David,
I f I understand this correctly, you have the encoder system running on the
old 486 and scope and Guide running simultaneously on PC No.2. And you can
switch between scope and guide as shells in Billdoze, sorry Windows!
If you are only using an encoder based system you should have no need for
scope.exe as you could let Guide just read the encoders across a serial
port via the encoder software on the 486.
This would be similar to, say , a set of encoders running through a
Celestron/JMI box through a COM port and into Guide. (JMI-MGIII function in
Guide). It's just that the encoder software is in a different place.
(Although the software/hardware difference might not be recognised by Guide)
If you have stepper motors on your mount then you shouldn't need encoders
because scope.exe will read the position from the number of steps made and
then transmit that to Guide.
If you have DC-Servo motors then you will need an encoder system to keep
track of the position of the scope. This is more complicated as the motors
will be running through a parallel port and the encoders though a serial
port a la JMI-MGIII.
HMMMM, I may be way off the mark on the above but this is what I have been
able to glean from various sources.
As for the difficulty between Scope and Guide, I would hazard a wild wild
guess and say try and hook the encoders up to the encoder program then via
serial connection straight to Guide. "JMI-MGII" style.
But don't quote me on it!
According to Mel Bartels' web page, scope does control equat. mounts.
All this interests me a lot as I am about to embark on doing the same
thing, it's just that I want to use the system on two scopes, my C5 GPDX
and my 250mm Dob.
So it's pretty good talking about all this before I go and drill the holes!
Anyone else with any offerings on these problems?
Cheers
James
At 05:41 19/01/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I, with a local group am trying to setup some electronic setting
>circles on a 16" equatorial mounted telescope. So far we have succeeded
>in fitting some mouse encoders onto the RA and DEC. Using a scrap 486,
>we have used an encoder program to read the mouse co-ordinates and
>transmit them across the serial port to be picked up by scope.exe This
>part appears to work as when choosing alignment stars in guide (V7.0),
>scope loads and the co-ordinates are seen to change on computer 2
>(guide computer) as the telescope is moved (although I am concerned by
>the display not fitting on one line of screen - a large number of 0s
>appear after some figures).
>
>My problem is that although scope.exe appears to read the co-ordinates
>correctly, guide does not act upon them by indicating the position of
>the scope. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the problem. Also I
>am unclear as to whether scope.exe is suitable for an equatorial mount,
>I have reason to believe it is not! Can anyone clarify this?
>
>If it is not possible to get guide to act upon these co-ordinates, it
>would be appreciated if anyone has a program that can convert the
>co-ordinates to RA and DEC.
>
>Thanks
>David Leonard
>dave_leonard@...
>
>
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