Giving up on EQMOD

[tooth_dr]

I've had a few attempts at this, and I seem to be falling short.  I just cant get it to work for me.  This is not a reflection on the excellent software, but entirely my fault where I seem to be 'missing' something.

I have the blue tooth adapter, and I've configured it to a COM port.  I've set up the EQASCOM toolbox, and I am able to connect to my mount using HEQ5/EQ6.  I basically ran through this set up http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/EQASCOM_QuickStart.pdf

and I can move the mount using the NSEW buttons, set up sidereal tracking, and stop the mount.  I am confident that I have it connected properly.

I then tried to set up a park position as well as a home position in this menu:

I can move between park and unpark repeatedly with no apparent issues.

I connect the mount in APT via the same ASCOM HEQ5/EQ6 setting as above, and it connects 100%.  I do a plate solve with the mount in home position (pointing to polaris, CW shaft pointing down) and APT gives me a success message.  Now here is where I have issues.  When I select APT to slew to say VEGA - it just goes totally wrong and the scope ends up pointing to the ground.  A few times I had to quickly stop everything to prevent it crashing into the pier.

Anyone help me out here as I really want to use EQMOD but I'm doing something stupid, or have something set up wrong.

[Anthonyexmouth]

is it in the home position before you switch it on? weight down and scope pointing to the pole?

[tooth_dr]

4 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

is it in the home position before you switch it on? weight down and scope pointing to the pole?

No it is in park position  

[Anthonyexmouth]

are you on a permanent pier? im no expert with this and new myself but whenever i launch eqmod it assumes the Dec is +90 and thats its home position. it maybe if youve set a custom home position its expecting to be exactly there when you switch on. 

[alacant]

Hi. Stuff to check: latitude and longitude in all apps, time in all apps, date in all apps.

HTH and clear skies.

[tooth_dr]

3 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

are you on a permanent pier? im no expert with this and new myself but whenever i launch eqmod it assumes the Dec is +90 and thats its home position. it maybe if youve set a custom home position its expecting to be exactly there when you switch on. 

Yes it’s mounted on a pier and I need to have it positioned as low as possible to close the roof (see photo).

Im doing something wrong that’s for sure lol

 

 

[tooth_dr]

2 minutes ago, alacant said:

Hi. Stuff to check: latitude and longitude in all apps, time in all apps, date in all apps.

HTH and clear skies.

Thank-you! I will check this all again tonight.

[Anthonyexmouth]

could one of your axis positions be 180 degrees out? 

[tooth_dr]

32 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

could one of your axis positions be 180 degrees out? 

This is possible. It didn’t seem exactly 180 degrees out but the scope was pointing at the floor! Would like to look at this when it’s not clear!

[Anthonyexmouth]

Might be as simple as flipping your dovetail. 

[martin_h]

I park mine in the same position as yours, why don't you try the home position to be the same as parked.

[swag72]

Here's how I'd tackle it....... Firstly I'd put it in the 'normal' park position, that is weights downwards and scope pointing north (obviously in your case this needs to be done when the roof is open). Move it manually with the clutches undone to the home position and take it from there. Pick a star and slew to it and see where the scope goes.  Make sure that the Lat and long in the Toolbox is correct and also that the pointing model is correct. I've attached a screen grab to show how mine is set.

If it's not slewing to where you think it should then from the home position you should be able to determine where it thinks it is instead.... perhaps 90 degrees out or 180 degrees. 

Hope that helps.

[tooth_dr]

12 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Might be as simple as flipping your dovetail. 

LOL looking at my setup, nothings ever simples ?

[tooth_dr]

7 minutes ago, martin_h said:

I park mine in the same position as yours, why don't you try the home position to be the same as parked.

I was worried about hitting unpark inadvertently with the roof closed and bashing the gear on the roof.  You suggestion is really clever, thanks!

[wxsatuser]

1 hour ago, tooth_dr said:

No it is in park position  

Have you actually set the home position to this first.

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/MountHomePosition.pdf

 

[tooth_dr]

6 minutes ago, wxsatuser said:

Have you actually set the home position to this first.

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/MountHomePosition.pdf

 

I actually havent set it up using a bubble level like that, just by eye.  I will do that later.  My dovetail is 90degrees to the link due to my SBS setup, so I'll work around that

[wxsatuser]

Just now, tooth_dr said:

I actually havent set it up using a bubble level like that, just by eye.  I will do that later.  But do you think that would cause such a vast error if only out by a few degrees?

Depends how far out it is.

I did mine by doing this and then make sure thats the home postion in EQMOD.
Your park can be anywhere  but make sure home is home.
If you ever undo the clutchs after doing this all synch data will be out.

[tooth_dr]

1 minute ago, wxsatuser said:

Depends how far out it is.

I did mine by doing this and then make sure thats the home postion in EQMOD.
Your park can be anywhere  but make sure home is home.
If you ever undo the clutchs after doing this all synch data will be out.

Thanks I think APT was reading 89deg on one cant remember the other.  But I will definitely reset this properly tonight if it stops raining!

[kens]

I wouldn't plate solve at the pole to sync the scope. Not as the first data point anyway. You'd be better off to slew to your target (e.g. Vega) and plate solve there.

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, kens said:

I wouldn't plate solve at the pole to sync the scope. Not as the first data point anyway. You'd be better off to slew to your target (e.g. Vega) and plate solve there.

How do I slew to vega without the HC?

[wxsatuser]

3 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

How do I slew to vega without the HC?

What  Planetarium software are you using?

[Anthonyexmouth]

3 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

How do I slew to vega without the HC?

just use the controls on the eqmod app to slew. 

[tooth_dr]

7 minutes ago, wxsatuser said:

What  Planetarium software are you using?

None at all!

[tooth_dr]

5 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

just use the controls on the eqmod app to slew. 

I did think about that but this is tricky as I can’t see my telescope from my pc where it’s located. I had a gaming pad but it packed in, need a new one 

[Anthonyexmouth]

i think you'll need to get it all set up and working with the pc next to the telescope, only when its working properly can you then think about being more remote. need a cheap laptop next to it.