Wireless control of observatory gear

[gregbradley]

I bought a Netscape wireless I guess its a local area network modem a while ago but never implemented it.

I got it so I could run my observatory desktop computer from inside the house with a laptop so I didn't have to walk back and forth several times a night.

My laptop has built in wireless and is Vista, the desktop is XP.

Is it just a matter of plugging in the wireless router unit (looks like a hub) and then detecting the wireless signal in Vista through control panel or is there more to it?

How do you then get access to the observatory computers programs that are running (CCDSoft, The Sky)?

Greg.

[kinetic]

Hi Greg,

I'm not sure if Vista has Remote Desktop but that is what
I use when using a WIRED LAN setup on XP.
Others use VNC with success too I have heard.

I set up the network switch/hub first then connected with RD.
You setup a password to the outside dome PC and log on
from the inside PC.

Once past the login it is as if you are sitting at the outside PC.

I can also shift files from outside to inside using the Shared Documents
folder.

Is this what you meant?
BTW I didn't have a lot of success with a wireless LAN when I first tried
to set it all up as wireless. That's why I went down the wired path.
It works, is rock solid and very enjoyable to use.
Hopefully someone can help with wireless advice!

Steve

[Bassnut]

Im not an expert on this, but I think thats the wrong way round. Hook the modem/router to the phone line in your house, so you have a wirelesss network and your lap top can then be wireless anywhere in the house, then get a USB wireless adaptor (to match the modem/router,just a little cheap dongle thing that plugs into the OBs PC USB port) so it too can join the wireless network. This is then a standard wireless network set up which the modem/adaptor software and windows has instructions for setting up.

This is the way I have it, and it works because its standard.

To get access, I use Radmin, which allows total control of the remote PC, as if the laptop was actually the remote PC, as Steve says. Remote desktop is free and already in windows though, I havent used it.

Oh, and Radmin works over the internet, so dont even have to be at home to contol the scope :thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

Yes you both have the idea of what I want to achieve.

I'll google radmin that sounds interesting and I'll check the standard route as you say.

I don't have a landline at my remote site although there is a Telstra outlet pipe on my property maybe 75 metres from the observatory.

I like the idea of being to control it over the internet. If I ever setup solar power there I could hook up a phone line and
go remote internet imaging there.

Tempting but if anything goes wrong (and lets face it the more complext he setup the more likely something is going to happen)
its a 3.5 hour one way drive and no real neighbours to drop in for me. Alhtough I suppose i could line up someone a few kms away.
We're talking pretty remote here - 19kms down a dirt road to get there.

Greg.

[Gama]

Hi Greg,
I have a completly remote control observatory.
Everything is via a wireless network. I run windows RDP, and speed is great. Radmin is OK, i used this years ago, but found RDP easier.
If youwanted, you can use a wireless broadband service to access your setup.
Anyway, i can control, view and run anything as if i was in front of my observatory monitor.

I already mentioned this a few times on other threads.
Here is a shot of the desktop in my warm room, and not the observatory which was at 6 deg C. I was running WWT, The Sky 6 (Controlling my telescope), Maxim (Controlling the camera), PHD, (Guiding), and anything else i need to run at the time.
No slow downs, no freezing, etc.
I also run Maxdome II and my remote focussing control as well, but not in this image.

Theo

[gregbradley]

Thanks Theo.

Yes I have wireless broadband down there and it works quite well as long
as I use the antenna.

I'll try it out.

Thanks,

Greg.