I don’t think there is an ASCOM driver for an EQ-G.
If the EQ-G is one of the SkyWatcher clones then there is.
Why does everyone use EQMOD? Just to skip plugging in the hand controller?
Jared, my apologies to both you and Frank.
After connecting to my mount with just PHD2 or SGP, the EQASCOM RA clock is incrementing, but the mount itself is not tracking.
Previous to this, I uninstalled and reinstalled ASCOM 6.2, EQASCOM 1.29a, and the current version of PHD2 in the hopes that something was corrupted.
At least I know it’s a connection issue that probably involves EQASCOM. Any suggestions on troubleshooting?
One other item: The mount does track with the handheld controller unit.
How are you connecting your mount to your computer? That is, what cable are you using between your mount and your computer. Did you make it? Buy it from Shoestring Astronomy?
Yes. Shoestring, with their drivers installed.
OK, you said you could slew with EQASCOM. If you stop slewing - does it continue to track. You said it doesn’t track with PHD2 or SGP connected but does it track when they are not connected?
No tracking at all with the Shoestring cable. Tracking only with the Syn hand controller.
Right now I’m working with another laptop as an experiment. Bad luck there, too. Can’t even get EQASCOM running.
Problem solved, though I don’t know why or how.
Using Revo uninstaller, I scrubbed the drive and registry of everything to do with ASCOM, EQMOD, PHD2, and SGP.
I reinstalled everything in that order. The mount is now tracking, with SGP working well with PHD2. Metaguide, on the other hand, still has an issue of a lost EQASCOM connection as soon as a sequence in SGP is executed.
Thanks to all for your time. The mystery remains as to what may have been corrupted, but it works.
It is a tricky one - and bound to stir some debate. I have used both EQMOD and the standard ASCOM driver. In the environment of SGP and PHD2 - the main imaging advantage is PEC. I have an Avalon, so PEC is not really applicable. When I used EQMOD with an EQ6 mount, I played with the various features but found that in some cases, they were more useful for visual work than imaging. In other cases, the feature set is useful on its own but may be duplicated elsewhere in another app (Maxpoint, TPoint, TSX, .etc for horizon and meridian setting)
Overall - it is reliability that is my main consideration. Time will tell if a standard ASCOM connection is more reliable. I prefer the simpler interface and there is less to go wrong so… fingers crossed.
It is worth adding that the pulse guiding through Chris’ ASCOM driver works just fine.
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This happens on mine. No need to reinstall, simply press sidereal in EQMOD to start the tracking then SGP will solve as normal.
I had a similar problem SGpro kept stopping EQMOD from tracking, this also caused problems when trying to plate solve as the stars would be elongated. Anyway as a last resort I deleted all sync alignment settings and changed it from " on sync" settings and it did the trick