So hopefully someone who is an expert on EQMOD will chime in. I received 1.28m and installed it. But, it did the same thing as all the other versions. It would never ‘sync’ even though the log reported that it had sync’d.
The guide as its written is inadequate and given the number of people who use EQMOD… probably worth a re-write.
I could always get it to slew. We figured out guiding (turned out we had the latitude incorrectly set initially, then the SX ASCOM driver has that pull down option so you can select the other camera). But, I can’t get it to sync. I tried running as an administrator and I tried normally. I made sure all programs were running as administrator.
I’m certainly not an EQMOD expert. I’ve used it for a few years without much of an issue so I haven’t got into the details like some others have. However, until someone else more knowledgeable answers, I’ll give you a couple of suggestions.
How is the mount connected to the PC? It sounds like there are conflicts that are more than an incorrect setting. If using a USB-Serial adapter make sure to install the correct drivers. Also, I have heard that some have found the USB-Serial adapters to be flaky. Although there are 3 main ways to connect the mount to the PC, I have found the least problems from those that use an EQDirect-USB device that can be purchased (shoestring astronomy) or built yourself.
I didn’t see what time of a mount is being used but I remember reading that the AZ-EQ5 has a usb port that was causing some problems as it was only meant for firmware updates? Also, I know that the latest version of EQMOD 1.29a has some changes relating to the AZ-EQ5.
Just a final comment on SGP recommended settings for EQMOD users. Many of us have found SGP works when the recommended settings are followed. Problems usually relate to something else. What do you think is missing?
Well they don’t work. So, if they don’t work because you haven’t checked the firmware or something else, that needs to be stated in the instructions.
So specifically, I ran through the help file, ensured that each setting was done correctly in accordance with the guide, and I was unable to sync once the plate solve came back. I know it wasn’t his USB to serial device because I could control some of the mount right? Of course I wouldn’t know because I don’t know what firmware for the mount is required for what software version for SGP to work.
I would add: firmware of mount required (specifically, each mount), software version required (specifically, each mount). I would also provide links to the files or host them locally. I would garner a guess that we get quite a few of these problems, and filling in the details would go a long way towards alleviating them. Once you find a version that works, it won’t change and my guess is the minute changes wouldn’t need to be updated often so it shouldn’t amount to a ton of work for anyone.
These are the pre-requisites to running EQMOD that include a link to a list of USB to Serial converters that are suitable for interfacing to RS232 type EQDIRECT interfaces. His cable should be on that list.
To the best of my knowledge there are no special EQMOD settings, firmware or software requirements required for SGP other than whats on the current SGP guide. There are many requirements to run EQMOD properly and they are on the EQMOD site. If he has set up EQMOD correctly and his cables are ok, then the conflicts you describe must be caused by other hardware/software on his computer.
I am not sure if you are referring to me Fred J Keller. However, I don’t use EQMOD. I am having centering issues, but my setup is an iOptron CEM60 using iOptron’s latest ASCOM 5.0 Driver. There is another post with my issue.
No Fred, I was helping another guys out named Arie.
Tim, seems pretty strange that I could communicate with the mount, but it’s a USB to serial issue. I don’t doubt it though. I’ve been using serial cards on my computers for the last two years because of it.
Btw, he wasn’t using an EQDIR module. We were apparently plugged into the hand controller and he was setting it to PC DIRECT mode. Any issues with that?
I guess adding in that USB to serial cables are unreliable, and are only known to work from specific manufacturers then? Foster systems does something similar.
This is what the EQMOD folks say about the PC Direct mode. “This handset feature was introduced with SynScan firmware release V3.21 and became stable by V3.25. It provides a communication path such that PC messages recieved by the synscan handcontroller are forwarded to the mount. Despite its inclusion PC-Direct mode remains an undocumented feature of the Synscan handcontroller and the EQMOD developers have no knowledge of how it works or of its limitations. We cannot therefore make any guarentees as to its operation with EQMOD which was designed only for direct connection to the mount. Whilst PC-Direct mode offers an ideal method for users to evaluate EQMOD control we would advise that for extended and/or unattended use one of the options below is adopted.”
As you can see it should work (with V3.25 and later) but they don’t know much about it and recommend it only be used to evaluate EQMOD control and further recommend that one of the other methods be used. This may not be the issue but if I were him I would eliminate the possibility and get a direct connection with a cable from a vendor like shoestring or make one myself as per their specs.
I have been using Eqmod for a number of years (first with an NEQ6 and now with an Avalon Linear Fast Reverse) and there are no complex settings to use other than the instructions in SGP’s guide.
Like Tim has suggested, whilst there may be other issues, a first place to start will be to connect directly to the mount using an Eqdir compliant cable and thus eliminate the connection via the synscan handset (if I were to hazard a guess, this in itself has a high probability of solving the problem). I have read many posts on Star Gazers’ Lounge of communication gremlins created by connecting via the handset.
Sure it should. But they lock down there group and don’t approve people for days. You can’t even read the threads until you’re approved. The manual doesn’t work either.
I know it’s difficult not to want to help people but in this sort of situation I’m not sure that it helps in the long term.
It’s difficult to help when you don’t have the detailed information
that the developers and expert users have.
It takes away any incentive for the maintainers and supporters of the
other product to fix things.
The information the developers of the other product need to be able to fix things doesn’t even get to them.
It invites all sorts of other irrelevant enquiries.
I’ve fallen foul of this with the Sync command in the StarSense HC. It’s broken so, in addition to informing Celestron and being assured that it would be fixed, I hid the error in the Celestron driver. And Celestron didn’t fix it. The reason was that I was the only person reporting it.
EQMOD seems to be having a similar problem. Until I joined their group and pointed out the issues that people were having with pointing state they were unaware of them. Now there is a version (1.29a) that is ASCOM compliant but AFAIK it’s only available as a beta version from the files area of their group. Even that has to be set to a Strict ASCOM compliance mode to be fully compliant. No other EQMOD version will pass the ASCOM conform application with no errors.
I guess it’s unfortunate since I assumed (bad on me) that EQMOD was more user friendly than it is. I’m surprised how many people tell people to go that route as a new person.
I’m not the most technically inclined person. However, I can usually follow tutorials and get things working. As I found out here, ‘oh it doesn’t work with the hand controller, that’s silly’, isn’t a very good answer. I understand the EQDIR module is a great solution, but yikes!
Anyways, Aries is done imaging with that mount and I don’t think I’l volunteer to do tech support again. I learned my lesson on these hobby projects. Thanks for schooling me up!
I’m going to take a minute to defend EQMOD and the above comments. First, I started with EQMOD and found it fairly easy to use. Its extremely powerful and its free.
I can’t argue with the comments that Chris made regarding ASCOM, however, I do think that the other comments are unfair. First, the EQMOD Pre-Requisites tell you what mounts are supported and how to connect the mounts to your PC. If you are going to you use either an unsupported mount or connection method - great you may get it working. However, when you have problems to imply the software is not friendly or is technically difficult when you haven’t followed the developers recommendations is unfair. This isn’t buried in the documentation, its on the first page - Pre-Requisites.
While I think that its great that mads0100 offered to help the OP - lets all be reasonable about this. There are a number of developers that provide great software for us imagers for little or sometimes no cost. Without them this hobby would be much more difficult, While providing constructive criticism can be very helpful, I feel that criticizing a product when you don’t follow the pre-requisites isn’t fair. Sorry for being so grouchy but its products like EQMOD, SGP and PHD2 and the guys that produce them that make this hobby much easier. Lets at least meet the developers half way.
The EQMOD ASCOM Driver V1.29a is now promoted to a full public release and available via sourceforge.
Please note that whilst failing the conformance checker shows a driver to be non-compliant in some areas, passing is itself no proof of full compliancy. Many previous releases of EQMOD passed the Conformance Checker that was current at their time of release (thereby meeting ASCOM’s general requirements for a driver) but non comfomities may come to light later as bug fixes/improvments are made to ASCOM’s Conformance Checker.
From a SGP prespective Ken’s crib sheet for EQMOD remains valid. However, if “Strict ASCOM Compliance” mode is selected (via the setup screen) then the side of pier algorithm is automatically set as “Pointing” and the option to manually change it is hidden fro the user.
That’s great, thanks Chris. Would it be worth amending the crib sheet to say to run 1.29a or later in Strict ASCOM mode?
The way I look at it is that passing Conform is necessary but not sufficient. All Conform can do is provide some reassurance that all the ASCOM functionality is implemented consistently - that capability properties and their corresponding methods match and that property ranges are handled correctly. That errors throw the expected exceptions. There is very little testing that functions operate correctly.
It does get updated as we find things where a little extra checking will help driver authors achieve consistency.
Individual users may have good reasons not to run in strict mode depending on the other software they happen to use. Such situations however would fall well outside the scope of what any SGP crib sheet can cover. For instance it could be that a particular application doesn’t correctly catch certain exceptions (has been the case in the past) and as a workaround they neeed to be supressed. Clearly from an ASCOM point of view this isn’t good practice and any application not handling exceptions should be fixed to do so, but in practice these things can take time and a work around today, rather than a fix tomorrow, may be just what an end under needs.
Personally I would cover both options in the crib sheet and say that unless you have a very good reason to do otherwise put EQASCOM into strict mode. If however you prefer to leave strict mode uncheked then the the side of pier reporting should be set to pointing (which is now the default for new installations anyhow).
Now that V1.29a is released I will look at putting an aditional FAQ on the EQMOD Project website to further guide our users on the use/non-use of strict mode.
The EQMOD group is “locked down” to protect our members interests (not everyone wants the world to know about their telescope equipment) and to create a communality of registered users without which EQMOD wouldn’t have enjoyed the success it has over the last ten years. In addition to support, the EQMOD Yahoo group provides the interface by which new features are proposed, beta releases made/tested and feedback is given. These discussions/releases are really not suitable for general publication. Public releases of EQMOD software are accesible to all and are to be found on sourceforce - all project documentation can be accessed via out website.
We are not a commercial organisation, we rely on volunteers to process membership applications which we vet carefully to prevent spambots gaining access to our group. I’ve checked my email headers and the time between the EQMOD group moderators being notified of your application to join and your membership being approved was less than 17 hours. This is an acceptable turnaround in my view.
He borrowed the Atlas for a trip.