Astro-Gadget EQStarProEQ5 User Manual
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Astro-Gadget EQStarProEQ5 User Manual

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EQStarProEQ5 User Guide
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Summary of Contents for Astro-Gadget EQStarProEQ5

  • Page 1 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com EQStarProEQ5 User Guide...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com Contents Overview ............................3 EQStarProEQ5 Kit..........................4 Hardware Installation ........................6 PC Software Installation ........................8 PC control ............................10 Control with Mobile Cell Phone or Tablet..................12 EQStarPro control via ZWO ASIAir Pro .................... 16 EQStarPro control via a Linux Controller ..................

  • Page 3: Overview

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 1. Overview The control system EQStarPRO is designed to automate the control of the equatorial mount, and can be used in stand-alone mode or in a control mode using a computer or mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.).

  • Page 4: Eqstarproeq5 Kit

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 2. EQStarProEQ5 Kit 2.1. EQStarPro control unit. 2.2. Button joystick for autonomous control. 2.3. USB cable for connection to a PC EQStarPRO. 2.4. Set of cables for connecting motors. 2.5. CD with software and user manual for EQStarPRO.
  • Page 5 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com EQStarPRO Inputs, Outputs, and Control  ST4: ST4 hand controller or guiding input.  PC: COMM over USB interface for PCs.  Wifi: Wifi enable switch  Wifi On LED  Power on/off switch  Power input: 5.5mm outer, 2.1mm inner power connector. (accepts center 2.1mm male plus pin and 5.5mm outer ground sleeve)

  • Page 6: Hardware Installation

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 3. Hardware Installation 3.1. Install the drive motors on the mount axes as shown in the following pictures. 3.2. DEC Motor details (including Hex mounting bolt position)
  • Page 7 3.4.3. Mount the motor drive assemblies first, with final adjustments to be made once the new worm shaft gears are installed. 3.4.4. The EQStarProEQ5 kit has replacement gears for each axis worm gear shaft with 2 set screws each. Note the flat side of each gear is on the outside, with the attachment collar pointing toward the shaft.

  • Page 8: Pc Software Installation

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 4. PC Software Installation 4.1. Install the driver virtual com-port software from the supplied CD The driver can be found in the ‘DriverVertComPort’ directory of the CD. Choose either the x64 or x86 driver based on whether your PC supports x64 or not. The x64 installer executable is named ‘CP210xVCPinstaller_x64.exe’.
  • Page 9 In the EQStarPro settings panel, click on ‘Load settings’ to see the current settings of the unit. The EQStarProEQ5 kit should come with the EQStarPro correctly set for the mounts supported by this kit. Of particular importance is the RA and DEC gear ratios. For example, at least the LXD75 and Vixen GP mounts have 144 tooth worm gears on both axes, so the gear ratio should be set to 576 (144 x 4, where 4 is the step-down ratio from the stepper motor gear to the worm shaft gear).

  • Page 10: Pc Control

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 5. PC control 5.1. Automatic Find (GoTo) Before beginning work in this mode, the PC must have the ASCOM platform and the EQMOD telescope driver installed. See the previous section. Next, in a planetarium program on your PC, configure the program to select the ASCOM telescope EQMOD, and set the COM port name to the virtual COM port listed in Windows device manager, a COM/LPT entry labelled ‘CP210X USB to UART Bridge (COMx)’.
  • Page 11 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com The ST-4 port on the EQStarPro can also be used with an external guider like the Skywatcher standalone SynScan guider. To get the EQStarPro to accept guiding via the ST-4 port, connect the joystick remote and press and hold the mode button (side of joystick box) for 5 seconds.

  • Page 12: Control With Mobile Cell Phone Or Tablet

    Other supported mobile applications include Orion StarSeek, DSOPlanner or others. 6.1. Install SynScan Pro Install SynScan Pro from the CD supplied with the EQStarProEQ5 kit, or from the Google App Store. Note that this application only works with Android 10 and lower according to the current Google Play App Store notes.
  • Page 13 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 6.6. SynScan Pro screen: 6.7. EQStarPro WiFi Settings Configuration via SynScan Pro By default, the EQStarPRO operates in Access Point mode, with an SSID of EQStarPro and no WiFi security password. The Settings -> Wifi Settings form in SynScan Pro can be used to set a password for better security.
  • Page 14 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 6.8.1. SkySafari Scope Settings Form 6.8.2. SkySafari Goto Operation Once the connection is made to the EQStarPro via the SynScan Pro application, SkySafari can be used to select an object and request telescope Goto to point at that object. Once slewing stops, the requested object should be in view through the telescope.
  • Page 15 EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com The SkySafari Pro app may need to be reinstalled after adding the Synscanlink app. Also, tracking will not occur if it is not enabled in Synscan Pro (by unparking the mount).

  • Page 16: Eqstarpro Control Via Zwo Asiair Pro

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 7. EQStarPro control via ZWO ASIAir Pro The ZWO ASIAir Pro astronomic controller is a popular control box for scripted automated astrophotography, for use principally with ZWO imagers. (see https://astronomy-imaging- camera.com/product/asiair-pro EQStarPro can be controlled via an ASIAir Pro controller via USB or WiFi.

  • Page 17: Eqstarpro Control Via A Linux Controller

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 8. EQStarPro control via a Linux Controller There are Linux open-source applications that can work with the EQStarPro via its WiFi interface. One such set is the KStars planetarium program paired with the Indi EQMOD plug-in. KStars contains a companion EKOS app for automated astrophotography control.

  • Page 18: Stand-Alone Mount Control With Push-Button Joystick

    EQStarProEQ5 User Guide www.astro-gadget.com 8.4. EQStarPro control via AstroBerry Server for Raspberry PI A Raspberry Pi microcontroller can be used to control the EQStarPro using the AstroBerry distribution. At minimum, a Raspberry Pi 3B is needed, but a Raspberry Pi 4 is recommended.

  • Page 19: Additional Tips

    2.1mm pin in the EQStarPro. The required cable is available from several vendors on Amazon. 10.2. The belts supplied with the EQStarProEQ5 kit are standard 3D printer belts, and are available on Amazon. The part name for the belts is ‘RobotDigg 140-2GT-6’, which has the right size,...

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