SynScan v5 USB Port a mystery !!

[Ivan Hancock]

Hello there Techsperts, with all of the new pro series EQ6-R mounts out there in Astroland, Has anyone at all managed to work out what the USB port is on the bottom of the v5 SynScan Hand Controller ?

I've googled it, looked on the skywatcher website with no success !! not even the Manuals that came with the mount have any reference to the USB Port ?

any info would be greatly appreciated 👍

Cheers Ivan

[Kev M]

From the Orion manual...

"The SynScan V5 hand controller can communicate with a computer via the RS-232 port or the USB port at the bottom of the controller (Figure 1b). In this way you can use many commercially available planetarium software programs to control your GoTo telescope or mount, essentially bypassing the hand controller’s interface. If you choose to use the serial port, the computer must also have an RS-232C serial port (which most don’t have these days)"

 

 

[Kev M]

I believe this may just be a built-in USB serial adapter as people say it appears as an Prolific serial port when plugged in.

 

 

[AstroScout]

It provides USB connectivity without needing to use an RS-232 to USB adapter. 

I use this port on my hand contoller to connect to a Raspberry Pi as a WiFi hub and then control the scope over WiFi from an iPad running Sky Safari. The advantage of this over using a Skywatcher WiFi adapter is that the hand controller still works. It is a lot easier using the physical arrow buttons for fine slewing control while looking through the eyepiece than it is to use the virtual buttons on the Sky Safai screen.

[Sabalias]

On 08/08/2020 at 05:10, AstroScout said:

It provides USB connectivity without needing to use an RS-232 to USB adapter. 

I use this port on my hand contoller to connect to a Raspberry Pi as a WiFi hub and then control the scope over WiFi from an iPad running Sky Safari. The advantage of this over using a Skywatcher WiFi adapter is that the hand controller still works. It is a lot easier using the physical arrow buttons for fine slewing control while looking through the eyepiece than it is to use the virtual buttons on the Sky Safai screen.

Hi AstroScout. Sorry to resurrect this old thread but I am trying to do exactly this but kstars is saying that the controller is not connected. Did you have to jump through any particular hoops to get your handset and Astroberry talking to each other?

Many thanks,

Stu

[malc-c]

Stu,

With the USB cable connected the handset has to be in PC-DIRECT mode in order for the PC software (EQMOD / GSS / INDI drivers) to communicate with the mount.  The V5 handset has a built in USB to Serial chip (based on a CH340 chipset so you will need the driver from Skywatchers website).  Once the diver has been installed and the handset connected to the PC via the USB cable, and the handset connected to the mount you need to place the handset in to PC-Direct mode.  If everything is OK the application on whatever platform should see the handset as a new com port (I've only used a windows platform so can't give you any help with Astroberry)

[Sabalias]

On 19/07/2021 at 20:55, malc-c said:

Stu,

With the USB cable connected the handset has to be in PC-DIRECT mode in order for the PC software (EQMOD / GSS / INDI drivers) to communicate with the mount.  The V5 handset has a built in USB to Serial chip (based on a CH340 chipset so you will need the driver from Skywatchers website).  Once the diver has been installed and the handset connected to the PC via the USB cable, and the handset connected to the mount you need to place the handset in to PC-Direct mode.  If everything is OK the application on whatever platform should see the handset as a new com port (I've only used a windows platform so can't give you any help with Astroberry)

Thanks Malcolm. I'll look into that.

Stu