Why don’t Skywatcher Provide ASCOM driver…

[Stuart1971]

So I have owned a few Skywatcher mounts, including the EQ6 and EQ8, and I have always used third party ASCOM drivers such as EQMOD and GSS, but with all the modern latest mounts from all other mount manufacturers, they provide an ASCOM driver for you to connect your mount direct to a PC via the mounts USB port, so my question is..

Why don’t Skywatcher provide their own ASCOM driver that allows the connection of the mount direct to PC from the mounts USB port…?? Why do they rely on the third party drivers that people have to use…?? 
is this just laziness or for a reason…?

I know they provide a Synscan Ascom driver that connects the mount handset to a PC, for control but this is not the same…I am talking about direct connection like all other mounts on the market with USB connection

Or am I missing something here…

[Colinhunter]

Forgive me if this isn’t what you need. I use this to connect my heq5 pro direct from mount to my pc. 
Lynx Astro FTDI EQDIR USB Adapter for Sky-Watcher Mounts

 

Edited April 19 by Colinhunter

[Stuart1971]

1 minute ago, Colinhunter said:

Forgive me if this isn’t what you need. I use this to connect my heq5 pro direct from mount to my pc. 
Lynx Astro FTDI EQDIR USB Adapter for Sky-Watcher Mounts

 

Yes that is an EQMOD cable which uses the third party EQMOD driver…I was asking why skywatcher don’t provide a driver, I have owned a few SW scopes so I do know how they work….👍🏻

[malc-c]

The USB ports on modern mounts permits direct access to update firmware via a downloadable application from their main website.  The fact that it also provides an option to control the mount from a PC via a 3rd party application is  a bonus for those wishing to go down that route, but its not something Synta actively promote.  The only difference is the wi-fi dongle, which has an android app, and the start adventure, which has PC and phone applications to control the mount.

It's probably down to the cost of setting up the infrastructure to provide technical support. You only need to look through forums and user groups and see the posts related to PC connection, guiding, etc which if Skywatcher had a support line would be directed towards them.  But I agree with you, it does make sense to provide an application along the lines of EQMOD or GSS, even if it was stripped down and had less options.  

[SteveNickolls]

Intersting question. SkyWatcher produce a weekly webcast, more here.

https://youtube.com/@SkyWatcherUSA?si=IMaR3Aa4yywmToFH

Maybe worth posing the question to them though I don't expect a necessaily straight answer. 🤐

Cheers,

Steve

[Stuart1971]

31 minutes ago, malc-c said:

But I agree with you, it does make sense to provide an application along the lines of EQMOD or GSS, even if it was stripped down and had less options.  

Yes, I totally agree here. Thanks for the reply…..👍🏻

[Stuart1971]

I would have thought with the size of the Skywatcher company and there mount range it would make sense to produce there own EQMOD equivalent driver, but more up to date, along the lines of GSS, but get the point about technical support, but a user based forum could take care of most of that…

[Stuart1971]

3 minutes ago, SteveNickolls said:

Intersting question. SkyWatcher produce a weekly webcast, more here.

https://youtube.com/@SkyWatcherUSA?si=IMaR3Aa4yywmToFH

Maybe worth posing the question to them though I don't expect a necessaily straight answer. 🤐

Cheers,

Steve

I might just do that…thanks 👍🏻