Mount Control for Mac OS X / Linux

[OzDave]

Hi,

Just a quick question for Mac / Linux users...(assuming I'm not the only one). What software do you use (if any) for controlling your GOTO mounts and connecting to planetarium software?

I'm just getting started with this hobby and I've noticed that EQMOD and ASCOM seem common, but unfortunately were designed only to work on Windows-based systems. There are some bits of software out there for Mac/Linux, but it all seems a bit of a hodge-podge compared to what is available on Windows.

So I wonder what people actually use, or do you all boot into Windows while doing astronomy stuff?

I have an EQ Synscan mount that I've made an EQDIRECT mod for, and being a software developer, I'm looking into how I can control the mount directly. I've had a bit of success so far with that such that I should be able to produce a program for Mac / Linux that would do what EQMOD does on Windows. I have also looked into how to get Stellarium on Mac/Linux to initiate slews and think that I can make something so that all this stuff just works nicely for me.

Would anyone be interested in that when I have some results? Or is there already some magic software out there I've missed for doing this already?

Regards,

David

[dph1nm]

Doesn't the built-in Stellarium telescope driver work under linux? I am sure I had a play with it once using my Celestron SLT.

NigelM

[dph1nm]

There is also INDI which seems to be integrated into Kstars

http://www.indilib.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

NigelM

[callump]

Xephem claims support for INDI too, though I have never used Xephem for telescope control.

/callump

[James]

I use Astroplanner, TheSky X, Voyager and others to control my EQ6 on the Mac. The control is limited compared to EQMOD although it's enough to be going with.

I'd be quite intrigued to try something that did EQMOD for the Mac...

James

[TakMan]

Hi from another Mac user!

I use 'Equinox 6' as my planetarium and mount driver (Tak EM400)..... just works, uncluttered - very Mac! (PC users won't understand that last bit - yeh, VISTA - right...!)

Equinox 6

And Darryl also writes an imaging acquisition piece of software for us SBIG users called Equinox Image - again, quite slick.

Hope that helps - there's a demo download on his site....

Regards

Damian

[James]

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Equinox!

James