Yeah drift alignment isnt difficult, it just takes time. I tried it a couple of weeks ago but it clouded out before i could finish.
Below is an example, I pointed at a star near Virgo, did an 85sec exposure (5 seconds to burn in the starting point, 40 seconds to slew RA one way and another 40sec to slew back). It took me 3-4 adjustments to get it dead straight.
I used a tracking rate slightly faster than the normal rate.
Either my mount, my balance, my polar alignment or my star alignment stinks because I've had crap gotos this week and my attempts at getting in some practice at exposures while the Moon was up and I could see the controls mostly failed miserably in the bunch of shots I took, I could see the subject moving up the frame
Are you planning to control the mount from the SynScan handcontroller or via a PC? I wanted to control the mount via the PC, so I also got the USB cable for the mount (http://www.bintel.com.au/Mounts---Tr...oductview.aspx). Even though the description says it is for the EQ5, it is also the right cable for the AZ-EQ6.
I plan to drive it both with my PC and also my iPad.
For the PC, I have a USB-to-RS232 cable, which I've successfully used in the past to drive my 8SE mount using the NexRemote software. I'm presuming that this cable will also work ok for driving the AZ-EQ6. That mount can do pulse guiding, which means I can keep the PEC operating too - as I understand it. Have you tried this? I'll obviously be doing this when I'm imaging with my new CCD and autoguiding - all require the PC!
I will also drive it using SkySafari Pro on my iPad - for that I have a Lightning-to-RS232 cable which I also use on my 8SE, and I know that SS supports the mount, so I should be sweet.
But the crunch will come when I actually try it all out!
I plan to drive it both with my PC and also my iPad.
For the PC, I have a USB-to-RS232 cable, which I've successfully used in the past to drive my 8SE mount using the NexRemote software. I'm presuming that this cable will also work ok for driving the AZ-EQ6. That mount can do pulse guiding, which means I can keep the PEC operating too - as I understand it. Have you tried this? I'll obviously be doing this when I'm imaging with my new CCD and autoguiding - all require the PC!
I will also drive it using SkySafari Pro on my iPad - for that I have a Lightning-to-RS232 cable which I also use on my 8SE, and I know that SS supports the mount, so I should be sweet.
But the crunch will come when I actually try it all out!
EQ6 is serial RS232. AZ-EQ6 is RJ45.
Although it does come with a RJ11 to Serial cable which you can plug in to the handset to control the mount and upgrade the firmware. Your PC needs to have a serial port or use a USB to serial adapter.
Yes thats how i first did it with the included cable, then i bought a BT adapter from Coldknights. Now everything is controlled wirelessly, i use Skysafari on my tablet and Stellarium on PC.
If your planning to do EQdirect (no hand controller) then you need a USB to RJ45 cable like this
Strange that it says it is for EQ5, but I guess you and Mark know that it works okay with the AZ-EQ6! So this goes straight from the USB2 port on the PC to the autoguider port on the mount for EQdirect?
Okay, I think I'm getting my head around this! (and I'm NOT good at crimping )
What I currently have for my 8SE mount is a USB2-to-serial cable, and then I connect this to the supplied RS232-to-RJ4 cable that came with my 8SE - I plug this into the hand controller and use NexRemote to drive.
But with my AZ-EQ6, as I understand it if I want to us the expanded functionality of EQMod then I CAN'T just connect my USB2-to-serial cable to the supplied RJ45 cable and bypass the hand controller. That is, I need an interface, or else I need to get the Bintel [Shoestring] cable. Right?
Last edited by Amaranthus; 17-05-2014 at 12:08 AM.
But with my AZ-EQ6, as I understand it if I want to us the expanded functionality of EQMod then I CAN'T just connect my USB2-to-serial cable to the supplied RJ45 cable and bypass the hand controller. That is, I need an interface, or else I need to get the Bintel [Shoestring] cable. Right?
The supplied cable is Serial to RJ11 which connects to the handcontroller. The handcontroller uses RJ45 ports on both ends.
Ive attached photos to help visualize:
1) Supplied cable connected to PC to handcontroller
2) Bluetooth Adapter for wireless control
3) EQ Direct, No hand controller. (I dont actually have the cable but thats what it would look like)
I dont use EQmod myself yet, but all 3 setups will work with EQMod as far as i know. Im not sure if your existing RS232 Serial to RJ45 cable will work as EQ Direct, the pin outs might be different.
Last edited by killswitch; 17-05-2014 at 01:39 AM.
Great, thanks Edison. I've ordered the EQ Direct cable, so I can bypass the HC. Those diagrams really helped clarify things. I saw that EQMOD help warned NOT to go RS232 to RJ45 directly, as the pins are different.
The two EQDirect cables that I have previously purchased didn't come with any documentation (ie driver instructions). This is the driver you need: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
in the bunch of shots I took, I could see the subject moving up the frame 
)
