Milzy

5 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

You can still use the USB cable into the hand controller in the meantime to control the mount with PHD2 & ATP if you want too. That's how I started off before I decided to get the lead.

It allows you to learn the software one at a time and slowly include it in your setup. It spread out the learning curve a bit.

Sound advice, thanks Budgie👍

1 hour ago, Budgie1 said:

I don't use the controller now and run everything from the laptop.

I have PHD2 for guiding, APT for the camera, SharpCap Pro for Polar Alignment and Carte De Ciel so I can point the mount at an object. 

To save on having to complete a star alignment, APT has a built-in Plate Solver, so you point the mount at a target, take an image, tell the plate solver what it should be looking at, then it checks it's database to see where it's actually pointing and will alter the mounts position to centre you target in the frame.   It saves a lot of faffing about and only takes a couple of minutes.

As you have the later hand controller then try a standard USB cable in that port on the base of the hand controller and see if PHD2 will communicate with mount. In the PHD2 setting, change the mount setting from "On Camera" to the Ascom HEQ5/EQ6 setting and try to connect.

Yeah that was the cable I mentioned above in the link but like you and waldemar said, his link above would be to make the controller and its lead obsolete. I think 🤔

16 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

I don't use the controller now and run everything from the laptop.

I have PHD2 for guiding, APT for the camera, SharpCap Pro for Polar Alignment and Carte De Ciel so I can point the mount at an object. 

To save on having to complete a star alignment, APT has a built-in Plate Solver, so you point the mount at a target, take an image, tell the plate solver what it should be looking at, then it checks it's database to see where it's actually pointing and will alter the mounts position to centre you target in the frame.   It saves a lot of faffing about and only takes a couple of minutes.

As you have the later hand controller then try a standard USB cable in that port on the base of the mount and see if PHD2 will communicate with mount. In the PHD2 setting, change the mount setting from "On Camera" to the Ascom HEQ5/EQ6 setting and try to connect.

Thanks again, better get it on order 👍😉

18 minutes ago, Seelive said:

Does your handset have a USB type B connector or is it the older type with the RJ11?

These are the ports on hand set.

Mike 

28 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

There are two cables and the one you need for the EQ5, if you want to remove the hand controller and just use the laptop for control, is the one @Waldemar linked too on FLO.

The other has an RJ11 connector and will plug into the bottom of the hand controller. If you only want to use it for guiding, and keep the hand controller for everything else,  you can do that with the hand controller update lead which should have come with the mount. If it's like mine then you may need a serial to USB adaptor like THIS ONE.

Cheers guys, starting to make sence🤣

Any pros or cons in keeping the controller or not?

Thanks again Mike

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/lynx-astro-ftdi-usb-to-serial-adapter-for-sky-watcher-handsets-5m.html

This is on flo, would this be it?

1 minute ago, Waldemar said:

Depends on your mount. Some have a rj11 connector, some rs232 and some usb...

It's the synscan goto, I take it, it goes from bottom of handset to laptop?

Hi, looking for advice and suggestions for correct cable for guiding using ascom instead of the mount to guide camera st4 cable. Set up is eq5 goto, asi120mini, laptop has 2x 3.1 and 1x 2.0 USB ports.

Cheers Mike

36 minutes ago, Seelive said:

It's not flipped, it's just rotated.

Haa your right, just the rotation is off👍

11 minutes ago, Jamgood said:

It really doesn't matter which way up, down or round the reticule is facing. The numbers and cross are only for reference. My 3 and 9 are closest to top and bottom. I just rotate the RA slightly, lock it off. Put Polaris on the reticule where it needs to be according to SynScanInit App (or any polar alignment app of your choice) and then reset the RA to the home position. Job done. Takes a few seconds when you're used to it.

The important part is that the reticule is calibrated/collimated. With Polaris in position, you should be able to rotate your RA 180 Degrees and it should still be bang on the line. If it shifts, you need to calibrate/collimate your reticule.

 

Worrying about nothing..lol. but surely this lens hasn't been put in correctly for it to be flipped and up side down is pretty poor from SW.

3 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

Why should they be like that people spend a lot of hard earned money on equipment... About time they changed there ways.....

Lol..mines back to front and upside down, see my image above. 

5 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

maybe this might help

Helpfull thread's fozzy👍 but again this is for aligning the polar scope, I need to do this as it should be done only once if done correctly?

This is what I see. 

19 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

have a ganders at this

https://darkskies.space/easy-polar-alignment/

Yeah I understand the polar alignment method it's the reticle issue I'm try to resolve.👍

22 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

No it won’t prompt you to do polar alignment. What it will do after you’ve entered time, date and location is give you the position of Polaris on the polar scope, you can choose to use it or ignore it. I always polar align before I do anything using an app PS Align Pro.

BTW for visual, PA doesn’t have to be spot on, just approximate will do, however.......and some will disagree with this, but the more accurate your PA the more accurate your GoTo will be

 

Thanks again jiggy, do you know why the PS face is wrong on mine! , other posts are saying it should be 0 at the top because the synscan works with the polar scope that way. If that makes sense. Can I take it apart and put it the correct way or is this a manufacturing fault.

Thanks jiggy,

I was just reading this method on another post, also it does have the goto synscan but I've yet to use the scope due to weather. So not even switched it on. Will it prompt me do do a polar alignment using synscan? If so, why is the numbers upside down. This is my reticle but flipped.

https://www.avalon-instruments.com/support/13-troubleshooting/104-polar-alignment-using-the-new-skywatcher-polar-scope 

Cheers Mike

Hi all, 

Having a little trouble understanding the reticle. I have the eq5 mount and when looking through polar scope it has a clock style face 0 3 6 and  9 with 0 being at the bottom and 6 at the top. Should this not be the other way around ie 0 top 6 bottom, the only way to resolve this is to rotate the RA axis 180 but watching vids of polar alignment for thus mount the RA axis is always pointing down. This is the reticle I have. https://www.avalon-instruments.com/support/13-troubleshooting/104-polar-alignment-using-the-new-skywatcher-polar-scope

Yeah looking for complete new setup mount and scope, not keeping the old lot.  Is 5se not older than the meade? 

At the moment its the sky watcher 130 eq2  so pretty standard, decent planetary images and also some dso would be nice. The reviews for this scope seem to say perfect for planetary and SOME dso but I'm fairly new to this so all the help is appreciated.  Also its pretty compact unlike a big Dobsonian.  Looking to spend upto a £1000.

Looking to up grade my standard beginners telescope. Been searching the web and like the look of the meade ext125, anybody on here have this scope?  Or any advise on pros n cons of this scope, many thanks Mike