EQ6Pro Planetarium GOTO with GPUSB or Only RS232?

[leinad]

I picked up a GPUSB last week(guidescope and guidecam on future to-do list), and Im wondering can this be used to GOTO with Planetarium Software such as Starry Night without using a webcam?

Or can Software GOTO only be done with the RS232 Adaptor to Handcontroller.

What I'd liketo do is control the mount with GOTO through the software and use the handcontroller as well. Will the software see the controller slew movements and the software will update position on the screen?

And vise-versa if I GOTO from software will the mount and controller update its RA/DEC values?

My laptop has no serial port, so Im relying on a Rs232 ATEN adaptor.
Ive installed Celestron ASCOM Drivers and ASCOM Platform, and can now GOTO, Slew with Starry Night ProPlus 6
Synscan Version is 3.20.

Any help is much appreciated!! :)

[AlexN]

In theory I dont see why the GPUSB couldnt be used to slew the mount around much like the serial cable does, however straight out of the box, there are currently no drivers to support such operation.

Your best bet is to extend the cable from the mount to the hand controller via a Rj45 -> Rj45 female to female adapter and a Cat5, straight through network cable. Plug the hand controller cable into the mount as usual, plug the adapter into the other end, plug the network cable between the adapter and the hand controller, and then use the short serial to RJ11 cable from the PC to the hand controller (which will then be right beside your computer).

I've never looked specifically, but from memory, slewing through the sky 6 does not update the HC RA/DEC. Last time I tried it, The screen on the hand controller was static. stating that it was pointed at M7, even after multiple slews to different objects..

[leinad]

Last night was a good opportunity for testing. Although the moon washed out most of the targets I wanted to view it was still a good night for testing my polar alignment skills and GOTO using Starry Night.

The ATEN Usb-to-Serial adapter worked perfectly. I was able to select a target in Starry night and the scope would slew to the target just as it would if using the HC. I could even still use the HC to move around to center the target, and this would be reflected in Starry Night. Very impressed.

The HC did appear Static with RA/DEC information but this didnt bother me one bit.

I'll be out again tonite! :D