Help with Autoguiding an iOptron ZEQ25 using an Atik one 6.0

[davedownsouth]

ST4 means the signals are compatible. Voltage basically. Pin wiring as you have posted is not the same thing. You can make a lead up which is not really so difficult once you have the plugs and gripping tool (go to maplins) or try and and find one from a dealer which could be expensive for somthing that pretty cheap.

Or cut the lead you have strip the wires cros and solder the up and a bundle of electrical tape. I've made some odd cables in my time..

Personally I would go to maplins being able to make cables up can save you a small fortune over the years.

Hi StarryEyed, back off my holidays now .

Thanks for the reply, but now sure I understand you when you say Pin wiring as you have posted is not the same thing?  Both the Guide port on the mount and the port on the GPUSB are the same:-

• (1) Open 

• (2) Ground

• (3) RA+

• (4) Dec+

• (5) Dec-

• (6) RA-

Does this not mean that a standard Guide Port cable is all I need to connect the two together?  If I need a different cable, can you, or someone else provide a link to one please 

[davedownsouth]

Hello, First congrats on choosing one of the best mounts money can buy. I personally run a 9x50 162mm guidescope with a meade DSI 1 mono CCD with a usb cable to the laptop and then  back out to the hand controller with a usb cable using an FTDI usb serial converter. I've never used the ST4 port so maybe someone else can chime in on that set up. My setup is quite bulletproof and i get 10 minute guided exposures with perfectly round stars using PHD2 and either Backyard EOS or APT to take the images.

Hi Leveye,

I have pretty much given up on getting the mount to auto guide using the auto guide port, so I keen to try what you do. I am a little confused by how you have got your system set up, would you mind posting some links to the two cable I would need to get to connect the computer to the hand controller? Hope you are able to help me out here ,

Cheers,

DDS

[davedownsouth]

Okay, things I have tried recently  :-

Bought a FTDI usb serial converter and tried connecting to the mount via the hand port.  No luck .

I then thought that it may have been the fact that I was using a 64 bit Windows 8 computer, so I borrowed a 64 bit Windows 7 computer from work and installed all of the drivers and tried connecting to the mount via the Shoestring GPUSB and saw exactly the same thing as I did with the Windows 8 computer.  No luck with the FTDI usb serial converter connecting to the mount via the hand port either.

Then thought it might be something to do with the 64 bit computer, so borrowed a 32 bit Windows 7 computer and repeated all of the above, with the same results          .

Seriously, lost track of the number of hours / days I have spent trying to sort this out 

EDIT.  Sorry, moan over

[davedownsouth]

Started this thread on the 16th June and finally, after what must amount to at least a weeks worth of time in total hours trying, I have finally got Guiding to work  .   Two main changes did this; (1)  the mother board in the mount was replaced (computer would then talk to the mount) and (2) I bought a new computer which closely resembles HAL9000, in price at least.  A couple of 10 minute shots of a random part of the sky and I get perfectly round stars back .  Have not got the energy to drive out to a some darker skies now, so just trying a set of 3 minute exposures on M81 / 82 from the back garden .  To say I am very, very happy & relieved would be a massive understatement     

[Oily]

Glad you got it sorted Dave,did iOptron send out a new motherboard?

[davedownsouth]

Hi Olly, the dealer who I bought the ZEQ25 from got the mother board and fitted it for me.  The fitting looked pretty straight forward, but I would not like to try it myself.

[Oily]

BTW,there's new firmware out for the ZEQ25GT,includes new comets,Lovejoy etc

[davedownsouth]

Cheers, I will try updating later today, but I guess I might be a bit too late for Lovejoy now?

[Oily]

According to this site it should be near Pleiades tonight and tomorrow

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/spot-comet-lovejoy-tonight-122920141/