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Stellarium operated goto mounts


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What a day I`ve had trying to get Stellarium to work my goto mount, it`s been so hard that I thought I would write it down incase anyone else would like to do it and save themselves alot of time if you don`t have a clue what you are doing like me, so here goes.

1. Install Stellarium 10.2 from Stellarium webite.

2. Go to Astronomy - StellariumScope and install the Stellariumscope software.

3. Now the hard part you need ASCOM drivers to be able to use the software, go to the ASCOM website and download ASCOM PLATFORM 5 to your desktop.

4. Now you need the drivers for you mount, look in telescopes and mounts on the left hand side of the webpage, click it and download the drivers for your mount to your desktop.

5. Go to your desktop and double click on the ASCOM platform 5 to install it.

6. You might be asked to install Microsoft. NET Framework 3.5 setup, click yes and it will install. then click on the ASCOM platform 5 again to make sure it has installed.

7. When it has finished click on the ASCOM driver for your scope on your desktop.

8. Restart P.C.

9. Click on Stellariumscope and at the top click the driver from list for you scope and tick connect.

10. plug in you mount to the P.C. and load up Stellarium and hopefully you can now click on a object and your scope will slew to it.

just a note this is for window XP but should be much the same for other operating systems. :)

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Many thanks Rob for this I'm sure it will be useful to many. As you say gettinng your scope to work with some software can be a very confusing thing to do if you are not used to it.

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Hope it helps, took me the best part of the day to get it sorted, couldn`t find anything on google as to a step by step formula for doing it so was trial and error but now seems to work well although I haven`t tried it in the real world yet as still no clear sky around here.

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Quick update. Finally got round to trying out your instructions and they work a treat - absolutely no problems at all getting it up and running first time, at least indoors as I've been clouded over for months.

Just to expand on your point 10. To slew to an object, click on it then press CTRL+1, to abort a slew, CTRL+3 and to Sync to an object, CTRL+2.

Doesn't seem to be as "snappy" as CdC or NexRemote (there's a delay of a few seconds between commanding and getting the slew), but as Stellarium is much slicker than CdC, it's now my Goto prog of choice. It might just be because Stellarium itself is quite a strain on my old laptop.

Many many thanks again Rob,

Nick

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mine also takes a second or two before slewing, but i think getting a serial to usb adapter for the handset should hopefully make it quicker as usb is a faster connection for sending infomation, but i have not got round to trying it as yet

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I'm already using a serial-USB adaptor, so it was a like-for-like comparison with CdC. Still, as I said above, for me Stellarium is a much more pleasant experience to use than CdC (not knocking CdC, but I love the OpenGL smoothness of Stellarium), so you've done me and others a big favour.

Now I just need the rainy season to end...

Cheers,

Nick

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I've also been through the mill trying to get both Stellarium and CdC to control either my EQ6 or 8se mount. Worked a treat with my XP laptop and built in serial port, but had all sorts of problems with my Vista laptop and usb/serial dongle. Eventually able to control EQ6 with Stellarium, but the 8se is a bit hit and miss. I think its something to do with Vista usb dongle drivers.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks very much for the above effort(s)!

At the moment, I'm trying to see if I can get it to work with a standard Skywatcher Alt-Azimuth (MAK127 etc.) GoTo. :)

Look like the Software Works - (As per the instructions) GREAT! FWIW, as DRIVER, I downloaded the Celestron "unified" version. This has the "Synta Skywatcher Mount" option, but apparently NOT for the Alt-Azimuth type mounts? HOWEVER, scope options like the "NextStar 5i" seem to... "do something"! This option usefully evokes the "Hand Controller" (cursor key) Window to demonstrate that "we have communication"! :grin:

As with much of this "Goto Stuff", I sense you actually need a PHYSICAL (and realistic!) sky situation to test properly. At the moment I'm fiddling about on my (daylight, static, WinXP) Desktop PC. I need a USB-Serial interface for my NC10 "Nettop". But Hey, the software works in simulation mode on the latter and this all begins to look rather possible... :)

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Dear All,

I am looking to buy a SW Merlin SynScan GOTO mount and wonder how you actually connect it to the PC for control. This mount has the same connectors as the SW AZ GOTO. Please could some one place a useful web-link to product etc. Finally, Chris, did you manage to get your SW AZ mount to work through PC when you have tried outside?

Thanks for any help,

Nick

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi

I'm new to the forum so apologies if the answer to this is elsewhere. I have a Meade ETX80 (with the Autostar 494) which I want to control through Stellarium. This thread seems to be exactly what I was looking for to get set up. I have one question, which cable do I need? Is it the Autostar 506 with a Serial to USB converter? Or is there an alternative?

Regards

Jim

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  • 1 month later...

Good info so far, but I can't quite make that final hurdle - sooo frustrating!

StellariumScope and drivers are all loaded, the 'scope is aligned but when I click to connect I get "Device not open". I'm wondering if the problem is the adaptor cable that I had to get for the 232 to fit it to a USB in my Aspire D250, but I have the driver installed for that too.

Help me SGL - you're my only hope!

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:) Forgot about this thread - Yes, I did eventually get it all to work. (A phrase usually guaranteed to frustrate others?). A bit fiddly tho' - Wish I'd written more own, but do recall initialisation can depend on what you switch on first... :eek:

Aside: My Netbook doesn't have a Ser O/P socket. Eventually, I found one of these:

ABC Products USB to 9 Pin DB9 Serial RS-232 converter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

(It has a mini-CD with a driver to load and it WORKS!)

So MY current cable is:

[Netbook] -> USB/Ser Convertor -> LOOOOONG Serial cable ->

[final short (supplied) Ser / adapter grey cable] -> [Handset]

(One) Lesson was to extend cable length with a (no frills) serial cable. :rolleyes:

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  • 2 months later...

hi there

I'am new to the forum

i have a celestron 130stl

i have down loaded all the software and have sent for a usb/serial coverter

my question is

will i have to plug the lead in to the goto handset or can i just plug the lead in to the mount

thanks

steve

Edited by altec
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Just as a matter of interest I bought a USB/RS232 adapter and rs232 controller cable for my CG5 just last week.

I installed Stellarium 0.10.3 on a spare laptop, configured the standard telescope control plugin for the Celestron plugged the cables in and off it went first time no toubles at all.

Seems that things have improved for the better since this thread started :-)

The only foible (well apart from the labels in 0.10.3) was that the mount needs to be powered up and plugged in before starting stellarium. But that aside it seems to work fine.

Chuffed as I was expecting to have to spend ages downloading ancillary software and configuring etc.

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I have to agree Stellarium 0.10.3 is a massive improvement with regards to the simplicity of telescope mount control. I have a sky-watcher AZ goto mount and as Iris has stated its just plug and go, with a small amount of configuring. Im just hoping they sort out the Mac OSX version of 0.10.3 as a friend of mine is itching to have a go.

Brett

Edited by Brett
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mounts need to be aligned and ready with the date, time etc otherwise the program will not be able to operate the mount, the new version of stellarium has a built in telescope control so i`m not certain if you need to download all the ascom software anymore before it will work, maybe someone else can help on this matter.

but i`ve tried it and once correct mount setup selected it worked great, but i already got all the ascom software on the laptop, maybe someone can try it without the extra software to see if it works ok.

cheers Rob

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