EQ3/2 Mount auto guiding?

[Sierra Golf Mike]

Trying to get up to speed after a lengthy lay-off and saw something about auto guiding an EQ3/2 (I think) mount using a camera, possibly with a Raspberry Pi! I have an EQ3/2 mount with motors and wondered if it was possible to auto guide it in any way without spending hundreds of pounds?

[Stub Mandrel]

If it's driven by steppers rather than ordinary motors, yes, but it will not be straightforward.

I fitted steppers to my EQ3-2, and the 'goto box' I made is 'guiding ready' as all you need for guiding is to be in the smallest-step/slowest movement mode and then let the guider work the direction buttons using its ST4 port.

It's explained better in Every Photon Counts*

 

*As long as it can get a visa ;-)

[Sierra Golf Mike]

I'm assuming they are not steppers, they are the ones that were designed for the mount, bought from FLO.

[bobro]

My setup includes a Raspberry PI guiding an EQ2 using DC motors. Assuming there is a simple hand controller with buttons in your setup, the PI can be made to simulate button presses for guiding, with the PI (relay) contacts wired across the buttons. You can see more details of my setup in the post 'DIY EQ2 Economy Autoguiding' under the forum 'DIY Astronomer'. (Sorry - haven't worked out how to quote posts in other forums yet!) Alternatively the handset could be upgraded to one with an ST4 port for a more standard setup.

[Sierra Golf Mike]

Thanks Bobro, I'll check it out.