EqAlign new version

Enrique · #1 21-10-2008, 12:09 AM

After several weeks of travelling, for working reasons unfortunatelly, I finally could set up the telescope and try the new EqAlign version (http://www.eqalign.net/e_downloads.html). The programmer, Antonio Fraga, corrected some problem for the southern hemisphere. I did some tests for him and suggested some improvements during the past few months.

It took me 20 minutes last night to do a very high precision polar alignment with a focal length of 3000 mm. I have not tried the autoguiding function yet, I am still using Guidemaster.

Try the program, if you have any problems let me know.

Enrique

iceman (Mike) · #2 21-10-2008, 05:07 AM

Sounds interesting, thanks Enrique.

Tandum (Robin) · #3 22-10-2008, 10:01 PM

Enrique,
I gave this a run tonight and it crashes on me. I see it connects to the mount and the guide camera but crashes shortly after with an unhandled exception. I have attached the error logs. I tried it on an eq6pro with both a gpusb and qhy5.

I'd say this function is at fault : EQA.Controls.UCProjection.Start()

TrevorW · #4 25-10-2008, 11:07 AM

Would this work with a Orion Autoguider ??

Matty P (Matt) · #5 25-10-2008, 01:27 PM

Looks great, might give it a go tonight.

AlexN · #6 30-10-2008, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Would this work with a Orion Autoguider ??

Tandum's QHY5 is an Orion Autoguider.. (well the other way around considering QHY designed the thing)

Tandum's system did not like the program with the QHY5, I dare say it will have the same problems with the Orion..

netwolf · #7 31-10-2008, 01:08 AM

Alex, on the EQalign website they do give you the method to get the Qhy5 working. You need to copy the dll file to the Eqalign directory.

Edit: sorry just read Tandum's real life results.

regards
Fahim

Tandum (Robin) · #8 31-10-2008, 02:14 AM

I don't think the camera was my problem, it did the same thing with a DSI and GPUSB. I'm pretty sure it connected to the camera and the mount just fine. I could be missing an MS redistributable or something, I run the laptop pretty lean, no crap installed

Did it work for any of you guys?

AlexN · #9 31-10-2008, 02:28 AM

since barambah i dont even let my laptop install updates...

I have actually even considered a clean install with nothing installed that is not required for astro imaging.

Enrique · #10 03-11-2008, 12:25 PM

Gents, sorry for the delay in answering, I have been away. I will pass this thread to Antonio Fraga (the programmer). The crash has to be resolved by him.

I have a QHY5 and I did the EQAlign testing for the southern hemisphere with it. In fact, EqAling detects the QHY5 and the imbedded web cam that my Toshiba laptop has. I understand that the Orion Autoguider is the same camera as the QHY5. It if uses the same drivers, it should work. Let’s see what the programmer says.

Regards,

Enrique

netwolf · #11 03-11-2008, 07:29 PM

Enrique,

You will find that the Orion uses a slightly diffrent driver, and hence is identified as a Orion Autoguider camera not a Qhy5 to the PC. So The EQAlign program would need to have specific support for the Orion Autoguider camera. The Qhy5 and Orion are similar and as such it does not seem that it would be that complex to add this camera.

If you wanted to you could change the firmware on your Orion camera and make it into a Qhy5 and then use the Qhy5 drivers. But I think better to try and get the author to add the Orion and other variations of the Camera.

Regards
Fahim

Enrique · #12 04-11-2008, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

Enrique,
I gave this a run tonight and it crashes on me. I see it connects to the mount and the guide camera but crashes shortly after with an unhandled exception. I have attached the error logs. I tried it on an eq6pro with both a gpusb and qhy5.

I'd say this function is at fault : EQA.Controls.UCProjection.Start()

Tandum: this is a message from the programer, Antonio Fraga, and transladed by me:

"Thank you for reporting the error file, it helps us to improve. This error was involuntary introduced while implementing the new auto guiding system and only occurs when the program is installed for the first time. It would have been very difficult for me to detect it without the reports from the users. The error has been corrected in the last version here http://www.eqalign.net/projects/EQAlign-2_1_2_beta.exe. Please test it and if you find any problems, please let me know.

Thanks to you and clear skies to all the Australian Amateur Astronomers"

Regarding to the Orion Autoguider: the programmer confirms that the drivers are different from the QHY5. This is the reason why the Orion Autoguider is not detected

Regards,

Enrique

Tandum (Robin) · #13 04-11-2008, 10:25 PM

Cheers Enrique, I'll try this new version when the weather clears.

PeterO · #14 12-11-2008, 01:20 PM

I tried this last night and I can tell you it works well (my new favotite program), a big thanks to the programmer and any beta testers.

Peter

TrevorW · #15 12-11-2008, 04:37 PM

[

Regarding to the Orion Autoguider: the programmer confirms that the drivers are different from the QHY5. This is the reason why the Orion Autoguider is not detected

Enrique any chance of the programmer incorporating support for the Orion Autoguider drivers, this would be really helpful to a lot of people

Please

Amigo

allan gould · #16 14-11-2008, 10:38 AM

Just installed the 2-1-2-beta version and still getting the above error on first time installation. Do you have to have a webcam attached while starting the program?

PeterO · #17 14-11-2008, 07:29 PM

I don't know Allen, each time I've used it I have had the guide cam (CCD Labs QHY5) already hooked up.

Peter

AdrianF (Adrian) · #18 14-11-2008, 09:52 PM

I have just downloaded the program and it locked the PC as soon as I tried to use it. The PC just froze until I hit the reset button

Adrian

Enrique · #19 15-11-2008, 05:54 PM

Gents: sorry for the delay. I am travelling again.

Allen: I always have the camera connected and recognized by windows before I run the program. I do not have the program with me to test if it could detect a camera that is connected after the program starts. I recall it does not but I am not sure.

TrevorW: Antonio informed me that as soon as the drivers for the Orion Autoguider are available for him to use, he will be able to habilitate the program to recognize the camera. I understood there are license issues or something like that, non technical, to define first.

PeterO: did you make the program work the first time you tried it?

AdrianF: I will request the programmer to read this thread. Please report any problems you find.

Regards,

Enrique

PeterO · #20 15-11-2008, 06:40 PM

Enrique,

I can not say for sure, prior to using it proper I had it open and closed a few times (no camera) just messing around and looking at it then later on hooked the camera up and used it. If your asking if it crashed/locked the computer at any time no it did not.

Peter