MARS1960

You could use a DSLR and Backyard EOS which you can trial free for 30 days, or just use a DSLR and Canons EOS Utility app.

Modern astronomy do and adaptor specifically for this job. Also you may find this helpful. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/71628-diy-50mm-guidescope/

For mac os, lynkeos is for planetary video stacking, very similar to registax, for DSO's you can stack in PS.

Welcome to SGL Dave. If that's what you have already decided on you could start by enjoying it with what comes with it and add bits as and when you choose, get a feel for what it can offer in stock form first basically. During this time you could do what i did and become a sponge for knowledge from people with no agenda's. Apart from the great help and advice on here, youtube can also be very helpful in showing you what will do what.

It's exposures you need for DSO's Phil, save the video for lunar/planetary.

You and me both. Iv'e had 4-5 attempts on M42 and still come away with nothing. Darks are easy, after you have taken your lights just put the lens cap on and take a few shots using the same settings, i have been taking around 10% darks to lights. Are you taking long enough exposures? and enough of them.

Yipeeeeeeee, excellent thank you Jonk, all is good in the world again, now we just need these damn clouds to disappear

I'll give it a shot in a bit thanks Jonk, it's worth a try.

I may have to but this one really should work now it's had the driver downgrade as it is recognising the port (tested on another device) but not detectting the scope, i must really be missing something simple but i think my brain is fried now

yes the simulator works fine and i used these instructions to make sure i picked the correct driver. So even more stumped as whi it wont detect my scope, i must be doing something fudamentally wrong. Simply install drivers, then go to Device Manager -> Right click on Prolific-to-Serial Comm Port and select Update Driver Software…. In Update Driver Software window chose: Browse my computer for driver software -> Let mi pick from list of devices on my computer, Select Prolific USB-to_Serial Comm Port version 3.3.2.105 model [10/27/2008] from model list and click next.

Did the 2008 driver install and thought all was good but, OMG, error, connect to COM4 failed, no celestron scope detected, i give in, this is driving me crazy.

Thank you very much Robin, i'll try it now. Thanks also Jonk, i'll let you know.

Port 4 so i added that to ASCOM profile. I have tried both my laptops as i use one for indoor and the other for outside. I think i may just buy another cable and adaptor, the one i bought from RVO is an awful plastic bit of junk and only has a 4 pin RJ-12 and not 6.

Hi Robin, i'm using an adaptor from RVO to plug into one of my USB ports, when i checked my device manager i did click on the box for updates, after a few seconds it said "drivers for this device are already up to date". However it does say in the box which i do not understand: This device cannot start. (Code 10) A device which does not exist was specified.

Ok thanks, i have found after more searching i can force a COMport using ASCOM profile. I did all this and named them according to my device manager as COM1, COM2, COM3, etc, tried again and they now show up but once again i click connect and this time a get a box saying Error: the port COM1 does not exist!!!!!!!, what am i doing wrong? Force a COM port to appear in the list of available COM ports.Occasionally, an installed COM port may not be detected by the Platform's GetAvailableCOMPorts command. You can confirm this through the Diagnostics Tool Tools / Available COM Ports test. To force a known COM port to appear in the list, its name should can be placed in the the ASCOM Profile ForceCOMPorts key using Profile Explorer. Start Profile Explorer Click the + next to COMPortSettings Click on the ForceCOMPorts key Click in the Value column cell next to the grey * at the bottom of the value/data pane. Type the name of the COM port and press ENTER Repeat for any other COM ports required(See Figure 3)

Hi all, I hope this is simple fix. I have the ascom platform 6, i have the drivers, i have the celstron drivers, i have cartes de ciel. Everytime i connect up, open CDC i click telescope, control panel, select and click on ASCOM celestron telescope then click connect. I then get a box saying ascom tescope chooser, i pick celestron click properties but it wont let me put anything in the com port number so when i go back and click connect i keep getting a box saying: Error, the port name cannot be empty, but it wont let me type the port number in the com port box when i hit properties in the configure box, this is frustrating as its actually the only thing ASCOM really needs, i'm lost, please help. Thanks.