Guide camera and stepper motor.

[warpout]

I have a Skywatcher 200P reflector on an EQ5 mount. At the moment I use RA and DEC stepper motors connected to a hand control box. Is it possible to use a guide scope and camera to control the stepper motors via a laptop and the control box or do guide cameras only work with Go To mounts.

                                  Regards

                                          Clive

[Stub Mandrel]

Yes, a lot of astro cameras have an 'ST4' output that has four signals which operate the four guide directions.

@steppenwolf's   (Steve Richards) book 'Making Every Photon Count' explains how to modify the switches in a non-goto controller and set this up.

[Cornelius Varley]

18 hours ago, warpout said:

I have a Skywatcher 200P reflector on an EQ5 mount. At the moment I use RA and DEC stepper motors connected to a hand control box. Is it possible to use a guide scope and camera to control the stepper motors via a laptop and the control box or do guide cameras only work with Go To mounts.

                                  Regards

                                          Clive

The handset can be modified to add a ST4 port to it http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/eq_mod.pdf or you can replace the old black handset with the new enhanced dual axis handset.  The guide camera can then be connected to the modified or enhanced handset and the laptop.

[warpout]

I have the newer red Skywatcher dual axis control box which has an  ST4 port, as was mentioned above, so can I assume that it would work, provided that I have the right software?

                           Clive

[Cornelius Varley]

1 hour ago, warpout said:

I have the newer red Skywatcher dual axis control box which has an  ST4 port, as was mentioned above, so can I assume that it would work, provided that I have the right software?

                           Clive

Yes. PHD2 is the normal choice of guiding software.