serial or gpusb?

[vash (Ashley)]

I'm almost ready to get my auto guiding system up and running, (yay for me).

I have a laptop at the moment but It was originally used in mining site and is prone to dying a lot, It blue screen constantly so I formated it but now it just drops out into nothingness and I figure it's time to get a new one, (it only cost a $100 and was good to learn the lpi on and doing a few word documents,)

So I'm wondering is it better to get a laptop that has a serial port and get a serial to st4 if one exists or go for the shoestring GPusb with a laptop that I can find easily, as I feel that one with a serial port maybe on the really hard side to find.

The next question is could anyone recommend a decent laptop at a decent price, I won't be using anything more than an lpi + guiding and a few word program along maybe a point and shoot camera. Although in the future I would like to get a better guide camera, I'm think a DMK of some sought.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Sounds like the list of things you want to do with the lappy is increasing. Next you will be controlling your 350D completely via lappy as well as all the other bits and pieces that go with imaging. I would suggest go the Shoestring guiding thing GPusb heard some great reports of it and there are plenty of people who can help you if it doesn't work. As for the laptop get something with a bit of grunt, sure you will be paying more but eventually you will want to do more with it. I would suggest something with 80gb + HDD with 1GB + of ram. I thought pretty much the same as you, I will only use it to guide or whatever, but now I do full mount control via EQMOD and Full guiding and camera control via one laptop. If you can find a laptop with serial and parallel ports also USB with the above specs, then you would have found yourself a bloody good Astro laptop.

[snowyskiesau]

You won't find many modern day laptops with a builtin serial port so you'll
need to go with USB or get a Cardbus/PCMCIA serial card.

As far as laptop brands go, I'd go with IBM Thinkpad. These are rugged, reliable units
and can be picked up second hand quite cheaply.
For some cheap new and second hand laptops go have a look at http://graysonline.com.au

[vash (Ashley)]

yeah, I would hate to think that I would do that, but I'm sure down the track it is the next step up.

The laptop at the moment has a 20 gig hard drive, 256 scratch that 240 meg of ram and a whopping 933Mhz Pentium 3 and USB 1.1. This thing can crash faster than any other computer I ever used, even the old Amiga took longer than that, anyway enough sarcasm.

I'm sure that any new laptop will be faster/ more reliable than this thing, but I will look around for one, shame the macbook pro cost so much, but I'll look around, I just thought that there might be one magical laptop out there that has it all.


edit- It took me 2 years! but I fianly reach 100 Posts go me

[Terry B]

My CCD needs a parallel port so when my old laptops hinges smashed I had great difficulty getting a lappy with a parallel port. I think the same thing applies now with serial port. I got one second hand from http://www.laptop.com.au/
You don't need as powerful computer to run a camera or a guider. I don't process anything on mine, just transfer the files via a thumb drive onto my desktop. If the computer is just to go outside in the dew with your scope get a cheap one that is essentially disposable.

[h0ughy (David)]

the gpusb - and congrats on the 100 posts

[vash (Ashley)]

yeah, I was thinking the GPusb would be the way to go. I'll see how much longer this laptop will keep going but I would like to get a new one.

I have everything else now ready to go, just a matter of getting the guide cables, got the mount, guidescope, tube rings, camera, laptop just missing the last little bit.

I'll Shop around though no big rush

[vash (Ashley)]

well, I went around today looking at different shops to see what I could get, for around 1200 you can get one that has xp and all the extras along with the ability of vista, Because it will be used as a normal computer as well it would be better to just go for a new computer and just make a hood for it to keep the dew of it.

[vash (Ashley)]

I think what my plan is now is to use it for both guiding and image editing because the laptop I looked at today is faster than my current editing system, So I may as well just get the new laptop have the ability to guide and edit images all on the one system.

currently I'm using a Pentium 4 2.2 gh and 1 gig 433mhz ram with an 80 gig hard drive.
The laptop I looked at has a Pentium dual core 1.87ghz, 1 Gig 667mhz ram an a 120gig hard drive.

I figure that the laptop would be at the least on par with the current system I am using, Plus I have a home ready for my computer as my brother wants to get a better computer for his eBay business, which would pay for half the new laptop.

[h0ughy (David)]

depending on where you work you could purchase a laptop if your employer allowed you to salary sacrifice - I just bought a Hp pavillion laptop hp9009 cl for $1520 - with XP and has a second HDD, 17" brightscreen its a greast buy - and with the package was just about $1000, so I got over 500 back - that is a great way to be!!

[vash (Ashley)]

well I can claim it on my tax next year anyway being a graphic designer part time.

[vash (Ashley)]

well here's an Update,

MY GPUSB just arrived, and judging by the BOM radar the rain is just about to hit too, it's at Springbrook now.

Anyway as far as laptops are concerned I thought I had more money than whats was in my bank, so I might have to wait a little longer though my old one decided to work fine the other night imaging mars.

(rain just started)

which program would be best suited for the LPI?
I've got guidedog and PHD but are there any others or which might be more suited to the LPI