Benefits of EQMOD ?

[beamish]

Hi there,

I've read a lot about people enjoying EQMOD.

I don't have a permanent pier (yet !) but would like to ask if someone could simply explain what, if any, benefits I would experience by going to EQMOD. I have the HEQ5 Pro and hope to operate pretty remotely(currently via long lengths of varying cables)and have the S/Night 6 Pro on the lappy and PC.

In addition apart from the interface from Shoestring, could I rig up a serial conxtion with network cable to run to the mount ?

Karlo

[steppenwolf]

I haven't used anything but EQMod for over a year now and I wouldn't go back!

Whilst it is true that I have a permanent installation, many of the benefits of EQMod still apply to a 'set-up' session if you normally have a PC out there with you.

1. The date and time are already set by the PC clock

2. Choosing your alignment stars by use of a Planetarium program is much nicer than using the hand controller to page through the lists of items IT chooses as suitable

3. Subsequent slewing to new objects is a 'point an click' exercise using the Planetarium software (I know you can do this with a PC connected to the hand controller but you are already set up for doing it as you have just star aligned!)

4. Centring objects when imaging is automated by the controls on your capture software

5. You can use an ASCOM Hub to connect several pieces of software to your mount at the same time and share positional information between all of them automatically.

6. You have a full SYNC command

7. There are a tin more features that I don't use but that you might find of use!

[cygnusx1]

4. Centring objects when imaging is automated by the controls on your capture software

This one is of particular interest to me.

Last night for example, I wasted many good clear hrs trying to centre M1 and then M64 in my 350D fov @ F10 on my C9.25 - by the time I was there they had already almost set and it had clouded over!! :?

I sick of this manual adjusting, ther emust be an easier way!

Can you explain how 4. above works in practise?

[FLO]

This one is of particular interest to me.

Intrigues me too...

[steppenwolf]

Can you explain how 4. above works in practise?

I am fortunate in that I use MaximDL but many other programs will have the same functionality I am sure.

Having got the chosen object somewhere on my sensor, I connect the telescope to MaximDL via what is known as an 'ASCOM Hub' (in this case I am using POTH- Perfectly Ordinary Telescope Handcontroller) as this allows both my Planetarium software and MaximDL to 'talk' to the mount at the same time. I then select the centre command from the telescope control dialogue box and run a calibrate session which takes about 30 seconds and confirms to the software how far the star images move on the sensor for a given control input (which is selectable). Having calibrated the mount, I then right click on the object I want to centre which brings up a dialogue box and I select 'point telescope here'. Hey presto, the mount slews the tiny amount required to centre the object. This works very well indeed and is a pre-cursor to me issuing a 'SYNC' command when I do my star alignment.

[Beyond_Vision]

BTW Belkin now produce a USB network hub that will allow you to connect upto 5 devices to the hub then have a single cat5 network cable connection back to a PC inside this would mean you do not have to have a laptop outside. The only negative point about it is that it has a 10/100 ethernet connection so only has a 5th of the data bandwidth of USB2.0. It would have been much better if it was gigabit ethernet then you would have enough bandwidth for 2 full data rate USB connections. The unit is around £70 from PC World.

http://www.belkin.com/uk/networkusbhub/

BTW I dont think you need to have the wireless network router connected to it, just a wired connection to a spare network port on your PC.

[beamish]

Steve you've already been a great help and wonderful source of info. I'm now very interested in the EQMOD, for all the reasons listed but in particular 1,2,4 & 6.

I only have a limited FOV(between two cherry trees) when I'm in the front garden and aligning with the limited stars from the H/set is a pain. Choosing my own would be a significant improvement.

As you may remember I've been using a longer network cable from the H/set to the mount rather than the short curly cable that came with the mount. Is there a wiring/pin-out diagram whereby I can add a serial module to one end of a network cable that interfaces with Shoestring Interface,since the HEQ5 Pro comes with RJ45 plug rather than a serial one ?

So just to sum up the chain would be as follows:

Lappy--usb to serial adapter--Shoestring Interface--serial plug-cable-RJ45--mount(via normal H/set RJ45 socket) ?

Karlo

[steppenwolf]

Karlo, I am assuming that the Shoestring device is the EQDir device that comes with a serial 9 pin 'D' plug on one end of the 'box' and a matching socket on the other end of the 'box'? This link should help!

[beamish]

Perfect Steve, that exactly what I needed to know . Now I know how to get up and running. Yet again I am indebted to you

Karlo

[Robd]

I bought the EQMOD connector and cable to use with my HEQ5 Pro in January. Only had a chance to use it once, bit of a learning curve, but isn't everything? All seemed to function correctly.

Then Synscan updated the hand controller firmware, which I installed. The PC can now connect to the hand set with the serial/rj11? cable that came with the mount.

Th EQMOD software can be downloaded from the yahoo eqmod site.

I connected this way a couple of weeks ago ( again a bit of a messing about night ). This has the advantage that with the handset you can still adjust the scope whilst using the finder, eyepiece as well as using the software of choice on the PC.

I did have a small problem in that I had to keep disconnecting the ascom connection (POTH), but I think that this was more to do with me being confused with the planetarium software :?.

All seemed to work OK.

So those of you with HEQ5 Pro I would suggest upgrading the firmware and try this route before buying anymore hardware.

It will be interesting to hear if anyone else has tried this route.

Rob

[steppenwolf]

Rob, sadly I do not have the flash upgradeable handset (one of the reasons I decided to try the EQMod in the first place!) so I haven't been able to test the new firmware version that allows direct connection so it will be interesting to hear from someone who is successfully using it with EQMod.

[beamish]

Okay this sounds interesting. I've already installed the 3.21 S/W upgrade onto the H/set anyway. Are you saying that with the upgrade I can make use of EQMOD (got the zip ready) but without the EQDirect interface ? but using the usb-serial adapter (with the RJ11 plug) straight into the H/set ?

[steppenwolf]

Yup! I thought you already had the EQDir though?

[cygnusx1]

Can someone post a link to the EQMOD zip file?

Is there a tutorial/help file somewhere?

[MikeP]

Have a look at the Yahoo Group. There are links to the latest version, latest beta versions, doc etc.

Mike

[steppenwolf]

Beamish, have you tried it yet?

[russ]

This all sounds very interesting Just updated Synscan to V3.21 and downloaded the latest EQMOD files. Will try it out later on the EQ5. Ah except my laptop won't run Starry Night 5/6 or Stellarium Sugar!

Russ

[steppenwolf]

Russ, I bet it runs Cartes du Ciel which will work just fine with EQMod and is free!

[daz]

Russ

What about Cartes du Ciel - this works with it OK.

[daz]

Doh!!

[GazOC]

Doh!!

try and keep up....

[russ]

Thanks Daz

[George]

Been using EQmod for around 3 months now and would never go back to the Synscan GOTO, with EQmod everything works just great with Starrynight 6 and PHD. Im also using a wireless rumblepad which I find useful for fine tuning alignment at the EP or thru the DSLR finder.

[beamish]

Beamish, have you tried it yet?

Tried and died ! I'm now totally confused and addled ! Desperately need a guru to chat to. Whether it was my inexperience, glitches with the planetarium or just stupidity.

I'm still very keen to get this going but need to clarify a few things. I'm pretty darn sure I have everything needed( but may probably wrong).

I'm confused over which EQmod ascom driver I need,where to put it. I have an older Ascom platform, tried installing 5.0 ('08 version) but was told by the installer to unistall previous platform BUT on the Ascom Hm pge it says "Do not uninstall if updating from an earlier version. " there's a new Unified Celestron Ascom 5.0 ( which I think I need to drive the HEQ5 Pro) but again don't know where I ought to put it.

Basically I really need some help or shooting ! :shock:

PS

Im also using a wireless rumblepad which I find useful for fine tuning alignment at the EP or thru the DSLR finder.

Forgive my ignorance but what is a rumblepad ??

Karlo

[MikeP]

PM re help sent.

A rumblepad is one of those games playing thingys - it has two joysticks and a load of buttons. I use one too.

One joystick controls the mount, the other controls the cursor ie does the job the mouse would do. I use the buttons for various functions - park/unpark, set sidereal, increase and decrease slew speed. Its very neat and mine is cordless too.

Mike