can a spc900 be used to guide with PHD?

[Astroblagger]

Hello im just wandering can the spc900 webcam be used to guide with phd? i know nothing about phd, but if it can be done with a spc900 i might give it a bash?

[RobH]

Yes, it can.

I've done it

[Bizibilder]

Yes - I've only tested it but it certainly works OK. (Webcam and SW 80mm refractor).

[Johnboy2011]

If it can be done I assume there is no reason it could'nt be done through an off axis guider rather than a guide scope?

[RobH]

If it can be done I assume there is no reason it could'nt be done through an off axis guider rather than a guide scope?

No reason at all....the camera has no idea where it is!!

[Johnboy2011]

Thanks Rob, is there a down side to using the SPC, I assume there must be as other cameras are nuch more expensive?!

[Astroblagger]

does it need to modded for long exposure? or will it plug straight in and work?

[lukebl]

does it need to modded for long exposure? or will it plug straight in and work?

It will work unmodded (mine does!), but the downside is that it does require a bit of effort to find a sufficiently bright guide star. I have my guidescope in fairly wide rings, so I can easily adjust it to find one. With my ST80, I can guide on stars to around 6th mag.

EDIT - but I see that you already have a Synguider. Why do you want to change to PHD guiding?

[Astroblagger]

i dont really! i would like to try once maybe to see which method i prefer, using a stand alone or the laptop guiding.

[Astroblagger]

should the scp900 come up in the camera menu, iv plugged it in and it is not showing? or is there any step i need to do for it to recognise the cam?

[lukebl]

should the scp900 come up in the camera menu, iv plugged it in and it is not showing? or is there any step i need to do for it to recognise the cam?

Click on the camera logo, then click on 'Windows WDM-style webcam camera' and you should find it.

[Astroblagger]

cheers luke, that works. what cables are required for connecting the mount to the computer? iv got a heq5.

[Astroblagger]

Anyone know what cables etc i need to connect the heq 5 mount to laptop? cheapest way possible?

[Uplooker]

One of these.

Cables, Leads and Controllers - HitecAstro EQDIR adapter

Dont forget to dowload the driver, I did !its free. Lots of people o here have made their own.

[lukebl]

One of these.

Cables, Leads and Controllers - HitecAstro EQDIR adapter

Dont forget to dowload the driver, I did !its free. Lots of people o here have made their own.

I didn't use any special cables, so I'm not sure what the EQDIR cable thing does! You shouldn't need to buy anything.

I am using EQMOD, and I basically have the cable running from the mount to the RJ-45 socket of Synscan Handset, then have the standard PC link cable running from the RJ-11 socket to the PC. I am using an NEQ6, but the principle is the same for an HEQ5. Here's my setup:

[Astroblagger]

ok i see, when you talk about the standard pc link cable, i never got one with this my mount but i do have a male RS232 to usb cable from my old meade scope, would i just need to get a female rs232 to rj11to fit into the handset? and if so where would i get one?

also what is the gamepad used for?

[lukebl]

ok i see, when you talk about the standard pc link cable, i never got one with this my mount but i do have a male RS232 to usb cable from my old meade scope, would i just need to get a female rs232 to rj11to fit into the handset? and if so where would i get one?

also what is the gamepad used for?

No idea where you'd get the cable from, I'm afraid. The gamepad is used to slew the scope, as the Synscan handset is superfluous when using EQMOD.

[Astroblagger]

what gamepad are you using? do you need to nuy one specially?

[Astroblagger]

Would a ps2 gamepad work? how do you get the computer to recognise it? Im on a steep learning curve here sorry if my questions are basic?

[lukebl]

Would a ps2 gamepad work? how do you get the computer to recognise it? Im on a steep learning curve here sorry if my questions are basic?

I just used something like one of these : SAITEK P380 Gamepad at cheap prices | PC World

I did have an Xbox wireless one (I still do), but it somehow kept picking up signals from somewhere else and kept slewing off at random!

[Astroblagger]

Sorry its a ps3 game pad i can plug it into the computer with a usb. Would i need to download drivers for it or will the drivers be on the eqmodpad? Trying to spend as ittle money as possible.

[lukebl]

Sorry its a ps3 game pad i can plug it into the computer with a usb. Would i need to download drivers for it or will the drivers be on the eqmodpad? Trying to spend as ittle money as possible.

Don't know, I'm afaid. Try it and see. I would have thought that Windows would automatically find the drivers for you.

Do you have EQMOD yet? Very fiddly and hard to understand at first, but it's free and pretty invaluable.

[Astroblagger]

Cheers luke no not yet im going to download it this arvo,

still havent given up with the synguider yet, but getting more frustrated with it everytime i go out and use it. I was interested if there was a way of guiding without spending much money and/or using gear i alreadt have. As i may one day succeed with the synguider!

[lukebl]

I was surprised how simple (and cheap) it was to get into guiding and computer-controlled goto. Once you use EQMOD and, say, Carte du Ciel, you'll never use the Synscan handset again (apart from when you turn it on, and tell it to go to 'PC direct mode').