EQMOD for Dummies

[sbooder]

I am quite chuffed, I managed to get EQMOD to accept GPS info from my galaxy y.  Took a while but I got there in the end.

[r3i]

How do most people run their mount from any distance without using bluetooth?  I was going to use one of these

Options include:

• Network cable linking your shed to the router
• Wi-Fi, if you have a good signal between the shed and the router location
• PowerLine adaptors, which utilise the mains cable as a network cable - this is what I use and they work well for me. 

[sbooder]

I think we are talking at cross purposes here.  I am talking about running the scope using the USB cable not connecting to my network.  My WiFi is good enough to reach the shed, it is laptop to scope I want to sort out.

[Hoshikomi]

I use a Plugable powered USB hub (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plugable-Port-Power-Adapter-Mains/dp/B006Z061HU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385642762&sr=8-2&keywords=usb+hub) and a 10m active extension cable (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plugable-Meter-Active-Extension-Female/dp/B004AGX4YO/ref=sr_1_31?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1385642836&sr=1-31&keywords=Plugable+Technologies) and it works like a charm.  I also use Starry Night Pro, but I set to run as an Administrator (same with PHD)

[malc-c]

I think we are talking at cross purposes here.  I am talking about running the scope using the USB cable not connecting to my network.  My WiFi is good enough to reach the shed, it is laptop to scope I want to sort out.

Yes, but as mentioned, the max length of cable under the USB standards is 5m, and even at this length it's adviseable to use an active cable which boosts the transmission of packet data between the computer and the device attached.  The mount actually has an RS232 serial port, so the EQDirect is actually a TTL (5volt level) serial to USB connection device, which is why it comes up as a COMM port on the PC.  So in reality to cover 20 metres you need a long serial lead from your PC in your lounge etc to run to the mount, where the EQdirect cable is then connected to the serial cable and to the mount.  It really would be impractical using four or five active USB cables daisy chained between the mount and PC.

The alternative, is to use two PC's, one at the scope (or in the shed) and the other in your lounge.  The one in the shed is connected to the mount via the EQDirtect cable (or one 5m active USB cable if the shed is within that radius) and then you network the two machines, either via cat 5 cable (ie both your home PC and the shed PC connected to the same router via Cat5 cable) or if the PC in the shed has wi-fi capability, then the network connection is via wifi.  If you have power to your shed then the alternative is to use powerline adaptors which use the mains wiring to carry the network and thus saves running dedicated cat5 cabling to the shed.

Hope that helps ?

[sbooder]

My Scope is not in the shed it is in the garden, I just want to run it from the shed which is about 13 meters away to save going and out of the house.  I will not be daisy chaining  the USB cables, it is one length built for this sort of purpose.

[AlistairHowie]

The Lindy 20m extension cable you linked to is an active cable.  The bottom line is that it may well work exactly as you think it will ... or you may have some problems.  There's absolutely no way of knowing without trying it out.    Personally, I think it will work just fine, particularly if it's just a connection to your mount and you're not trying to do imaging and guiding over the same connection.

I have a 10m Lindy extension exactly the same as you linked to, except mine terminates in a 4 port (unpowered) hub.  I managed to connect up my mount to my latop running Stellarium over the cable, as well as run an Atik 4000 CCD and Titan guider.  I only had the occasional hang up with my CCD over the connection ... but EQMOD ran the mount just fine all the time.

Alternatively go down the route that Malcolm is recommending.

[sbooder]

Well someone has to give it a go.  If it does not work I will try something different.

[kirkster501]

I have EQmod/ASCOM purring on my laptop.  The whole things runs beautifully.  Quite frankly, without EQmod I would not be in this hobby.  I highly recommend the Polar alignment tool.

Get set up indoors connect it all up, get Chris' EQMOD videos up on Youtube and learn how it works.

[malc-c]

My Scope is not in the shed it is in the garden, I just want to run it from the shed which is about 13 meters away to save going and out of the house.  I will not be daisy chaining  the USB cables, it is one length built for this sort of purpose.

Sorry I don't follow.  Am I correct in thinking that the shed is where you have your PC / laptop, and the shed is attached to the house, or is the shed at the top of the garden some 13m away from the house ?  If the latter, will you be sitting in your shed with your PC / laptop and doing your imaging from there ?  I was under the impression that you had the scope in the garden, near a shed which was some 20m away from your lounge in the house and you wanted to control the scope from there.

You may get away with the 20m Lindy cable, however you end up connecting this... but my guess is that you'll end up with lots of issues when the mount looses signals, and if you want to use a hub attached to this cable and attach more demanding equipment such as cameras then over 20 mtr you'll probably be pushing things...well that's my 2p worth

[sbooder]

The shed is in the garden the scope is in the garden but 13 meters away from the shed.

[Earl]

I built a small ITX PC to sit directly at the scope, all scope stuff was connected via standard USB and serial etc,

I remote controlled that PC via software. and a long network cable.

Ill be doing the same again in my new setup but using my laptop instead.

I will be building or buying another small PC again as I dont want to use the laptop.

[sbooder]

This one seems to have the best reviews 8, 5 star reviews out o 9.

[Earl]

This one seems to have the best reviews 8, 5 star reviews out o 9.

It might work, but be prepared for problems, I have tried a fair few in the past and although it worked fine with some devices not all liked it.

[sbooder]

It is cheap enough to give it a go.  I like a bit of trial and error.  I might consider Bluetooth but I am not sure of the range of the ones available?

[chrisshillito]

This one seems to have the best reviews 8, 5 star reviews out o 9.

I assume you are going the USB route because you have other USB devices you wish to run at the mount end? If not the RS232 is a better option as it is designed for covering distance - USB isn't. In my experience active USB cables have been nothing but trouble - but others seem to manage with them so you may be ok. If you do end up with a hub at the mount end then a powered hub would be preferable.

Chris

[stargazerslivingroom]

I have recently been forced to replace my laptop and am now using  Windows 8. I have been going through many of the processes listed here and thought I'd mention one experience. I couldn't get the Hitecastro eqdir adaptor to work. I found a brilliant solution on FLO's site here....

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/user/Hitecastro_EQMOD_Win8.pdf

This explains in really simple terms how to overcome the problem.

I hope this is useful for anyone else changing to Win8.

A big thankyou to FLO as well!

HTH

Steve

[Gina]

I am setting up a second pier in the garden, about 10m from my main obsy which itself is about 15m from the house.  At first I thought of having the 2nd mount and camera control in the warm room of the obsy with 10m USB cables (powered) but I've had lots of problems with long USB cables so decided I would use a netbook actually at the second pier so that all leads could be as stort as possible.  The netbook has WiFi and works well from the router in the house so I plan to control it via TeamViewer.  Power will be supplied from the obsy and run along the fence thereby avoiding digging trenches or providing overhaed catenaries.

[red dwalf]

sorry to hijack the thread but while Chris is here can i ask some advice on how to properly align the scope and mount please,

software i`m using is stellarium scope and stellarium with eqmod, longitude latitude, and elevation are both the same in stellarium and eqmod.

mount is polar aligned, i`ve deleted all old sync and alignment data also in eqmod before starting.

i start up the system then slew to the first bright star, capella which is usually alittle way off, now do i line up the scope with the mount motor controls and then sync on the target with stellarium using the ctrl 3 command, or do i lossen off the clutches and manually align without syncing ?

after doing the first method a few times when i slerw to the next target the scopes still off target by some way even if it`s a star in a nearby constallation or even say Jupiter.

thanks in advance for the help.

[Tinker1947]

I think you slew to the first target then either use the hand controller or release the clutches, all other targets are the hand controller only.....well i hope i am right as that's how i have been doing it......i think you also need to keep in the East or the West don't mix the stars and sync's, i think i read this on the EQMod sight....

[AlistairHowie]

 can i ask some advice on how to properly align the scope and mount please,

The easiest way I do it is just plate solve using AstroTortilla - use your Atik Titan to snap a pic of where your scope is pointing, and let the software do all the rest.

[jimao22]

Hi Criss,

Sorry I put my question here, but I thought is no need to open a new topic for dummies. Is about the EQMOD simulator. I am trying to make some tests with Maxpilote in order to automatize my ROR and my setup and I cannot make the simulator working with TheSky6. I have to tell you that EQMOD is working just fine with all my setup, but Simulator don't.

I put all the settings from regular EQMOD to the Simulator via Toolbox but when I try to connect TheSky with Simulator, I have the following messages. What have I done wrong?