Newbie wants cable connection plan for HEQ5 go to, Altair astro GP-CAM and lap top/computer...

[John Vernon]

Hi all
Getting confused with all the possible configurations and cables to get HEQ5 mount to slew from computer software using ASCOM and to connect PHD guiding cable link ...i think direct from camera to mount.....there is no printer port on the pc so I have a single USB adapter cable to connect mount to computer.

Does phd software running on computer need a separate USB guiding camera connector or does this run via the existing USB and then via a second connector direct from camera to mount?....
...does the single USB connector also serve to control the mount slewing using 'night sky software' ascom link?......
then will the computer also download from separately connected EOS dslr (cam ranger) for camera exposures for stacking at the same time as running phd with the guide camera through the USB?
Can I use the guide camera to get exposures to stack while guiding?
Hopelessly confused and keen to get my head around this kit.
Ta

[Andy Galasso]

Hi John,

You are not alone, many folks get tripped up at this step.

If you have not done so already, please take a look at the Equipment Connection section of the help file included with PHD2 (menu: Help => Contents); you can see the same information in the documentation section of the website Equipment Connection.

Once you have digested that, feel free to come back with any additional questions you might have.

Andy

[David Sellars]

Hi,

I assume that you've bought the EQDir cable to connect your HEQ5 to the PC (so you don't need the hand-controller).  Once you've downloaded EQASCOM platform etc you can use Cartes de Ciel or Stellarium to control it.  There is also a little ASCOM "goto" application which includes some major objects (good for testing with without the complication of another application such as Cartes du Ciel as well).

You will need a USB cable from your PC to the guider.  Then you have two options:  1. Use the ST4 port from the guider to the mount using the ST4 cable that normally is supplied with the camera - In PHD you select you camera from the list and for the mount control select "On Camera)"    Alternatively, you can control in PHD mount using the same connection that you're using to control slewing etc.  For this you'll need to use the POTH Hub (look this up) - this is just a shared hub that connect to the mount and then all other connections connect to the POTH Hub

Your DSLR has a separate USB and is not related to anything else...

No, your guide camera cannot get exposures to stack while guiding.

Good luck!

[Vaibhav Igatpurikar]

hi David, 

so basically the system will work as below:

• connect cable (coms or USB) from mount auto guider port  to laptop.
•  connect guide camera directly to laptop for capture.
• use Ascom program to guide the system.
• select Ascom in PHD setting

in this case we use 2 USB connections plus one for DSLR

alternately 

• connect ST4 cable from camera to mount auto guider port.
• connect Ascom program to mount by interface with hand controller 
• select on camera in PHD setting of mount 

here we use only 1 USB connections plus one for DSLR

pls advise if this is simbly correct :)  

Vaibhav 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Open PHD Guiding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to open-phd-guidi...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Vaibhav

[David Sellars]

Answers below in red:

• connect cable (coms or USB) from mount auto guider port  to laptop.  -Your HEQ5 mount is connected to you PC via the serial interface (where the hand controller connects it nothing to do with the auto guider port.
•  connect guide camera directly to laptop for capture. - Yes using a USB cable.
• use Ascom program to guide the system.  I think you're confusing Goto / slewing operations with guiding here.  This (http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/tourindex.html) will help using its catalogue for GOTO as I mentioned it's a good way to test your setup at least...
• select Ascom in PHD setting  - Not quite, In PHD (please download it and then go through the configuration wizard also after downloading all the various EQMOD bits that you need).  You select your guide camera from the list available and for the mount as I said you have two options:  1. On Camera (this will use the ST4 cable which goes from the GUIDE camera to the HEQ5 (guide port) using the ST4 cable.  If you want to use ASCOM pulse guiding then you need to select the mount in PHD - this will use then use the ASCOM drivers to control the mount.

• connect ST4 cable from camera to mount auto guider port. YES
• connect Ascom program to mount by interface with hand controller  - This applies to both.  I mentioned the EQDir cable which omits having to use the hand controller as an interface between the two. Using the EQDir cable means you connect to the HEQ5 directly and then run the USB end of it to your PC.  Alternatively you can connect the hand controller to the HEQ5 and then the other port from the hand controller to the PC using a serial to USB connection (i have never done this though so check thoroughly beforehand that this is correct).
• select on camera in PHD setting of mount YES for using the ST4 cable from the camera to the mount.

[John Vernon]

Thanks for all the guidance......I need major ....time out..... to digest it all and correlate all the technical terms with my kit.
I am using a sad adapted web cam for now as the Astro camera still has to arrive!
PHD manual is good but a we bit impenetrable with all the new terms and initials and no wiring up diagram.
Still wondering if I will need two cables - a) computer to usb to camera and b) serial /usb computer to mount connections.....the st4 I get but not until the new camera arrives.
Not brave enough to link up the bits with what I have as I would not know if it was working!....with or without the hand controller and ASCOM drivers. If this hand controller is unplugged the mount fails to track?
I originally Controlled an EQ2/3 motorised mount from my starry night programme sucessfully but am now still stumpted from there onwards using guiding with my new HEQ5 until I get to grips with your helpful guidances HEQ5 instuction book and PHD manual.....making a few diagrams might help. Your step by step help still needs translating!
Thanks again ...working on it!

[John Vernon]

Oh.....
Now -- looked clpsely at the replies. Thanks for the extra things to think about:

Eq mod connection option

POTH Hub

Anything else to investigate?

[Andy Galasso]

On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 9:38 AM, John Vernon <verno...@gmail.com> wrote:

PHD manual is good but a we bit impenetrable with all the new terms and initials and no wiring up diagram.

Thanks for the feedback.  We can try to add some diagrams to the manual.  Could you please clarify which abbreviations were confusing so we can improve the manual?

 

Still wondering if I will need two cables -  a) computer to usb to camera and b) serial /usb computer to mount connections.....the st4 I get but not until the new camera arrives.

Connecting with ASCOM (EQASCOM) and forgoing the ST4 cable is the recommended configuration.   For that, you have one cable from PC to camera, and another cable from PC to mount.

POTH hub (or any other hub) is not required with EQASCOM.

Andy

[David Sellars]

The POTH Hub is required if you want to control the mount from more than one application.  For example, I need to connect to my mount with APT, Cartes du Ciel and PHD2.  If you attempt to connect one with individual connections while another is in use it drops the other (or hangs).

[Duncan Evenden]

Not so David, I used to use POTH when I used a Meade fork mount. 

With the HEQ5 (I have one and an NEQ6) you should be using EQMOD as your mount driver on top of the ASCOM platform. EQMOD is a hub in it's own right and you do not need to use POTH as well. There are loads of videos on YouTube explaining EQMOD (*also referred to as EQASCOM but not to be confused with the ASCOM platform!). Also the EQMOD documentation covers connecting stuff, it's worth the read.

My connectivity is as follows: Toshiba Satellite i3 cheapy laptop, Lindy.Com 10m USB2 Powered Hub/Extender hosting, Ebay FTDI chip based TTL to USB converter (replaces EQDIR module and USB/Serial adapter), Ebay FTDI USB/Serial adapter for my Lakeside focuser, Canon 1000D imaging camera and QHY5L-IIM Guide Camera. This has all worked flawlessly for years as long as the hub is powered.

HTH

Duncan

On Thursday, 22 October 2015 17:04:45 UTC+2, David Sellars wrote:

[John Vernon]

I have found diagrams for cabling connections in PHD guiding postings....first entry......
ST4 connectios in 3 pages of options on PDF files. The link was in the posting...no idea how to link to it from here though.

Thanks for all the postings...very helpful for a newbie.