From: "alien2108" <alien@alienworld.org>

Date: April 11, 2008 3:26:55 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Guiding Celestron mount?

Hello Milton!

Do you think this Autoguide-Serial adapter would work with Astro IIDC:

http://jthommes.com/MiscAstro/AutoGuideAS_Circuit.htm

It uses serial byte for control:

Bit     Function

0   RA+

1 RA-

2 RA Stop

4 DEC+

5 DEC-

Is this by any chance compatible with already implemented function?

BR,

Alen

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@...> wrote:

Dear Alen;

No it is not possible to guide using a celestron mount via a serial  

port with Astro IIDC. The Celestron protocol for controlling the  

mount does not have any means of saying "move 1 second west and 0.2  

seconds north" and you have to tell it move it as an absolute  

location (Ra Hour Minutes, Dec Minutes seconds). So you'd have to  

have the scope calibrated with 3 stars before it would work, and even  

then it doesn't work very accurately (+/- 1.0 arc seconds).

However we can guide with a Celestron type mount (i.e. CGE /  HEQ5 /  

HEQ6 / Orion Atlas / Orion Sirius) using the ST4 Auto guider port and  

a GPUSB box from ShoeString Astronomy :

http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/products_gp.htm

and Astro IIDC.

HTH..

Milton Aupperle

On 7-Apr-08, at 6:57 AM, alien2108 wrote:

Hey!

Am I wrong or is it really not possible to autoguide Celestron mounts

(CG-5)? It does connect, but immediately after connection my mount

starts to move. After I stop it with HC, controls in Astro IIDC

doesn't work?

BR,

Alen