HEQ5 connection

[martinclayden]

I'm trying to understand how to connect a laptop (with PHD2, APT, Stellarium) to a new HEQ5 mount.

I've read of a couple of solutions to this (there may be others)

(1) connect from a laptop USB to the USB B port on the Synscan hand controller. 

(2) connect from a laptop USB to the mount directly, cutting out the HC. This requires an EQmod cable.

Both solutions need Ascom

I do like the first option, but what's the forum's opinion of these approaches.

Tia

Martin

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Personally, using option (1) just introduces another complication in the chain of control, that can screw thing up, especially if the handset throws a wobbly !!   

Granted, some people find option (2) to be problematical at the start, e.g. getting a suitable USB to mount adaptor, and the appropriate drivers etc., but when all is sorted out, it is far easier to control the mount, whether that be on either a Windows or Linux system....  

[Budgie1]

I started with option (1) on my EQ5 because I had a cable and my handset was the V3, so had a RJ12 connection instead of USB. I soon bought the EQDIR cable to remove the handset because you just don't use it any more but you still need to go through the settings and put it into PC Direct mode before every session.

With option (2) I just connect the USB cable to my laptop, start APT, PHD2 and Carte de Ciel and it connects to the mount & cameras. I have a USB hub on the mount, which everything connects into, then |I have one active USB cable running from the mount to the laptop. I had a new HEQ5 delivered last week and the handset is still wrapped up in the box, never been unpacked.

There are plenty of tutorials about what software & drivers you need and how to set it up. If you're mildly PC literate then it's not that much of a drama.

[Dazzyt66]

Personally, I now use option 2 (EQMod cable), which is very good. Prior to that I used the Synscan app to connect my laptop. The EQMod way is far easier and trouble free. I used it with INDI/Ekos/kstars

[martinclayden]

4 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

 

With option (2) I just connect the USB cable to my laptop, start APT, PHD2 and Carte de Ciel and it connects to the mount & cameras. I have a USB hub on the mount, which everything connects into, then |I have one active USB cable running from the mount to the laptop. I had a new HEQ5 delivered last week and the handset is still wrapped up in the box, never been unpacked.

 

I did not not know that it's a USB port on the hub - so a standard USB cable works in this arrangement (in your case from hub USB A to mount USB B). That's good to know.

[Budgie1]

41 minutes ago, martinclayden said:

I did not not know that it's a USB port on the hub - so a standard USB cable works in this arrangement (in your case from hub USB A to mount USB B). That's good to know.

To avoid confusion, the hub I have is a normal USB3 hub, like this one, secured to one of the legs of the tripod. I connect the EQDIR + the imaging & guide camera into it.

The connection on the HEQ5 for the handset is a RJ45 connection but on the latest handsets there's a USB-B connection in the bottom of the handset which you can use to connect to a laptop. If you use this then you need to go into the Utilities menu on the handset and scroll to "PC Direct" and activate it so the laptop then controls the mount instead of the handset.

[malc-c]

The options you have, depending on the generation of handset are to connect the mount directly to the computer using an EQDIR cable.  It's advisable to get a genuine EQDIR from FLO or RVO (other retailers also stock them), and then run ASCOM and EQMOD or GGS server under windows as the mount controller and use a planetarium application of your choice, PHD2 and any imaging application.

Or use  a USB cable between the computer and the handset (assuming the handset is the newer generation) and connect the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to the mount.  You can then run ASCOM on a windows machine as described above.

If you have an older version of handset that doesn't have a USB socket, you can use the supplied serial cable, with a bog standard USB to SERIAL adapter (unless you have a really old PC with a DB9 serial port fitted) to do the same as the USB cable on newer handsets. - Place the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to allow communications throughput.

If you want to remotely access the mount, rather than sit by it then you can either remote desktop into a windows based machine controlling the mount as described above, or you can use a Raspberry Pi, and run EKOS and INDI along with LINUX to do the same function as the windows PC.  You will still need some connection such as an EQDIR cable between the Pi and mount.  You would then VNC into the the Pi and control the mount remotely.  Remote access is more suited if you have a permanent set up with a pier or observatory.   

I personally use an old windows PC in my observatory set up.  The mount is connected to the PC via an FTDI based EQDIR cable with EQMOD as the chosen application with ASCOM platform handling the comms between CdC and PHD2.  I remote into the PC from my main PC in the lounge (twin 24" monitors) and perform my imaging sessions form the lounge. - It works for me

[martinclayden]

1 hour ago, malc-c said:

The options you have, depending on the generation of handset are to connect the mount directly to the computer using an EQDIR cable.  It's advisable to get a genuine EQDIR from FLO or RVO (other retailers also stock them), and then run ASCOM and EQMOD or GGS server under windows as the mount controller and use a planetarium application of your choice, PHD2 and any imaging application.

Or use  a USB cable between the computer and the handset (assuming the handset is the newer generation) and connect the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to the mount.  You can then run ASCOM on a windows machine as described above.

If you have an older version of handset that doesn't have a USB socket, you can use the supplied serial cable, with a bog standard USB to SERIAL adapter (unless you have a really old PC with a DB9 serial port fitted) to do the same as the USB cable on newer handsets. - Place the handset in PC-DIRECT mode to allow communications throughput.

If you want to remotely access the mount, rather than sit by it then you can either remote desktop into a windows based machine controlling the mount as described above, or you can use a Raspberry Pi, and run EKOS and INDI along with LINUX to do the same function as the windows PC.  You will still need some connection such as an EQDIR cable between the Pi and mount.  You would then VNC into the the Pi and control the mount remotely.  Remote access is more suited if you have a permanent set up with a pier or observatory.   

I personally use an old windows PC in my observatory set up.  The mount is connected to the PC via an FTDI based EQDIR cable with EQMOD as the chosen application with ASCOM platform handling the comms between CdC and PHD2.  I remote into the PC from my main PC in the lounge (twin 24" monitors) and perform my imaging sessions form the lounge. - It works for me

Thank you! Very comprehensive. For the time being I'm planning to go down the route of USB into the handset. If that proves to have shortcomings, I'll change to EQMOD/EQDIR method direct to the mount and skip the handset

[KP82]

2 hours ago, martinclayden said:

Thank you! Very comprehensive. For the time being I'm planning to go down the route of USB into the handset. If that proves to have shortcomings, I'll change to EQMOD/EQDIR method direct to the mount and skip the handset

Going through the handset should be fine, so there is no need to rush out to get the EQDIR cable (paying delivery just for the cable isn't worth it. You can wait until you've got other things to order and do them all in one go).

I actually used the "going through the handset" option for quite some time when I first obtained my previous HEQ5. It came with the old V4 handset (only the latest V5 handset has the USB port) so I used the serial cable with the serial to usb adapter. Never had any issues with the setup for imaging until I eventually got the EQDIR cable.

[martinclayden]

Thanks to all for your replies - I'm a lot clearer now on the options!