EQMOD

I have but one thing to say...

EQMOD Rocks

After I got the HEQ5, I started investigating guiding options and checking out costs. Well, It turned out, that the USB-TTL cable was by far the cheapest and offered the most capability. So I took the plunge and ordered one. I also ordered a Cat5 flylead so I could but the end off and finish the cable to the mount. After some mildly scary, well it felt like it to me, plugging it in, and powering up all the components (I didn't want to fry the mount cos I'd messed up the wiring) all worked perfectly.

So, over the past few days, well nights, I've been completing the setup.

On Saturday, with the cable still not 100% complete, the wires are not held together tightly as yet, I went out to test the rig. My first attempt at guiding worked perfectly using PHD, and leaving EQMOD and ASCOM on the default settings. Ok I had some issues, but that was down to inaccurate focus on the guide scope (easily solved).

On Sunday, I tested out full guiding, and was able to take 20 minute subs, although the first one felt like hours as I was waiting for the capture to finish. One thing I did find, that to adjust the alignment, given the Syntrek handset is no longer attached was quite a faff as I had to use the lappy touchpad to make positioning adjustments.

So on Monday, I hooked up an old logitech gamepad, set that up for EQMOAD/ASCOM control, and on testing found that, whilst I have a small issue with the joystick contacts in the gamepad (I need to look into this, possibly literally), it works perfectly, and I was able to adjust the position of the scope from where I needed to be, so much easier.

Then yesterday, I setup the Satellite tracker control program. I've got all the communications working, which was the hardest part. The SatTracker program is designed for Meade and Celestron mounts, so needs a couple of additional modules installed to enable comms to the HEQ5. EQMOD talks to the mount, and is controlled by EQMOD/LX which is a protocol converter from Meade LX200 speak to ASCOM speak. As this is talked to by an IP connect, and the SatTracker software only talks to a com port, a piece of virtual comm port software is required to redirect the com port contriol signals to the IP socket... Eventually I got that all setup right, signed up to Space-track, and in theory it's good to go. I've yet to test out this component.

Then last night I setup the Goto and CdC integration. Very easy to setup. CdC already talks EQMOD/ASCOM, so within the EQMOD app, click N Star Align, back to CdC, select an alignment star and tell CdC to control the mount to it, align with the gamepad, click align in EQMOD, and repeat. After doing a 3 star align on Alkaid, Denebola and Dubhe, I used the Goto to take me to NGC4088, my target from last night, and NGC4088 landed smack bang in the middle of the FOV as my image from last night will attest, I didn't adjust the position in anyway.

And then one last thing I found last night, as the mount tracked up to the zenith and hit the meridian flipover, I was keeping a close eye on it to prevent accidents. EQMOD prevented the mount moving further (and prevented PHD forcing the mount to continue, then after a few minutes, forced the mount to Park.

The total setup time, from carting out the mount and scope, to being on target and guiding (and I had to work out how to setup and align the goto so it should be less next time around) was 25 minutes...

Brilliant, and all the software is free. The cabling cost me about £20 and some nervousness. I'm happy and really impressed with the ease of use.