just managed to get my moonlight stepper motor working motor working

[h0ughy]

just managed to get my moonlight stepper motor working with the software. i had to download the FT232R - FTDI software and twenty five thousand attempts later i got the ruddy thing to talk to the computer.

I have had the scope and focuser now for three years, couldn't get it working last year because of driver problems so i aborted it and used another scope.

That part being done how now do i use this? will it work with the older version of FocusMax Version 3.8.0.19 ?

Yes i am greener than green with using this:P

of course i wish to use it at astrofest;)

[peter_4059]

Dave. Do you have Sequence Generator Pro?

[h0ughy]

yes i do Peter, bought that three years ago and haven't used it yet because I haven't had things working? If its a beer (or red wine ) economy then i might have to pay for a lesson while i am there ;)

[peter_4059]

What camera are you planning to use?

[h0ughy]

up there it will be the FLI 8300C

[rustigsmed]

nice one Houghy,

mine sometimes works through SGP the autofocus is fiddly sometimes says that the position in the stepper is outside the range it needs to make the focus curve.

[h0ughy]

well i hvent got up th that part yet. i went to use it last year at Astrofest but i couldn't get the thing to speak to the computer. i ended up focusing manually

[peter_4059]

So can you get the camera and the focuser to connect to SGP?

[h0ughy]

i will try later tonight or tomorrow - in the middle of building at the moment (and getting stuff together for the trip)

[h0ughy]

ok looking now on laptop yes i can see the focuser but i am too thick to work out how it is configured to save stuff? will have to RTFM!

[peter_4059]

Also see if you can take a frame and focus image through camera with sgp.

[h0ughy]

ok just looking at version and currently downloading v2.5.1.17. the FLI is packed carefully somewhere in a box but i have my ASI174MM that i was testing the focus on this afternoon

[peter_4059]

You need to ensure your imaging camera speaks to sgp or it wont work.

[h0ughy]

i will do that tomorrow as i have to move a stack of cladding to get to the area where the stuff is stored:(

[peter_4059]

Also check sgp can move the focuser ... ie the focus draw tube moves.

[peter_4059]

While you are at it ensure you download the index files for plate solve 2 and also install a local version of astrometry.net. instructions are in the sgp help file

[h0ughy]

ok doing the downloading of elbrus now

[h0ughy]

wow it must be huge

[peter_4059]

You don't need elbrus. Just astrometry.net and platesolve 2

[peter_4059]

Have a look at this for astrometry.net local instell

http://adgsoftware.com/ansvr/index.html

[peter_4059]

Here is the link to the plate solve 2 catalogs

http://planewave.com/downloads/software/

[h0ughy]

ok downloading

[peter_4059]

You only need the platesolve2 catalogs. The program is installed with sgp

[h0ughy]

do i still download the astrometry files?

question if you download the prescribed folder can you copy and transfer it to another computer?

[peter_4059]

Yes you need the astrometry.net files for blind solving.