Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums
Privacy Policy |
Please read our Terms
of Service | Signup and
Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User
skycamper
super member
Reged: 10/20/07
Loc: Beaverton OR
|
Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
#5574109 - 12/16/12 12:40 PM
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hello out there,
Im in my family room learning how to connect my vixen/autostar Mount to my laptop using the #505 cable through the handbox. My goal someday is too guide the mount through the handbox and use goto from my laptop to find objects and do imaging with my DSLR T1i.
Im just no good with calibrating software and inputing all the correct settings to make the thing work. Here is where im at right now with my equipment/software:
Meade LXD75 motors on a vixen GPDX
Meade Audiostar
Meade Autostar Suite version 3.23
Meade Audiostar firmware 497(EP) A1F7 Bootloader 3.1A
Meade #505 cable with Keyspan serial to USB thingy.
SV105T and SV110ED scopes
It seems I am using com port 3 since when I went to see if there was a meade autostar update that's what it told me. I was not able to update it BTW. At least not from the meade autostar suite control panel.
I am able to slew the telescope N, S, E,W using the telescope control panel on the computer so there is some kind of connection im making.
Anyway, I guess I mostly need help at this point properly inputing the settings in autostar suite 3.23 (can this be updated?)
AND, where is the align and GOTO functions in the meade planaterium software?
Should I be using different software?
Thanks to who ever can help me. and if you cant but know someone who can please forward this thread to them.
Now if I can only get my 1 year old to let me play with this stuff long enough to understand it! 
Abraham
|
Starhawk
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/16/08
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: skycamper]
#5574543 - 12/16/12 05:43 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Try the Meade LX forum. And good luck.
-Rich
|
jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: skycamper]
#5574551 - 12/16/12 05:48 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I controlled my LXD 75s remotely for several years and it worked quite well. I prefered to align and synch the mounts through the handbox before connecting the interface cable. From Autostar Suite there are two handbox functions. If I recall right one is simply called Handbox and connects through the planetarium program. This brings up a little control that looks like the handbox and keypad and works exactly like the handbox. The other is called Remote Handbox that brings up a separate program that has all of the handbox functions plus a few additional features. When using Remote Handbox you connect to the controller through this program and not the planetarium program, though you launch it from the planetarium program. Of the two I refered Remote Handbox, but either worked well.
|
rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: Starhawk]
#5574552 - 12/16/12 05:48 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Autostar Suite is not my favorite software, but it gets the job done.
What's wrong? Only one thing: you need to do a standard go-to alignment WITH THE TELESCOPE HAND CONTROL before controling the scope with the computer. Do that, and come back here for further advice if any is needed. But if you can move the scope from the computer you are almost there.
|
skycamper
super member
Reged: 10/20/07
Loc: Beaverton OR
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: rmollise]
#5574574 - 12/16/12 06:06 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
ok, Thanks for the reply guys, Iv had three weeks of nothing but clouds and rain here in Beaverton OR so Im kinda jumpin the gun just screwing around with it in my house. As soon I can get outside I'll try again and work on it! Its good to hear its not totally hopeless, just really intimidating.
Abraham
|
jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: skycamper]
#5574989 - 12/16/12 11:39 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hmmm, I swore that you could do the alignment using Remote Handbox, but it has been a while. Since I use the Park function I only do a full alignment once every year or so. I know that you can synch the mount from either of the remote control functions as well as the planetarium program. Autostar Suite is showing its age, but it works.
|
skycamper
super member
Reged: 10/20/07
Loc: Beaverton OR
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: jgraham]
#5575043 - 12/17/12 12:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Oh yes for sure I can do align with the handbox no problems, I was just fooling around with the autostar suite and could not find those functions or GOTO, or stuff like how to point at something on the map and goto it from the computer. I was not even sure if my connection was solid enough. Im only going to figure it out by being outside with it. Unless someone knows a few good tutorials on computer control of this mount to read in the meantime so I don't bored. Its raining here, I posted a message in the Meade LX forum and in Yahoo groups for LXD75's
|
rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
|
Re: Needing help with laptop GOTO and meade audiostar
[Re: jgraham]
#5575296 - 12/17/12 07:51 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Hmmm, I swore that you could do the alignment using Remote Handbox, but it has been a while. Since I use the Park function I only do a full alignment once every year or so. I know that you can synch the mount from either of the remote control functions as well as the planetarium program. Autostar Suite is showing its age, but it works.
You might could do that, but that would be opening a whole 'nother can of worms with a network setup, etc., etc. Best just to use a serial connection and simply click to send the scope on go-tos.
|
|
18 registered and 33 anonymous users are browsing this forum.
Moderator: Bowmoreman, bilgebay, iceblaze
Print Thread
|
Forum Permissions
You cannot start new topics
You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled
UBBCode is enabled
|
Thread views: 419
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
