LX200, Canon Rebel DSLR, & Laptop Setup Help

I have the LX200. I have the Canon Rebel DSLR. I have a laptop. Now I want to control the telescope and camera from my laptop. I think I have the camera control part down (DSLR Focus and Nebulosity). Now how do I control the telescope from my laptop? I have an 8 year old copy of The Sky if that will help. If someone has done this setup, can you drop me a note and give me some pointers: Cables, software, change something.

Chuck

I would suggest you get a 4x1 (maybe 6x1--see later) USB splitter dedicated to this operation. (Before you go shopping, read through this whole thing--you may need a USB-Serial converter and some connectors for the mount.)

Have one cable coming into your computer USB port, and run it out to your telescope/mount/camera. (That way you only have one cable going the longer distance.--less to get in the way.)

At that point, you have the splitter. You will need one cable to go to the camera. (You may need two depending on how old your camera is--one for shutter up to 30 seconds and downloads the other for exposures more than 30 seconds.) You will need another to go to your mount. You may need another coming in from the autoguider, and a fourth for a focuser. That makes at least four, and possibly five--that is why I said 4x or 6 x USB splitter.

From this point on, you need to go slowly. Turn your computer on.

Plug the main cable into the computer, with the splitter on the other end of that cable. It will probably come up ready to go. If not, follow whatever installation you need for your splitter.

Then, plug your camera cable(s) into the 4x1 port. Again, it should come up and recognize the connections. If not, you may need to run the configuration software you got with your camera.

Now do the same general thing for the autoguider and later the focuser.

Then look at your documentation for the mount. I would guess that it is a "Serial" connection, with an RJ-11 or something input. Get whatever you need to convert your USB to Serial (They make a converter that does just that.) and whatever connectors you need to convert the output from that to RJ-11, or whatever fits your mount. (THese often come with the mounts. If not, run down to your local electronics hardware supplier. Be sure you get one that matches your pin configurations (always an adventure!!!). If it is USB, things will be simpler since you do not have to make the USB-Serial conversion. At any rate, plug the serial converter into the back of your 4x1 port, and see if it comes up happy on your computer. If not, you will need to install/configure the drivers. And, of course, connect the rest of the cables from the converter to the telescope. (If you have a USB mount, things may either pop right up when you connect them plug and play, or you will need to install drivers, etc.) At any rate, when you turn your mount on, you should see some communication going on.

Now, start your software, Nebulosity first. I am not familiar with its procedures, but I think all you have to do is select the camera somehow. Same with DSLR Focus.

Then start the Sky, and go over to the telescope menu. Choose the type of mount you have.......Since you have an eight year old program, you may want to go to the Bisque website and update first, so you have the latest drivers (unless your mount is also old!). Choose the telescope from the sub menu. THen choose the communication protocol from the same sub menu.

then go back and wake up the autoguider.

And it will all work just like that--real easy. (No, it won't--you will actually be pulling your hair.)......

Now, the most important thing--label all your cables, tape the 4x1 port so that the cables coming into and out of it are always plugged into the same jacks!!! Always plug the main cable (the one coming from the 4x1 to the computer) into the same USB jack. ANd turn on your devices in the same order--Telescope, camera, focuser, etc.....Then go back and cable wrap your cables that are going up to the top of the telescope (camera, autoguider, focuser) so that you don't get spaghetti and more than you absolutely need to. Attach this now fairly thick bundle wrapped cable somehow to a solid point on the telescope (rings or something) so that there is no strain on the connectors at the camera, focuser, etc.)

Alex

Try EBAY and search for this
507 CABLE w/ USB for MEADE LX200

I found several and perhaps this is what you are looking for?
Good luck
Henry

chuck hull said:

I have the LX200. I have the Canon Rebel DSLR. I have a laptop. Now I want to control the telescope and camera from my laptop. I think I have the camera control part down (DSLR Focus and Nebulosity). Now how do I control the telescope from my laptop? I have an 8 year old copy of The Sky if that will help. If someone has done this setup, can you drop me a note and give me some pointers: Cables, software, change something.

Chuck

Impossible to say. Which telescope? Which TheSky? The lower levels do not allow telescope control.

You'd probably be better off just downloading Cartes du Ciel, which is free.

This wi-fi setup from carinasoft is interesting, you can use an ipod touch to control it as well.... according to the blurb:

SkyVoyager can use your iPhone or iPod's WiFi capability to control the following GoTo telescopes:

* Meade LX-200 classic and GPS
* Meade LX-90, ETX, LXD, RCX-400
* Meade Magellan I and II
* Celestron Ultima 2000
* Celestron NexStar and NexStar GPS
* Celestron CGE, GTO, CPC, SLT series
* iOptron SmartStar/GOTONova
* Orion Sirius, Atlas, SkyView Pro, Intelliscope
* Takahashi Temma 2
* ServoCAT Argo Navis, Sky Commander, Losmandy DSC
* Astro-Physics GTO, Losmandy Gemini, Vixen SkySensor 2000

http://www.carinasoft.com/products/skyvoyager/index.html

BR
Martin

Hi Chuck,

Don't despair! Once you get things running, it will all become second nature. It is only the first 50 years that give you trouble!!

Alex has given you some sound advise. I would especially concur with his suggestion that you do it first in daylight! It is a LOT easier when you can see what is going on!

One thing you might consider would be to get an older laptop that has both serial and USB ports. Personally I have never had much success with the USB-serial adapters. You should be able to find one for around $200 or so and it may well work much better, particularly from telescope control with an older version of "The Sky", than using USB. This is what I use even with version 6 of "The Sky" and it works just fine. There are also no issues with trying to communicate with both camera and telescope over the one USB port.

Cheers,

Maurice