Astroplanner, PHD and EQmod

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Hi All,
I am going to be using Astroplanner as a way of organising myself on imaging nights. I gave it a go last night to slew the scope successfully to the target I wanted using ‘Connect to Scope’ in Astroplanner which of course needs EQmod running. Then I fired up PHD and started guiding. The graph in PHD was totally wacked with the DEC off the scale.

My question is :- how many programs can you have open that might want to control the scope and can it effect guiding in that they might be fighting with each other? Or does one take precedence over the others? I guess I can disconnect in Astroplanner but then when I want to slew to another object will it be lost as such?

Of course I realise that PHD could be off the scale for many other reasons!

Cheers
Dave

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

I don't have any experience with astroplanner but...

I run generally EQMod and Maximdl and that handles everything.

Ascom is a interface between all programs and your mount hence everything sends its commands there and ascom makes sure they get to your mount. with this in mind it should conflict with anything with the emphisis on shouldn't!

I find using the least amount of programs to do all your work is the best option eg for me EQMod is driver for the mount but maxim is the brains. it calculates all the movements needed for guiding, it also controls all the cameras, slewing, platesolving etc etc.

You can program maxim or you can utilize 3rd parties that control maxim in as much as it says connect all your devices, and then slew here it then sends eqmod its command eqmod goes to ascom then ascom goes to your mount. At least thats how I have interpereted the flow.

Hope that helps in a bit of the understanding

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Dave,
I use an ol' Acer laptop out in the observatory.
It controls my NEQ6pro mount via EQMOD and I normally have at least three cameras on the go for spectroscopy:
Software running-
EQMOD (telescope control)
CdC (checking eletronic finder FOV)
Astroplanner (planning and GTO)
AstroArt (image capture from ATik 314L+)
PHD (guiding with Lodestar)
Artemis Capture (control ATik16ic-S as electronic finder)

Then there's the USB focuser control!

This is with a powered USB hub on the mount. No issues, no problems.
Hope this helps.

[OzRob (Rob)]

I have had up to 4 programs (MaxIm, The Sky, FocusMas and CCD Commander) connected to EQMOD at the same time with no problems. They all see slewing if I slew with one of them. I am sure that Astroplanner will pickup the new con-ords when you reconnect it.

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will give it another try and see if Astroplanner is able to pick up the new co-ordinates after I slew with EQmod even if it hasn't been connected to the scope.