From: "gaffney.mark" <markgaffney@mac.com>
Date: February 10, 2008 5:50:18 PM MST
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Focusing
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@...> wrote:
Hi Mark;
There are 2 things your missing.
1) FireWire is not supported under PC Emulation(i.e. Virtual PC) at all.
2) For focussing to work, you need to access what the Camera sees.
So you need quit Astro IIDC (so it releases the camera) and then
focus under ASCOM with a 3rd party application that can talk to
FireWire Cameras (ASCOM doesn't support FireWire), and then switch
back to Astro IIDC.
Also, unless you have very steady skies, auto focus doesn't work
really well at high frame rates.
TTYL..
Milton J. Aupperle
On 10-Feb-08, at 5:03 PM, gaffney.mark wrote:
If Joe has some way of running Windows on his Mac, then focusing
the telescope should
be an independent process to those already provided by Astro IIDC
for CCD camera
control. I haven`t tried this in practise as I said but Joe should
be able to switch readily
from his focuser window ( running through Ascom on Windows) to
Astro IIDC on Mac OS X.
I tried downloading Ascom I think with Safari but the file wouldn`t
transfer readily to those
I have running through Virtual PC for Mac, that`s why I`m
suggesting the download be
done with Internet Explorer (if available!) Mark.
My plan was to run the focuser ( when I can afford it- I`m in a similar situation as you
are with regards to finances, Milton after forking out for this new telescope, GPUSB
interfaces, cables etc.!) through a serial (RS-232) to usb connection. This would mean I`m
running 3 usb devices simultaneously through a $30 AUD hub I have- GPUSB, focuser and
Astroplanner or Equinox for telescope control as well as the Firewire connection to Astro
IIDC. I`m pretty sure the James Lacey stepper motor etc., device I`m looking at ( as
Moonlite provide kits for adding their Crayford Focuser to my new scope) runs through
this serial to usb connection. As I`m yet to really use the 10 inch ( I haven`t been able to
even align the finderscope yet- nothing here is over a mile away that`s not obscured by
trees, so I`m waiting on the weather to use the moon!) I can`t say how it will work. For
instance I`m unsure how the GPUSB device interacts with AP or Equinox!!? Mark.