[Nico13 (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Hi Ken,

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

The way I do it on my HEQ5 Pro is like Barry suggested....

First, I power the scope up and enter the parameters into the handset (basically the date and time as the other coords get stored in there), then perform a 2 or 3 star alignment.

When alignment is successful, I put the controller into Utility - PC direct mode, plug in the serial cable to the hand controller and start Stellarium Scope...

I have installed Stellarium Scope but haven't set it up yet.

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

This starts EQMOD automatically and then spawns Stellarium. The control codes for the scope are CTRL-1 for GOTO object, CTRL-3 for SYNC and CTRL-5 for STOP.

As the scope is already polar aligned to my marks on the ground, and Stellarium is set for the same coordinates as the hand controller, time, date etc.....then TECHNICALLY, you don't need to have a star alignment done unless you want to go back to the hand controller to use it to GOTO and object....

Simply use F5 in Stellarium to bring up the search box, enter the object you want and then press the space bar to keep it centered on the screen and then press CTRL - 1. The PC should "BONG" to say it got the command and then the mount should slew to the object you selected.

I'd been running the scope via the hand controller without Stellarium scope installed, it seems that the latest version has a driver for the EQ6 that doesn't use ASCOM but send its commands using the same protocols as the SynScan hand piece, (I think). Basically PC direct mode.

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Once it finishes, you should see the "scope" circle with a cross move on the screen to the object you have centered. Check through the eyepiece or camera that its in the centre of the FOV and then go back to Stellarium and press CTRL - 3 to SYNC Stellarium to the scope on the OBJECT you have selected.

Yep the mount was doing all that but no Stell/scope installed but I hadn't tried the sync step .

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

What this does is fine tune the object centre to your scope visual centre and then when you subsequently goto another object, you should find the field of view is spot on to the centre of the thing you wish to look at.

Yeh that was all working ok as well.

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Make sure that EQMOD has the Sidereal RATE clicked on (star button down the bottom) as mine for some reason as soon as I connect PC DIRECT mode, turns off Sidereal rate, so its not tracking the stars properly.

I have a Shoestring (EQMOD2USB) cable that I bought at great expence when I picked up my new NEQ6 Pro mount and this will do away with the SynScan headpiece altogether, I think I should be able to still run Stellarium via Stell/scope using the EQMOD ASCOM interface and still do a star align from within that configuration hopefully. Got to look into that a bit more.

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Then you can sit back, click on the screen and press CTRL-1 to goto any object in the Stellarium database and whooooooosh.....light speed to it via the scope.

Lots of fun when the kids are around and very convenient when imaging from a laptop as you can do quick test shots on the camera from your chair without having to punch in objects using the hand controller first.

Now that sounds like where I want to be in the not too distant future

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

I think from memory I didnt have to load any special plug ins into Stellarium for the scope bit to work or the reticule to appear, as I only recently downloaded Stellarium scope and Stellarium / EQ ASCOM etc, and it all just worked using the EQ5/EQ6 driver in EQ ASCOM.

Hope this helps, coz its fun to drive your scope like a tank commander from a comfy chair and watch it move like a gun turret.....



Cheers

Chris

Thanks for all that Chris,
It seems like there are a number of different configurations that will work with these latest versions of software, my aim is to get it to the least cumbersome setup that I can and maintain full functionality at the same time.
It's a great bit of kit and I don't mind the learning curve and the challenge of getting it working at its most optimum.
I have a desire to do some deep sky imaging and Carol is keen to see the outcome of it all as she is just amazed at what's out there.

You can look at all those stunning images from Hubble and the guys on here like Strongmanmike and Paul H just to mention a couple that do outstanding work but when you can take your camera from your own telescope and download the images that you yourself have just spent the evening taking it all seems so much more real to those around you and indeed yourself. So it's the challenge to do this and even on a low budget I won't mind if the images don't win prizes I be happy just to say I took those pictures.
I don't know how others feel about there work but I bet it makes them feel good to see their own pictures no matter how good or not so good it probably doesn't matter in the end it's just a lot of fun doing it.

Have a nice day and thanks.

Nico.