NEQ6 pro and Stellarium problem help please

[Mick UK]

I'm trying to get my neq6 pro connected to Stellarium but it just wont have it!

Ive read through loads of threads on here and tried numerous ways of connecting and setting up stellarium but there just seems no communication between stellarium and my mount:(

Im using stellarium version 10.5 and ive hooked my mount up to my laptop like this..

ive going throught the handset (pc direct mode).

Connected to the handset is the grey computer update cable which comes with the NEQ6 and to that is a seriel to usb convertor ive bought from astronomiser.

In stellarium i have gone to the pluggins and added my mount (skywatcher 3.o or later)

ive set the com port to 3 (which, in my device manager that is where the seriel to usb connecter is attached) (i have 3 usb slots on my laptop..numbered 3 4 and 5..why no 1 and 2??

i have ticked "load at start up"

In the telescope control box it says "connected"

but...when i press alt and 1 after clicking on a star..nothing happens:(...........one time out of a hundred attempts, i actually got a small box on the top left of my laptop screen with a "X" and a pic of a tv screen....but my laptop froze and i had to reoot...and thats as close as ive come to getting it to work.

Anyone got any ideas please??

[Glider]

In the Stellarium setting I've got the following for my HEQ5 mount;

...Telescope controlled by Stellarium directly through a serial port is ticked.

...Device settings, Celestron Nexstar(compatible).

...Connection settings, localhost, TCP port 100001.

I don't use the handset in PC-direct mode as I'm using the Celestron driver, not the Synta one.

This is good flor slewing to an object and tracking on my HEQ5. This was the only way I ever got it to work.

Not sure how this holds for your mount!

[red dwalf]

just plugged my heq5 into my laptop using only the serial cable,

started up the mount first then started up stellarium, clicked on the moon, pressed ctrl plus 1 and it worked fine.

do you start up the mount first before starting stellarium ?

[Glider]

Good point Red, it's CTRL+1 that I use, not ALT+1.

CTRL and ALT do different things.

[Mick UK]

Gilder, do you use that setup for guided astrophotography or observing only?.

I will try anything if it gets my mount controlled from stellarium! lol

update.....in the telescope box in syellarium where it says "connected" or "stopped"...while it was in connected mode, i removed the usb cable while still connected to my mount from my laptop, yet it still said "connected"?..not sure if this has a bearing on anything or not!

EDIT:...actually, i meant ctrl not alt! ..my head in a muddle!

ive tried it several ways RD connecting beofre i turn on the mount and ive tried it after ive turned on the mount, unfortunately it still wont have it.

[Glider]

Observing only. I use PHD for guiding. That's why I use the Celestron driver without the handset in PC-direct mode. This way the handset still functions for Goto, etc.

[Mick UK]

red dwalf, i have just tried it again the way you did and nothing happened, when i went back into checking in stellarium if the mount was still set up ok, nothing was listed, it has erased all the setting i made...ive actually noticed this a few times today while ive been trying to get it set up.

[red dwalf]

are you sure the serial to usb adapter is ok,

should be if it was from astronomiser

[Mick UK]

RD...I would imagine so, ive just hadit delivered this morning.

One thing i am noticing is if i close stellerium, when i open it again, all my telescope/com/mount settings have gone?

am i missing something somewhere were i need to save all these settings?..ive ticked the "load at start up box"..i cant understand why its wiping the settings out?

[Glider]

Configuration window(F2?) and Save Settings, perhaps, though it seems unlikely.

Are you Adding and Saving your mount config after you've set it up?

[red dwalf]

did you get a little disc that came with the serial/usb adapter ? i had one when i bought mine from the local pc shop, drivers for something or other, don`t ask me what i`m a bit of a techno idiot with these things, first time i got my scope working with the old stellarium it took my all day, and i mean all day !

[Glider]

In fact, what version of Windows are you running? In Vista and Win7 at work we have problems with some programs where the in build OS security won't let you alter files without permissions and changing a config setting can be a b*ll ache, and I guess when you change anything in Stellarium it tries to save it to an ini file at some point.

[Mick UK]

RD i know the feeling, ive been at it all day myself:(........yep, i got the disc with the cable and installed it, im just wondering if i should unistall then re install stellarium?...what version works best with the neq pro mounts?..at the moment im running 10.5 but i might try installing an earlier version and see if that makes any difference.

Gilder, im running on XP pro with service pack 2

[red dwalf]

i`m running version 10.4 on xp

[Glider]

My experience was similar, took me all day to get it working and only one set of settings do it. Change anyone thing and it b*rfs.

[red dwalf]

with so earlier versions i had to start the mount and align it, even if it was a qiuck align, something you can do with a celestron mount, then start stellarium before it would work

[StarMan1701]

Mick,

I was going to ask - are you going through the mounts alignment routine before trying to connect with Stellarium?

You have to align the mount as normal, (with the handset), first...

Lee.

[Mick UK]

Hi Lee, i switch the mount on then input all the usual date/time/ etc, i havent actually aligned the mound, i just clicked "no" when it asked me to do an alignment and took it from there..would it make any difference if it was alligned?..i will try it now..thanks

ps..ive uninstalled stellarium 15 and now have 14 on but its still doing the same as before..i will now try Lee's advice

[Mick UK]

Lee, ive just done a 1 star allignment put the handset into 2direct pc mode" then tried to use stellarium...no go im affraid:(

its saying its connected in the telescopes box but somehow its not taking to the mount.

If i dissconnect and reconnect the usb lead in and out of my laptop, it nakes the connection chimes and its also registered in the device manager.

the USB /seriel connector is only new today so im assuming thats not the problem, im just wondering if the cable connecting the usb/seriel cable to the hanset might be the problem?..

[Mick UK]

CRACKED IT!!

what i had to do was click on a target (star) then press ctrl + 1

this never did anything, but then out of frustration i held both those keys down for about 5 seconds and with the target still circle, i tapped my mouse pad again on the target while the keys where still pressed down......HEY PRESTO!..off the mount went to where id expect the start to have been(im in my kitchen with the mount at the moment!)

now all i have to do it click on a target, press ctlr + 1 for a second or so and off she goes!.

Whoops...nearly forgot!..Thanks for all the help everyone..much appreciated!

[Glider]

When all else fails, the simplest thing is usually what's wrong.

At least it's sorted now, well done.

[Mick UK]

"At least it's sorted now, well done."

Aye......and now onto setting up the guide camera and software, and all its problems im sure it will bring!...the frustrations are worth it though!

[kookoo_gr]

i started controlling my mount using stellarium but after a period of time the program crashed every time i tried to scroll at the sky, so i switched to cartes du ciel, i suggest you do the same as it consumes less processing power from the pc and it has a larger database than stellarium, also the go is done by pressing the goto button with your mouse instead of searching in the dark for ctrl+1

[StarMan1701]

Glad you got it sorted in the end, Mick.

Sometimes Stellarium pauses for a second after you press the Ctrl + 1 before it moves the mount, (probably should've mentioned that). Not sure why...

As for databases, if you go to the configuration page in Stellarium, you can download various different catalogues, depending on how 'deep' you want to go.

Lee.