Stellarium/cartes Du Ciel programmes

[wilkie]

Hi, i'm hoping to get some advice in setting up my Skymax 127 AZ Gotto synscan scope.

I'm trying to connect the scope to my laptop where i am running both of the above viewing programmes. but at the moment with no joy and i'm not sure why.

First of all, the RS-232 cable provided with the scope has a male 9-pin connector to which i am to plug into my laptop, ony my laptop needs a Female 15-pin connector.

I think i solved this by buying a 9 to 15 pin adaptor and i am able to connect this successfully to my laptop.

my laptop reconizes somehting has been plugged in as the screen size alters once connected.????? make of that what you will.

so hopefully that hurdle has been cleared.

now. getting onto the programmes itself.

i've tried both, and both times i have been un successful with connecting the scope with my laptop.

i've looked through the setting and tried different varables but yet nothing.

its all a little frustrating and to be 100% honest unless its gives me step by step directions i dont really know what i'm looking for.

is there anyone there who has the same scope and uses either of these programmes. or is there anyone who may be able to give some advice on what it is am doing or need to do to get these things to actually work.

thanks in advance.

[ronin]

I have no direct answers however I think that you need to download and install the appropriate drivers for your hardware - Synscan, from the main software site.

I would not like to say if the 9-15 pin converter is suitable to use or not.

I might also suggest that running both planatarium software packages at the same time will cause conflicts.

[Photosbykev]

I'm pretty sure you've just plugged the scope into your VGA monitor output !!! Very few laptops now have a RS-232 port (which is a 9 pin connection) and you need to buy a USB > RS-232 adaptor lead to connect the laptop to the mount.

If the socket you've used on the laptop is a 15 pin 3 row D type then it is definately the VGA port and you should not use this for anything other than an external monitor.

[wilkie]

see i said i had no idea...... i'll download the drive for the synscan now.

Also i have a RS-232 - USB connector, but nothing happened, i'm now thinking this is because i had no synscan drive.

thanks for your advice. both good points.

[ronin]

Sure there is a load of stickies somewhere on SGL and one may cover what you are trying.

I know others have done this and perhaps one will have posted instructions, but I cannot locate anything.

There will be drivers for different systems, Synscan, Syntrak, and the various Celestron and Meade systems, possibly others.

[Photosbykev]

You will need the Ascom v6 software and the Synscan drivers from the Ascom site. This should give you everything you need to connect the planetarium software to the mount

Before that software is installed make sure you have installed the drivers for the USB > RS232 adaptor lead

[Cornelius Varley]

For CdC :

Download the Ascom platform and the Celestron mount drivers.

Install the usb/rs232 adapter, making a note of which comm port windows assigns the adapter - you can do this in the windowes device manager.

Connect the handset to the computer and mount and power up.

Run CdC and go to telescope control panel. Select the Celestron driver and Nexstar5 from the properties panel.

Select Altaz for the track mode and change the comm port to the one assigned for the usb/rs232 adapter.

Back on the ascom telescope control panel select connect, if all goes well the computer should now be controlling the mount.

For Stellarium:

You don't need ascom for this one.

Run Stellarium and press f2 and go to plugins. Select telescope control and the press "load at startup".and the the configure button.

Press the "add" button and select the "Stellarium-drrectly through serial port"

Scroll the panel down to the device settings and change the mount to Skywatcher Synscan AZ-GOTO and change the comm port number to the one assigned for the adapter.

Then press OK.

To control the mount from Stellariun don't selct pc direct mode on the handset.