SynScan compatibility

[MattJenko]

Hi, quick question:

Is the SynScan controller that comes with the Skywatcher Goto Dobsonians the same as the one that comes with the HEQ5 Pro mount? ie, if you had the HEQ5 SynTrek, could you simply use the Dob controller and effectively turn it into a HEQ5 Pro SynScan?

Thanks

[Owmuchonomy]

I can't directly answer this but personal experience is that the Synscan upgrade of the HEQ5 mount also includes new motors. So, this may be important in your considerations.

[Lonestar70]

Hi, quick question:

Is the SynScan controller that comes with the Skywatcher Goto Dobsonians the same as the one that comes with the HEQ5 Pro mount? ie, if you had the HEQ5 SynTrek, could you simply use the Dob controller and effectively turn it into a HEQ5 Pro SynScan?

Thanks

Hi Matt,

Short answer... YES.

The handsets for the recent goto mounts are identical... it may be wise to update the handset firmware to the latest Version 3.35 if not already installed.

The handset firmware configures itself to correct mode when plugged into the alternate mounts.

Hope this helps.

Best regards.

Sandy.

[MattJenko]

Thanks Sandy, makes sense.

Chris - you are right on the motors for the basic HEQ5, but the HEQ5 Syntrek looks to already have the upgraded motors and the ST4 port, it just doesn't have the handset. The HEQ5 Syntrek is quite a bit cheaper than the same mount + handset, so wondered if a subsequent purchase of a big Goto Dob would mean a compatible handset.

Thanks

[Lonestar70]

Hi Matt,

If you have the HEQ5 syntrek mount and want goto function... you can use ASCOM/EQMOD and a planetarium programme such as 'Carte's de Ceil' or 'Stellarium' on a laptop... All these are free programmes on-line.

The only expense would be the necessary EQDIR module... which is considerably less expensive than a synscan handset.

This, of course, assumes you have a suitable laptop available.

Just another option.

Best regards.

Sandy.

[Owmuchonomy]

Thanks Sandy, makes sense.

Chris - you are right on the motors for the basic HEQ5, but the HEQ5 Syntrek looks to already have the upgraded motors and the ST4 port, it just doesn't have the handset. The HEQ5 Syntrek is quite a bit cheaper than the same mount + handset, so wondered if a subsequent purchase of a big Goto Dob would mean a compatible handset.

Thanks

Ok, good to know thanks. Sounds like you are good to go then.

[Penguin]

Thanks Sandy, makes sense.

Chris - you are right on the motors for the basic HEQ5, but the HEQ5 Syntrek looks to already have the upgraded motors and the ST4 port, it just doesn't have the handset. The HEQ5 Syntrek is quite a bit cheaper than the same mount + handset, so wondered if a subsequent purchase of a big Goto Dob would mean a compatible handset.

Thanks

Sorry to hijack the thread but I think I am in a similar position. I have just acquired a Skywatcher 150P on an HEQ5-Pro mount and, although the handset works with it, I want to control it from the laptop with Stellarium or APT. Stellarium claims to connect but when I select a target and hit [ctrl]-[1], absolutely nothing happens! I thought this might have been because I did not have the ASCOM platform and drivers so I downloaded and installed those, but that made no difference whatsoever.

Any advice? I am hoping to have it all working before the nights draw in.

--- Alistair

[Avocette]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I think I am in a similar position. I have just acquired a Skywatcher 150P on an HEQ5-Pro mount and, although the handset works with it, I want to control it from the laptop with Stellarium or APT. Stellarium claims to connect but when I select a target and hit [ctrl]-[1], absolutely nothing happens! I thought this might have been because I did not have the ASCOM platform and drivers so I downloaded and installed those, but that made no difference whatsoever.

Any advice? I am hoping to have it all working before the nights draw in.

--- Alistair

Presumably you are connecting via the Synscan handset operating in PC Direct mode? In this case you don't need the ASCOM drivers or EQMOD. A better way may be to operate from the PC to the mount without including the Synscan handset in circuit using an EQDIRECT cable (and EQMOD and EQASCOM).

[Penguin]

Presumably you are connecting via the Synscan handset operating in PC Direct mode? In this case you don't need the ASCOM drivers or EQMOD. A better way may be to operate from the PC to the mount without including the Synscan handset in circuit using an EQDIRECT cable (and EQMOD and EQASCOM).

I was not aware of the possibility of connecting a laptop to the scope through the handset! I will have a look on the handset this evening. Should I see a USB port or something like that on it?

I have a USB cable plugged into the laptop, going to a little converter box and another cable coming from that box and plugging directly into the hand-controller port of the mount. I assume this setup is the EQDirect cable. That is how the previous owner had it configured when I picked it up.

--- Alistair

[Tinker1947]

If you use Stellarium you also need "Stellaruim Scope" another free download this sits between Stellaruim and the Mount very easy to configure.......

[Penguin]

If you use Stellarium you also need "Stellaruim Scope" another free download this sits between Stellaruim and the Mount very easy to configure.......

Thanks Tinker, I will try that. Interestingly though, the StellariumScope page links to the Stellarium Telescope Compatability page, which suggests that my HEQ5 Pro should work in Stellarium without any other software required. So I am confused!

--- Alistair

[Tinker1947]

You will need Stellarium Scope, try this link....

http://www.bytearts.com/stellarium/

[Cornelius Varley]

If you connect to mount directly through the handset you won't need StellariumScope or EQMOD.  Another program to try is Carte du Ciel.  You will also need the Ascom platform and Ascom Celesrton mount drivers to control the mount through the handset or EQMOD to connect directly through an EQDIR module.

[chrisshillito]

Thanks Tinker, I will try that. Interestingly though, the StellariumScope page links to the Stellarium Telescope Compatability page, which suggests that my HEQ5 Pro should work in Stellarium without any other software required. So I am confused!

--- Alistair

In its basic from Stellarium doesn't support ASCOM but does instead provide some hard coded mount interfaces. So you can indeed drive you HEQ5 Pro direct from stellarium if you use it's inbuilt mount drivers. However if you want to go the ASCOM driver route (so you can have multiple applications controlling the mount at once) then you will need stellariumscope and then you will have to decide on either using the unified celestron ASCOM driver or the EQMOD ASCOM driver.

Chris.

[Penguin]

In its basic from Stellarium doesn't support ASCOM but does instead provide some hard coded mount interfaces. So you can indeed drive you HEQ5 Pro direct from stellarium if you use it's inbuilt mount drivers. However if you want to go the ASCOM driver route (so you can have multiple applications controlling the mount at once) then you will need stellariumscope and then you will have to decide on either using the unified celestron ASCOM driver or the EQMOD ASCOM driver.

Chris.

Well at the moment, I just want one application to control the mount. Stellarium is the one I favour and you appear to be saying that it will control my mount out-of-the-box with no further software needed. So why, when I connect it to the mount (it does say it is connected in the telescope control plugin) does the mount not respond to any of my commands?

--- Alistair

[Cornelius Varley]

I find that putting the handset into PC-Direct mode stops Stellarium controlling the mount.

[chrisshillito]

I find that putting the handset into PC-Direct mode stops Stellarium controlling the mount.

Yes it will. PC direct is only required when using EQMOD via the hancontroller. Leave the hanset in its normal mode and it will respond to a small subset of the nexstar commands. Not great, but enough to get positional data and issue gotos.

Chris.

[Cornelius Varley]

Yes it will. PC direct is only required when using EQMOD via the hancontroller. Leave the hanset in its normal mode and it will respond to a small subset of the nexstar commands. Not great, but enough to get positional data and issue gotos.

Chris.

It might do using EQMOD. Just before making my previous post I tried using both Stellarium and Carte du Ciel to drive my old Merlin az goto in both PC-Direct enabled and not. In both cases the mount would connect but with PC-Direct enabled the mount wouldn't respond to slew commands issued from the programs, take the handset out of PC-Direct and the mount responded to commands.

[Penguin]

It might do using EQMOD. Just before making my previous post I tried using both Stellarium and Carte du Ciel to drive my old Merlin az goto in both PC-Direct enabled and not. In both cases the mount would connect but with PC-Direct enabled the mount wouldn't respond to slew commands issued from the programs, take the handset out of PC-Direct and the mount responded to commands.

But I am not using the handset, it is not plugged into the mount, it is sitting on a shelf in another room. The laptop is plugged directly into the hand-controller port on the mount. Is 'PC Direct' mode some aspect of the mount or of the handset? If it is an aspect of the handset then it is irrelevant because I am not trying to use the handset. If it is an aspect of the mount then how do I detect whether it is in this mode and how do I switch modes?

I feel like I am sounding frustrated and annoyed and I apologise if I am coming across like that!

--- Alistair

[Cornelius Varley]

But I am not using the handset, it is not plugged into the mount, it is sitting on a shelf in another room. The laptop is plugged directly into the hand-controller port on the mount. Is 'PC Direct' mode some aspect of the mount or of the handset? If it is an aspect of the handset then it is irrelevant because I am not trying to use the handset. If it is an aspect of the mount then how do I detect whether it is in this mode and how do I switch modes?

I feel like I am sounding frustrated and annoyed and I apologise if I am coming across like that!

--- Alistair

Are you using an EQDIR adapter ? From the description it is probably a HitecAstro EQDIR module. This module requires it's own ascom drivers and the laptop also has to be configured so that the port number assigned to the module by windows is configured in EQMOD.

The PC-Direct mode is an option within the Synscan handset which has been included with the latest releases of the Synscan firmware which gives EQASCOM control of the mount. This seems to be the only application that can use the PC-Direct mode. http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/tutindex.html

[Tinker1947]

This is the extra bit i use, it enables my NEQ6 to run without the handset using Stellaruim or CdC .........

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/hitecastro-eqdir-adapter.html

[chrisshillito]

But I am not using the handset, it is not plugged into the mount, it is sitting on a shelf in another room. The laptop is plugged directly into the hand-controller port on the mount. Is 'PC Direct' mode some aspect of the mount or of the handset? If it is an aspect of the handset then it is irrelevant because I am not trying to use the handset. If it is an aspect of the mount then how do I detect whether it is in this mode and how do I switch modes?

I feel like I am sounding frustrated and annoyed and I apologise if I am coming across like that!

--- Alistair

Hi Alistair.

First off, don't ever connect your mount directly to the computer except via an EQDirect inteface cable (commercial interaces typically use the product name EQDIR).

Out of the box, and with no extra specialised cables your mount can be interfaced to a pc by having the handset attached and connecting the pc to the handset using the firmware update cable. This requires no special modes on the hanset. This is how stellarium alone can control the mount.

However, if you want to use EQMOD as your mount driver you have two options.

1. Leave the handcontroller connected, connect the pc to the handcontroller, put the handcontroller into pc direct mode (a utility option). Then you leave the handcontoller alone - it plays no active part in the control of the mount.

2. Using an EQDirect cable connect the pc direct to the mount.

For both of the above you will need to run the ASCOM platform on you pc as EQMOD is an ASCOM driver. Because stellarium doesn't support ASCOM directly you would also need to install and run stellarium scope. I beleive Stellariumscope will do all the necessary configuration of stellarium to make the system work without you needing to use the telescope plugin.

Chris.

[chrisshillito]

... and here's a document I wrote for the EQMOD Project that tries to sum up the PC control options for synta mounts..

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/PC_Control_Options.pdf

[Penguin]

... and here's a document I wrote for the EQMOD Project that tries to sum up the PC control options for synta mounts..

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/PC_Control_Options.pdf

This (and your previous message) all looks really helpful Chris. Many thanks.

--- Alistair.

[simmo39]

Sorry to hijack this thread but, I have a SW AZ mount and im trying to find out if the handset would work with a HEQ 5 mount. I have tried to update the firmware but with no luck.