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guiding with spc900


stevieR

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Hi guys, i want to use this webcam with my st80 fot auto guiding. As this is not a dedicated guide camera it obviously doesnt have a serial port. This is what i have found i need to do so far. Link guide cam to hub and my dslr to hub then to laptop so i can control the dslr and view through the guide cam. How do i then control the mount, st4 from laptop to mount? What software do i use to do this?

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If using ST4 for guiding then the program PHD is free and your best option for sure. The webcam with ST80 will work but will just take a bit more effort than, say, a QHY5. EQMOD maybe of help to you but its not my area so someone else will help.

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Yes you do but you cannot connect the ST4 cable direct to laptop, you will need a converter (see for example shoestring astronomy).

So for that system (more are available) you will have webcam connected to laptop via USB (keep the length under 5m is best), PHD running the software and guiding the mount through ST4 cable via GPUSB from shoestring astronomy.

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Stevie, if using the SPC900 it will not be able to guide the mount by itself, I know it is probably possible through leads to connect it to the mount but it won't send any signals to it, it has to be through USB hub to PC and via PHD back to mount. Hope someone can back me up, old age is creeping in and am having doubts here lol.

Jim

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Reading back I think I have been thrown by the ST4 cable, what is that attached to? The SPC900 has a USB and as said that is attached to the PC and PHD runs the mount via a USB to Serial cable. The guiding port is not used, well not on my NEQ6 when USB Cam guiding.

Jim

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If you are not using the ST4 port then you could use EQMOD and pulse guiding but that system has more acronyms than you can shake a stick at and its not for me to explain. Theres a thread running in beginners section on this at the mo.

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Im aware the dslr isnt for guiding im linking it to my laptop so o can use backyard eos to setup adjust and control tge shutter without touching it. My heq5 mount only has rj45 for the hand controller and then the rj12 for autoguider. I need some way of linking the guide port to my laptop

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Im aware the dslr isnt for guiding im linking it to my laptop so o can use backyard eos to setup adjust and control tge shutter without touching it. My heq5 mount only has rj45 for the hand controller and then the rj12 for autoguider. I need some way of linking the guide port to my laptop

Connect the PC to the sysncan handcontroller, put the Synscan into PC-Direct mode, use the EQMOD ASCOM driver and have PHD guide via ASCOM pulseguide. That way you don't need to use the mounts guide port at all its all done via the PC to sysncan link (saving you the purchase of a GPUSB and ST-4 cable).

Chris.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi, guys.

I'm experiencing some trouble with my guiding.

I'm using the following setup:

- EQ5, dual axis drive, ST4, GPUSB, PHD, unmodded SPC900NC + Apex102 reduced with a 0.5x FR for guiding, EOS400D and some variety of prime lenses (50, 135, 200, 300, 600mm), all on home-made dual saddle and shoes for Vixen style dovetail.

Everything is working fine, the controller sends all commands to the steppers, the PHD can manually guide via GPUSB unit, the camera cand easily see the guide star, the PHD sees the webcam, it can run the loop for focusing, all good until i hit the "Guide" button. Then nothing happens. It looks like it's running for a second or two, and then it stops; it practically doesn't guide.

Is there anything i am missing when setting the parameters? Should i do something special for it to work as it should? Anyone else experienced the same issue?

Thanks!

Clear skies!

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  • 2 months later...

This interesting thread seems to have run out of steam.

Connect the PC to the sysncan handcontroller, put the Synscan into PC-Direct mode, use the EQMOD ASCOM driver and have PHD guide via ASCOM pulseguide. That way you don't need to use the mounts guide port at all its all done via the PC to sysncan link (saving you the purchase of a GPUSB and ST-4 cable).

This sounds like a good way to approach guiding without a autoguide port/autoguider and probably how I would end up doing it. :p

Although that isn't to say the plan saiph has isnt a good one :)

With PhD the PC would send guide commands to the handset - I'm wondering what cable this would need...

Regards

Aenima

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