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Old 06-01-2021, 01:18 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Setting up the Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 for laptop control

Hi, i am moving from using the Syscan hand controller to operated fully from a Laptop.
With the hand controller i have to input the time and location information then do a star alignment to tell the mount where it is pointing at.

With the laptop, this is no longer needed, so was just interested to know when i first power the mount on, how dose it know where it is looking at?

I haven't been able to try it out yet as it has been cloudy here for the last month of so.

I have not got a permanent setup and i dis assemble everything every night to pack up.
I have Stellarium, APT, Sharpcap, phd2, and ASCOM installed and all configured

I am sure i might be over thinking this and might be a basic question, but when i set the mount up and turn it on, do i first have to open up Stellarium, select a star, slew to it and then do an alignment on this star before i do anything else?

The reason i am asking is that i want to use SharpCap to do a polar alignment and i am not sure if i need to be running Stellarium in the background first so that the mount is actually running and tracking.

I think i might be making all this sound a tad complicated,

Or is just simply set the mount up facing South as i always do, turn the mount on, open up SharpCap, do the polar alignment, don't worry about opening up Stellarium untill the polar alignment it all completed.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Old 06-01-2021, 01:30 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Peter,
I thought you were running EQMOD with Stellarium for Goto and navigation.
Since you have a Skywatcher mount, EQMOD ( free ) and Stellarium replace your Synscan handcontroller. EQMOD was developed for Synta mounts only ( Skywatcher and Orion mounts )
I’ve been running this way for 3 years and Goto is super quick and accurate.
I use APT as well for frame , focus and capture
For polar alignment I use BYEOS ( old school )
Here’s the procedures I wrote for EQMOD and Stellarium for Goto and navigation using latest Ascom supported Stellarium ( 2 options / types of connection between laptop and mount - EQ direct using EQDirect custom cable and EQ direct using USB cable )

Cheers
Martin
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Old 06-01-2021, 01:52 PM
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Wilsil (Wilco)
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Peter,
You don't even need Stellarium.
I am using APT for slewing and plate solving.
The only reason I open Stellarium is to see what the target will be for that night.
I type in the target designation in APT after Polar Alignment in SharpCap completed, the mount will go to that general location, it takes a picture, does plate solve and check if it was pointing at the right location. If not, APT moves the mount and start again till success.

This all works through EQMod as Martin mentioned.
That's also where you enter your location. See attached snapshot.
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Old 06-01-2021, 01:56 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Hi Martin,
Yes that is what i am planning to do,
I just haven't been able to actually get outside to try it all out due to either cloudy weather or work unfortunately.

I have everything setup and installed correctly and looks like it works ok inside.

I am most likely overthinking thigs, As i think the first thing that i need to do is a polar alignment and was planning to use SharpCap for that.

I was just thinking that when i first power up the mount, with the Laptop turned off, looking through the scope the stars would be drifting past the eyepiece ( only guessing this at this stage as i have not yet been able to get outside to try it)

Would i just turn on the Laptop,, open up SharpCap and do a polar alignment?
Then once this is done, Open up Stellarium and do some sync on some stars so that i knows where it is pointing at?

Thanks again.
Peter.
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Old 06-01-2021, 02:01 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilsil View Post
Peter,
You don't even need Stellarium.
I am using APT for slewing and plate solving.
The only reason I open Stellarium is to see what the target will be for that night.
I type in the target designation in APT after Polar Alignment in SharpCap completed, the mount will go to that general location, it takes a picture, does plate solve and check if it was pointing at the right location. If not, APT moves the mount and start again till success.

This all works through EQMod as Martin mentioned.
That's also where you enter your location. See attached snapshot.
Thanks also for the reply,
Yes, that is exactly how i am planning to run my setup, just as you have mentioned.
I have everything setup and all good to go, just trying to get me head around the fact that i don't have to do a 2 or 3 star alignment to get the mount to roughly track and know where it is at the first start up.

I am thinking now that it is just set the mount up close to the SCP, turn it on, open up SharCap, do the polar alignment and you are good to go?
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Old 06-01-2021, 02:06 PM
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Wilsil (Wilco)
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Set your mount pointing true South as close as you can, adjust declination with your local the altitude.
When you are polar aligned with SharpCap, you are ready to go.
Pick your target in any capture software (APT, NINA, SGP etc), and let the software do the rest for you.
Then you take a test shot for getting the correct settings, create the sequence, start guiding and go.
Go inside, have a coffee, beer or whatever is available to you.
Be aware of the meridian flip, which the software will take of as well. But you have to set it up first.
Do it step-by-step like I did and you will soon enjoy taking images.
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Old 06-01-2021, 02:20 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Thanks again, appreciated.
Sounds like i was just overthinking things again.
I was sure that it had to be something fairly simple.
Will give that a go when the skies decide to clear up.
Very much appreciated.
Thanks.
Peter.
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Old 06-01-2021, 04:47 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesilver View Post
Hi Martin,
Yes that is what i am planning to do,
I just haven't been able to actually get outside to try it all out due to either cloudy weather or work unfortunately.

I have everything setup and installed correctly and looks like it works ok inside.

I am most likely overthinking thigs, As i think the first thing that i need to do is a polar alignment and was planning to use SharpCap for that.

I was just thinking that when i first power up the mount, with the Laptop turned off, looking through the scope the stars would be drifting past the eyepiece ( only guessing this at this stage as i have not yet been able to get outside to try it)

Would i just turn on the Laptop,, open up SharpCap and do a polar alignment?
Then once this is done, Open up Stellarium and do some sync on some stars so that i knows where it is pointing at?

Thanks again.
Peter.
Peter,
Glad to be of some help
I haven’t bothered with plate solving although a lot of folk use it with great success.I just sync stars around the intended object and my final slew usually ends up smack dab in the middle of the FOV cross hair in APT , then I start my capture plan
I’ve used EQMOD with Stellarium for over 3 years for Goto and navigation so you get quite skilled at finding objects quickly
When I’m imaging say dim galaxies ( mag 9 to 11 ) I put a lot of faith in EQMOD and Stellarium as you don’t get the luxury of a star field or a bright core to confirm your framed correctly, and so far it hasn’t let me down
So I just use the EQMOD and Stellarium sync method as it works great for me and haven’t bothered to go down the path of plate solving
Good luck with it
Cheers
Martin
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  #9  
Old 06-01-2021, 08:31 PM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
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Yes, that is right. Note, you do not need to turn your mount on to do the SharpCap polar alignment. At the point where the on screen instructions ask you to rotate the RA axis 90 degrees, do this manually. I only turn my mount on after completing the polar alignment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesilver View Post
I am thinking now that it is just set the mount up close to the SCP, turn it on, open up SharCap, do the polar alignment and you are good to go?
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Old 07-01-2021, 12:41 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Good point there, no need to actually turn the mount on for the polar alignment.
All great advice.
Appreciated.
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  #11  
Old 07-01-2021, 01:42 PM
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Wilsil (Wilco)
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I switch it on and have it tracking, quicker PA.
You need to switch it on anyway.
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