Telescope Control of Skywatcher Mounts using EQMOD and Stellarium

[Startrek]

For anyone who's interested, hers my final documented procedures for Telescope Control of Skywatcher mounts using EQMOD and Stellarium


3 Procedures attached -


1/ Original method using EQ Direct and Stellarium Scope as 3 party driver


2/ Latest method using EQ Direct and Ascom


3/ Latest method using USB2 Direct and Ascom


Hope this helps if your choosing this path of Goto and navigation for your Skywatcher, Orion or Skywatcher Saxon mount



Ive spent the last week during a spate of rainy weather testing all 3 methods on my EQ6-R mount and apart from a few minor problems its working perfectly



Thanks


Martin

[Merlin66]

Martin,
great stuff!!
What about publishing in similar PDF format the processes for EQMod and Cartes du Ciel:
-with Ascom/EQDir cable
-with Ascom/Synscan Handcontroller (PC Direct mode)
-with Ascom/ USB2 direct ( for the new mounts with USB connection)

[Startrek]

Sorry Ken
I reckon you can volunteer for the Cartes Du Ciel procedures since your the supreme expert on that program
Frankly I think I’ve done enough on this topic of EQMOD etc... It’s taken me hours and hours to bench test and put it all together , but happy to share on the forum so others can benefit
Over and out ......
Martin

[Merlin66]

Martin,
Understood:):);)
A couple of other spectroscope priorities, but may look it.
Ken

[Hemi]

Brilliant Martin,

I’ve been using EQMOD and an azeq6 for a couple of yrs. It can be finicky and order driven etc, and even now a seeming inconsequential action can befuddle things. All that said, I love it, and “hello, it’s Chris from eqmod here” is wonderfully responsive as is the whole eqmod community on groups.Io

I read your guides with interest, and certainly learnt a few things.

I think you should post PDF versions on the eqascom group, it would be very well received.

Cheers and once again thanks for always going out of your to help us lesser mortals.

Hemi

[Startrek]

Hemi
Thanks so much
It was a lot of work to bench test and iron out all the bugs but it’s done now and I’m anxious to get out there and use it ( the last 2 or 3 weeks has been cloudy and wet here on the east coast )
I think we all owe Gion Kunz a big thank you for developing Ascom control and support for Stellarium. Now we don’t have to rely solely on StellariumScope to launch EQMOD and use Stellarium
The new Ascom platform makes life so much easier now
You can still use StellariumScope if you want to but using the Ascom platform to open and run EQMOD is so much better and more stable
Sooner than later StellariumScope will be obsolete
Thanks again
Martin

[Wilsil]

I can confirm that my mount and Stellarium works. :-)
Last Friday I put it to the test.
After I set the location and time correctly (duh), after selecting the moon, the mount slew close to the moon. Adjusting the mount with the EQmod and CTR + Shift +1 they were sync'd.
Next was Betelgeuse and another star in Orion, slew, adjust, sync.
I selected M42 and bam, centred in the FOV.

[Startrek]

Wilco
That’s great mate
The more you Sync the area around an object m, the next slew will be bang on target
I haven’t used the latest procedure outside yet as it’s been crap weather for 3 weeks
I might get out tonight ? Or tomorrow night , then put it through it’s paces
I reckon it’s better than plate solving, less mucking around through software commands and settings
The more you use it the better it gets
Thanks for the feedback , very encouraging
Cheers
Martin

[Startrek]

A rare clear night in Sydney last night so set up my 6”f6 newt and EQ6-R mount to live test the latest Ascom EQMOD and Stellarium with USB2A to USB2B cable
After polar aligned, I slewed and sync’d across the night sky on both sides of the meridian and everything worked perfectly, very accurate
Chose the Helix to try an accuracy test , found a 5 mag star about 5 degrees away , sync’d it then pressed the Helix , scope slewed to it , took a 2 minute test exposure and it ended up smack dab in the centre of the APT reticle
Captured just over an hour before some high cloud bands moved in from the south west , I’ll continue the Helix on another night
Very pleased with the performance of this latest Ascom Stellarium with EQMOD