DaveS

Shudder.. No, not only does the mount have its own dedicated software package but having seen the evolutions people have had to go through to get the whole INDI / Ekos / Kstars working I'm glad that I am using the ASA package (Plus Maxim and (PinPoint).

Something like This? Though I could put together the equivalent from its components for £200 less.

Right, that's what I'll do, but I'm short of USB drives so will be ordering a few more. Off up that long river place. Finally got the updates to load, had to turn off the computer and turn it on again, despite the warning not to turn off the computer.

Great Downloaded and installed the updates, then "Computer has to restart" so restarted and it's frozen at 30% Time for the big hammer I think.

OK, found 4 updates to be done, running them now.

Well, I have the install file on a USB stick, and all the other software is either on a spare stick or can be downloaded. I already have a Win 10 Pro key I can use if needs be, I checked the Windows version and it came back as 1903, so the latest version. So far that is....

Oooh, don't keep us in suspense...

Hmm... well, I went out to the platform computer during a lull in the weather, booted it up, everything OK, only thing I had to do was re-link my gmail account as I'd changed the password. Booted up the new computer while the platform one was active, again, no problems. So if it's all working OK I'll adopt the "If it ain't broke.." principle.

An old pair of Carl Zeiss Jena 7 x 50W Jenoptem bought from a stand-alone shop in, would you believe, Woolies . I think I picked them up in '76 or so, they had just been reduced from £65 to £32 (I think), a fair bit of money in those days. I still have an even more ancient 8 x 40 (? may be 30) somewhere if I can find them. Nowadays, 7 x 50 gives too big an exit pupil for my old eyes, maybe something like 10 x 50 would be better, as I'm losing a lot of aperture. Bit since visual is only a very minor sideline I'm not willing to spend much money.

Which is why I'm confused. Will see tomorrow if I can boot up both PCs.

I haven't been out to check the platform PC, as the box is in the open and it's chucking down, I just hope I haven't stuffed up the OS there. The PC I bought was very barebones, no ssd or RAM, had to install those myself. Fortunately the BIOS was there and installed the Win 10 image from the USB. I suppose it would have installed Linux if I had the image. But I do have a spare license key just in case I have stuffed up one of the PCs.

Well, I'm confused as well, as I thought I'd have to buy a separate license. I did have to download a copy of Win 10 Pro and make a bootable USB, not as difficult as I thought, but how it was linked to my account I don't know. Still if Micro-$-Oft say it's OK, that's OK with me..

Pulsar Dome Again, not cheap but will go on a flat roof.

My gut tells me you'll need to go through planning, time consuming and expensive.

This might be worth a read 170405_Householder_Technical_Guidance__-April_2017_FINAL (1).pdf Perhaps if you can put the pier in one corner?

But the point is, and which I should have been alert to, that "Barebones" means just that, ie NO operating system at all, just a BIOS. I had to download and install a copy of Win 10 Pro from the Micro-$-Oft site. Only finding out that it was activated and linked to the Micro-$-Oft account I set up with the Win 10 Pro license on the micro PC I'd bought earlier for the platform telescope. Well, I now have a bootable USB stick with a Win 10 Pro installation file on it, and a spare, never expiring, license key "just in case". Now also installed Cartes du Ciel, Autoslew, Sequence (From the ASA support pages), ASCOM 6.4 sp1, and Maxim DL6, just got to purchase another license of PinPoint.

Bother. Bother, bother, bother. Bother (Or very naughty words to that effect) Went to Softwaregeeks and purchased a license key for Win 10 Pro, as suggested, fine, paid £20 got the download etc. Went into windows control panel to enter the key, only to find my copy of Windows was already activated and linked to my Micro-$-oft account. so £20 spent that I didn't have to. *Gives self another slap round the head*

No, I don't have a local server, though it was plugged into the internet. I solved the Blue Screen error by turning off and on, whereupon it went through all the normal Win 10 set up routines. Slight complication we had a power cut while I was having an afternoon doze, wasn't long but any kind of cut is a problem with computers. I did have it set to the correct time, but now it's showing the time when I left it. Will get on to Softwaregeeks and purchase a Win 10 Pro license key.

And now has thrown up a blue screen with a stopcode Machine Error Saying we'll gather information and restart for you, except it's shown 0% for the last 20 mins. Going to reboot with my trusty rebooting tool, AKA sledgehammer

Because standardising on one particular key would be too easy, right It in the throes of installing now, the front three USB 2 ports are either disconnected or disfuncional. Plugged the stick into one of the rear USB 3 ports.

OK, yes I mean to type F key. Trouble is it could be any of them. F8 and F12 are common but not certain. Could be F2.

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping, as there's no obvious Fn key mentioned on the American Megatrends flash screen.

OK, I've downloaded the Media Creation Tool, and downloading Win 10 onto my spare laptop which has a 64 gig USB stick ready.

Thanks, that's what I'm realising. Fortunately I have a spare 64 gig USB stick I can use. somehow I thought the DVD might have Win 10 on it (Realising it's too big to fit on a DVD), or might be on a ROM (Same stupidity).

Ah, re-reading this comment makes sense, as the installed ssd would have Win 10 on it. OK, off to softwaregeeks.