EQMOD question

[peter_4059]

I received my USB to TTL serial cable today and after soldering the DB9 plug on and a couple of nervous moments as I switched the power on to the mount I can now report the cable works well. It operates happily through my USB hub and no smoke has appeared from either the lappy or the mount so far.

I have a question for the EQMOD users out there regarding autoguiding - is it still possible to use the Autoguider port on the mount (I already have the GPUSB) or do I have to guide via EQMOD interface and direct motor control now? The reason I'm wondering this is the guide speed setting is made within the handcontroller - how does the motor controller board know what guide speed with EQMOD? I know the EQMOD interface has these settings but I'm wondering if these apply if you connect via the guide port?

Thanks,

Peter

[AlexN]

Peter, yes you can... you just set PHD to guide through GPUSB rather than ASCOM :) You set the guiding rates through EQMOD control panel


Pulse guiding is much better though, its more accurate.. I keep my GPUSB with me at all times as a backup, just like my hand controller...

[peter_4059]

Thanks Alex - I thought you would know the answer. So how do you use PHD with EQMOD - ie what telescope do you select? Is everything else the same in terms of PHD calibration or are there more EQMOD settings to tinker with?

[AlexN]

select ASCOM in PHD for the scope.

phd calibration is exactly the same.. there are more adjustments you can make in eqmod to fine tune it, but without fine tuning it, it runs just like the gpusb..

[peter_4059]

excellent - thanks. More toys (and dials and buttons) to experiment with

:gamer:

[peter_4059]

More questions - I've realised I'm going to need a gamepad to control the scope while looking through the finder (bit hard to use the pc slew pad). I've checked the EQMOD site and while they have a list of compatible game controllers it looks like not all are equal. Some wireless, some not and it appears there might be calibration involved with some.

Is anyone using a game pad with EQMOD? If so what make/model? Do you have any issues with it? Do you remember where you got it?

Peter

[troypiggo]

I have the Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/pc_gaming/gamepads/devices/287&cl=US,EN), which is the one shown on the EQASCOM (http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/eqaindex.html) page of EQMOD site. After searching around several local stores and not having any luck finding one, I bought it online from Megabuy (http://www.shopbot.com.au/default.asp?kw=logitech+cordless+ru mblepad+2&position=search). It works.

[peter_4059]

Thanks for the info Troy - I'm looking to be the proud owner of a logitech rumblepad 2 in the morning.

[AlexN]

Yeah the gamepad was something I bought after the first use of EQMOD. Without it, doing star alignment is a real pain... If the star landed in the field of view of my camera, it wasnt so bad, but if it didnt, then the alignment could take quite a while as you have to go back and forth from the computer to the finderscope trying to make the correct adjustments... Very very frustrating... with the gamepad, its just like using the hand controller, get the star centered in the finder, go back to the laptop, center the star in the CCD field of view and go onto the next star...

I unfortunately bought the corded Logitech controller, and have since wished I'd spent the extra money getting the cordless one, as there is already QUITE a lot of cables involved in my setup... one more really is a pain! :)

[peter_4059]

Picked up the wireless rumble pad and have it working now. As you say it is quite handy. Shame you can't confirure the three movement controls to do different things.

[danielsun]

Yes you can Pete, you can configure any button to do anything.
In EQmod click on the configure button beside initulise in the joystick section.

[peter_4059]

For some reason the configure panel doesn't want to recognise the d-pad, left stick (button 11) or the right stick (button 12) however it does recognise these as controlling the slewing. I was hoping to be able to configure one stick as stop, the dpad to perform other functions and the other stick to slew.

[danielsun]

Yes I remember now that mine was a little tricky to configure.
With mine I remember that during the configure I could only move the toggle in two directions only and don't let the numbers go to zero, or you have to do it again.
Also don't forget that the slew speeds start at the slowest so you have to keep pressing the increase speed before you get any movement though you should be able to hear it affect the slewing straight away when pressing.
It is a little difficult to explain but I hope it helps. I also have to redo mine after just getting my laptop back after a crash and total clean out.

Cheers Daniel.