EQMOD: "Connection Error: Port not available First time guiding

[Quetzalcoatl72]

I knew I wouldn't get anywhere, followed many tutorials online, was ready. Went outside, set up and connected the mount though the handset to a usb serial adaptor, it found my asi camera but not my mount, I got that error message, any work arounds?

[Atreta]

Hi,  did you select pc control on the handset? I don't have my gear around so i can't guide you through the menus, but it's easy to find it.

After enabling pc control you need to check the right port for your serial adapter,   click on the windows menu and type device manager and check there for its port number.  Now open eqascom toolbox, click on driver setup and then under "eqmod port detail" you'll click on the box right below the binoculars icon and choose the port number you check before. (don't click on the binoculars icon after that).

Click on ok, and now it all should be good to go.  HTH

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Atreta

[Dr_Ju_ju]

What mount is it ??   For computer control, It's usually better to forget the handset, and drive the mount directly, using either a USB to USB lead (newer models), or a USB to serial adapter.

[malc-c]

12 hours ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

I knew I wouldn't get anywhere, followed many tutorials online, was ready. Went outside, set up and connected the mount though the handset to a usb serial adaptor, it found my asi camera but not my mount, I got that error message, any work arounds?

What mount are you connecting too?

Are you running windows, linux or a iOS and on what machine?

Have you installed any driver (windows based machines) for the USB/Serrial device ?

Without the details we can't help

[Quetzalcoatl72]

 

8 hours ago, malc-c said:

What mount are you connecting too?

Are you running windows, linux or a iOS and on what machine?

Have you installed any driver (windows based machines) for the USB/Serrial device ?

I'm using an neq6 pro on a windows 7 laptop
I used the cable to update the handset so I know it works, no drivers were installed for it

[Quetzalcoatl72]

11 hours ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

What mount is it ??   For computer control, It's usually better to forget the handset, and drive the mount directly, using either a USB to USB lead (newer models), or a USB to serial adapter.

an neq 6 pro, it has an autoguider port but i was told to plug it via the handset. I'm using my old win7 laptop but I'm going to try my win10 gaming one to see if that works. I don't want to take that laptop outside as It's expensive. But If it works, looks like i'll need to figure out wifi connectivity with mount and camera

[malc-c]

32 minutes ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

 

I'm using an neq6 pro on a windows 7 laptop
I used the cable to update the handset so I know it works, no drivers were installed for it

OK, so with what you describe you have the handset plugged into the mount, the PC-DIRECT cable that you used to update the handset plugged into the handset, with the cable connected to the laptop  via a USB to serial adaptor.  You will then you'll need the driver for the USB/Serial adaptor so that it shows up as a com port in windows device manager.   The only time you won't need a driver would be if  you are connecting directly to a serial port on a laptop but hardwired serial ports and now seldom found on PC's.  The port needs to be configured for 9600 baud speed.  You also need to place the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to allow the pass through of commands.  

To control the mount you need to install the ASCOM platform and then an ASCOM compliant telescope "driver" such as EQMOD or GGS Server.  Either application will need configuring with your location details and pointing to whatever com port you are using.  To direct the mount you'll need a planetarium application  such as Cartes du Ciel.  

As for guiding, forget the ST4 cable.  Install PHD2 and use pulse guiding.

[Quetzalcoatl72]

3 minutes ago, malc-c said:

OK, so with what you describe you have the handset plugged into the mount, the PC-DIRECT cable that you used to update the handset plugged into the handset, with the cable connected to the laptop  via a USB to serial adaptor.  You will then you'll need the driver for the USB/Serial adaptor so that it shows up as a com port in windows device manager.   The only time you won't need a driver would be if  you are connecting directly to a serial port on a laptop but hardwired serial ports and now seldom found on PC's.  The port needs to be configured for 9600 baud speed.  You also need to place the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to allow the pass through of commands.  

To control the mount you need to install the ASCOM platform and then an ASCOM compliant telescope "driver" such as EQMOD or GGS Server.  Either application will need configuring with your location details and pointing to whatever com port you are using.  To direct the mount you'll need a planetarium application  such as Cartes du Ciel.  

As for guiding, forget the ST4 cable.  Install PHD2 and use pulse guiding.

Found the driver online for the adaptor, it is now showing com3 in my device manager. I also found out that it was looking for cm2 that didnt exist, set it to com3 now i can control the mount! another problem is the camera. It says its connected but there is no picture on phd2 or aapt

[malc-c]

Glad to hear the mount is now connected and working.   I guess you've done the normal thing of unplugging the camera and plugging it back in again?  - Or find it in device manager and remove it and then scan for new hardware changes  (I tend to also delete the driver so the driver gets reinstalled and re-registered)

[Quetzalcoatl72]

15 minutes ago, malc-c said:

Glad to hear the mount is now connected and working.   I guess you've done the normal thing of unplugging the camera and plugging it back in again?  - Or find it in device manager and remove it and then scan for new hardware changes  (I tend to also delete the driver so the driver gets reinstalled and re-registered)

I thought I already had the ascom asi zwo drivers installed but i checked and installed them just in case. Now the camera is showing and image, very grainy because i am indoors. I'm about to go out and see if i can guide.

[Quetzalcoatl72]

Got both camera and mount working, can slew to objects via stellarium and the stars are visible in phd2, the only problem now is guiding, the star isn't moving enough apparently accoring to phd2

[Davey-T]

11 minutes ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

Got both camera and mount working, can slew to objects via stellarium and the stars are visible in phd2, the only problem now is guiding, the star isn't moving enough apparently accoring to phd2

Are you sure you're not on a hot pixel, if you slew the mount on low speed it will move if it's a star, if it's a hot pixel it will stay in the same place.

If that's ok alter the step size.

Dave

[Quetzalcoatl72]

Just now, Davey-T said:

Are you sure you're not on a hot pixel, if you slew the mount on low speed it will move if it's a star, if it's a hot pixel it will stay in the same place.

If that's ok alter the step size.

Dave

I'm set on arcturus which is pretty large

[Davey-T]

Just now, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

I'm set on arcturus which is pretty large

Too large maybe, try something dimmer.

Dave

[Quetzalcoatl72]

14 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Too large maybe, try something dimmer.

Dave

Thanks, the problem still persists even on the dimmest of stars. I'm finding it difficult to focus, the seeing is pretty bad at the moment but I've always struggled trying to get in focus, the smaller stars are usually a dot with a halo around it while bigger stars are large circles without that glow effect. If it's not the focus I've been having problems with my mount, fiddled with it a lot trying to get the gears working without any horrid noises etc so I don't know if it's that. Every other picture or so is binned because of trailing in the RA.

[Davey-T]

A bit out of focus doesn't stop PHD calibrating and guiding so wouldn't worry about that.

There is a manual move setting in PHD so you can see if the commands are getting through, are you using ST4 or pulse guiding ?

Dave

[Quetzalcoatl72]

Just now, Davey-T said:

A bit out of focus doesn't stop PHD calibrating and guiding so wouldn't worry about that.

There is a manual move setting in PHD so you can see if the commands are getting through, are you using ST4 or pulse guiding ?

Dave

Pulse, i can control the mount and the stars move each way

[Davey-T]

Just now, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

Pulse, i can control the mount and the stars move each way

With PHD ? not the mount control.

Dave

[Quetzalcoatl72]

Wait a minute, focal length... i put that into phd as my main scope which is 1600mm, did that actually meant my finder scope?

 

[Quetzalcoatl72]

with eqmod

 

[Davey-T]

1 minute ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

with eqmod

 

In PHD, tools, manual guide.

Dave

[Davey-T]

4 minutes ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

Wait a minute, focal length... i put that into phd as my main scope which is 1600mm, did that actually meant my finder scope?

 

Won't stop it moving if it'd far out it will either do half a dozen big steps or lots of small steps.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Never used EQMOD but there are all sorts of settings in it that need to be right I believe.

Dave

[Atreta]

2 hours ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

Got both camera and mount working, can slew to objects via stellarium and the stars are visible in phd2, the only problem now is guiding, the star isn't moving enough apparently accoring to phd2

you need to adjust the ascom pulseguide settings. Raise it to 0.50 on both RA and DEC rate sliders and it should solve that problem.

i attached a print with it: 

 

1 hour ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

did that actually meant my finder scope?

yes, you have to insert your guidescope focal length there.

hth.

[Quetzalcoatl72]

37 minutes ago, Atreta said:

you need to adjust the ascom pulseguide settings. Raise it to 0.50 on both RA and DEC rate sliders and it should solve that problem.

yes, you have to insert your guidescope focal length there.

thanks, I just packed up before seeing that message, I'll try that next time but I think it could be my gears, I tried the manual guiding and the stars look like they weren't moving in my mount I could hear the knocking noise I'm most familiar with when pressing north and south buttons. I'm going to try and get my mount noise free before I try guiding again.