Skywatcher latest driver or EQMOD?

Sequence Generator Plate Solving
1

Hello,

First time post, long time lurker and part time SGP user.

I have a need to be able to run automated focusing due to the scope I am now running, which seems to be sensitive to temperature change. As ACP is very dear and I have already purchased an SGP license, it is probably the go, and a cheap upgrade to version 3, thank you Ken and Jared for your great work!!

I have been reading about the issues with EQMOD and plate solve pointing models and was wondering if going back to the hand controller and using the basic Skywatcher driver that appears to allow syncing would be a better option.

Anyone have any constructive thoughts on this. I have been thinking about this for a while now.

Cheers,

Gray.

2

If you are using plate solving then I believe you don’t want to create a pointing model in eqmod. To do this you select “dialogue based” as the method for adding alignment stars in eqmod.

The problem with adding sync points when you use plate solving is it adds a heap of alignment points all close together during the centre here routine and it never manages to converge.

I’ve been using sgp/eqmod in the dialogue based mode for years and centering has never been an issue for me.

3

I’m heading up to the obs tonight to do some more testing and setting up. I’ll give it a go and see what happens. Are you using an AZEQ6 or an EQ8?

4

I have an eq6 and an eq8. Same approach for both.

5

Thanks Peter,it all went pretty well last night.

Cheers.

6

I have an Avalon with Synscan. I use the standard ASCOM driver and ‘target offset’ sync mode in SGP. That works well too.

7

Thanks buzz, that’s great feedback. I’m keen to try if I get any problems with EQMOD.

Cheers!

8

Note that EQMOD does have a “proximity range” slider to address the local clustering of alignment points. So for instance if you set the slider to 2 degress then EQMOD when adding a new alignmnt point will automatically removed any exisiting points from its model that lie within 2 degrees angular movement of RA/DEC.

That said most folks who plate solve are not interested in building up sky models - In which case “Dialog mode”, where the ASCOM sync only ever stores on sync point, is the way to go.