Which cable for HEQ5?

[GTom]

  I recently treated myself with a Panasonic toughbook (chill out, not the newest £3000 wonder, just an old one for 1/10th of that 🤪). And it has a D sub 9 pin connector. I was wondering can I just grab ANY decent RJ45 to RS232 modem cable to operate and guide the mount from the laptop? Saving a usb to serial converter from the equation I suspect that a direct serial connection could be faster and more reliable.

The EQMod site speaks quite positively in the RS232 connection: https://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/reqindex.html

[Cornelius Varley]

9 hours ago, GTom said:

I was wondering can I just grab ANY decent RJ45 to RS232 modem cable to operate and guide the mount from the laptop?

Probably not, the EQDir cable is more than a RJ45 to RS232 cable.

From the EQ-Mod website:

"In order to connect a PC/Laptop directly to the EQ mount a PROPRIETATRY interface device is required. This device is referred to as an EQDIRCT and is designed solely for use with Skywatcher mount. Standard "off the shelf" Connection must be made through such a device NEVER CONNECT DIRECLY YOUR PC DIRECTLY TO THE MOUNT. Please take utmost caution if using "off the shelf" serial/RS232 cables, the  connectors on the mount, despite being familiar types are not standard RS232 or ethernet connections."

[malc-c]

12 hours ago, GTom said:

 I was wondering can I just grab ANY decent RJ45 to RS232 modem cable to operate and guide the mount from the laptop? Saving a usb to serial converter from the equation I suspect that a direct serial connection could be faster and more reliable.

NOOO !!  - you'll blow your motor board in the mount.  The mount operates at 5V TTL levels, the serial port on your laptop will be running at true RS232 levels which will have a potential of 24 volts !!

If the laptop lacks any USB ports (which I doubt) then use a Serial to USB adaptor and get a proper EQDIR cable here

[GTom]

Phew, was definitely worth to ask😅, thank you. I have updated the firmware of my old EQ3-2 in the past using a usb to serial cable connected to Skywatcher's RJ45 cable, obviously that one didn't push all the 24V on the handset :D. But I'll check thoroughly if I use that cable again. Besides the EQdir, I'll take a look how reliable the wireless solutions are. One cable is better than two, but no cables should be the best - IF...

Edited March 20 by GTom

[Mr_Cat]

22 minutes ago, GTom said:

Phew, was definitely worth to ask😅, thank you. I have updated the firmware of my old EQ3-2 in the past using a usb to serial cable connected to Skywatcher's RJ45 cable, obviously that one didn't push all the 24V on the handset :D. But I'll check thoroughly if I use that cable again. Besides the EQdir, I'll take a look how reliable the wireless solutions are. One cable is better than two, but no cables should be the best - IF...

I chucked a SynScan Wi-Fi Adapter onto my EQ6 - no configuration needed, and I can drive the mount from my phone or my laptop. Came in very handy when I wanted to hook my mount up to a V1 ASIAIR as the ASIAIR didn't see my USB lead (as it's a V1)
I put the wifi adaptor into station mode and connected it that way to the ASI air.

Quite a flexible little device tbh.

[malc-c]

6 hours ago, GTom said:

Phew, was definitely worth to ask😅, thank you. I have updated the firmware of my old EQ3-2 in the past using a usb to serial cable connected to Skywatcher's RJ45 cable, obviously that one didn't push all the 24V on the handset :D. But I'll check thoroughly if I use that cable again. Besides the EQdir, I'll take a look how reliable the wireless solutions are. One cable is better than two, but no cables should be the best - IF...

The handset has a MAX232 chip inside which is designed to work at standard serial spec.  Most Skywatcher goto mounts came with a long D9 to JR11 grey cable which can connect direct to a PC serial port and handset to update the firmware if required, or, when placed in PC-DIRECT mode act as a pass through to allow PC control of the mount.  The MAX232 chip takes the +/- 12v serial signals and converts them to TTL serial (5v) before passing them on to the Microcontrollers EUART port.  If this cable was detached and inserted where the curly handset cable is normally connected, the 24v levels get connected directly to the boards controllers and the next time you connect the handset you get the "No response both axis" message.

Most of the branded (Skywatcher) wifi or bluetooth adaptors will work if you didn't want to use an EQDIR cable.  These often through up other issues, which tend to mainly be related to software / driver or access point connectivity issues.  Use the search option to read through posts on wifi connectivity issues to help make you decide what method suits you.

[GTom]

Will definitely do my research regarding the wifi adapter

Meantime I found the USB to serial cable I used to update my hand controller: https://www.amazon.co.uk/UGREEN-20210-Converter-Connecting-Controller-grey/dp/B00QUZY4UG , one user apparently used it as a two-cable guiding solution.