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Cant get on with CDC at all


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It does seem strange the way its not all in one package, you start off thinking ok I got this then you need to add something and then it just snowballs, I ordered a USB extension lead then I realised I needed another one, then I got BYN and needed another one for the focuser, now I need another one for the gamepad.  At the moment  my downfall is the hand controller ( I know I can get wireless ones but unless I know exactly what dongle thing and gamepad im just guessing which one I need). Taking the laptop back outside is defeating the object for me as the whole idea was to sit in comfort in winter. think I will order another lead and take it from there.

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james et al,

Sometime ago I raised the possibility of developing a "mini controller" for EQMod users - a small box/handle paddle with direction buttons and a couple of "special" buttons - KISS.

This IMHO would be much easier to use than the clunky gamepad......

Unfortunately no one picked up on the idea...

Indeed a need <poet> My much recommended (fairly so!) wireless gamepad and I never

completely got on. It had rechargeable batteries which drained between UK clear nights? ;)

Personally? I'd be doing a Google (image) search on "Arduino Gamepad Shield"?

(I can program an Arduino). But then, I'd have to look into the REAL technicalities! 

Some integrated Arduino boards with pre-loaded software send signals to USB? :)

(As I discovered myself) There is a certain difficulty for the "remote astronomer".

Mostly because you have to initialise the Gamepad (twiddle the joystick etc.) and

respond back in your "lounge". Personally, I don't want to run a Laptop outdoors.  

But therein, I find a genuine use for Teamviewer! My old 1x 1.6GHz Notebooks 

will control my "observatory", but cannot run TeamViewer as well. *BUT* if I run

all the software on my (indoor) Desktop, my minimalist Notebooks are sufficient  

to TeamView ONE (notably EQMod!) window remotely on my desktop machine.  

Mostly, I use my "electro-finder" now. But, if I do need to be near the scope... ;)

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Don't encourage me? Every home should have one!  :p

But electronic finders are fairly easy / cheap to make.

Serve a whole host of useful purposes etc. etc.

(Even if they don't help this picture focus)

post-539-0-27235500-1442918860.jpg

Sensitive "spy camera"... M12 video lens...  some laser

finder rings (Modest help from skilled machinist mate?).

But the BASIC idea is fairly easy to put together...   :)

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Thanks for that handheld mouse Michael, looks the business.  

Taking the laptop back outside is defeating the object for me as the whole idea was to sit in comfort in winter. think I will order another lead and take it from there.

I have a desktop indoors and leave the laptop in the observatory and control the whole thing remotely from the desktop indoors using Teamviewer.  So I do the initial bit in the obsy and then retreat indoors for the rest of the evening.

Carole 

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Seeing as it was clear skies last night I set everything up again. I Polar aligned as normal, had the scope pointing North as normal. Now at this point I normally switch on synscan and star align but tonight with no handset attached  and the laptop setup instead I switched on CDC and EQMOD. The mount was picked up and connected everything good. Now heres the problem I could see  Vega  and Deneb infront of me  I looked at my screen and thought right Vega it is clicked on it and pressed slew to Vega. The mount went in a totally different direction! I couldnt get it anywhere near Vega. In the end I gave up again switched everything off and plugged in the synscan. And thats what I dont understand, when I switch on CDC how does it know I am faceing Polaris? Surely there is something I should be doing first like in synscan i star align. 

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I was on the understanding that you slewed to the star first, then pressed sync and fine tune it so that its centre. 

Yes, but unless CdC knows roughly where the mount is pointing first, it has no way of knowing where to slew.

Manually slew to a known star.

Centre that star in the FoV (either eyepiece or with a camera).

Select that star in CdC.

Right click and sync (or press the Sync icon in the toolbar). OK the dialogue box that pops up.

CdC will now know where the OTA is poitning in the sky. You can know select another star in CdC and issue a slew command. Depending on how good your polar alignment is, the star should be close to the centre of the FoV. Using the EQMOD arrows 9or a gamepad if that's your preference), centre the star in the FoV. Go back to CdC, make sure the star is selected and issue another Sync. You can repeat this as often as you like, but 3 will normally give very good pointing.

Chris Shillito's (the founder of EQMOD) channel on youTube is a must watch:

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Thanks very much for taking the time to reply it is much appreciated and I realise i must be a right pain asking all the time

No problem...ask away. It's how we learn.

There's one caveat...does your mount have encoders (AZ EQ5/6)? If so, then these have to be taken into account.

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When you use any method, EQMOD or handset it doesn't know where the scope is initially pointing.

Assuming you have entered the correct long / latitude and elevation for your location in CdC, connect to the scope and then delete any previous sync points in EQMOD.  Release the clutches on the mount and select your first target star (vega for example) by right clicking on the star in CdC and select slew to target.  Once the mount stops slewing manually locate Vega in the centre of the field of view of a high power eyepiece and lock the clutches.  Right click on Vega in CdC and select sync, and confirm when prompted.  Select a second star, but this time don't release the clutches.  If your polar alignment is close you should see the star in the field of view of a low powered eyepiece.  Now either use a gampad to centre the star, or the NSEW buttons on EQMOD.  Once centered in the low power eyepiece, fine tune the centering using a high power eyepiece, and once centred repeat the sync process in CdC as above.  You can then repeat the process again if you wish, and with EQMOD you can have many sync points as you want, which for a fixed setup in an observatory is ideal, and if you have sync points spaced in different directions, the accuracy within the triange of those points is typically very good.

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Thanks for that its going to be a clear night tonight so I will print your instructions off and try it. hope I am not sounding to thick here but when you say "locate manually" you do mean move the mount by hand until its in place and not with the NSWE keys dont you?

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I just used my leg to run the (Logitech) mouse on. I do the same to control Powerpoint when doing a talk. The only problem I find is distance from the computer, but if I have to use a long USB lead to fit the USB receiver into and fix it to an outside wall by a bit of tape. I tried the wireless gamepad and found similar problems to Carole.

Derek

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Thanks for that its going to be a clear night tonight so I will print your instructions off and try it. hope I am not sounding to thick here but when you say "locate manually" you do mean move the mount by hand until its in place and not with the NSWE keys dont you?

It doesn't matter which you use on your mount. Personally I find that using a gamepad worked for me. Moving the mount, especially with a big OTA on it is a bit hit-and-miss. You're much more likely to knock the tripod and upset your polar alignment too.

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Thanks for that its going to be a clear night tonight so I will print your instructions off and try it. hope I am not sounding to thick here but when you say "locate manually" you do mean move the mount by hand until its in place and not with the NSWE keys dont you?

Not stupid at all.    With the clutches released the motors won't be driving the scope (although it might move through drag). Once the motors have stopped slewing the scope, move the scope by hand until Vega (or whatever target you have identified) is in the fieled of view.  Once you have it centred and the clutches locked you then use the software to make any adjustments on the second targer star.  Once you have Vega centred, clutches locked and confirmed the sync then CdC, EQMOD and the mount all have a reference point to start from.  So when you select the second target, the software instructs the mount to move to where it calculates the second target to be.  If your polar alignment is good, and the scope has little or no cone error then chances are the second target will be in the field of view of a 40mm eyepiece, if not close to centre.

This is really just the same procedure as using the handset, once the target is centred clicking sync in CdC is the same as pressing the yes button to confirm the targer in the handset in its alignment procedure.

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Ah right I think I,m with you now, so you disengage the clutch but CDC still thinks its heading for Vega, then once it stops you move the scope till its pointing at Vega, rengage the clutch then sync to make sure its centre, yes I can see the logic in it now . thanks again guys

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Well I went back to the drawing board tonight and took the advice given. Success!! everything seems fine I done the 3 star alignment and everything. Only one small problem in that I only had 3 usb ports and needed 4 with the gamepad so i disconnected BYN  ( lead for focuser) and used that, once done I disconnected the gamepad and fired up BYN. It was great as when I slewed to  any star it was on my laptop and I could use the focusing tool to fine tune. I was thinking of getting a CCD camera but TBH I think I,ll stick with this setup for another year to really understand it then move up. I will definately get pixinsight in the next month though to improve my images.

Thanks once again

Paul

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