Shoestring Astronomy Support

I'd like to write a simple HC app, very similar to the GPUSBCheck for my non-Gemini mount. Can I send, say, both DEC+ and a DEC- move commands at the same time? Sounds crazy I know, but the losamandy digital drive controller will automatically start slewing at max speed regardless of the rate setting if the reverse button is pressed while holding the direction you want to go. I'm envisioning adding buttons that would send these commands. I'm not shooting for GOTO. I only want to be able to Slew around a bit when I'm running remotely and have the mount set on a (painfully slow) guide rate.

I just thought I'd check if this is even possible before I start digging any deeper into actually trying to write such an app using the GPUSB Ascom driver.

thanks,
Kevin

Kevin,

A friend of mine with a Losmandy mount asked me the same thing a few months back. I wrote a simple app called GPUSBNudge for him. I just published it to our website, you can find a link to the installer on the download page: http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/downloads.htm

Let me know it this will suit your needs.

Dan,

Thanks, that's pretty close to what I'm after. It slews the mount fine in the current guide speed setting. What ASCOM command would I use to issue a RA or DEC movement just like in this program? The thought is that for my program (gulp, if I can muddle through the programming) I'd add another set of buttons that would do what I tried to describe above.

There is no way I know of to do this with the ASCOM driver. If you are using Visual Basic or C, you could use the SDK that we provide to software developers. Please send an email to doug@shoestringastronomy.com for details.

You probably figured this out from the GPUSBNudge Help screen, but right-clicking on the direction buttons should result in movement at a higher, slewing speed.

Nope, I completely missed the help file. That is exactly what I was looking for, Thanks!

Excellent! Glad to hear that did the trick for you.