Autoguiding help

[5ash]

Up to now I have avoided the complications of autoguiding but have decided to bite the bullet and try. However I thought I'd get some advice on what i need in the way of hardware and software . I have an NEQ6 , windows computer, and ASI130MM camera , Orion guidescope . What I think I need is a GPUSB with cable to my mount , PHD software and an ASCOM driver. What I'm unsure about is what ASCOM driver I need , where to get it and how to use it. would appreciate some guidance.
Regards Philip

[peter_4059]

Phillip,

I think the AS130MM camera uses WDM when you use it with phd so you shouldn't need ascom drivers. You can download phd and get the camera working without the GPUSB but will need it to get the guide signals to the mount if you want to use the ST4 guide interface. If you are using eqmod you don't need a GPUSB - you can use pulse guiding through eqmod.

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/tutindex.html

Check out the guiding bit under documentation.

Peter

[ZeroID]

I've got the GPUSB guiding going. Actually pretty simple and works well for me. Just have to make sure you follow the steps during the setup and calibration run each time. The hardware arrangement is quite straight forward and only the once piece of software (PHD) is required..

[Merlin66]

As Brent says - gpusb works 100% with all guide cameras which don't have the built-in ST-4 port ie DSI etc.

[5ash]

I looked on the ZWO website where I downloaded the camera driver and they seem to have an ASCOM driver associated with this camera?
Philip:shrug:

[ZeroID]

Not required for PHD guiding, used for other purposes ie EQMOD which seems to use a different protocol to talk to the mount and system.

Sorry, not an expert on EQMOD but I dig computers and that seems to be the difference IMHO. I liken it to either selecting a PostScript driver or a HP driver for a printer. Both work but in different ways.

I always say Keep It Simple, works for me. :thumbsup:

[Tandum]

Philip,
There will be 2 drivers for the camera, one is the windows drivers so windows can see the camera and the other will be the ascom driver so ascom can talk to the windows driver which in turn talks to the camera. I suggest installing the windows driver so windows can see the camera and connect PHD to it using the WDM option in PHD and see what the the maximum exposure time you can get from the camera. I normally use 3 second exposures for guide cameras. Look for PHD here -> http://www.zwoptical.com/Eng/Cameras/ASI130MM/Software_others.asp If you can only get like .1sec exposures you won;t see many guide stars from the camera.

If the WDM driver will not let you do 3 second exposures then I'd look at installing the ascom driver and see if you can get longer exposures from that setup. You will have to download and install ascom 6.1 before installing the camera ascom driver or you'll have issues with it. Use PHD to connect to the camera but this time select an ascom camera and yours should be in the list.

If you don't need ascom then a GPUSB is definitely an option. It will connect your PC via usb and to your mounts guide port for guiding. Alternately you can use ascom and eqmod to talk to your mount from the PC and use that to send guide pulses to the mount. This is called pulse guiding and you don;t need a guide cable. Less cables on the mount is always good.

To get eqmod to work you either connect from a serial port to the cable that came with the mount plugged to the handset and put the handset in PC DIRECT mode to get a direct connection from the the PC to the mount. A usb to serial device can be used here for the serial port. The handset in this mode does nothing at all, all control is via the PC

Alternately you can buy an eqmod cable which can connect directly from a usb port to your mount, replacing the handset completely. Mine has been in a plastic bag in the parts box for a couple of years :)

I'm sure bintel sells these cables but I can't find them just now. Eqmod is the name of the skywatcher mount ascom driver. It's a community affair and works quite well.

[5ash]

Thanks everybody for putting me in the right direction.i think I have more than enough information to get me started.
Many thanks for all the help ,Philip:)