Howto set up Win10 from scratch to control mount with Stellarium

[Viktiste]

Since my my laptop was stolen I had to get a replacement one. I needed to install all the necessary software on it and thought that was a good opportunity to document how I do that. This will be for a Windows 10,  64 bit pc. I will be using a SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro with a EQMOD cable, no handset and control the mount with Stellarium.

Step1: Install the latest .net, currently 4.8 fom https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-framework

My computer already had this as part of the windows updates:

 

 

Step 2: Download and install ASCOM from https://ascom-standards.org/

This will also install the required prerequisite visual c++ runtime packages:

Successful ASCOM installation:

 

Step 3:  Install EQMOD from http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/eqaindex.html

You will be redirected to SOURCEFORGE:

 

 

Step 4: Connect mount to power and turn it on. Connect the EQMOD cable to the mount and a PC USB port.

Step 5: Find EQASCOM Toolbox in the Windows Start menu and run it:

Click Driver setup. Enter Timeout 2000, Retry 2, Baud 9600, Port - click search icon to find the comport for the EQMOD cable, in my case com4.

Enter your location longitude and latitude. 

Click OK. 

Back in EQASCOM Toolbox, click ASCOM Connect.

 

Use arrow keys to slew the mount, you may want to increase the RA Rate/Dec Rate from 1 to 4 in the drop down.

Check that the Park/UnPark button works.

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Viktiste

[Viktiste]

Step 6: Download and install the latest Stellarium from https://stellarium.org/:

 

Once installed, Open Stellarium. Set your location in the location menu.

Set up Telescope Control: Configuration - plugins - Telescope Control. Enable the 'Load at Startup' tick-box:

Main  - Save Settings. Restart Stellarium. Go back into Configuration - plugins - Telescope Control. The configure button is now enabled. Click it and press Add:

You may also want to enable the 'Start/Connect at startup' tick box. I don't because I usually don't use Stellarium to slew my mount. 

Scroll down:

Choose ASCOM Telescope:

Click Connect.

 

That't it, all set 😀 Now test it - select a star, click telescope icon, click Current Object, Click slew.

 

A nice little circle indicates the mount position on the sky map as it slews:

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Viktiste

[Viktiste]

Step 7, Optional: Set up Stellarium Remote Control to allow Stellarium to send data to other programs, such as N.I.N.A

Configuration - plugins - Remote Control. Enable the 'Load at Startup' tick-box:

Main  - Save Settings. Restart Stellarium. Go back into Configuration - plugins - Remote Control. The configure button is now enabled. Click it. Enable tick boxes 'Server enabled' and 'Enable automatically on startup'. Leave port number at the default 8090 unless you have a reason to change it.

 

Save settings and restart Stellarium.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Viktiste

[Viktiste]

Step 8, very optional:

Since I will be connecting a lot of other equipment to the LapTop with USB cables and USB connections are not all that reliable  I find the utility USBView (from Microsoft) very handy.

Download widows Debugging tools from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/usbview

 

 

Install it. 

 

Opt out to send anything to Microsoft:

Disable everything except Debugging tools for windows.

 

Once installed you need to browse to the exe file, it is not added to your start menu:

It lives in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\arm

 

Run usbview.exe

It will list your USB hubs/ports in a explorer like view.

Any USB port that fails enumeration will be flagged with a yellow exclamation mark like this:

Anything plugged into that port just won't work, you will have to reconnect it/cycle power/reboot pc.

This saves me tons of hassle when setting up the gear outside, I always check I have no USB enumeration errors after the gear is connected but before firing up other software.

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Viktiste

[Viktiste]

And as a reminder to myself:

Don't install ANY personal stuff on it, no e-mail, no automatic login's to any sites or social media. Make a strong windows password. Encrypt HDD. Rig up  tripwires

Edited May 10, 2020 by Viktiste

[Dr_Ju_ju]

You also need to disable all sleep\hibernate modes, especially those set in device manager.

[Viktiste]

Good point. Like this:

 

I also make sure it does nothing when I close the lid:

 

 

[mcbarrett]

Thank you. Everything I need to setup my mount.  That's my afternoon sorted.