Getting skywatcher USB dongle and Stellarium to talk?

[tim22]

Hi folks,

I have downloaded ASCOM, an up to date version of Stellarium, USB driver . the Synscan app and the Skywatcher ASCOM driver onto my computer and am attempting to control a SW Synscan GOTO 250mm DOB from my PC using a USB cable.  It sort of works in the sense that the Synscan App controls the telescope and when I load up Stellarium I can see a reticule in the right place and can move the scope around from within Stellarium  with GOTO commands.   However I don't seem to have anyway of carrying out aligments  i.e moving the scope to a more accurate position and then aligning so as to create a more accurate pointing model?

Does anyone know what I might have missed?  Thanks for any help with this.

Tim H 

Edited November 14, 2020 by tim22

[fifeskies]

I use Stellarium and Ascom , but also integrate it with the free APT software  (astrophotographytool).

In APT you can platesolve from a guidecam or main cam , and then sync the mount to the platesolve solution.

It is similar to doing a manual star alignment with a GOTO control.

 

You dont mention if you are using any cameras , so this may not be of any help to you.

[tim22]

Many thanks.  Yes indeed I do intend to move on to that and normallly do the same with my EQ mount and platesolve within Sharpcap.  However I was guessing that if I can't even align from within Stellarium then it probably won't work from within the capture software either but I'll give it a go.

Tim

[Kryptic]

Do you not do the alignment in the Synscan app rather than Stellarium?

[fifeskies]

I open APT and align everything from there first . (remember to click mount control ON under the gear tab).

Then when I open Stellarium it is all aligned perfectly, the Mount target exactly matching the platesolve result

 

(with ASCOM/APT control you no longer use the Synscan app, the handset is disconnected)

[tim22]

Many thanks folks.  I was thinking about this all wrong and assuming that I could get Stellarium to work on Windows in the same way that SkySafari does on Android and INDI where you can align directly from the planetarium programme.  Yes I am sure that you are right and the best way will be to use a plate solve - where I guess that the plate solve/ align function will talk to the Synscan app driver.   TimH