTOH FW+OAG from FLO is on its way so should be here early next week

I wonder if 1TB HD is going to be big enough I'm thinking I may not install the second SSD but put a second very large HD on the 4th and final SATA port. Not yet though - I'll see how it goes

USB3 multi-card reader has arrived and I'm now transferring nearly 64GB of data onto my new desktop HD. USB3 sure is fast - 13m to transfer 64GB of data

There are some rather nice all sky images and videos in the Pictures folder on my imaging laptop which I'm moving onto the 64GB micro SD card, clearing another 23GB from drive C: then tomorrow I shall transfer all the astro stuff to the HD in my new Linux desktop. I have a USB3 multi-card reader coming tomorrow for use with the new desktop.

Just deleting obviously poor images has given me about 30GB on each drive so I don't need to go any further - that should easily cope with a night's imaging run

I have been going through the hard drives in my Win 7 laptop that I'm currently using for astro imaging and deleted lots of old stuff - older images that are worthless compared with what I expect to get from the ASI1600MM-Cool eg. with the Atik 314L+. I'm keeping some of the 460EX images for now though these are probability of little value. Actually, I don't now why these are on this computer - I think they are most likely to be copies/backups of what I have on my processing desktop. Maybe I'll just delete the lot and give myself many GB of free space.

Actually, I wouldn't be too bothered by running a Linux laptop if RPi seems inadequate. Ditching Windows is my main aim Using RPi and removing cables is really just the "icing on the cake".

Thanks Wim As long as I can move the mount about and home it plus (yes) go to a particular target, I shall be satisfied. I'm fed up with CdC and EQMOD ASCOM crashing and having to reboot and run CDC several times before it will work I'm at 200m above sea level so that should be alright

I think I shall be experimenting with mount control with INDI and RPi 3 pretty soon now. I have an NEQ6 sitting on its tripod in the living room and a HitecAstro USB to serial adaptor from FLO so just need to connect to a PSU and RPi and can get going. Might try PixInsight as client as it's already installed on my Linux Mint desktop.

I'll conquer them yet!! Just ordered a 3nm SII 1.25" filter from Ian King to match my 3nm Ha and OIII. I decided the 5nm non-matching SII filter was going to spoil my NB efforts. Probably getting to the time to think about selling some of my unused kit!