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Wireless game pad/controller for telescope control?

  • mjc
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15 years 1 month ago #76979 by mjc
I was out last night and using EQMOD on a laptop to control my EQ6 Pro mount - for the first time out of my study. My pointing accuracy was a little off during star-alignment and I needed to slew a little. I used my Syncan hand-controller - through which EQMOD communicates with the mount - and found that EQMOD just got confused when I returned to slew to the next star. Actually it just refused to do anything after that.

I only tried this once but I suspect that all the logic is now on the PC and the hand controller intervening had somehow upset the "State Machine" on the PC. I recovered by disconnecting and starting again from home position.

Having a newt on the mount - and given its orientation - I required a small kitchen-style step-ladder to view through the eyepiece or finderscope. As I was avoiding the hand controller - for reasons stated above - I held the laptop to perform the final slewing while on the ladder. This isn't practical (not to mention safe) at all.

I know (from what I read) that I can use a game controller with EQMOD - and on YouTube have seen a WII controller being used to control an EQ6 - see:



[BTW - I just wanted a clickable link there].

So question is - does anyone use (particuarly) wireless controllers for telescope control? (I've got enough wires - I want to lose some wires). If so then any recommendations?


Mark

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