Telescope Reviews: Autoguider Cable Question

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

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

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

Pages: 1

Mike Wiles
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/04/09

Loc: Goodyear, AZ

Autoguider Cable Question new

#5672406 - 02/10/13 01:54 PM

For a replacement cable, can I just buy an off the shelf RJ-11 cable? Or are they wired differently?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.

Mike

Post Extras:

jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Mike Wiles]
#5672441 - 02/10/13 02:20 PM

There are two configurations; the flip cable, where one end is flipped during assembly so pin 1 goes to pin one, and the straight-through cable, where pin 1 goes to pin 6. In communications use, where pairs are used starting with the center pair and working outwards, they are interchangeable, For our purpose, only the right one will work. Some camera vendors use one and some use the other.

For example, SBIG and QSI use one and the SSAG and GPUSB use the other.

Edited by jrcrilly (02/10/13 02:21 PM)

Post Extras:

Calypte
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 03/20/07

Loc: Anza, California

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Mike Wiles]
#5672448 - 02/10/13 02:23 PM

Short answer: no! Autoguiders usually require 6-conductor plugs & cables. Standard phone cables and handset cables are only 4-conductor. The plug will probably fit in the socket, but you'll have no connection. I haven't been able to find 6-conductor cables locally. Plugs, yes, but not cables. Also, be careful about the plug orientation. I found out that my focuser cable wasn't interchangeable with an autoguider cable that I had laying around. The connections of the autoguider cable are mirror-images of each other, whereas the focuser cable plugs are pin-for-pin identical. I just looked at them, so I could answer your question.

Post Extras:

Calypte
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 03/20/07

Loc: Anza, California

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: jrcrilly]
#5672453 - 02/10/13 02:25 PM

Quote:

For example, SBIG and QSI use one and the SSAG and GPUSB use the other.

I didn't know the guiders were different. Thanks for the education!

Post Extras:

jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Calypte]
#5672474 - 02/10/13 02:33 PM

Quote:

Quote:

For example, SBIG and QSI use one and the SSAG and GPUSB use the other.

I didn't know the guiders were different. Thanks for the education!

I'm sorry that I don't remember which uses which, though - I know that would be more helpful. I've been using a Tak mount for four years and that uses a proprietary cable so I haven't selected a normal guide cable for a long time.

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Mike Wiles]
#5672485 - 02/10/13 02:38 PM

Look up which type your camera uses and buy one on monoprice. They sell either type.

Post Extras:

Calypte
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 03/20/07

Loc: Anza, California

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: jrcrilly]
#5672544 - 02/10/13 03:12 PM

Quote:

I'm sorry that I don't remember which uses which, though - I know that would be more helpful. I've been using a Tak mount for four years and that uses a proprietary cable so I haven't selected a normal guide cable for a long time.

My QSI guider cable has plugs with the pins assigned in a mirror-image arrangement. I don't use the cable, since I use a Lodestar guider, which has its own USB mini-style cable.

Post Extras:

wolfman_4_ever
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 07/15/11

Loc: El Segundo, Ca, So. Cal

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Calypte]
#5672649 - 02/10/13 04:32 PM

You can use a cat5 cable with a 6p6c connector... just don't use 2 wires in the cat5 cable..

Post Extras:

jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Calypte]
#5672877 - 02/10/13 07:03 PM

Quote:

My QSI guider cable has plugs with the pins assigned in a mirror-image arrangement.

Thanks! I know the SBIG is the same because I can plug the Tak/SBIG cable I used on the ST-10 (and all the other SBIG cameras over the years) into my QSI and it works. Just didn't remember which configuration that was. I had to insert a flip adaptor for the GPUSB and the SSAG.

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: jrcrilly]
#5673053 - 02/10/13 08:56 PM

Completely wrong assumption. See Jcrilly's response below!

Edited by Raginar (02/11/13 10:54 AM)

Post Extras:

jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Raginar]
#5673135 - 02/10/13 09:46 PM

Quote:

Yup, my lodestar has the same arrangement. Also, keep in mind that when you calibrate your mount, if it did happen to have the dec and RA swapped.. it wouldn't be that big of a deal. The software would figure it out.

If an end is flipped the wrong way, the result isn't an RA/dec swap. Instead, the camera line designated as a 12V source for relay isolators gets connected to one of the mount's RA lines. The 12V source is generally not enabled, so no harm done, but as the common line is also in the wrong place no guider inputs are actuated. On the other hand, if you are using an older SBIG camera and the 12V output is enabled (internal jumper) the mount's RA input can get clobbered. On some mounts this results in a permanently "stuck" guide input line and everything that the controller is designed to ignore during an active guider input (such as slew buttons) stops working. Won't guide any more, either.

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: jrcrilly]
#5673814 - 02/11/13 10:48 AM

Good to know, I knew I should've looked up the pins first

Post Extras:

jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Autoguider Cable Question new

[Re: Raginar]
#5673853 - 02/11/13 11:16 AM

Quote:

Good to know, I knew I should've looked up the pins first .

I saw someone just the other day mention that he had to replace a 74LS14 in a Meade LX200 Classic. "Aha!", I thought to myself. Been there, done that...

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: Autoguider Cable Question [Re: jrcrilly]
#5674232 - 02/11/13 03:23 PM

Nice, John! That's very funny!

Thought TBH, what mounts aren't guided via the ST4 pinout these days and what camera isn't providing it? I've own a Qguider, used a SSAG, a lodestar, and a SBIG ST-237 now and they've all used that pin-out (requiring a straight through) and this has worked with my CGEM (Nexstar) and Gemini-2.

I'm pretty sure the ST-4 port on Autostar is the same as well?

Edited by Raginar (02/11/13 03:27 PM)

Post Extras:

Pages: 1

Extra information

4 registered and 28 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: 452

Jump to

CN Forums

Home

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics