Wireless telescope

[Starstrike]

I would like to be able to do away with the 10m active usb connection between my telescope setup and my laptop. I run the mount, a dslr and a starshoot autoguider through the cable. I would also like to add autofocus and eventually a CCD camera(instead of the DSLR) and usb filter wheel.

I understand the usb hub will need powering and I would need a usb router, and video streaming is essential for autoguiding, or have I got it all wrong?

I have a 110Ah leisure lead acid battery that I want to use to power it all independently.

Has anyone had complete success with a reasonably priced run of the mill wireless router?

PS. I know about the Meade router rather pricey though.

[BlueAstra]

I've not really come across people having a lot of success with long usb comms solutions. I ran a 10m active usb repeater cable to a powered hub at my eq6 mount, and controlled my camera and guide camera through it. I sent the mount control through a separate 10m serial cable via a usb/serial dongle to a synscan handset, which worked fine. I could never get the mount control to work reliably through an eqdir module via the usb cable.

In the end I now have a nettop pc at the mount and all usb cables (camera, guide cam, mount eqdir, etc) go straight to the nettop and are short. All the control s/w is on the nettop. I then control the nettop via remote desktop from another PC via a single long network cable. This will work over very long distances, and could also be implemented via wireless network or network over mains cable.

[Beyond_Vision]

I use the same kind of set up as blue astra. Wireless USB hasn't been released here yet but will be soon. This will provide a usb hub at the mount which will still need wired power connections for the hub and CCD's etc. You would then need a wireless USB dongle in the PC to control it.

A wireless network router will not provide USB connections to the equipment on the scope. Although some routers have a usb port this is only for memory devices and hard-drives or printers.

Regards

Kevin

[Starstrike]

Blueastra and Kevin, thanks for the information and advice.

Paul

[rll1288]

Q-waves Wireless USB Data Kit upgrade exisiting USB devices and turn them into Wireless USB devices- microdirect.co.uk

The above is a wirless USB solution. The only problem is it needs direct line of site i.e. it won't work through glass, doors etc as a network wireless solution will.

I have been toying around with the suggestions mentioned, having a network machine (CPU, VIDEO CARD & NETWORK CARD, Flash Drive) that can be wirelessly linked to main computer via VM Ware or Remote connection on Windows 7......

[Starstrike]

Hi r11,

Thanks for the link r11. I need to access the setup through glass, so I can be warm and comfortable inside. I have found this link to a wireless usb unit, read the second review from a fellow astronomer in the US. All I have to do now is find the equivalent in the UK at a reasonable price, not such an easy task.

http://www.cablestogo.com/powerreviews/pwr/product-reviews/9969/Devices/Cables-To-Go/p/29570p-29570-TruLink-trade-4-Port-Wireless-USB-Hub-and-Adapter-Kit.html

There is one thing puzzling me about this info and that is it says it will not work for isochronous usb devices. I thought the orion starshoot autoguider was such a device giving continuous video output. This guy has this working okay. It may not work with webcams used for autoguiding.

Paul

[rll1288]

Paul,

The review does sound promising................ I was wondering the other day as I used my EQDIR to link HEQ5 to laptop (Its a rs232 to USB adapter) why couldn't SW add ethernet connectivity to its mounts?

that way you could possible set-it up as a device which could be shared...Someone somewhere must have done a mod to do this.

Roy

[rll1288]

Also, I have just found this....

Wireless Serial Port - Wireless RS232 - Wireless Serial Cable Replacement - Bluetooth RS232 - LM058 - LM158 - BTD-433 - BTD-430

Basically wireless serial connector......

[Starstrike]

Hi Roy,

I have tried a bluetooth usb hub in the past, but it failed to communicate through glass and more than a few metres. I hope to run five usb devices through the system I adopt through glass and up to 10m. I don't know how this bluetooth device would connect up to a standard usb hub into which my devices are plugged at the present. It seems to imply one bluetooth adapter would be needed for each device, an expensive option I think.

Paul

[rll1288]

I must admit Bluetooth is not my favourite protocol but according to the website these guys use it to communicate to the internal gubbings of elevators......

The only other way I can think to do this is to have a small network device (CPU, VIDEO CARD, FLASHDRIVE) and then connect to it via normal network wireless.....

I think you can get these devices (or build yourself) to boot into either cut down Windows XP or Linux and then run a remote connection....

[Starstrike]

Interesting option Roy. I'll see what I can find out.

Paul

[Beyond_Vision]

This was the unit I used and advised Blueastra about it.

Zotac ZBOX Atom D510 Nvidia ION Micro PC Free Delivery : Computers Net Top PCs : Maplin

It was no promotion at £169 a shortwhile ago and may be found elsewhere cheaper. it has dual core atom processor and runs starry night pro+ 6 and Maxim, eqmod, PHD, Focus max with no problems at all and is controlled by remote VNC across a wired gigabit network.

Regards

Kevin

[MikeWilson]

I received a SkyFi controller earlier this week. It seems to work pretty well at letting me control my scope wirelessly via iPad or iPhone.

[Beyond_Vision]

Expensive though and can be done with a bluetooth to serial adapter costing £30. The original poster is looking for a solution to control a mount and imaging equipment which the SkyFi cant do

[rll1288]

The other thing I found which looked interesting were:-

NEW! Nanosaur 410 - Mini PCs - Dino PC Ltd

[Starstrike]

Cheers guys some interesting mini pc's there, will study them.

Regards,Paul