Skytools3 Heq5 Pro control

[muletopia (Chris)]

pre.cjk { font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback",monospace; }p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; } A question from a very confused member. Similar to the query about Stellarium scope. I have installed Skytools 3 and wish to use it for “goto” with my Heq5 Pro mount.I enable tracking mode in ST3
and ask it to slew to an object, it displays “slewing”
but nothing happens. I have installed ASCOM , told ST3 about my 'scope and set PC DIRECT MODE on my hand controller.I have a Keyspan USB to serial adaptor to connect the mount serial cable.
So I am not understanding something, probably many things. Has anyone been here and able to help? Cheers Chris

[Strawb (Dave)]

I think you are missing the appropriate driver for the mount . There is an older Celestron driver that some folks use otherwise I believe you need to install eqmod and then select that driver under 'Real time' tab

[muletopia (Chris)]

Thanks Dave,
I looked to install eqascom, first from yahoo groups, but they assume that one has mobile phone coverage, ha ha.
Then I downloaded the public version from the standard mirror, the initially nominated mirror did not work.
OK that gave me the setup exe which I then placed on my laptop. When I try to run it it fails with a succession of permission denied messages.
So is icacls the appropriate windows tool to change permissions? If so how does one use it? Windows always hurts my Linux head.
Cheers
Chris

[muletopia (Chris)]

For others used to Linux and not Windows.
The EQASCOM installed with no problem in 32 bit Win7 pro but behaved as described in Win7 pro 64 bit.

In the 64 bit system the following was required:-
right click the installer
select properties
select security

poke around and check "run as administrator"

Then the installation proceeds OK.
It behaves like sudo apt-get install EQASCOM.

Now to see if Skytools3 drives the Heq5 Pro
Cheers
Chris

[muletopia (Chris)]

When Skytools is asked to connect to the telescope the EQMOD initialisation screen comes up and location and slewing rates are set the first time. I have my bootstring cable plugged into the mount instead of the hand controller. However when a slew commend is issued windows complains that there is no driver for the TTL232R device. That is at least understandable.

Where do you find a driver to download?

Sorry to ask so many questions on what is probably a trivial exercise.

Cheers
Chris

[muletopia (Chris)]

Firstly a very big thank you to the blokes at Bintel, a couple of emails from them sorted my problem. I thought I had downloaded a driver for usb port but the second attempt worked. Then! magic, start Skytools, tell EQMOD to unpark the telescope,put up a Skytools observation list, select an object then hit the slew to button. Away it went.

So when the clouds clear I look forward to using the EQMOD polar alignment routine, it has to be easier than cycles though through Synscan's 3 star align polar align routine, although in fairness those cycles do attain about 10 seconds claimed error on polar alignment and the goto accuracy at 180X reflects this.

Again thanks Strawb and Bintel.

Chris