Rustang

2 minutes ago, blinky said:

Its pretty easy nowadays to get it all setup, and watching it work is like magic!  You will get loads of help on here as well but just get everything installed and connected first

I really appreciate all the help, I'm just stuck at the setting up bit! 👍

5 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

It just seems to me you are doing this in the wrong logical order .

From my understanding most people would start with the imaging software and get that working.  In my case (and I think many others) I did not have any guiding and if polar aligned properly could take 3 minute subs easily without significant star elongation. I did have a guide camera and PHD 2 loaded but I just felt I had enough on learning how to image. The guiding came later but by then I already had all the software installed for the imaging that was needed and with this software I did not need the handset at all, I used the software to tell mount where to go.

I think the penny has dropped now for me, is it that because you do not have Stellarium running that you need the handset to slew to a target and so are reluctant to lose the handset ?

Steve

Yes I'm reluctant because I'm used to using the hand set now. So I've been imaging for just over a year, 2min subs are just about ok, from a test the other night 3 min subs not so much. So I'm familiar with imaging even if still not great so the next stage is guiding. I reaserched what camera and scope which I've got so now I'm trying to get the software etc set up to give it ago. 

1 minute ago, blinky said:

Seriously, its not difficult to do - get the software all installed and see if you can connect to the cameras and mount, then have a hunt and get plate solving setup, then you are good to go!  Dont suppose you are anywhere near Edinburgh?  If you were I could pop over and help you out

That would be awesome but sadly not, I'm down in Hertfordshire! 

Just now, blinky said:

Ok, a long time sine I've used a DSLR for imaging, I think you can now connect them to apps like SGPro or NINA and get plate solving working, when I used a DSLR you couldnt do that

Even plate solving is alein to me so add it to the list of scary new things to look into! 😁

If anyone else has anything to add that would be awesome but I will take a look at everything in the week, digest it all and give it ago. 

1 minute ago, blinky said:

If you dont want to go the whole hog of getting something like NINA, I suppose you could get a planetarium like Stellarium: https://stellarium.org/  and connect that to the mount, you then click a target in there and it will slew the mount, you would then start PHD2 autoguiding and away you go.  But..... I would honestly say, get something like NINA or SGPro or whatever as it makes everything so much easier.  I can now in SGPro, select a target by typing in its name, it then slews the mount, plate solves so its bang on target, starts PHD2 guiding then starts the imaging camera with the sequence of exposures I have set.  I can then go to bed and let it run!

That would be lovely especially during the summer, I'd rather be sleeping! 😊

2 minutes ago, blinky said:

Ok, all a bit confusing when you first get started!  The cable you have goes from computer to the HEQ5, the guide camera also connects to your computer, as I assume your main imaging camera does (though maybe not if you are using a DLSR). 

Anyway, you want to install ASCOM Platform from here: https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMPlatform/releases/download/v6.5Release/ASCOMPlatform65.exe

I would then install EQMod, which allows things to talk to the mount, get it here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/eq-mod/files/latest/download

You already have PHD2 installed, one you have installed those 2 apps above, you should then be able to connect PHD2 to your mount, in the connection box you should see something like EQDir/Mod EQ5/6 - should just jump out at you!

After that, I would suggest as others have, getting something to allow you to select an object and slew the mount to it.  I use SGPro but there is free software, NINA which seems to be getting good reviews at the moment - https://nighttime-imaging.eu/  out of interest, what is your imaging camera?  I would suggest getting NINA setup, then get plate solving setup - its amazing when it works!  You select your object, the mount slews to it, takes an image, then the plate solving software works out where exactly your scope is pointing and issues commands to slew the mount to the exact target you selected.  Im not sure as I dont use NINA, what Plate Solving software is compatible so I would have a look round this site and ask some questions about NINA once you have it installed.

OK cool, that all seems a little clearer, I don't help myself by my mind getting all upset and confused when it all seems a bit to much. Yes I'm using a DSLR, astro modded Canon 650D

I was going to try PHD2 for the guiding part which I have since downloaded. I thought I could just continue with the handset aswell but it seems not! 

Thanks everyone for your help so far 👍

4 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

But are you imaging with the mount, I have not seen any reference to imaging ?

Sorry, DSOs 

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

This is the same cable just different manufacturer on FLO.

lynx-astro-ftdi-eqdir-usb-adapter-for-sky-watcher-eq5-pro-heq5

And this article may help you.

eqmod-controlling-the-heq5-neq6-and-other-mounts-directly-from-a-pc

Steve

I will have a read of that in the week, cheers 👍

Sorry guys, its probably me not explaining things properly. All I'm after doing is getting my set up ready to guide, I have the mount, guide cam and guide scope, and have downloaded the PHD2 software, its just putting it all together properly to read each other through what every cables i need. As said, the mount is the older HEQ5 Pro with the SynScan hand set. It seems the drivers that Ive downloaded for the guide cam have allowed PHD2 to read the camera but that is as far as I have got. I'm still unsure what cables need to go where to get everything up and running. If I have to lose the Synscan hand controller then so be it. Below are the 3 different cables I have and there's one more but that's the one the goes from the guide camera to the computer. So what devices/sockets do they need to go to and from!? Is PHD2 going to be useable with what equipment I have? 

So I've now got this far, I've got the drivers for the guide scope and PHD2 can see the camera now. I have installed the only driver that seems to be there for my mount (see image) but when PHD2 gives me the list of mounts to connect to, nothing along the lines of skywatcher appears apart from skywatcher telescope. So if I've downloaded a driver for the sky scan hand set I'm guessing then the cable would have to come out of the outset and not the mount!!? 

Ok I see, so if I was to go down this route, I would have the USB cable running from the guide camera to the computer then where do I put the other cable that goes from the mount to the computer, i. e does it go into the hand controller socket on the mount or the ST4 Auto guide socket!? So is there no way to guide by doing my normal set up then have an auto guide running as well!? 

16 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I can confirm the cable goes from computer directly to mount. In the end I never even connected the handset to the mount. I did find using a joystick (like on a playstation) was helpful for manually slewing the mount but not necessary and would not go there yet till you are okay with other things.

I never tried it but didn't think it worked plugging into the handset, but could be wrong.

Steve

Without the controller,how do you set up the mount then, type in coordinates, pola align, star align etc!?

4 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Just looked at my handset manual and the right hand port is a 6-pin RJ12 that connects to computer. The cable you have looks like the correct 6-pin.

The EQ cable has the same fitting as the one that's currently connecting the handset to the mount so will not fit into the middle socket on the handset.

If anyone else has any ideas, as always any help is greatly appreciated.

26 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Might be that the cable goes directly to the mount making the handset redundant.

I was hoping this was going to be fairly straight forward! 😞 Should have taken up badminton or something else simple lol.

Looks like I was given one of them when I brought the mount, so if I take out the left socket from the controller that goes into the mount and put in that cable, that goes into the computer then, when I start up to do my normal set up, star alignment and send off to what ever I'm imaging, will that all still be done via the hand set or PHD2 as the hand set will obviously be no longer plugged straight into the mount!? Ive got comfortable setting up with the handset so I'm not sure I'm comfortable coming away from that on top of getting my head around the software to control guiding if you see what I mean. 

21 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Is your mount the newer one with a USB socket ?

If not then it looks like you have to connect to the computer from the handset, socket is at the bottom.

ASCOM is a system that works on Windows computers that allows you to communicate with devices. You will need to download ASCOM drivers for your mount, camera, guide cam and anything else that will be computer controlled.

 

Older version so into one of these - see picture!? So once ive downloaded all of the drivers they should in theory, happily chat to one another!?

Regards 

Russ

So I have the time today to finally look at doing a dummy run to get my auto guiding equipment up and running, let the headache begin! 😄 I'm currently looking through the web but thought i would start this thread to help clarify some things

Equipment:

Mount: SW HEQ5 PRO

Guide camera: ZWOASI120MC

Software: I have decided to start with PHD2

After watching a recommended video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt0luBLaHDw&feature=youtu.be

The video states its best not to use the ST4 cable but to have the guide cam connected to the computer and the same for the mount, it then states that ASCOM will work with PHDS to guide. What's Ascom?, I had never herd of it, I still dont really know what it is but I have downloaded it!. It also says to download the driver for my mount?. If someone could give my a guide for dummies to get this set up working that would be great. Some other questions. There is the hand controller socket and the ST4 auto guide socket on the mount, I'm guessing then that I will plug the guide cam into the guide ST4 Socket but what socket goes from the mount to the computer!? I still need the hand controller to star align and bring me onto the target so there is no other spare socket! ? Is it just easier to start by using the "not recommended" ST4 cable from the guide camera straight into the mount!? I'm mainly asking for help again because my brain can be incredibly slow to understand software etc sometimes so for me its easier to ask you experts for a clear and simple answer.

18 minutes ago, Backyard Space Dude said:

Guiding will definitely step up your game, but you can buy light pollution filters that will really help! Besides, I’m not sure 20min exposures are all that good, there’s always a balance to be made between exposure time and amount of exposures.

I've got a decent LPF and recently brought what I need to guide but haven't got round to trying it out yet, there's just not enough clear nights and when ever there is I just want to image and not faff around! 😁 I will get there though, as you say I know it will help 👍

Best description ever! 😂

Blimmey, I could only dream of 20mins, I'm not guiding yet plus light pollution will also put a stop to me ever achieving that, fair play 👍

Stunning