EQ6, APT and Carte Du Ceil not all working together.

[Jeffrsharpe]

Hi, I have permanent setup with EQ6 , laptop and APT and CdC all connected via ASCOM and USBs. I can easily see the scope movement and movement of the observation rectangle on CdC when driven by the laptop ASCOM panel. I am using APT for imaging and platesolving and am trying to use the APT mount connection to drive the scope and most importantly at the same time see the observation rectangle move across the CdC screen. Currently I have to disconnect the APT mount connection, reconnect the CdC mount connection to see where the scope is pointing. Then relocate using CdC and disconnect and reconnect to APT to platesolve etc. Obviously it would be better to see the image rectangle is CdC move live when using the APT controls and not having to open and close mount connections each time. Can anyone tell me if this connectivity is possible with APT initiated movement shown live and visible on the CdC mapping. 

[Jeffrsharpe]

I am controlling everything remotely from my study and my first attempt at using APT mount controls sent the mount the wrong way round and the cables snagged and ripped the mount control cable and power lead off the mount. It obviously stopped but I had no visibility in CdC and I wasn’t watching what was going on via my observatory security camera.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

It sounds like you are missing some interconnecting software e.g. Ascom/Eqmod, as I've just tried connecting APT, CDC, SGPro, BackyardEOS & PHD2 all simultaneously connected to my mount .....

[Jeffrsharpe]

Julian, thanks for response…in your case no doubt when CdC is connected to the mount with Ascom/EQmod app/window used to move the mount the rectangular viewing reticule also moves in CdC window. If you then open APT does it connect the mount? In my case a second  ASCOM/EQmod app/ window pops up saying “ not found” or similar. I then have to disconnect the CDC Ascom/EQMOD and once disconnected the APT mount can be connected and the mount tabs work, plate solve etc but nothing is moving on the CdC window. So it demonstrates that I can connect both independently viaASCOM and  EQMOD but CdC and APT are not working together. Your response doesn’t make it clear that In your case the APT mount movement is visible in the CdC window? Please tell me if you checked that aspect. If in your case it does move then have you any ideas why mine won’t? Thanks for interest. Jeff

[malc-c]

Possibly may need to uninstall and re-install APT as it seems to be calling up a second instance of EQMOD which as the first has command of the com port, will report an comms error.  One other possibility is that its a permissions issue under windows when you remote in.  Does the same issue occur if you sit at the observatory PC  or do you get the same issue regardless if you are using the PC in your study and remoting in to the pc controlling the scope.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

My setup is a local PC being remotely controlled, using remote desktop, and all using a common instance of Ascom/Eqmod, and I can open any number of applications (on the local PC) that connect to this common control instance...

As Malc, has hinted at, did you install any application(s) as "Administrator", if so, then there may well be issues of apps talking to each other, due to permission errors, which may well only be reported in the winows event logs.... 

 

[Jeffrsharpe]

Thanks Malcolm and Julian. The same happens in Observatory as through VNC to study. I can  also open any number of programs in the observatory via my VNC in my study. My problem is only these two not talking to each other. Ah, another thing I just thought of my PHD similarly won’t connect directly to APT so I have to juggle connections with that too. It all works with Sharpcap but they havnt got their platesolve goto++ function which is obviously useful in APT. I will try to reinstall APT later or tomorrow and see if they both connect properly then.

 Can I ask you both when the APT goto or APT mount controller is used does the scope view reticule in your setup move on the CdC mapping at the same time. Cos this is the facility that I want mine to do.

Then,… should I be running both as administrator or not and if they are currently running in administrator mode do I need to reinstall them out of admin mode?  They are both in administrator mode at present as advised on another article I read a few days ago.

Thanks again.  Jeff

[Dr_Ju_ju]

For me, yes all application 'indicators' follow each other, whichever app I use to drive the mount..... 

Presumably your account is a local admin, therefore you should never run anything as 'Administrator', as that will have a detrimental impact on any network/inter-application communication e.g. APT / CDC trying to 'talk' together via a common gateway (Ascom/Eqmod), due to inherent windows security settings. 

[Jeffrsharpe]

Thanks Julian, at least now I know I should be able to get what I am expecting to get. I must try harder🤞🤞🤞🔭. I’ll let you know when I get it sorted. Thanks again. Jeff 

[malc-c]

I remote into a PC in the observatory using remote desktop.  My workflow is to boot the observatory PC, open CdC and connect to the mount (HEQ5) vie the TELESCOPE > CONNECT TELESCOPE and having EQMOD HEQ5/EQ6 in the select box (this is remembered from the previous session so doesn't need changing).  Hit Connect and then once EQMOD window comes up I HIDE the CdC connection window and EQMOD is minimised.  I then open APT and connect to the dSLR camera and then PHD2.  I use PHD2 purely for running the Imaging plan, PHD2 guiding  and all gotos or mount control via CdC using the right click > slew to target option.  This all works for me.  I've never used APT for mount control

[Jeffrsharpe]

After a morning of removing and reinstalling ASCOM, APT, and CdC it all seems to be talking to each other now, as well as to PHD2, so thanks for your support.
I think it was CdC that had the glitch.

It started raining yesterday so I only got to try it out once. Of course I have had to reset all my preferences on all the software which took me most of yesterday afternoon. Done nothing with it today but fingers crossed it will all work properly when I get to use it next, of course I could test it daytime anyway….perhaps tomorrow. Thanks again.

Just to let you know how I’m using it all….I open CdC and link it with EQMOD window to drive the mount and scope to approximately where I want it, I then use APT to platesolve and GoTo ++ to centre the target and then set up an image sequence. As APT can drive the mount I am hoping that now that I can see the scope position move on CdC that I can drive the scope from APT to a next approximate location or to do an APT goto and watch the movement on CdC. Thanks again. Jeff 

[malc-c]

Jeff, pleased to hear it appears to be working, and for detailing your workflow.   As far as I know (and would love to be corrected if required) that the EQ6 doesn't have physical encoders, so all the positioning is calculated by/through EQMOD.  So in theory, every instruction APT sends to the mount via EQMOD, the positional data is then fed to the other applications via the ASCOM platform, so CdC should then update the telescope position on the map.

[Jeffrsharpe]

Julian and Malcolm….the final test didn’t work as I had hoped when tested again….must have been tired at end of last days effort. 
I however now do have a working solution which after another half a day of trying to find a solution does work as I want it to…. Worth being aware of for others.

ASCOM have a tool to replace the POTH hub….it’s called  ASCOM Device Hub. This tool is visible in all the drop downs for mount options when selecting a mount in EQMOD or APT.

To get it set up and for one time only go to settings in in EQMOD and select “Ascom device hub”. (You may need to check the port settings) then go to APT , mount settings, and select “Ascom  device hub”.  In my case camera and Focuser are also set up to open at start of APT and this mount setting means that the mount connects automatically and the EQMOD window also opens up at the start up of APT.

So once these two option have been selected my set up sequence is as follows:-

1. Open APT, then camera, Focuser and mount all connect automatically and EQMOD N,S,E,W control window opens up.

2. Mount can now be moved using this window.

3. Open CdC and go to “telescope tab” and the go to “connect scope” drop down tab. “Connect scope”makes the scope position appear on the CdC mapping.

4. Any movement made by 2 above can now be seen on the CdC mapping and the CdC coordinates are replicated in the APT mount tab. I havnt tried but fully expect the APT platesolve and goto ++ function to work now the scope coordinates are visible in CdC.

For information  the APT mount control buttons don’t seem to work, or at least I can’t get them to work, but the familiar EQMOD window buttons do all the work perfectly well. 
 

So I’ve got what I want at last. Sorry for any earlier confusion.
 

 

 

 

 

[Jeffrsharpe]

Fourth line up should say “ visible in APT”

[Dr_Ju_ju]

The move mount buttons are probably set at speed 1 (the default) so you may need to set it to 3/4 within the Eqmod window, to notice a change in position.