Remote Control- Telescopius to SC

[john_robertson1953]

Hi Robin,

A nice feature of Telescopius is to send image instructions directly to Stellarium.

Is this something that could be added to SC?

Thanks much,

John

[admin]

Hi John,

I hadn't encountered that web site before... Do you mean it sends the co-ordinates to Stellarium to make Stellarium show the right part of the sky? If it really is images then I am obviously missing something!

You can actually link SharpCap and Stellarium currently - set both to talk to the same ASCOM Telescope driver (either the one for your GOTO mount, or if you don't have a GOTO mount, use the Telescope Simulator one that installs with ASCOM). In that way, when SharpCap sends a GOTO command to move the mount, Stellarium should also update.

cheers,

Robin

[john_robertson1953]

Hi Robin,

If I understand your reply, you’re suggesting linking from Sharpcap to Stellarium. I’m suggesting the opposite link based upon workflow as described below.

Telescopius.com is a great site for pre-planning and setting up an evening of imaging. For example, I can quickly flip through a pre-filtered list of DSO(filter results I select, based upon transit timing, camera FOV, etc) , select one, click on a Stellarium link, and it instantly appears in Stellarium. If it checks all the boxes, I can add it and build a list of DSO’s to image that evening.

So the direction would be from Telescopius to Stellarium or in your case, Telescopius to Sharpcap. I could refer to the list in Telescopius, click on an item, click on a link, and automatically the image appears in Sharpcap. No typing necessary at all, just clicks.

If I’m missing something in my thinking, please advise.

Take care,

John

[john_robertson1953]

I forgot to mention, with CPWI, I can slew in Stellarium and it automatically updates in CPWI and Sharpcap, but the id info doesn’t populate in Sharpcap automatically, requiring me to remember to manually input. Maybe if the Sharpcap id info could be auto completed, saving key strokes?

[admin]

Hi John,

ah, I see!

Yes, in theory that's possible, although it would either require the telescopius site to have an update to show 'open in SharpCap' or SharpCap would have to emulate the web API that stellarium runs on port 8090. I will have to think, but it sounds like quite a large amount of work...

Of course SharpCap now has a target selection tool that has most of the popular targets (NGC/IC, Messier, Caldwell, Bright star) and lets you filter and sort by altitude, magnitude, time to meridian, etc. Try SharpCap 4.1 and choose either 'Tools->Goto Catalog Target/Coordinates' or 'Tools->PushTo Assistant' for GOTO and non-GOTO mounts respectively.

cheers,

Robin