Guiding HEQ5Pro with PHD

[pjphilli]

For some years I have been guiding my HEQ5Pro with PHD using the printer interface on my astro PC.
The PC is now due to be replaced with a PC which does not have a printer port.
I understand that a PC guiding interface may use a USB port. Any suggestions for going about this?

Peter

[Merlin66]

Does your guide camera have an ST-4 guide port?
If so this can be connected directly to the ST-4 guide port on the mount.
I use PHD2 to guide my NEQ6pro mount using a Lodestar guide camera.

Printer port interface??? What do you connect to this port?? The camera?

[kens]

Or if you want to connect the mount to USB you'll need a EQDIR cable for the HEQ5. Something like this https://www.bintel.com.au/product/shoestring-usb2-eq5-interface/

[pjphilli]

Hi two Kens so using your tags-
Merlin66 - You just select the camera and scope in PHD in the normal way and then set the Mount Selection to GPINT 378. This allows PHD to toggle pins 6,7,8,& 9 of the 25 pin printer port for the four guiding directions - up 4volts being on and 0volts for off. Since the mount requires the reverse voltages it is simply a matter or converting the voltages through say a 4001 quad inverter and connecting the outputs to the mount's guiding port.


kens - Could I assume that after connecting the EQDIR cable from the PC to the guiding port you would use GP USB in PHD (instead of the above GPINT 378) as the Mount Selection?


Peter

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm
There's always different ways to skin a cat !!!

A Shoestring GPUSB adaptor would just connect to the guide port on the mount http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/gpusb.htm

I assume your guide camera doesn't have a ST-4 port??

Re the EQ-Dir module this connects to the mount instead of the handcontroller and allows the mount to be controlled from your computer using say CdC and EQMod.
EQMod also allows you to select "pulse" guiding.

[kens]

With the EQDIR cable, in PHD2 you select EQMOD ASCOM HEQ5/6 as the mount

[pjphilli]

Thanks for all this advice - I will proceed with it.
Peter