Pocket PC or laptop to drive dave eck's DSC?

[programmer]

Hi all

Have any of you used a PDA/PPC and appropriate software to drive their DSC? I'm about to add a second hand DSC to my dob, and I have a Dell Axim X50v pocket pc. I have Astromist which can interface to various DSC's, and I also have GPS which I believe Astromist can use to determine my location. I would have to buy a special serial cable for the pocket pc (I have located one online at Press Digital for $61 delivered). I was just wondering if anyone was in fact doing this successfully or whether it's just better to use a laptop/notebook. I don't have a laptop at the moment, so I'd have to get one. I've heard others mention they've sourced laptops for $40-50.. anyone know where to get one in this price bracket?

Thanks in advance

[Dennis]

I use an HP iPAQ hx4700 PDA (640x480 screen) and TheSky Pocket Edition to drive my German Equatorial Mount for a one night set up away from mains power. When I travel to an observing site with mains power and want to set up for more than one night, I always use a Notebook computer as the display is so much bigger and the software has many more functions.

At home, I use the Notebook almost 100% of the time.

Cheers

Dennis

[programmer]

Thanks for that. I'll almost certainly get a notebook, but might still get the PDA going just for the fun of it (although $60 for serial cable is as much as 2nd hand old laptop).

[Dennis]

I also use Bluetooth to control the mount via the PDA - it reduces the number of cables draped around the mount, and it has a high coolness factor, or used to, before everything became Bluetooth enabled, or Blackberry or whatever the latest coms protocol is now!

This required an (expensive) Socket Cordless Serial Adapter for Bluetooth operations.

Cheers

Dennis

[netwolf]

A cheaper alternative to the Socket cordless adapter is the Aircable one. I got mine plus cables from http://www.astrocables.com/
Have a look at Astromist a very full featured sky chart for the Palm and now the Pocket PC's. The also offer a discount on the Aircable adapter if purchased via Aircable directly.
Another software for the PPC that caught my eye was Tachyon looks very good also.

I bought my Aircable blutooth serial adapter from Astrocables because the sold the cable to power it from the Autostar.

I have the HX4700 but I have yet to use it for star charts. I prefer the laptop for that. The pocket PC would be ok if I was just setting up for Visual use. But as i am imaging an need the laptop it just makes more sense to use that.

Regards
Fahim