Lin_guide/RPi/StarsPi

[Thalestris24]

Yay! It appears to be working with a qhy5l-ii now . Seems I had to use a dpkg command for the firmware rather than trying to build it. I think I need an Ubuntu for Dummies book  Also need some clear skies to test it - I'll settle for some spaces between clouds... Next step will be to interface my Android tablet and then make the guider semi-headless? I think that's the modern term for 'embedded system'... I must admit, I have been tempted to just get a cheap Windows netbook. That will probably be my fallback should all else fail! I see the latest Windows has a Linux subsystem (WSL) and a potential Android interface. I might try installing the Ubuntu this afternoon

Louise

[wimvb]

45 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

I think I need an Ubuntu for Dummies book

Me too. Let me know if you find a good one. In the mean time, I'll keep using the "askubuntu" site.

 

47 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Also need some clear skies to test it - I'll settle for some spaces between clouds...

Again, me too.

48 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Next step will be to interface my Android tablet and then make the guider semi-headless

Yesterday I installed Devolutions' Remote Desktop manager. Best so far, but I've had problems using the mobile phone's keyboard while using the remote desktop to control my Rock64. Mouse actions work well. So again, if you find a good solution, let me know.

The solution I can fall back on is my Raspberry Pi; a bit slow but stable.

Good thing you got the camera working.

[Thalestris24]

15 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Me too. Let me know if you find a good one. In the mean time, I'll keep using the "askubuntu" site.

 

Again, me too.

Yesterday I installed Devolutions' Remote Desktop manager. Best so far, but I've had problems using the mobile phone's keyboard while using the remote desktop to control my Rock64. Mouse actions work well. So again, if you find a good solution, let me know.

The solution I can fall back on is my Raspberry Pi; a bit slow but stable.

Good thing you got the camera working.

I've already ordered a Pi touchscreen (due this week) and a mini wireless keyboard (waiting for me at the PO) but it still might be useful to have a tablet screen that I can use from a couple of meters away. At the moment, though, it's all just one step at a time. Back in the early 90's I was using Linux/Unix quite a lot but hardly at all since. I need to gen up on the basics, file structure, and the environment - plus Pi 3-specific things . I think it will be plenty fast enough just for guiding. I don't think there was anything like 'sudo apt-get' back in my day... I'm a dinosaur, ha ha!

Louise

ps I need a proper paper book - online just doesn't cut it!

pps I have the Windows Ubuntu system up and running. Not sure what I can do with it but I'm sure I'll think of something!

[Gina]

I used Ubuntu when it first came out - it has improved immensely since then.  It's now a fully grown-up operating system   In the early days there were a lot of bodges and work-arounds.  I produced a web site to explain it all and help newbies to Ubuntu get it up and going.  That site has been gone for years now, I'm afraid, and would be way out of date anyway.  Ubuntu advanced very rapidly and it got to the stage that it "just worked" and I felt a help site was no longer needed.

[Thalestris24]

2 minutes ago, Gina said:

I used Ubuntu when it first came out - it has improved immensely since then.  It's now a fully grown-up operating system   In the early days there were a lot of bodges and work-arounds.  I produced a web site to explain it all and help newbies to Ubuntu get it up and going.  That site has been gone for years now, I'm afraid, and would be way out of date anyway.  Ubuntu advanced very rapidly and it got to the stage that it "just worked" and I felt a help site was no longer needed.

I did a Computing Science degree in the early 90's and worked as a software engineer in the mid 90's - early noughties. Then I did a bioscience degree and forgot much of my computer stuff! It's not completely disappeared - just gone rusty ha ha. The thing is I don't really need to know that much anymore, I only need to know enough to manage. My brain and body are also going rusty now, sigh

 

[Gina]

Not as rusty as mine I reckon   I did an Electronics and Electrical Engineering degree in the early 60s - computing was young then   After that I worked in research involving computers and interfacing.  I have always been interested in electronics and computers and this has been a hobby ever since.  I've seen enormous changes in this field and it continues, resulting in continual learning.  And I like learning new things

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, Gina said:

Not as rusty as mine I reckon   I did an Electronics and Electrical Engineering degree in the early 60s - computing was young then   After that I worked in research involving computers and interfacing.  I have always been interested in electronics and computers and this has been a hobby ever since.  I've seen enormous changes in this field and it continues, resulting in continual learning.  And I like learning new things

Don't you find it gets harder to try and learn new things? I do! Remembering old and learning new are both a bit of a struggle for me now  Sure I've picked up a lot of astronomy stuff, and I only started that about 4 years ago, but I feel limited as to what I can truly grasp. Hope I don't have dementia... Must.. Keep.. Busy!

Louise

[Gina]

Yes it does.  Neither my brain nor my body are as good as they used to be.  I find it increasing hard to get my brain round complicated code,  I have three pairs of glasses and need reading glasses and a magnifier to see to assemble and solder circuits.  I'm told the way to ward off dementia is plenty of exercise both physical and mental.  I don't intend to get dementia if I can possible avoid it!!

[Thalestris24]

15 minutes ago, Gina said:

Yes it does.  Neither my brain nor my body are as good as they used to be.  I find it increasing hard to get my brain round complicated code,  I have three pairs of glasses and need reading glasses and a magnifier to see to assemble and solder circuits.  I'm told the way to ward off dementia is plenty of exercise both physical and mental.  I don't intend to get dementia if I can possible avoid it!!

Ditto!

[P_Monty]

Hi, not posted on here in a long time. That's a really great package - I was in the process of trying to write something myself to do  the same job - you've saved me a huge amount of effort - thanks.

Could  you point me towards a link for the hardware side - I'm happy to design and build circuit if someone know the interface requirements for a synscan controller.

 

Thanks

Paul

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, P_Monty said:

Hi, not posted on here in a long time. That's a really great package - I was in the process of trying to write something myself to do  the same job - you've saved me a huge amount of effort - thanks.

Could  you point me towards a link for the hardware side - I'm happy to design and build circuit if someone know the interface requirements for a synscan controller.

 

Thanks

Paul

Hi

"That's a really great package" - Not sure exactly what you are referring to - Lin-guider on the Raspberry Pi 3?

At the moment I'm just using a qhy5l-ii mono in ST4 mode for guiding with Lin-guider but not actually been able to test it yet - maybe later tonight!

Louise

 

[P_Monty]

Sorry, yes,  Lin_guider. Running without too much stress on my Pi2

[Thalestris24]

7 minutes ago, P_Monty said:

Sorry, yes,  Lin_guider. Running without too much stress on my Pi2

Oh ok. I have my Pi3 working with a 7" hdmi touchscreen now, albeit without the touch facility at the moment. However, I have a mini keyboard to add in the mix. I may move towards a tablet/vnc connection, not sure yet. I'll see how responsive the current setup is when I can test it. My aim is to get to something that's easily portable (for little me) and that I can power from a small Li-ion battery or two (for an hour or two). So I expect to keep things simple and use a Synscan handset on the eq3 pro.

Louise

[Thalestris24]

So I had a not-very-successful go with Lin-guider/Pi3 last night. I found the lin-guider fiddly to use and very laggy. Not sure if the lagginess was due to Lin-guider or was intrinsic to Ubuntu. But anyway, it struggled to show (guide) stars up and didn't like long (4s) guide exposures. Increasing gain just brightened the guide window. I don't think it liked my light-polluted skies with their excessive skyglow... The Pi  crashed twice! When it did work and guided, the guiding itself wasn't very good. I missed the ease of use and facilities of PHD2! I think I'll look into the possibility of the Linux version. Unfortunately, if that's no good then I think I might have to get a Windows netbook after all... 

[Thalestris24]

I can confirm that the Linux PHD2 works ok on the Pi 3  I installed the version from here. I also had to install the Indi Server but it's great to have the familiarity of PHD2 running on the Pi 3 . Guiding was very good too and PHD2 was much more responsive than Lin-guider. For some reason, though, PHD2 crashed when I tried to make a bad pixel map. Apart from that I didn't have any issues and the setup worked fine guiding the 115mm APO/AVX for 360s using just ST4. I'm not sure quite how easy it will be to run on the 7" screen - yet to try that... But this is probably the end of my Lin-guider thread!

Louise