Cartes du Ciel on a netbook

[Ivor]

If I'm honest I tend to be a little anal about researching technical purchases, I hate buying something and then discovering it doesn't do what I want, but to err is human and my choice of a netbook rather than laptop is a good example of a big error.

As much as I try to squeeze the most out of it's little Atom processor I often find it just can't cope, but it can do most thing admittedly slowly so I accept if the light took 1000 years to get to the camera lens I can wait an extra 60 mins for the subs to stack ( I usually set it off while I do the day job  ).

Whilst at the last imaging session Duncan covered some of the functionality of Cartes du Ciel so I downloaded it to the netbook but alas it seems to struggle, pausing quite often and not responding so I was wondering if there was any configuration you can change or functionality I can switch off to help the poor Atom processor cope?


Cheers

Ivor

[Mac]

what version of windows do you have?
and have you turned off all the whistles and bells?
have you also disabled all the startup items that you will never need?

Mac.

[Ivor]

I use XP, set a blank background and turned off all the animation; the only thing in startup is AVG.

[mickw]

If you only use it for astro stuff and not internet/email you could dump AVG and any internet related programs in XP.

There are settings in CdC that will speed things up, Duncan knows more than I can remember.

[The Thing]

From memory (at the wrong computer)... Less stars and DSO on the display for one, change the display mode to the less photographic options, turn off planets, comets and asteroids unless you need them at the time, get the latest beta (3.7 I think). And make sure that the check box for showing detail while the chart is moved is unchecked.

[Ivor]

OK, I've cleared a lot of stuff off the netbook, and Cartes du ciel runs smoother, however I'm struggling to get a connection with the mount. I've loaded the latest version of Cartes du ciel and version 6 of the ascom drivers so in theory I'm good to go.

I'm connecting the netbook to the EQ6 Pro mount via an USB to RS232 adapter and a RS232 to RJ11 cable I got with the scope to the SYNSCAN, I've selected the EQ telescope option from the Cartes setup but whenever I press the connect button the telescope mini window briefly comes up but I never appear to connect to the telescope as the light next to the connect button remains white( changing from it's initial red).

Any suggestions?

[Mike]

Have you installed the drivers for the USB-RS232 cable?

[Ivor]

yep, i had to use it for the EOS 400 shutter cable to extend it beyond 30 seconds.

[Rocket Pooch]

You need to select the correct Com port, or turn the mount on.

Chris

[The Thing]

Ivor, have you installed the latest EQMOD EQASCOM mount driver as well as the ASCOM V6 platform. ASCOM on it's own is not enough. The handset needs to be set to PC Direct mode on the Utilities menu as well. You tell EQASCOM (commonly referred to as EQMOD) to use the appropriate COM port then select the EQASCOM driver in CdC. There are a whole load of EQASCOM videos on YouTube that will show you exactly what to do. Also the eponymous Yahoo group is a fantastic source of info.

[Ivor]

Thanks I'm now connected to the mount now, I'd forgotten that you had to specify the com port when it is RS232, I've gotten used to USB now. Also I didn't realise about the PC DIRECT mode. Now I've got get the mount to move, I've taken it out of park but the mount doesn't move.

I'll try youtube again I typed in Cartes du Ciel and didn't get many appropriate options. 

[The Thing]

Hi Ivor,

The YouTube link in my previous post will list all the EQASCOM videos. What are you doing to try to move the mount? You can only use EQASCOMs buttons if another piece of software e.g. CdC is connected. EQASCOM is a driver not an application.

In CdC you use the Telescope menu, set the telescope to ASCOM then when you connect using Telescope/Control Panel you will get the option of choosing a driver - you need to choose "EQMOD ASCOM EQ5/6". You should already have set the necessary properties when you installed EQASCOM. Then just click Connect button at the bottom. EQASCOM will appear and the red box will go green. If EQASCOM pops up then disappears or nothing appears to happen EQASCOM can't connect to the mount which usually means the COM port isn't right/not connected.

When you are connected click Telescope/Track Telescope and CdC should show Polaris. Then find a target - Kocab should be in view on the chart - and then use Telescope/Slew to target (or right click menu/telescope/Slew to Target).

Hope that helps. You should get to a DSC as face to face help is easier!

[Ivor]

Thanks I've got as far as getting the green connected light and couldn't get any further. Your youtube link will be a great help as I was searching for Cartes du Ciel and getting no where. It's will have to wait until tomorrow night now as I'm a little dizzy as I've just been kneed in the head practicing a two man knife attack. (one of my other hobbies is Ju Jitsu)

I'm planning to come to a DSC soon but I've only got a 7 man tent at the moment which is a little overkill, once I've paid for the camera and the new utility room I'll buy a smaller more practical tent.

[Ivor]

As the weather has been disappointing I've been playing with cartes du ciel and now have it slewing the mount. The big problem is it goes nowhere near the target star, are you meant to do an alignment via the handset before you use the app?

I know I could use the gamepad or the on screen controller however I size of error is 120 degrees in the sky not just a few degrees.

[mickw]

Yes, Polar align the scope as normal before using the app.

I use Starry Night rather than CdC but it works the same - align the scope first, then I use the app to slew to Polaris, synch on it when it's on target, slew to something else reasonably nearby and synch on that.  Effectively doing a star alignment and teaching the app where it should be pointing.

[Ivor]

Thanks, fingers crossed we get a night to play soon.

[Mike]

That's not how I use CDC. Alignment is done in app. Simply choose 2 or 3 (or as many as you like) stars, slew to each star, correct using the ASCOM pad or your game controller (or loosen the clutches and move to as good as position if way out, then tighten clutches, then fine tune with the ASCOM pad), then SYNC on the star and you're aligned on that star. Repeat.

Once you're aligned, you can slew to your chosen object.

[mickw]

Sorry, I meant polar align then use app 

[Ivor]

I had my Polar alignment bang on the money, so I was surprised it was so far away from the target. I was aiming for Capella and it was roughly 180 Degrees off, could I have a setting in CDC wrong and it is flipping the co-ordinates in some way?

[mickw]

Have you set your location Lat/Lon in CdC and EQmod ?

[Ivor]

yes, East is negative correct?