Ok, thanks.
Just been reading on another forum...the procedure described there (in 2017) is to align scope and get a star centred before connecting to Stellarium, after which you select the star and the choose 'sync' in Stellarium to let it know where the mount is pointing.
As I'm very new to all this I could well be missing something.
Sounds about right
When I use EQMOD you align your first star on Stellarium and then sync ( CTRL +3 , then select a second star say 50 degrees away and then slew to it, you end up being very close to that second star , then you sync again and so and so on. The more you sync objects theaccurate your Goto becomes , particularly if you sync 3 stars around your final intended target in a triangular formation , the accuracy is excellent , almost perfectly framed. EQMOD has sophisticated pointing algorithms which form it’s accurate pointing model when syncing
So does EQMOD provide all the reference maps and algorithms, while Stellarium is just the interface? (the maps in Stellarium aren't used as reference for GOTO and mount control)
Stephen,
No not really...
The EQMod is the "drivers" for the SW mount motors (to replace the "smarts" in the Synscan)
The instructions can either be sent directly from the EQMod interface - basic motor movements - up/ down/ left/ right/ and slew at various speeds..
It also, using the motor indexes, knows where the mount should be pointing.
This allows it to move the mount and provides basic tracking....
OK, but not exciting....
Connect to EQMod via CdC and the interface becomes more interesting.
Using CdC to can select a star and get the mount to slew to it. You can also improve the GOTO accuracy by "syncing" stars as you go.
Stephen
EQMOD was developed for advanced telescope control on Synta mounts ( mostly Skywatcher and Orion brands )
EQMOD consists of an application called EQASCOM which provides the mounts functionality and acts as the Ascom server allowing client applications like the planetarium Stellarium to drive the mount
EQASCOM is the mounts control driver , the other applications build upon this driver platform and can be thought of as plug ins
Essentially EQASCOM replaces the Synscan handcontroller but does much more
with advance alignment , advanced Goto’s , advanced tracking, PEC training, park scope function, object data base via your client application like Stellarium, advanced pointing models using Sync function , auto guiding etc..etc...
Very interesting ! I've been using EQMOD / StellariumScope / Stellarium since I first bough my EQ6-R nearly two years ago. It just "works" for me. (though I've been dreading the day that a Stellarium update decides it doesnt want to talk to StellariumScope any more).
I never thought to my first star alignment just using EQMOD - rather I just usually do a 1 or 2 star alignment straight from Stellarium (using CRTL-3) and using Sharpcap to centre the star in the camera frame.
I have no intention of changing away from using StellariumScope unless forced to. Nor do I intend using CdC and its ancient Windows 3 - style interface.
Don't know about the Windows 3 interface......
but the latest V4.2.1 Cartes du Ciel works well for me.
UCAC4 catalogue (down to 18 mag), BeSS and Miles VO catalogues for my spectroscopy
I managed to get StellariumScope up and running a while back, but actually found that plate solving in APT works really well. Is there a benefit to using Stellarium for GoTo control over plate solving? Or is it just whatever works best for the user?
I’m running EQMOD with StellariumScope and Stellarium 0.18.1 and can’t see me ever using anything else for the immediate future as it’s so quick and accurate
Never plate solved so can’t comment or compare
The day StellariumScope fails to launch EQMOD and interface with Stellarium will be a sad day but no doubt it will happen one day
Stephen
Just enquiring whether you have used the new Stellarium 0.19.3 and eqmod to navigate across the night sky yet ?
A quick question - with the new Stellarium version , how do you launch the Ascom telescope chooser ?
I normally open Stellarium Scope and press the button “ select mount” and the Ascom telescope chooser box pops up , then I select “EQMOD HEQ5/6 and this launches the EQMOD Ascom Set Up window ( which all fields are preset for my location )
From there I switch the mount on , press the binocular icon and the port is found ( scope now connected to laptop ) , then press ok. Then press OK on the Ascom telescope chooser and the EQMOD control panel is launched ready for Goto
Stellarium Scope is left open but minimised, and now the Goto and Sync commands of StellariumScope are preset on the keyboard Cntrl 1 Slew, Cntrl 3 Sync and Cntrl 5 Cancel ready for use.
I have 2 Skywatcher EQ6-R mounts , a 2 year old mount at my weekender and a new one in Sydney which has the latest new USB port on the mount. Skywatcher are not very descriptive about how to use or connect this new USB port . I’m assuming it just replaces my existing EQ serial USB cable ( USB2EQ5 ) from laptop to the hand controller port on the mount.
I’m still keen on knowing about the sync command of Stellarium 0.19.3 as that’s how I navigate and find objects very accurately through eqmod ( I don’t plate solve )
I think most EQMOD, StellariumScope and Stellarium users are a bit nervous about the future reliability of StellariumScope !!!
I haven't had the scope out for a while, so haven't can't offer any in-depth reports. I've gotten 0.19.3 up and running with mount and eqmod, but that was a while ago and I have only just been able to set up again. (things were in storage while the house was open for inspection etc...)
Yes, the USB port on the hand controller replaces the serial/USB cable. There is a setting (in utilities section of synscan) for "PC Direct" which needs to be selected when connecting the USB.
I'm getting things back up and running now, and will be experimenting with APT I think. I've now got a filter wheel, camera and mount to control so I'll start to look into getting it all together soon, in time for Planet Season .
Cheers
Stephen
Thanks for replying
I don’t use the PC direct method , I currently use EQ direct ( laptop to mount , hand controller unplugged not used )
I read Gion Kunz thread on CN regarding Ascom on Stellarium 0.19.3 so sort of got my head around it now but one procedure I can’t work out and that is when you open Stellarium and select EQMOD 5/6 in the “Ascom telescope chooser” and then press ok , this should launch the Ascom Setup to find your port to connect the mount. When this is done you hit Ok at the bottom and go back to the Ascom chooser window and hit ok. After this I normally hit connect button on the StellariumScope window which then launches EQMOD
So how does Stellarium launch EQMOD now
Hope my sequence makes sense