HEQ5 Pro - connection to laptop

[Guest]

I'm having trouble connecting my laptop to my scope. The mount is an HEQ5 Pro. I've got a cable from Rother Valley called USB EQ Direct Interface. I've installed the drivers for that and my laptop recognizes it as COM11. My laptop runs Windows 7. Originally I tried EQMOD, couldn't get that to work so now I'm just using stellarium. I've downloaded the latest version. I think I've configured it correctly but it doesn't work so obviously I've done something wrong.

Just to check. At the mount end, the cable plugs into the socket where you'd normally have the hand set connected. I'm not using the handset at all.

Any help gratefully received.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Cornelius Varley]

EQMOD also requires the ASCOM platform to function. Did you download that as well. ?

[Guest]

Hi Peter,

Long story. I installed ascom and eqascom. On windows 7 you have to make a slight change to windows which it describes on the eqmod website. It all seemed to install ok. but couldn't get it to work,

I was under the impression that you could use stellarium without EQMOD so I uninstalled ascom and eqmod and just tried stellarium on its own. Couldn't get that to work either.

I've read that  eqmod is a great application and I'm sure it is when it works but when it doesn't it's awful. I've currently got 4 eqmod windows open on my laptop and none of them will close - ASCOM Setup, Ascom telescope chooser, EQASCOM Toolbox, and Device connection tester. I found a video which said first thing open the toolbox and click on register. So I did that and I got a pop up window which said "Unexpected error, quitting," rapidly followed by another pop up window which said "success". What the hell!!

The ASCOM setup window insists on being on top so I have to keep moving it around the screen so I can see what I'm doing. I know that I can only shut these windows either by stopping and restarting my laptop or by closing processes in task manager. I know this because I've been around this loop half a dozen times this evening.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Merlin66]

51 minutes ago, woodblock said:

I was under the impression that you could use stellarium without EQMOD so I uninstalled ascom

Stellarium ( and CdC) can connect to your mount without EQMod.....but you do still need to install the ASCOM drivers for your mount.

 

[Astro-Geek]

I've been blundering around with this too, but now I have it all working nicely.  🤞(fingers crossed)

There's  confusion because there are two ways to connect the EQ mount to the PC and also a third party program called "Stellarium Scope" which used to act as an interface with earlier versions of Stellarium.

Eqmod (with Ascom installed too) connects via an "active" connection adapter (with some electronics in it, not just straight connections), that is then plugged in directly to the mount, replacing the hand controller.

Stellarium can also connect via a dedicated serial cable which has no electronics in it, this is plugged into the second socket on the base of the hand controller, so that remains operational.

Both types of cable connect most EQ5/EQ6 mounts via a serial RS232 connection at the computer end, so they both need a serial to USB adapter for most modern PCs.  This is another potentially tricky thing to work properly as some are not compatible with the EQ cables. (and all of them need the correct Windows drivers to work).

You've already mentioned that you're aware of the need to check which Com port number the adapter has identified itself as, by using windows device manager, (and it does change occasioanlly between each time it is plugged in - annoyingly !)

I prefer to use the EQMOD method myself with the active cable because that same arrangement then works with so many other pieces of software (APT, sharpcap, etc).

I was struggling with it because I was still trying to use the third party "Stellarium Scope" interface programme, which is no longer needed.

Once you are able to move the scope with the EQMOD control panel, it's then quite straighforward to get stellarium to sync with it too, I looked at a couple of the numerous Youtube vids on the subject.  (Some are really excellent, though many are unfortunately very slow and laborious...)

[Guest]

Thanks, This subject is a bit of a minefield. I did come across stellarium scope but realised after a while that things had moved on since then so I ditched it.

My plan was to connect from my laptop via a USB port directly to the mount where the handset plugs in. For this I have a cable called USB EQ Direct which has some active electronics in it. I think it's the right cable. On the back it says TTL 232R 5V RPI. Which seems correct. I've installed and configured the drivers for that cable and the laptop seems to recognize it as a comport with COM11.

I'm beginning to think that I can't use stellarium without EQMOD using that cable because it bypasses the handset. I think If I want to do it that way I have to get a different cable and plug my laptop into the handset. The short manual which comes with the Ascom Skywatcher telescope driver says to set up you have to connect the scope, turn it on,  then align it, then configure the driver. As far as I know you can't align the scope without the handset at that point. Unless it just means polar alignment. 

I think the handset handles all the alignment and other functions so if I take the handset away then all that functionality has to be carried out by whatever software I'm using on  my laptop. Does the eqmod control panel do all the alignment? 

I've installed APT and that works with my canon camera but I haven't got it to see the scope yet.

Cheers

Steve

[Astro-Geek]

5 hours ago, woodblock said:

........ Does the eqmod control panel do all the alignment? .........
 

Yes (and No... 🤓).

My simplified idiots guide, (quite happy to be corrected by anyone more knowledgable on EQMOD), here is my startup process:

1. place mount in "parked" position - weights down, scope up, pointing at Polaris.

2. switch on EQ mount  (EQ5 or EQ6) connected by EQ active cable to PC via serial 232/USB adapter.

3. check the com port that it has decided to mimic this time (it keeps changing each session !).

4. start Stellarium  (no need to start EQMOD if the telescope has already been set up in it in a previous session).

5. click the telescope slew icon on the bottom row of Stellarium's screen buttons.

6. select the already saved telescope set up. (check com port selected)

7. click connect

8 this brings up the EQMOD control window, (though another gotcha is that it is stuck behind the stellarium window if you're running that full screen !), so you need to switch stellarium to "windowed".

9 EQMOD window should show that the mount is "parked", so click "unpark".

10 EQ bullseye indicator then appears in stellarium, pointing at Polaris.

11 click a nearby star

12 still in stellarium telescope control window, click "selected object" then click "slew to".

13 centre that star in the eyepiece, then click "sync" still in stellarium's telescope control window.

.... then repeat 11 to 13 for other stars to refine the synchronisation.

When the session is finished, click "park scope" in the EQMOD control window.  the mount will slew back to polaris and the EQMOD window will show "parked".  Click "disconnect" in stellarium's telescope control window, and then EQMOD will close,  then close Stellarium.....

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Astro-Geek

[Guest]

That's great. Thank you.

I also found this which is one of the best descriptions I've found about the various ways you can connect the mount to a computer.

https://www.atm-workshop.com/synscan-pc-connect.html