Help for PolarAlignMax/FocusMax

Zuts · #1 29-04-2008, 08:31 AM

Hi Guys,

I have been using Focusmax with my robofocus unit and it works great, focuses in under a minute.

So, I thought I would try PolarAlignMax. When I load it it says choose telescope hub. I try and select Focusmax as the hub but it still cant recognise my mount/scope.

My setup is, EQ6 with SBIG camera connected to guide port. Copies of The Sky, CCDSoft up and running. Focusmax up and running. All this software works well for focusing but I want to polar align as well.

1) Can focusmax act as a software hub and somehow control the mount via the SBIG or am i completely misunderstanding and i need to buy a hardware hub?
2) On a related note K3CCDTools does not seem to work with SBIG cameras, is this just me, the demo version i have loaded or what?

On the off chance I connected a shoestring GPU USB into the mix, from laptop to guideport and disconnected the SBIG from the guideport but still no go.

Any help appreciated
Paul

Zuts · #2 30-04-2008, 07:50 PM

Hi,

Nobody knows if i can use PolarAlignMax with my setup; and still retain the handcontroller or do i have to remove the hand controller and buy some more hardware?

Paul

netwolf · #3 07-05-2008, 08:58 AM

I think PAM works with CCDSoft and TheSky for plate solving to see how far of the pole you are. So perhaps you should select CCDSoft or TheSky as the hub. Alternatively try installing Orchestra, TheSky should place the install file for Orchestra in this folder "C:\Program Files\Software Bisque\TheSky6\Orchestrate". This program i believe could act as the hub you are looking for.

rogerg (Roger) · #4 07-05-2008, 02:42 PM

Hi Zuts,

Sorry I missed your original post.

I have tried exactly what you are trying, using PolarAlignMax, and using TheSky/CCDSoft.

I am having trouble remembering how far I got with it, I'm pretty sure I did have success with it but am having trouble remembering the details.

FocusMax cannot act as a ASCOM Hub, but POTH can, which comes with ASCOM. You should connect to your telescope using POTH then connect the rest.

You will need to get TheSky running through POTH also. That can be done using instructions on the ASCOM site (if you can't find them, let me know and I'll dig them out). The ASCOM interface to TheSky is not ideal. I found it was CPU intensive and didn't work anywhere near as nicely as the "raw" TheSky interface. There's been discussions on that here in the past, perhaps searh "TheSky and ASCOM in the forum.

Once you get POTH running with TheSky and PolarAlignMax going through it, you should be able to get things hapenning right. But as I said before, I can't remember exactly why I didn't continue using PolarAlignMax. It might have simply been the clunky TheSky/ASCOM interface. I also don't adjust my alignment often being a pemanent setup.

I agree that FocusMax is excellent and works nicely. Life saver really, especially with automation, it's just great.

PM me if you have problems and want more info, I'm not getting back to the forums as much right now.

Roger.

Zuts · #5 07-05-2008, 03:23 PM

Thanks Roger and Fahim.

I have just ordered EQMOD from shoestring so may be OK now. I wanted to do it just in software but not sure it is possible. Now that i will be able to connect the mount directly to my laptop i hopefully wont have any issues.

If I do i will certainly PM you

Cheers Paul

jase (Jason) · #6 07-05-2008, 06:06 PM

"Ditto" sorry I missed this post Paul. Nowadays I seem to get trapped browsing the deep sky forum.

Yes, FocusMax can act as an ASCOM hub. Its rather unique in that regard (can act as a server/client/both). I don't personally use it that way but it supports it. You simply connect the hub to the ASCOM telescope driver, then all applications to the hub. POTH is probably a better option.

As Roger indicates, there is a little fussing around getting TheSky working with ASCOM. You need to use the Telescope API for it to function. There is plenty of info on setting this up. I've got it working fine - let me know if you need further info.

Now, PolarAlignMax... good software. However you need to know your mount mechanics. i.e. if the plate solve result tells you that you're 1.7 degrees off the pole, you need to know how many turns of knobs etc will dial you into better alignment. The process is iterative and can be time consuming. That has been my experience anyway. For polar alignment software (other that TPoint/TheSky) I use PEMPro v2. Hones in your polar alignment through a very easy to follow CCD drift alignment procedure - with the added bonus of correcting PE if desired - value for money.

netwolf · #7 07-05-2008, 06:08 PM

Paul,

I dont understand why you need the EQMOD?
You have a Goto Handcontroller for your EQ6 I assume, this should have a port to connect to your computer for ASCOM control. All you need is the correct cable from the HC to your PC RS232 port.

Regards
Fahim

Zuts · #8 08-05-2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by netwolf

Paul,

I dont understand why you need the EQMOD?
You have a Goto Handcontroller for your EQ6 I assume, this should have a port to connect to your computer for ASCOM control. All you need is the correct cable from the HC to your PC RS232 port.

Regards
Fahim

Hi Fahim.

As I understand it you need to rewire your handcontroller to do this. This is why shoestring developed the EQMOD adaptor which basically does what the initial EQMOD did to the hand controller. Anyway I have already ordered it so unfortunately it's a bit late

Paul

Zuts · #9 08-05-2008, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase

"Ditto" sorry I missed this post Paul. Nowadays I seem to get trapped browsing the deep sky forum.

Yes, FocusMax can act as an ASCOM hub. Its rather unique in that regard (can act as a server/client/both). I don't personally use it that way but it supports it. You simply connect the hub to the ASCOM telescope driver, then all applications to the hub. POTH is probably a better option.

As Roger indicates, there is a little fussing around getting TheSky working with ASCOM. You need to use the Telescope API for it to function. There is plenty of info on setting this up. I've got it working fine - let me know if you need further info.

Now, PolarAlignMax... good software. However you need to know your mount mechanics. i.e. if the plate solve result tells you that you're 1.7 degrees off the pole, you need to know how many turns of knobs etc will dial you into better alignment. The process is iterative and can be time consuming. That has been my experience anyway. For polar alignment software (other that TPoint/TheSky) I use PEMPro v2. Hones in your polar alignment through a very easy to follow CCD drift alignment procedure - with the added bonus of correcting PE if desired - value for money.

Thanks Jase,

That PEMPro software looks excellent. I will definately download it and give it a go as it looks like what I am after. If it works for me, i will consider forking out the 150 USD.

The point is, FocusMax lets me focus in under one minute including setup. So the money spent on that saves me at least an hour each night I used to spend on focussing. If PEMPro can cut my Polar aligning from the current 60 minutes to say 20 minutes then it will also be a great bargain.

Paul

netwolf · #10 09-05-2008, 09:58 AM

Paul I assume you have an older hand controller version 2 perhaps? I think version 3 can support.
I too am looking at Pempro but am not sure how well it would work with my non-goto DSC setup at present.

Regards
Fahim

rogerg (Roger) · #11 09-05-2008, 10:19 AM

I have tried PEMPro for removing PE from my LX200. I didn't have success. Turns out my RA motor had something wrong with it, I swapped it over, and even now with a fully working RA motor with quite low PE (measured by PEMPro to be about +/-7 I think) I find PEMPro doesn't improve the PE.

I know lots of people have success with PEMPro, and I know there must be "user fault" issues resulting in PEMPro not working in my case, but fact is I simply don't get good results from it.

What I was finding is that PEMPro would reduce the PE according to the graph results it measures, but in reality my photographs would show more trailing. I conculded that the resulting PE was more "sharp" and less "smooth" than before the PEMPro adjustments.

As a result I went back to using the in-built PEC on the LX200 and have much better results, back to being able to take 30 and 60 second un-guided exposures where most are not trailed at all and at worst they are slightly trailed.

I didn't try the polar alignment correction aspects of PEMPro.

You should be able to get your polar alignment down to about 30mins without anything fancy like PEMPro. You just need to be methodical and accurate with your corrections. Doing a drift alignment you need to measure your corrections and time your drift sessions, then you should be able to get a very accurate alignemtn in about 30 minutes I'd suggest. That's what I find anyhow.

Roger.