From: Phil Houston <pkh111@knology.net>

Date: July 7, 2007 8:03:16 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] guiding with Astro IIDC

Milton,

Again, thanks.  I do not know the ST-4 protocols and just assumed it to be compatible because it worked when plugged into the StarlightXpress St-4 port on their STAR 2000 guiding system.  This is most likely a hack, but since I paid the manufacturer to perform it, the warranty is still good!  Looking at the Shoestring Astronomy site I found some info pertaining to controller mods. 

http://store.shoestringastronomy.com/downloads/HCModGuidance.pdf

Schematic GP1 seems to apply to the controller I'm using in so much as the output pins from the GPUSB sinks (grounds) when activated.  This is exactly what happens when I press a button on the Powerguide controller.  Grounding the pin or pushing the button activates the circuitry and moves the scope.  No external relay box is required.  The longer the pin is grounded, the further the scope moves in that direction.  

Now, I have no clue as to what signals go into the GPUSB from the computer but, could it be possible for Astro IIDC to send the appropriate signals to operate this kind of controller as an option?  Maybe in version 4.x ?

No problem either way,

Phil

On Jul 7, 2007, at 8:33 PM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Phil;

On 7-Jul-07, at 5:42 PM, Phil Houston wrote:

> The mount Is a standard Questar mount controlled by a Powerguide II
> controller. This controller has only four buttons to control
> direction. There is no programable speed control. The GPUSB is
> connected directly to the controller's push button circuitry
> through a matching cable and activates the RA and Dec. motors as if
> the buttons were pushed. I do not know the speed but this drive is
> for position correction not for slewing.

That isn't how a real ST4 guiding port works though. It sound more
like how I hacked my old EQ3/2 mount's hand controller and added an
RJ12 port to it so I could flip the left right / up down buttons to
move the scope.

> I must retract an earlier statement about the manual up, down,
> left, right buttons working. They do not. When the Mount Control
> window opens, the red light on the GPUSB box turns green until the
> window is canceled.

The Light changes color from red to green means that Astro IIDC is
talking to the GPUSB - that's all it means. If it fails because of
soem problem with the GPUSB, you should also see message sin the
Console.log window too.

If the up down left right buttons do not work - then it will never
calibrate or guide.

I checked the Specs for the Powerguide II controller

http://www.company7.com/questar/products/qpowerguideII.html

and it does not mention "ST-4" compatibility at all. No search on
Google mentioned ST4 with Questar or Powerguide II or guiding found a
single mention of anyone using it like that.

So I'm not sure what it's doing.

Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
Calgary Alberta T2R0N5
1-(403)-229-9456
milton@outcastsoft.com
www.outcastsoft.com
Proud Supporter of the "Party of Alberta"
http://www.partyofalberta.org/