Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

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Radon86
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Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by Radon86 »

Hi All,

I was thinking of setting up a remote control of my solar imaging using ""Windows Desktop Remote" (Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit) (I sit inside my house) to control the imaging laptop and camera; and EQMod to control the mount; plus a remote focuser (like an ASCOM compatible motor focuser).
Does anyone use Windows Desktop remote ? I think Teamviewer could also be used.

Just wondering if this might be a good solution, as well as a computer controlled Motor Focuser.

Thanks.

Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by JochenM »

Hi Magnus

I use that exact setup whenever temperatures aren't really suitable to be outside long (be it too hot or too cold).

I use Teamviewer, works fine. The only thing to pay attention to is that you have decent network connectivity towards the imaging laptop sitting outside (laggy controls and image refresh gets old and annoying fast).


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by Merlin66 »

It depends on the distance from the “warm office” to the scopes and mount.
In my case it’s only 4mtr.
I use a SW HEQ5 mount and the Synscan controller with a 4mtr extension.
The solar scopes are WL, CaK and a DS SM60 mounted on an ED80.
SW electronic focuser motor, gear belt drive to the 10:1 knob, again with a 4mtr extension.
Lastly I’ve standardized on an ASI 1600MM camera and use a 4mtr USB3 extension.
You end up with three SW focus controllers and the Synscan on the desk next to the imaging
laptop.
Works well for me.

(For the observatory about 30mtr distance, for spectroscopy I use TeamViwer to communicate to the local laptop.)


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Hi Magnus,
Jochen and Ken have confirmed, yes of course remote control of a computer using TeamViewer at least is quite feasible, bearing in mind that WIFI linkage between computer can be problematic over any distance.

I have an Ethernet connection of approximately 100' (feet) between my home and the observatory, where there is no relevant losses in time delays and even with two computers in the observatory, both show as high a speed as the one within a Metre from the Home Hub in the house.

I've had TeamViewer installed on all my computers for many years, as my IT expert (5-miles away) can operate those in the event of...

Also of course others of your friends/family can even come in on the action - safely with the password system used... (nobody can come-in without you knowing first too)...

Best Wishes
Terry


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by Radon86 »

EGRAY_OBSERVATORY wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 11:32 am Hi Magnus,
Jochen and Ken have confirmed, yes of course remote control of a computer using TeamViewer at least is quite feasible, bearing in mind that WIFI linkage between computer can be problematic over any distance.

I have an Ethernet connection of approximately 100' (feet) between my home and the observatory, where there is no relevant losses in time delays and even with two computers in the observatory, both show as high a speed as the one within a Metre from the Home Hub in the house.

I've had TeamViewer installed on all my computers for many years, as my IT expert (5-miles away) can operate those in the event of...

Also of course others of your friends/family can even come in on the action - safely with the password system used... (nobody can come-in without you knowing first too)...

Best Wishes
Terry
Thanks Terry.
I will also look into the Ethernet connection possibility to reduce Wi-Fi connection possibilities.

Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Yes Magnus, does make a dramatic-difference for Ethernet vs WIFI.

" Generally the longest you should try to run an Ethernet cable is 90-100 meters." - so that speaks for itself...

Cheers
Terry


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by rsfoto »

Hi Magnus

Of course it is possible to remote any imaging situation be it Solar imaging or DSO, but, yes big but ...

The biggest problem in Solar imaging is tuning the etalons and if you have no remote control over this you will be running between the house and the setup

When I open my roof and point my H-alpha telescope to the sun I can see that it takes about 30 to 45 minutes until they are in band. I need to warm up the telescope and then I can start checking the focus and then start imaging.

BTW, I think I am the only one having a sophisticated remote tuning system of the etalons. I have a double Coronado SM60 where I added two stepper motors on the moving part in order to tune them.

:shock:

Look at the image on the right side and there you see one stepper motor. OK, after writing all this I realized you have a quark and I do not know what the Quark's do when getting warmer and warmer in the Sun over time ¿?


Image


regards Rainer

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San Luis Potosi Mexico

North 22° West 101°
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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

That's a good answer Rainer to the remote Etalon tuning and excellent to see you have overcome the problem.
Indeed just to remote control Etalons & Focusers eliminates the inevitable scope shaking when making those adjustments.

I have a few stepper-motors etc., but luckily I don't seem to need enough of those adjustments very often, unless of course changing optics.

Regards
Terry


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by rsfoto »

but luckily I don't seem to need enough of those adjustments very often, unless of course changing optics.
Hi Terry,

That is correct. I also do not need to readjust very often. The only adjusting I do is wait for warming up the telescope in H-alpha for getting in band.

I white light the only thing which changes when warming up is the focus.

There are many solutions for remote focusing.


regards Rainer

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North 22° West 101°
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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Hello Rainer.

Yes that makes sense and certainly I have set-up the systems here for remote imaging, but mainly for night-times, whereas unless the weather here really stays as "good seeing" all-day, then I just tend to get the day's captures in the three-lights and spend the time processing, which I still have lots to learn and do with differing programs.

The large and hi-res computer-screens are marvellous for combating the vision-problem in one eye and I'm just waiting for the Cataract-replacement to be arranged, as this laptop in-doors is becoming difficult to focus on...

Since stopping flying (at least for now), it's been a busy time finalising all the mods and fitting-out of the observatory and today was for installing the emergency-lighting into the Uninterruptable Power Supply system, leaving the final task of installing the De-Humidifier drainage pipe to the outside. Keeping and reducing the Humidity to a typical 40% is certainly paying off and protecting all the scopes and gear...
As far as I know all is completed then...

Many thanks
Regards
Terry


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I dream of all this observatory remote stuff....


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Re: Remote control of solar imaging - from inside your house?

Post by Merlin66 »

I can see easy(ier) solutions for tracking and scope focus for a semi-remote solar set up.
But for many of us that still leaves the ability to re-tune the Ha etalon(s). This can be achieved pretty simply with the T max tuner used on the Coronado but "remote operation" of the Lunt PT system seems either very expensive or at least very complex.


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"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
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