Help with EQMOD+Stellarium+EQ6 first alignment

[mldee]

It's time for the big first goto alignment on my pier mount.

I've finally got all my gadgets working and a clear night sky; scopes side by side on EQ6, with all pointing in the same general direction:whistle:.

EQMOD drives EQ6 OK using Logitech wireless controller, and it's buttons are recognised etc in EQMOD controller config. I'm using direct USB-TTL cable from PC to pier-mounted USB hub to EQ6 DB9 connector. I can control the scope using the PC EQMOD screen or logitech buttons.

Stellarium scope installed and works OK, starts EQMOD and main Stellarium program. I'm using Stellarium 0.10.2 and it works OK, scope icon is visible on screen and moves when I slew scope using EQMOD or Logitech.

I select 1 star alignment in EQMOD and the box pops up but the accept and end buttons are greyed out. It asks me to select a star in astronomy program. I select Sirius by left click in Stellarium and that screen shows selected with details in LH corner.

Nothing new appears in the EQMOD box and nothing further happens.

What am I not doing / doing wrong?:doh:

Suggestions most welcome:help:

[peter_4059]

You need to slew to the star you have selected then center it using the hand controller (logitec). When centered click the accept button in the eqmod 1 star align screen.

[mldee]

Thanks Peter,I'll try a few dummy runs today and try the real thing tonight if it looks promising.

I had sort of tried doing what you suggest, but was a little reticent in case the mount slewed itself to death:eyepop:! On reading in IIS etc, it would appear that the initial slew should be done with a Control-1 in Stellarium before final alignment with the logitec. Correct?

I'll leave results tonight. Happily it's dark now by 5.30, so hope the clouds cooperate.

[peter_4059]

Mike - I don't use Stellarium so I'm not sure what the Control-1 is but the principle is the same in CDC and astroplanner when used with EQMOD. You bring up the 1-star or N-star screen in EQMOD then select and slew to a star from your planetarium software - this passes the coordinates of the object to EQMOD. You then center the object with the hand controller and press accept in EQMOD. You can try this without a star - just slew to one that would be visible during the day. I'm also in Brissie and happy to demo mine if you want to have a look.

Peter

[mldee]

Hi Peter, Yep, I also tried CDC but the learning curve out in the cold night air of the obs won out :scared:. I'll invest the time to learn it though, as it is obviously popular for a reason.

Control 1 - x is the slew-to-selected-star command in Stellarium, where the number refers to the scope number (for those of us that have multiple mounts I guess :sadeyes:)

I guess it's after that slew that the info is passed to EQMOD, so as I didn't do that slew from Stellarium, no info was passed. Dunno why I didn't do it, as all the procedures tell you to, except the damn EQMOD star align message which just says to 'select' a star.:mad2:

I'll tell Stellarium today to remove the daytime light and find a suitable star to slew to, I'll be pretty confident if it then passes any info back to the EQMOD star align box.

Just in passing, the EQMOD setup and functionality is very impressive for a free program. Worth a donation.

The combination of EQ6, EQMOD, Dontronics TTL-232R cable and Logitech gives a very elegant and cost effective user interface. Makes for an enjoyable and relatively painless entry into the hobby.

Once the mount is functioning with confidence, I'll then move onto autoguide from it using a Phillips 900C webcam with a cheap SW 700mm guidescope.

Then try a few tentative Canon 1000D pictures via the C8.

Love the learning curve:P

[peter_4059]

I agree Mike - getting EQMOD, the cable and the wireless HC was the best investment I've made in this hoppy. The pointing accuracy of EQMOD is very impressive - I used to spend a long time searching for the object after a slew. Now it's almost always on the CCD chip and if not I do a one-star sync and then its there on the next slew.

Peter

[mldee]

Good news Peter, Did a 1-star slew with Stellarium this morning and it passed back the info to EQMOD, so all looks good for a real run this evening.

Do you find much improvement in the N-star approach to simple 1-stars as needed? My major unobstructed sky segment is from S to NW, so would a good 3 or 4 star alignment be a better approach for that?

Your previous assistance has been much appreciated.

[peter_4059]

I always use three stars in the section of sky I'm planning to image. I use Astroplanner - the sky tab has a list of alignment stars similar to the Synscan controller list. I think you can also use EQtour as it has an alignment star list. The thing I like about astroplanner is I have my (bad) horizon mapped so I can instantly see which alignment stars are visible in the section of sky I'm interested in.

[RobF]

Is that the new (V2?) Astroplanner you're using Peter?

[peter_4059]

Yes Rob.

I'm part of the Beta test group. This version works with ASCOM.

Peter

[mldee]

Peter, thanks again for your help and advice.

It's up to me now to gain the experience.

No doubt tonight's clouds will help delay that a smidgen, but....a good time to learn CDC.

Cheers,

[peter_4059]

Half the forecasts are showing clear until midnight (others showing showers) :screwy:


I'm contemplating setting up.

[mldee]

I must confess that it took me about three cold nights to realise I was not suited to setting up scopes on tripods etc.

The last 6 months expenditure of labour and learning on my little RO obs next to the house is what made the difference in going into this hobby. (Although it also showed me that 8" dobs are not well suited to waving around on EQ5's in the obs, hence the C8!

My plan is to eventually run it from my office inside via ethernet, but quite a lot of experience to achieve before I get there.;)

[peter_4059]

Yeah - I need a RO obs but there isn't much left of a 16p inner city block after you put a house and pool on one. Might need to move!

[mldee]

The pool sounds like a good foundation spot for your obs. Don't forget to put the pier in as you fill the pool with concrete though :D

Think of the water you'll save :P

[peter_4059]

true - speaking of water have you had a look at the rain radar - better get those subs in quick.

[TheDecepticon]

If you are using Stellariom, did you unpark the mount first in EQMOD?

[mldee]

Yep, got it all up and working now, thanks for the suggestion though:thumbsup:

I did not have any great success on the 3 star alignment, but it was not because of the EQMOD or such. Just that when pointing at the stars I had chosen for maximum "spread", including one across the meridian, I found the scopes were pointing quite high, so the EP's were down very low.
My back and my glasses really didn't take to this at all :eyepop:
I have EP diagonals on the two refractor scopes, but the straight red dot and the finder scope were at really uncomfortable positions, so I rapidly got fed up as cloud was approaching and decided to put it all off until tonight, by which time I'll have a better action plan in place:screwy:, perhaps re-laying out the finder scopes' mounts.

I think an illuminated-reticle finder scope with diagonal eyepiece, mounted on the C8, is the answer, so will do some net exploring today. Suggestions welcomed.

I have a very relaxed outlook on things these days, (comes with approaching senility, I suppose), so I will putter along until I achieve a good alignment. May take a few days, but who cares? It's all good fun and learning experience.:nerd: