Getting started EQ5...

[John78]

Hi,

Just for posterity, I've started my astronomy journeys - thanks to bottletopburly yesterday I acquired a EQ5 deluxe second hand - its what my budget would stretch to so for now it will have to do - I have an old Tasco 60mm refractor which I've put on it as I don't have another tube...

 

This morning I've breadboarded an AstroEQ using a mega2650 - which works, I've got a pair of steppers, belts and timing pulleys (I need to shrink the ID of the big pulley tomorrow!) - so then I should be setup for stellarium goto, all the software is talking and the motor appears to be spinning on the table...

I've stripped and modified a microsoft life cam HD (£17 ebay) which focus' on the Tasco - the zoom is significantly more than I was expecting with no eyepiece but that's just me being a noob I guess.

So tomorrow when I go to work and have access to the electronics lab I will make a shield for the mega so I can make a more permanent interface for EQ5 - AstroEQ - EQMOD, make the brackets for the new motors then hopefully some point next week I will just put my OMD-5 onto the Tasco and be able to take some guided wide-field shots until I decide on the telescope which is still an ongoing thought process yesterday I was fairly set on a SW80ED, today I'm thinking a 130PDS is significantly better value and almost equally capable although more hassle setting up.

 

Exciting times none the less - especially if the cloud forecast is correct later for clearing up around 7pm.

 

John.

 

[ChrisLX200]

That looks interesting ;-) I not you're not using a geared motor for this (just the pinion and larger gear?) so I hope you can generate enough torque to move the mount.

ChrisH

[John78]

Had a few delays because of having too much work to do at work - but today I've finished putting sleeves in the pulleys (52T), boring out the motor pulleys (14T) and mounted the diy astroeq into a box with soldered harnesses - and I've tested and set it all up.

 

Just need to fine tune the motor brackets a bit tonight to ensure the belt tension is sufficient and my EQ5 will be ready for EQMod and guiding.  Still waiting on my 130P to arrive but its looking like clear skies tomorrow night  

[bottletopburly]

Nice one nothing like a bit of diy keep updating 

[John78]

You've got to do something to keep yourself occupied in cloudfest 2016...

The 130P arrived this morning in tip top shape - although no instructions or manuals so I'll be youtubing later I guess !

[bottletopburly]

Nice one , I flocked the tube on my 200p well worth it probably a bit fiddly on a 130 but do able get it in wilkinsons , one to do at a later date 

[John78]

We have a flock sprayer at work - once I'm familiar it could be a complete disassemble job and spray as its the messiest stuff in the world...

 

I've just turned the dust cap into a collimation cap - I put a 2mm hole in it with a lathe - so hopefully I can get a break in the clouds and an image of something in the next day or so.

 

edit: I've also built some CT to ST4 cables so I can use my AstroEQ with the SW motors should my new motors and brackets have a problem!

[John78]

Ok, I've got the motors mounted and the mount moving in the right directions, it doesn't seem to move far enough to be pointing at the sun for example when I select that from the park position, not sure what's going on yet my ratios are right I'm sure but just reconfiguring again to be sure....  EQMod is a helluva learning curve for me at the minute.

 

 

 

[John78]

Ok so after some experiments I can conclude that 90deg movement in RA according to EQMOD is ~65deg of real movement in DEC looking at the dial, hence things aren't pointing where they should.

My motor's are 1.8deg/step, my pulleys are 52T and 14T so I put the ratio as below and programmed AstroEQ, do I need to tell EQMOD also about my custom pulley or no?  I can't figure out why it's not moving far enough, or are there different sizes of EQ5 worms around so its not 144:1??

Help, I'm confused.

 

 

[bottletopburly]

looking good ,though dec knob looks like you have bent spindle

[John78]

It's just because the knob doesn't run very true and its pushed on the short stubby end !

 

Ive redrawn my motor mounting brackets this morning in CAD, will fabricate them tomorrow, just a 90 degree bend isn't quite strong enough when there is only one mounting hole.

 

I also fixed the movement issues, embarrassingly, by pressing the right buttons in AstroEQ - so once we get a non-fog, non-cloud evening I should be all set for Goto astronomy, next up guiding ?

[John78]

Oh - and I've got to fix the focuser on this 130P - its like the leaning tower of focusers - depending on which way you wind it depends on which way it leans

[Keltoi]

 Hi John,  just got myself an eq5 mount and standard  rec/dec motor kit and was thinking of doing the Arduino mega AstroEQ,  however I don't find the instructions on astroeq site very good in regards as to what I actually need hardware wise.

So could you help by listing exactly what components are required.  i.e  basic ardunio mega? (or some specific package) , stepper boards and what else? or is that all that is required?

have no knowledge of the Ardunio at all apart from having heard the name.

 

 

[John78]

Keltoi - all you need is a Mega2650, 2 DRV8825 (pololu or clones), 2 100uF capacitors and 2 100nF capacitors all of the other components listed on the schematic are bells and whistles if you ask me.  That said if you haven't ever used an Arduino before you're going to be in for a tough time with this as a starting project - its a lot of wiring, programming it is easy with Tom's application - but its a lot of wires to solder - vero board would be ok if you drew it out first.

The schematic of what you need to do is here...

https://www.astroeq.co.uk/doku/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=astroeq_arduino_schematic.pdf

I only built rather than purchased because I happen to have all the parts lying around and I knew what was involved - however its probably cheaper in personal time just to buy one - it took me 8 - 10hrs of mucking about before it finally got put into a project box as a usable thing - and its still not quite right either

What is your level of electronics competency?  Are you proficient with a soldering iron?  This project wont work breadboarded.

[Keltoi]

am good with the soldering iron, looking at building my own as currently he doesn't have any built and alth may do some over easter it looks like he already has a waiting list, and I like to fiddle lol.

idealy would ofcourse like to have it all connected to a guide cam also.

[John78]

Personally I'd etch the board and build a proper clone but you need to have the pic and atmel programming tools unless the micro controllers are in stock?

 

That way you get something proper and the parts count is pretty trivial, it's not really that much more difficult than building a mega based one but more accurate.  

 

The issue I have at the minute is either it's based on a mega or I've got pololu clone stepper drivers with the wrong decay mode set, so my stepper motors although rotate the correct distance only pulse around once per second which isn't ideal for tracking - especially planetary.

[John78]

17 hours ago, Keltoi said:

am good with the soldering iron, looking at building my own as currently he doesn't have any built and alth may do some over easter it looks like he already has a waiting list, and I like to fiddle lol.

idealy would ofcourse like to have it all connected to a guide cam also.

Keltoi : this site should show you everything you need to build a protoshield for a mega that will work .... Specifically the pictures at the bottom.

https://sites.google.com/site/gigimysite/home/astro/astroeq

[Darren Poulson]

Looking good!

I'm just about to head down this route with an EQ5 (Just waiting for payday). Got a Mega on order, along with a bare shield (Its about the only type of arduino I don't already have one of. Tons of steppers and pololu drivers tho.). I've got the added fun of needing to run it all under linux tho, but have discovered the world of INDI. So now its all going into a Raspberry Pi on the mount, with wifi to a laptop for controlling it via kstars. 

Next step, reading up on webcam conversion for a guide scope, and making my own powered focuser.

What was the problem with the gear ratios in the end? 

[John78]

6 hours ago, Darren Poulson said:

Looking good!

I'm just about to head down this route with an EQ5 (Just waiting for payday). Got a Mega on order, along with a bare shield (Its about the only type of arduino I don't already have one of. Tons of steppers and pololu drivers tho.). I've got the added fun of needing to run it all under linux tho, but have discovered the world of INDI. So now its all going into a Raspberry Pi on the mount, with wifi to a laptop for controlling it via kstars. 

Next step, reading up on webcam conversion for a guide scope, and making my own powered focuser.

What was the problem with the gear ratios in the end? 

Webcam guidescope coming soon as the 9x50 arrives, my inherited ST60 is a bit too big really.

You need to click the update button in the Astro EQ configurator to get it to calculate the step rate properly.

 

My idea going forward is to build the ascom focuser project which is here...

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinofocuscontrollerpro/

... But on a mega then use that to pass through the serial to AstroEQ, and then have the master mega focuser have Bluetooth and camera control in the spare space and io, AstroEQ utilises nearly 100% of the available processing power.

 

My hope is a largely tether free scope.

 

[Keltoi]

On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2016 at 15:11, John78 said:

Keltoi : this site should show you everything you need to build a protoshield for a mega that will work .... Specifically the pictures at the bottom.

https://sites.google.com/site/gigimysite/home/astro/astroeq

had just been looking at that site, thanks.   sadly its in Italian  or such but the pics etc are gona be very handy

[John78]

Google translates it just fine, he's a member at the AstroEQ forum also so can talk to him there ?

[KemalOz]

I have an extra AstroEq controller(Arduino based) and steppers,belts,pulleys,brackets,etc. for eq5. If anyone needs it you can contact me