GPUSB with an iOptron ZEQ25 mount?

Questions about hardware and software obtained directly from Shoestring Astronomy
Post Reply
Davedownsouth
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:30 pm
Anti-spam question: Astronomy

GPUSB with an iOptron ZEQ25 mount?

Post by Davedownsouth » Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:09 pm

Hi :-),
I have recently bought a GPUSB and a Guide Port Cable and was hoping to use it to autoguide my iOptron ZEQ25 mount from my laptop (running 64 bit Windows 8 ). I have connected GPUSB to my mount via the guide port on the mount and a Guide Port Cable and using the GPUSB check program, when I click on the Dec+ and Dec- buttons, I hear a noise from the mount and have confirmed that it does move in DEC. Unfortunately, when I click on ether the RA+ or RA- buttons, I hear nothing and the scope does not move in R.A at all. I have checked with iOptron and this is what they sent me as a reply to my question about how the autoguider port is set-up:-

Image

by my reckoning, this means that the GPUSB should be controlling the DEC and the RA correctly? Is this a correct assessment, or am I missing something? Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated,
Cheers,
Dave from the Uk :)

dpanderson
Site Admin
Posts: 1047
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:34 pm
Location: central Iowa
Contact:

Re: GPUSB with an iOptron ZEQ25 mount?

Post by dpanderson » Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:22 pm

Dave,

The pinout shows that the mount is compatible with the GPUSB. Thus, you should be getting RA movement. Is the scope operating in a mode where it is doing normal sidereal rate tracking? RA movements would then speed up or slow down the tracking rate. I don't know a thing about this mount, but one guess is that somewhere you have to set up the guideport RA rate. Most people us 0.5 x sidereal for starters. Perhaps the rate has been set to zero.
Doug Anderson
Shoestring Astronomy
http://www.ShoestringAstronomy.com

Post Reply