First Step on EQMOD learning curve

[sheeny]

What a teaser... beautiful clear skies this afternoon, so I opened to obs to let everything cool, only to have the cloud roll over as it gets dark. It seems to do that a lot to me lately:rolleyes:.

But never mind, I'm in the obs and I've managed to get EQMOD working for the first time. I found the com port by trial and error (I'm using a USB EQDIR from Astronomics:thumbsup:). From Eqtour I can connect and control the scope.:)

Question 1: From what I've read, when ASCOM and EQMOD are installed I should be able to see the telescope driver come up as an option in the planetarium software of my choice. Correct? I have Cartes du Ceil, but the telescope menu and toolbar remains greyed out. Is there something else I need to do to drive EQMOD from CdC?

There is a possibility I might have to reinstall Cdc... sometime ago my lappy was victim to a very early (in the life of the virus!) virus attack and I lost most stuff but some of the simpler programs (like Cdc) were recovered.

Question 2: has anyone using a GPS with EQMOD got any tips for setting up the GPS? On my first attempt at setting up the GPS and EQMOD, I found the GPS could be detected but would not repond to the GPS setup software... as I have 2 Powered USB hubs to drive all my devices from the lappy, I assumed the GPS was on a port number the software doesn't like. I'm not sure how to get around this yet:shrug:.

Any tips are welcome:). I'm glad I have the EQMOD/EQtour working though:thumbsup:.

Al.

[Visionoz]

Al

As far as my GPS was concerned I used one of the original USB ports of the PC/lappy directly and reconfigged it as COM2 (it was originally connected to a USB port off a 4-port USB hub, no go!) and it worked from then on. Using a Synscan GPS and with it any one of the two apps on the CD provided with unit will communicate with the GPS unit and will work; you must then ensure that the apps comms port option is set to what your GPS is assigned with - in my case Com2 & 4800bps and then change the output format to NMEA so that the EQMOD can acquire the NMEA output formatted data - you do have to wait a while for the GPS apps to acquire several satellites etc and you know that it is working when you see the icons of the sats turn from red to green and the positional information starts to appear eg your long/lat/elev etc

After launching the planetarium software, EQMOD can then be used to acquire the GPS data by clicking on the "GPS" button in the setup extension Window and follow the instructions provided in hte EQMOD manual

HTH

Cheers
Bill

[sheeny]

Thanks Bill. I wondered about connecting the GPS direct to one of the lappy ports to configure, but hadn't got around to it yet... I'll give it a whirl.

Al.

[peter_4059]

Al,

I have the GPS connected to a USB hub and have no problems. In CDC you open the telescope control panel dialogue and select EQMOD.Telescope as the driver. In the configure screen you need to set the com port to the one for your interface device.

Hope this helps,

Peter

[sheeny]

That's what I expected I think. My problem is that I can;t get to the telescope controls... they are all greyed out. I suspect I'll have to reinstall CdC. Not to worry I'll reinstall and try again.

Thanks,

Al.

[mithrandir]

Fire up Device Manager (right click "My Computer"->Manage)

Scroll the list in the right panel and expand the "Ports (COM &LPT)" entry. You should be able to identify them all by name. It's a bit harder if you have several of the same type of device.

Mark your hubs with which device should be in which port. As long as you always put them back in the same place they should keep the same names.

Some software can't cope with high COMxx numbers. I've seen one that will only work with COM1 and COM2. You can "View->Show Hidden Devices" and delete a low numbered COMx device that isn't connected. You should then be able to change the high COMxx number to the smaller number. If it won't let you do that, unplug and delete the other one too, then reboot and reconnect. It should get the lower number.

I've used the above method. I removed about ten "hidden" COM ports that had appeared over time to get all the ones I use to COM9 or lower.

[sheeny]

Thanks for the tip Andrew. I have read about this before, but been unable to do it as it has never shown any USB ports for me, but maybe the "Show hidden Devices" is what I'm missing;).

Al.

[mithrandir]

If something is operating as a pure USB device it will appear in the USB section. Many things pretend to be a COM port and that is where they show up in "Device Manager". For instance I have a DG-100 data logger (for GPS tagging photos) which seems to appear at more or less random COM port numbers.

[sheeny]

I've pliugged the GPS in to the lappy port and succeeded in setting it up.

Next step will be to see if it works through the hub:).

Al.

[Brendan*]

I installed a pc into a car a few years ago and had trouble with the hubs not allowing things to be "seen" properly like this .
It turned out in my case to be a power problem when splitting the usb's via the hubs on an "efficient" (read low) power computer .
When i got some hubs that had there own seperate power supply it all ran smoothly . Being a laptop its just a possibility that its a low power issue here too as theres not too much grunt behind those connections and gps can get hungry i believe .

Not too likely but its possible .

PS post count of one ! wheeeee.:welcome:

[sheeny]

Good thought Brendan, but I don't think that's it... both are powered hubs:).

BTW I reinstalled CdC last night and have access to the telescope menu and toolbar again.:thumbsup:

If I get the chance tonight, it'll be a trial run of the whole system again in the obs.:)

Al.

[TheDecepticon]

Hi! There is a Yahoo tech group for EQMOD if you want to join it. Lots of info and help.:)

[sheeny]

Yep, I'm on it.:)

I thought I'd post here first as my issues have been USB and CdC related.

Al.

[sheeny]

I got the whole system working this arvo.:thumbsup:

I had to allocate the GPS to COM2. It wouldn't work on COM7 (but had previously worked on COM6 direct connected to the lappy).

I've successfully slewed the scope from CdC and it all seems to be doing the right things.:) Just got to wait for some clear skies to tune the alignment/sync and run PECPrep.

:D

Al.

[Merlin66]

Al,
I've just made the "conversion" to EQMOD.
Used on both my HEQ5pro and the NEQ6. Majic!!!
( I also use the wireless numeric pad - better for the BoF than the "shoot me up" gamepad!)
I sync the star image just off the centre of the FOV ( you can use a custom FOV/ Camera box in CdC) to position the 1st order spectrum in mid field for the nominated star. That way you can use GOTO and the spectrum is always sitting there in the middle of the camera frame ready to go....

[sheeny]

Sounds very tidy!

I'm using the gamepad:). I just need to work out a way to attach a lanyard to hang the thing around my neck so it goes with me if I move around the obs:P:lol:. Maybe hang it off a belt like a tool belt...:lol:

Al.

[lacad01]

Al, good to hear it's all working for you :). I've also recently made the switchover to EQMOD. Received my EQDIR dongle from Shoestring couple days ago and have it all working merrily using Stellarium :thumbsup:
Good to hear the GPS is working - this is my next challenge. So far whenever I try and sync up EQMOD with my USB GPS, EQMOD goes into meltdown...not sure why as I've also assigned it a low Com port (2), set the baud/parity/stop-bits all ok so anyway will keep digging as to what's going on.

[sheeny]

I struggled a bit too with this until I ran the GPS software and told the GPS itself that it was on COM2...:shrug:. Don't know if you are having the same issue or not...

Al.

[lacad01]

:question: hmm, will give it a try. It's a Chinese job I got cheap off eBay and in Win dev man says it's "Prolific" which actually shows up on the list of tested GPS in the EQMOD Yahoo group. Will tinker around some more next chance I can.

[sheeny]

Sounds the same as the Synscan GPS... it uses the Prolific driver as well.;)

Al.

[pvelez]

I must say I flirted with the GPS thingy. Then I found that I can read my lat/long off the GPS built into my crackberry. So I simply enter it manually into EQMOD and off I go.

Pete

[TheDecepticon]

Hi guys! Just a note about EQDIECT & EQ6.(I know you are talking bluetooth, just some added info)
EQMOD is fantastic! I have been using it for quite some time now, and the level of control and functionality it provides are awesome.
I had a lot of trouble with connection through USB to the EQ6 using the Shoestring adapter and a USB to serial cable. It was woeful, continual loss of communication with the mount and reboots of PC's an planetarium software, drove me insane, even with a tested and recommended USB to Serial converter!
I then stumbled upon the fact that you can very easily and cheaply make your own EQ control cable. I think it is on the EQMOD source forge web site, but you need a 5v USB to serial TTL cable, a 9 pin DB connector, shroud and retainer pins. CAREFULLY(very) follow the instructions to solder the right wires to the connector(you can fry your mount), install the drivers and your done. Great control, still a cable, but 100% connection 100% of the time.

Cable
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/ftdi-usb-to-serial-ttl-level-5v-converter-cable.html

Must be a 5Volt cable!! Driver link is on this page, too.

Wiring diagram
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/MAYGSzZwV6pywivp1zIa2mJUxitH2BT0mVI BJIDwB21zSxf17c8g22k4fKN1fi-m0OLaWsrpeL0tXAFEk5XgWsi70nNPIiiynS _mhM2VZtCsfg/Hardware%20Tinkerers/Cable%20Solutions/DYI%20%20EQMOD%20Direct%20Cable.pdf
(this may be a members only link, sorry, not sure)

Hope this is some help, you don't need to buy a unit from the USA.:thumbsup:

[sheeny]

Yeah, I'm not concerned about position... as you say that's easy.:) Time accuracy is what I want the GPS for.;)


This probably what astronomics have done. I bought one of their USB cables. I preferred to do this to have a single device rather than 3 The alterntive I was considering was wireless).

Al.