David127

@AstroMuni Thank you for this idea. Did you install the app called "Teamviewer for Remote Control" onto the phone? I have a Windows 10 laptop and an Android phone.

Hmmm, focussing. Good point - I'll have to think about that...

Welcome to the SGL.

Thanks again everyone for you advice. I think I am going to try an active USB 3 cable like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/MutecPower-Extension-Repeater-Extender-booster/dp/B092R756LY/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=active%2Busb%2B3%2Bcable%2B10m&qid=1634825527&sr=8-9&th=1 Together with a powered USB 3 hub but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't need many USB outlets so 4 will be fine, but I do need to power with 12v from my battery pack which uses cigarette lighter sockets as its output. Nor do I want to spend too much - StarTech are a bit too pricy for me. Any recommended models please?

Thank you all for your suggestions. The two computer approach is not an option for me at the moment, though I am drawn to the idea of using a Raspberry Pi outside as I have done some other projects (not Astronomy) using them. But for the time being I am hoping to keep things as simple as possible. I am aware that my USB cable length would be too long for a standard USB 3 connection which was why I was thinking of using an "Active cable". There are some reviews on Amazon that suggest this would work over 10m or more? Would having a separately powered USB hub help? I did see a comment somewhere that the problem with a longer USB cable is not necessarily the data transmission but is due to the voltage drop so that not enough power reaches the camera to power it successfully. But I am clutching at straws here as I have not had any direct experience yet. My goal at the moment is to assemble the kit I need without wasting money on something that will never work.

Hello This is my first question on the forum so I hope I am posting in the right section. As I mentioned in my Welcome posting I want to do my observing from indoors and capture some planetary and lunar images along the way. I have a Skywatcher Skymax 127 Synscan AZ Goto which I used for manual observations quite a few years ago. I will also have a ZWO ASI 224MC camera when Santa delivers it. My questions, in this post, are to do with getting the hardware set up correctly. I plan to site the telescope outside the house with a fairly clear view to the south. The goto mount is fairly easy to control from my laptop using the SynScan Wifi adapter which I have just acquired. The mount is powered by a 12v Skywatcher power station. My current thinking is to connect my laptop directly to the camera with a USB 3.0 cable poking through a window. I estimate that this needs to be about 7 or 8 metres long. 1) Would an active USB 3 cable work for transmitting the images at this distance? 2) Do I need to power it at the external end (to operate the camera)? 3) Would a USB hub help? For anyone who has already been down this road, please don't be afraid to point out anything that I have not thought of! Also, are there any books that might help me with this? I do not have a DSLR camera and most of the recommended books seem to use one. Thank you David

Thank you everyone, I'll be posting some questions soon. 😀

I've been a lurker on here for a while but this is my first post. I bought my telescope (Skywatcher Skymax 127 Synscan AZ Goto), several years ago but it has been stored away for most of that time. Having recently retired at the age of 67 I have now got the time to start using it again. A certain amount of arthritis makes leaning over a telescope outside in the cold a less than pleasant experience so I am looking into the best way to carry out my observing from indoors! With that in mind I have purchased the Synscan WiFi adapter and can now control the Goto mount from my laptop. The next step is to bring the image indoors as well. I have been told that Father Christmas has already shopped early this year and a ZWO ASI 224MC camera might be found under the Christmas tree in due course. So I have a couple of months until then to start from scratch and learn something about astrophotography. I hope you won't mind if I use this excellent forum to help me along the way. David