Connection to house

[alan potts]

Is it possible to image from the warmth of home. I have an observatory with several power outlets but the roof is not automatic so it would only be capture that I would like to automate.

I was wondering if I could connect scope operations which would for the moment be a guide program (if I ever get one working) and a camera control program like APT, so nothing really involved at the moment. It is about 25 yds to the obsey from the house and I have several desk top and laptop computers, all fairly high end models albeit from about 4-5 years ago by Lenovo and Dell, I also have a radio type system running inside the house connecting all. This does work as well from the obsey but very poorly with a low strength signal even with a receiver dish.

Alan

 

[DaveS]

I *think* if you had a local computer in the obsy running the show, and connected your house computer via LAN and Teamviewer that might work. The person to ask is @steppenwolf who put up a long thread on automating his obsy a while ago.

[PhotoGav]

Absolutely, if you have internet in the obsy you can connect to the obsy PC using TeamViewer from another PC anywhere in the world with internet access! I use power line adapters to get the internet to my obsy, which is about 15m down the garden, from the router in my kitchen. Works a treat, most of the time!

You should definitely consider Sequence Generator Pro for orchestrating everything in the obsy. It is a superb program at a very reasonable price and there are plenty of users on here who can help when you need it.

[kendg]

Yes, a small laptop in the obsy and TeamViewer works a charm.

The question is WiFi or powerline ethernet. I can use WiFi as the distance isn't all that far.

 

[drjolo]

This is also my scenario - I have roll-off shed like 20m from home. I move roff manually, but then I go to home and control remotely PC computer in the shed. I use windows remote desktop ofer WiFi, but TeamViewer also works perfectly ok. Worst part is to move roof back in the morning, when is usually much colder

[alan potts]

Thanks for the answers, I feel I would need to improve the net connection by wifi a good deal for that to be a reall option, this may well be the way to go buying a much better router and receiver, there is just not a good enough signal all the time. The house has and ethernet system built in which sadly doesn't include the obsey as it wasn't built when the house was.

I have an older but decent Dell computer I could put outside and that could even be under part of the roof as it doesn't clear the full size of the observatory. It gives me some things to talk to my IT mate about anyway. Not sure about the power cables system with it being here in Bulgaria, I would need to have that thought about by someone that understands it though it was well installed by my father-in-law, a specialist in electrics, maybe he would know though he retired a few years back now.

Thanks again,

alan

[Whirlwind]

Why not get a wireless extender such as these.

http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/networking/wifi-range-extenders/

I have similar problems because of where my router is set up but an older version of these allows me to connect.

 

[knobby]

Use the ethernet to extend from the router to the part of house nearest obsy then put a wireless access point from the ethernet there, should easily go through 1 wall and a shed !

In theory 

[alan potts]

6 minutes ago, Whirlwind said:

Why not get a wireless extender such as these.

http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/networking/wifi-range-extenders/

I have similar problems because of where my router is set up but an older version of these allows me to connect.

 

Yes it seems something I can talk to my IT friends about, he would know the best to get, as it stands I can get a link between a computer in the obsey and the router but it is poor. In truth the router is on the opposite side of the house and this is not going to help the signal. Though I have to say the USB extention dish that I have looks extremely cheap and nasty to my eyes and the walls of the obsey are 12 inch thick which is helping either, I'm sure something can be done.

Alan.

[alan potts]

1 minute ago, knobby said:

Use the ethernet to extend from the router to the part of house nearest obsy then put a wireless access point from the ethernet there, should easily go through 1 wall and a shed !

In theory 

The build is concrete frame with brick infill, bear in mine all the concrete is with re-bar, don't help, but I am sure I can get round it, proably by throwing money at the problem. Something to suggest to my IT mate though and there is an ethernet point at the top of the house in the bedroom, at a point where it is closet to the obsey.

[knobby]

Just now, alan potts said:

The build is concrete frame with brick infill, bear in mine all the concrete is with re-bar, don't help, but I am sure I can get round it, proably by throwing money at the problem. Something to suggest to my IT mate though and there is an ethernet point at the top of the house in the bedroom, at a point where it is closet to the obsey.

Height will help, might bounce through obsy food that way too.

[Ouroboros]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know why wifi from the house is sometimes usable down the garden and other times isn't? What affects the strength of the signal assuming factors like distance, router position etc remain constant? 

[knobby]

1 hour ago, Ouroboros said:

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know why wifi from the house is sometimes usable down the garden and other times isn't? What affects the strength of the signal assuming factors like distance, router position etc remain constant? 

Interference from cordless phones , microwaves, anything electrical.

[fozzybear]

Alan,

You can get hold of external wifi extenders one attached to Obsy externally then Ethernet cable from that attached to pc in obsy , if needed and signal not great in the house get another attached to outside wall of house in plane of sight to obsy,  see https://www.amazon.co.uk/150Mbps-Wireless-Outdoor-Extender-Repeater/dp/B00HJUHX68/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1519496504&sr=1-1&keywords=wireless+outdoor+repeater&dpID=41Zx6KmzO0L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch 

we use something like this at work, works a treat

or search for something like this in your location on good old amazon

Andy

[Aidan]

If you’re only 25yds from obsey to your house, then why not just run a Cat5e/Cat6?

It would go straight into your router in the house and provide internet directly into the obsey.   Cat5/6 will go 100m no problem.  Would save on WiFi boxes and such like.   And, it would probably be plug & play.

Its how how I do it..  Cost me £30 for the cable (uv protected) and a Cat5/6 crimp tool & heads from ebay would be next to nothing.

[alan potts]

10 hours ago, Aidan said:

If you’re only 25yds from obsey to your house, then why not just run a Cat5e/Cat6?

It would go straight into your router in the house and provide internet directly into the obsey.   Cat5/6 will go 100m no problem.  Would save on WiFi boxes and such like.   And, it would probably be plug & play.

Its how how I do it..  Cost me £30 for the cable (uv protected) and a Cat5/6 crimp tool & heads from ebay would be next to nothing.

Did think of this myself but I have a lot of concrete between me in the house and the obsey, could only really do it through hanging it between house and outbuildings, on to the barn then maybe to the obsey, an idea though and cheap enough. Total travel would be about 40m all told.

Alan

[alan potts]

11 hours ago, fozzybear said:

Alan,

You can get hold of external wifi extenders one attached to Obsy externally then Ethernet cable from that attached to pc in obsy , if needed and signal not great in the house get another attached to outside wall of house in plane of sight to obsy,  see https://www.amazon.co.uk/150Mbps-Wireless-Outdoor-Extender-Repeater/dp/B00HJUHX68/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1519496504&sr=1-1&keywords=wireless+outdoor+repeater&dpID=41Zx6KmzO0L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch 

we use something like this at work, works a treat

or search for something like this in your location on good old amazon

Andy

Something to look at Andy, the office where the main hub is is on the wrong side of the house but we could maybe go up into the roof easy enough and across the top. The other end in the obsey would be easy enough.

I am sure I could get these things of similar through my IT mate.

Alan.

[rubecula]

I struggled with WiFi for a while but finally gave up and installed a cable. I'm in a similar situation to you, although I didn't have to drill through concrete just brickwork.  The cable goes from the study, through a brick wall, up the wall across  3 metre gap supported by a steel bar, along the top of a 2 metre high garden wall, down to the base of a garden fence, along the fence for 25 metres, underground for 3 metres and pops up through the obsy floor, about 40 metres in all.  I used an exterior cat 6 cable, made my own connections and use TeamViewer to control a PC in the obsy from a Mac in the house.  Works a treat. The roof isn't motorised so I have to go out every now and then to rotate it manually but it's far better than sitting out in the cold all night.

[GraemeH]

If you have mains power in your obsy is it supplied from the same distribution board as your house?  If it is you may be able to use powerline networking without having to run any new cables.  You would just need one powerline adapter connected to your router and another in your obsy.

Graeme

[iansmith]

From what I've read, USB over long distances (>5m) seems to cause a great many problems. The limit for USB2 is (I think 5m), I use 4m cables to connect the camera, etc., to the observatory PC. And then an Ethernet cable between the observatory and the house computer. I use windows Remote Desktop, but Teamviewer and others work just as well. I've found this to be very reliable system. For data collection you don't need a powerful computer. My observatory computer is a 7 year old Dell with a Celeron processor.

Cheers, Ian

[Jkulin]

I run Cat 5 to my pier and that then connects through a socket in my lean-to shed, which on the other side has a router for connection to our TV equipment and then runs around the outside of the home along the damp course into my office where my server is, altogether about 100 ft and it is perfect.

I did try Wi-Fi and repeaters but the signal was so temperamental that running a cable was the simplest solution.

[Macavity]

If you want to do "simple" things like drive mounts via USB (1.0) I have
found a "professional" quality USB extender works well over my 30m...  

http://www.icron.com/products/icron-brand/usb-extenders/

Running at higher speed would need a bit more thought. But there are a
variety of ways to solve things. A lot of real-world *science* experiments
still rely on *passive* cables with the appropriate "driving" hardware...

I do keep *adding* Cat5 Cables... WiFi does seems dependent on getting
a "good unit" within the particular device (computer / laptop) you use... 

[noah4x4]

This thread might offer some ideas..

However, I suggest one uses Win 10 Pro and Remote Desktop rather than TeamViewer.  The problem with TeamViewer is it requires the Internet to run. If you compare the mouse movements on seperate screens for both computers the lag can be significant. Most people won't ever notice as they are only ever looking at the remote screen in 'mission control' whilst the other computing device is 'headless'. This isn't a problem until you get a signal 'drop out'. By the time you react it might be too late.....ouch. Hence 'peer to peer' connectivity over a local network is better.

[alan potts]

4 hours ago, rubecula said:

I struggled with WiFi for a while but finally gave up and installed a cable. I'm in a similar situation to you, although I didn't have to drill through concrete just brickwork.  The cable goes from the study, through a brick wall, up the wall across  3 metre gap supported by a steel bar, along the top of a 2 metre high garden wall, down to the base of a garden fence, along the fence for 25 metres, underground for 3 metres and pops up through the obsy floor, about 40 metres in all.  I used an exterior cat 6 cable, made my own connections and use TeamViewer to control a PC in the obsy from a Mac in the house.  Works a treat. The roof isn't motorised so I have to go out every now and then to rotate it manually but it's far better than sitting out in the cold all night.

I have tools for just about everything as i built the house so no worry in that area, I think I may well do this somehow, my mate is an IT expert so I have good help.

Alan

[alan potts]

3 hours ago, GraemeH said:

If you have mains power in your obsy is it supplied from the same distribution board as your house?  If it is you may be able to use powerline networking without having to run any new cables.  You would just need one powerline adapter connected to your router and another in your obsy.

Graeme

I would need to get top advice on this, it is Bulgaria we are talking about here, though my system was done by someone that knows what he's doing, the trouble is he is close to 70 now and my not be up on such systems.

Alan