How to use Stellarium 10.2 Telescope control options

[mldee (Mike)]

Thanks to Peter_4059 I have been able to achieve some promising drift alignment results. I then moved on to a N-star alignment with EQMOD 1.17d, which has a significant change to the alignment interface, apparently requiring use of the SYNC function to accept a star. I have yet to find a user guide for the new version.

When you click on the telescope function in Stellarium it initially asks you if you wish to slew or sync. I selected slew and clicked the little box to always do a slew, thinking I could change it later.

I can't find anyway to change it as the box no longer comes up, it always slews , so I can slew the scope to a star, align it correctly, but am unable to sync, so can never complete the alignment.

The 10.2 user manual is still very short on telescope control info, so Barry, what's the answer? I tried CDC and all worked fine, but I would prefer to use Stellarium if it will do the job.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Mike,

You should find a copy of the EQMOD user manual in your c:\program files\EQMOD directory (if that's where yo installed EQMOD) It's a PDF file called EQMOD_doc.

Peter

[mldee (Mike)]

Thanks for that Peter, and it's even up to date!

As I had donwloaded 117 yesterday evening, I hadn't gotten around to searching for the update changes docs, so was stumbling a bit last night.

All looks good now, I'll try another couple of drift alignments if the skies stay clear, last night I only did Azimuth as the full moon was blaring away in the East. Now I've got the hang of it, no big deal, just like you said

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by mldee

Thanks to Peter_4059 I have been able to achieve some promising drift alignment results. I then moved on to a N-star alignment with EQMOD 1.17d, which has a significant change to the alignment interface, apparently requiring use of the SYNC function to accept a star. I have yet to find a user guide for the new version.

When you click on the telescope function in Stellarium it initially asks you if you wish to slew or sync. I selected slew and clicked the little box to always do a slew, thinking I could change it later.

I can't find anyway to change it as the box no longer comes up, it always slews , so I can slew the scope to a star, align it correctly, but am unable to sync, so can never complete the alignment.

The 10.2 user manual is still very short on telescope control info, so Barry, what's the answer? I tried CDC and all worked fine, but I would prefer to use Stellarium if it will do the job.

Hi Mike

I don't quite get what you mean by a box coming up originally and not now.

The only telescope controls I use are the LX200 and these just read the position of the telescope in RA/Dec and feed it to Stellarium where the RA/Dec position on the screen is displayed as a circle and cross.

When you wish to slew the telescope you press Ctrl with the number you allocated to the scope and Stellarium sends the new RA/Dec coords to the scope followed by a slew (goto) command.

If you are using the ASCOM driver. This was written by someone not of the project so you will need to check with the ASCOM people. It is possible that the EQ mount driver supplied by them has changed.

Regarding a later user manual we are working on that and I have a version (incomplete) for version 0.10.2 but there are so many changes with 0.10.3 that I have stopped editing it till the changes are finalised.

Barry

[mldee (Mike)]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Hi Mike

I don't quite get what you mean by a box coming up originally and not now.

The only telescope controls I use are the LX200 and these just read the position of the telescope in RA/Dec and feed it to Stellarium where the RA/Dec position on the screen is displayed as a circle and cross.

When you wish to slew the telescope you press Ctrl with the number you allocated to the scope and Stellarium sends the new RA/Dec coords to the scope followed by a slew (goto) command.

If you are using the ASCOM driver. This was written by someone not of the project so you will need to check with the ASCOM people. It is possible that the EQ mount driver supplied by them has changed.

Regarding a later user manual we are working on that and I have a version (incomplete) for version 0.10.2 but there are so many changes with 0.10.3 that I have stopped editing it till the changes are finalised.

Barry

When I initially pressed control-1, a two-section box came up with the choice of 'Slew' or 'sync' and an option to do only that function in future.

There is now no box when I press Control-1, it just slews.

In any case, how do you 'sync' in Stellarium?

[telemarker (Keith)]

Running Stellariumscope/Stellarium with an ASCOM driver:
Control 1 = Slew
Control 2 = sync
Control 3 = abort
As far as I know these are the only commands. Barry may know more.

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by telemarker

Running Stellariumscope/Stellarium with an ASCOM driver:
Control 1 = Slew
Control 2 = sync
Control 3 = abort
As far as I know these are the only commands. Barry may know more.

These commands are for the ASCOM driver. The only command with Stellarium drivers is Ctrl (1 to 9) for a slew. The ASCOM driver is not from Stellarium.org

A new intergrated telescope control is being developed but it is not yet available.

Barry

[mldee (Mike)]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

These commands are for the ASCOM driver. The only command with Stellarium drivers is Ctrl (1 to 9) for a slew. The ASCOM driver is not from Stellarium.org

A new intergrated telescope control is being developed but it is not yet available.

Barry

Thanks Barry and Keith, I've been out all day, but tonight looks promising so will do another run.

I have no idea what the little option box was that formerly came up with control-1, but since it's gone away, I can't tell you any more!

Anyway, control 1,2,3 are the only ones I need to know.

Thanks again

[telemarker (Keith)]

Barry, I'd be interested in info of the new telescope control features. Anything available?

[mldee (Mike)]

Originally Posted by mldee

Thanks Barry and Keith, I've been out all day, but tonight looks promising so will do another run.

I have no idea what the little option box was that formerly came up with control-1, but since it's gone away, I can't tell you any more!

Anyway, control 1,2,3 are the only ones I need to know.

Thanks again

Well Barry,
I'm even more confused since the little Slew/Sync box is back tonight when I hit control-1 in Stellarium. It has a nice little title bar that says "Stellarium Telescope Control" and it works just fine, too. This time I didn't select the option to always sync or slew.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll take a screen grab and perhaps you may be able to recognize it. The box is not at all similar to the Ascom UI boxes.

Perhaps it's related to Stellarium Scope, which I use on startup and to auto start Stellarium? Hmm, I just thought of that, maybe the culprit.

[mldee (Mike)]

I found the source of the box. It's Stellarium Scope. You can see it here:
http://www.bytearts.com/stellarium/index.html

They also have a newer version of this program but i haven't yet installed it.