Windows based apps on MacOS

[Ricardo70]

20 minutes ago, Adreneline said:

My experience with this combination (iOptron CME25-EC) running via a RPi4 has not been that good; it works but not consistently or reliably. It's probably operator error. Like you, if it does work, I would like to know how.  

Ok, so I had initial problems with the Ekos program communicating with the iOptron CEM70g, It was indicated that as the CEM70 was such a new mount that I could use the Cem120 option, this worked but comms was intermittent, basically dropping communication, so after joining the Indi forum and speaking with Knro (one of the admins and developer of the software) he eventually, one Sat afternoon, through permissible remote access, managed to diagnose that the CEM70 has a different baud rate, so he changed the baud rate in Ekos and it works smoothly, there was some tinkering to set the ports etc in Ekos but after that, all is well. I can control the mount via usb3 or the mounts built in WiFi. That being said, I do need the usb3 connection to allow camera control, ipolar control etc.

Im not using a standalone mini pc like the rpi4 and I know Indi promote their own version called Stellarmate.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not by anyway affiliated with Indi but will recommend based only on my personal experience with them.

What are your issues?

[Ouroboros]

7 hours ago, Autoglassman said:

Hi Ouroborus,

So after weeks of research, deliberations and some very informative info from FLO, I have followed a very similar format to yourself.

Here is where I am at;

ZWO ASI183MC Mc Pro connected to

W/O Mk1 ZS 71ED via W/O 6aii reducer/flattener sitting on

iOptron CEM70g mounted on

iOptron Tri-Pier all being run on a

2018 MacBook Pro using

Kstars/Ekos/Indi software to control camera, mount & eventually the built-in iGuider in the mounts saddle

iPolar software for polar alignment 

also PHD2 for guiding if I can get the iGuider to communicate with Phd2 

The cable management is great as I have 3 cables coming from the mount only;

1. Main power supply for the mount

2. Power supply for the dew heaters

3. Usb3 - Thunderbolt for control

All other cabling from the mount to camera (incl power) & dew heaters are managed nicely keeping cables tidy.

I have wireless mount control via the mounts built in WiFi and am working on a way to see, if possible to wirelessly control the camera via the built in WiFi without the need of an external box (the whole point of built in WiFi, imho) 

Thats where I’m at at the moment, I have been communication with Knro (Jas) about the Indi platform running KStars & Ekos to communicate with the iOptron iGuider as well as iOptron technical themselves. The last I heard was iOptron were sending an iGuider camera over to Knro for a driver to be produced (currently the iGuider has only ASCOM comms).

I have noticed a latest release of the Indi library for Aug 2020 so I’ve yet to test this to see if an sdk has been incorporated for the iGuider.

Hope this info has helped anyone with questions about compatibility using these particular hardware & software.

Thanks for all the info and being kind enough to come back and answer my question after all this time. I had to re-read the thread to remind myself of what we were talking about.  Sounds like you’ve done well with the mount in KStars, which is all very encouraging. I must admit I never got any further with looking into buying iOptron or others as more portable mounts. I’ve been happily using KStars with my AZ-EQ6 recently. All working well. I’d be tempted to continue using the polar alignment provided in KStars/ekos/indi rather than ipolar.  It works a treat, and in much the same way as iPolar, although it uses the main or guide camera to look at the polar region instead of a camera mounted on the mount.