5 replies to this topic

[RandallK]

I just noticed that the Celestron Unified ASCOM 5.01 Driver is no longer posted on the official ASCOM Site. This is the ASCOM driver that supports the SkyWatcher HEQ5-Pro (Orion Sirius) and the SkyWatcher EQ6 (Orion Atlast) mounts. There is a new driver written by Chris Rowland...Celestron Unified (6.0.5604) but it is also stated that this new driver does not support SYNTA mounts...ie, the HEQ5-Pro and the ATLAS! I did download this new driver to see what was in the preamble or readme file and Chris Rowland says, " Most of the functions will work with Synta mounts but there seem to be some issues with the more advanced functions.  I have been unable to get enough information about why this is so have to formally state that these mounts are not supported." 

 

So don't discard your earlier ASCOM Celestron Unified Driver 5.01 for your SYNTA mount. Mabye someone connected to ASCOM, (no pun intended), can re-post this driver on their website again. There are so many SYNTA mounts in circulation and I'm sure someone will be in a frantic state when they can't find this driver in their home inventory of drivers.

[neptun2]

Just a side note - old celestron driver is still available from this link:

 

http://download.asco...rg/drivers/old/

 

I found this link with google. Can't find any official link on site. Just in case it gets deleted i uploaded it also on my google drive:

 

https://drive.google...iew?usp=sharing

[jackofalltrades]

When I was still running my CG-5 with my Windows laptop (before migrating completely to both Mac and iOS) I had updated the Celestron Unified driver, and it gave me nothing but trouble, completely messing up alignments by more than 30deg off, even with the laptop unplugged.  I finally had to restore the hand controller to factory settings, then re-flash the firmware on the hand controller to fix it.  I eventually put the newer Celestron driver on for ASCOM this last summer, and it worked fine the one or two times I tried it.  But I don't completely trust the 6.0.x driver and also say keep a copy of your older 5.0.30 driver.  You'll need it if you have the trouble I had.

[rmollise]

When I was still running my CG-5 with my Windows laptop (before migrating completely to both Mac and iOS) I had updated the Celestron Unified driver, and it gave me nothing but trouble, completely messing up alignments by more than 30deg off, even with the laptop unplugged.  I finally had to restore the hand controller to factory settings, then re-flash the firmware on the hand controller to fix it.  I eventually put the newer Celestron driver on for ASCOM this last summer, and it worked fine the one or two times I tried it.  But I don't completely trust the 6.0.x driver and also say keep a copy of your older 5.0.30 driver.  You'll need it if you have the trouble I had.

I've used both available Celestron scope drivers with Platform 6, and there has never been a problem. Certainly nothing that caused problems with alignments, etc.

Edited by rmollise, 02 December 2015 - 09:22 AM.

[RandallK]

Rod, for SYNTA mounts, you can't use the new driver with the latest version of PHD2 guiding. You get a message..."unable to pulse guide with this driver". That is what PHD2 V. 2.6.1 returns. If you go back to the Celestron unified driver 5.0...then PHD 2.6.1 will pulse guide.

Edited by RandallK, 04 February 2016 - 09:16 PM.

[rmollise]

Rod, for SYNTA mounts, you can't use the new driver with the latest version of PHD2 guiding. You get a message..."unable to pulse guide with this driver". That is what PHD2 V. 2.6.1 returns. If you go back to the Celestron unified driver 5.0...then PHD 2.6.1 will pulse guide.

 

 

 ​I only use ST-4 guiding, which I've always preferred.