GPUSB GOTO

[Alex the great 0]

Hello everybody on this community, very happy I recently joined stargazers lounge.com

Last November I was able to modify my EQ5 mount via shoestring astronomy GPUSB (ST4 mount-USB laptop, my guiding camera is connected to the laptop by USB and PHD2 as guiding software) so I can autoguide it for long periods 6 minutes and more, I was really happy that this project was achieved and now I can get more details out of deep sky objects.

My question is how can I go GOTO with this set up, trying to find objects to image is really time demanding without GOTO, and my goal is to take advantage of time to get those photons.

I installed already ASCOM but I didn't connect with the USB connection (I think only work with serials cable)

Thanks in advance for your valuable comments

[Cornelius Varley 2,790]

56 minutes ago, Alex the great said:

Hello everybody on this community, very happy I recently joined stargazers lounge.com

Last November I was able to modify my EQ5 mount via shoestring astronomy GPUSB (ST4 mount-USB laptop, my guiding camera is connected to the laptop by USB and PHD2 as guiding software) so I can autoguide it for long periods 6 minutes and more, I was really happy that this project was achieved and now I can get more details out of deep sky objects.

My question is how can I go GOTO with this set up, trying to find objects to image is really time demanding without GOTO, and my goal is to take advantage of time to get those photons.

I installed already ASCOM but I didn't connect with the USB connection (I think only work with serials cable)

Thanks in advance for your valuable comments

Hello and welcome to SGL. Unfortunately the GPUSB cannot be used for goto purposes. It only provides an opto-isolated connection between the computer and the mount for guiding only.

[michael8554 1,316]

You can't Goto with that setup. 

You would need to buy a goto upgrade. 

This includes encoders that measure the position of the mount in RA and Dec, so that it knows how long to slew each time it moves to a new location. 

Michael 

[Alex the great 0]

Thanks everybody for your quick answers now is clear to me. I will need to go some other way

 

[Alex the great 0]

10 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

You can't Goto with that setup. 

You would need to buy a goto upgrade. 

This includes encoders that measure the position of the mount in RA and Dec, so that it knows how long to slew each time it moves to a new location. 

Michael 

Thanks michael8554

 

do you have some link where I can go and have more info

[almcl 694]

You can achieve goto on an EQ5 mount with the AstroEQ modification.  Ideally this uses stepper motors and can then slew quite quickly using one of the planetarium programs (Stellarium, Cartes du Ciel &c).

The web site is https://www.astroeq.co.uk

If you're handy with a soldering iron, building your own is quite a good option and belt driving improves the guiding quite noticeably