Controlling the EQ6 from planetarium software?

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi guys

I'm wondering is it possible/what do I need to do, to be able to control my EQ6 (version 2.05 hand controller) from my laptop using SNP or Star Atlas Pro?

As a rule I simple don't align the SkyScan - probably a hang up from when I didn't know how to use it properly and when I tried, it was always way out and I never persisted with it, because with planetary imaging I know where the planet is

But with the deep-space imaging i'm doing now, there's definite benefit to having a working GOTO system because a lot of targets are well below naked eye visibility and it's a pain having to star-hopping to the target.

So I could go back to trying to align the skyscan, but I'd also prefer to be able to control it from the software - ie: see a target in SNP and click "goto" and let it drive the mount to it.

Is this possible and how do I do it?

Thanks

[sejanus (Gavin)]

I had it working with my old V3 EQ6 with starry night pro so it can be done, have never used v2 though

it's pretty easy, just tell starry night it is a celestron nexstar and connect to the laptop with a usb to serial or similar. That was on a mac laptop, I imagine it's the same on the pc version.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Even with a planetarium program you still need to align the scope, unless you have perfect polar alignment, and your time is perfect etc.... The mount needs to know its motor position and know where it is pointing. I have never used the hand controllers with my EQ6 (syntrek version) and never will so can't help there, but you should be able to get a cable that runs from the HC to the computer for computer control. It is in the manual also.

[h0ughy (David)]

select the nexstar 5 settings I think from memory. might have to retry that it has been a long time.