How to Connect Stellarium to Celestron's CPWI Mount Control PC Software

[@theycallmemrglass]

I followed your instructions to control my Nexstar 8SE and it worked a charm! I didn't know I can use Stellarium with CPWI, thanks for sharing this. But for those of you that only have one Aux poer and no PC port, you can still use your handset in combo by getting a Celestron Aux Splitter that gives you an extra Aux port. With that you can plug in both a Handset controller and USB/serial cable/wifi dongle. I am able to use my wifi dongle (Skyportal) and my handset with CPWI.

[@jeffrh]

TJ, Very true... The PC port is a fairly new thing with Celestron mounts. Depending on the mount, Wi-Fi could also be an option... Many ways to connect CPWI to the mount...

[@gregmckay666]

Hey Jeff, Great video. One trick I've learned the last couple months using the exact same setup is instead of needing to open up the Telescope Control panel to "select the object" and then click on the slew button, you can just click on the sky where you want to point the scope and then use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl 1" to initiate the move.

[@gregmckay666]

It might be "Ctrl 3" in the case of your example because I noticed in the plugin setup you connected to the third item in the list.

[@jeffrh]

Thanks, Greg... For the videos, I try to keep things simple. Helps the newer Group members get up and running faster. Love the tip!

[@Textra1]

Worked perfectly. Thank you for this video. :D

[@jeffrh]

Glad it is still current. Sometimes software updates can break things... ;-)

[@308Win609]

Jeff...useful video thanks. It got the CPC1100 slewing like a drunken figure skater. All the Best! Dave Stokes

[@jeffrh]

Dave, The newer versions of Stellarium seem to have problems with the ASCOM drivers for certain mounts. They do know about it and are working on a fix...

[@308Win609]

@@jeffrh Jeff...sorry for poor slew simile. Cpwi and Stellarium are actually working great together, due to your tutorial. Thanks again!

[@jeffrh]

@@308Win609 No worries... Glad it works for your set up...

[@Blf2150455]

Great video Jeff. I also use CPWI and Stellarium via Ascom I have an AVX mount with StarSense which means I have two hand controllers. I connect to CPWI via the StarSense hand controller via USB and then use the GEM hand controller for small adjustments at the mount.

[@jeffrh]

Glad you liked it... I tried the double HC. It didn't fit what I was doing so I just make sure that I'm plugged into the mount with the PC port and then all I need is the one HC.

[@rudiroothooft2414]

Thank you for the great explanation

[@jeffrh]

Glad you liked it...

[@billneedham5785]

Thanks for this video Jeff was wondering about , Astrobill

[@jeffrh]

Thanks, Bill Need a little help, what is Astrobill? Can't say I've ever heard of it?

[@billneedham5785]

@@jeffrh Well just a imager Jeff. I have a cgem and rasa8 a old one and like CPWI but don.t like the HR data.don,t know it so i end up looking elsewhere for my questions. I will try this out. Keep em comming. Hi Astrobill

[@sphudson]

I have a CGEM-II and StarSense, which comes with its own HC. I can run both the NexStar and StarSense HCs simultaneously through a splitter. I then connect one of the HC’s mini-USB port to my PC with a USB cable so I can control things inside the house using CPWI. The other HC is available if I want or need to go outside and control things manually.

[@jeffrh]

Stanford I want to say this up front.... I'm by no means a Celestron rep and these are just my opinions, so take them for what they are worth... ;-) With the CGX and CGX-L mounts that I own. Yes, you can add a second hand controller through an AUX Port. In my case I have done this with that Aux Splitter you are talking about. My guess is that it should work... with your mount. No guarantees that it will. Sorry. As for CPWI controlling the mount from inside your home. You will need to figure a way to extend you USB out to the mount or get a second PC that you can remote into. USB 3 Active Repeater cables can take you to 50ish feet and still be fairly reliable. Anything over that and your pushing your luck! I use to use a 15 M USB 3 Active Repeater cable. They are fragile. One twist the wrong way and the $120 cable is done. I got sick & tried of buying those and decided to get a PC for at the mount. I then Remote Desktop into the PC and controll everything that way. You can connect with a wire like I do or wirelessly if you don't have bandwidth concerns. I do Live Broadcasts on the LiveSkies.org network and need the bandwidth so I use a wire. Hope this helps...

[@josephluciani5531]

Jeff, I’m not sure if you could possibly know how valuable your video is to a newcomer like me. I’ve been trying to get set up to do plate solving (through SharpCap) for months. I downloaded CPWI but never made the connection (pun intended) to Stellarium. Your video was the answer! And I must congratulate you on walking us through the setup as patiently as you did. I read in one of your responses that you use SkySafari and StarSense to align. I’ve been doing the same, however everyone seems to be suggesting that the way to go is plate solving and abandoning SkySafari. Wondering what you view is on plate solving vs, StarSense alignment. I look forward to more videos from you going forward. Much thank, Joe

[@jeffrh]

Thanks, Joseph I think that answer really depends on how your imaging the sky. If your doing EAA and your missing the sensor, then StarSence Add Reference will get you on the target. Iuse a Mallincam DS432on my C14 at f/11. That is a very small FOV. If I find I'm missing the sensor. I'll go to CPWI and Add Reference. That is basically a plate solve and when it done, I'll just re-slew to the same target. Boom target on the sensor. If your doing AP work. Programs like NINA or SGP will intergrate a plate solver into the flow. If you are looking for astand alone plate Solver. All Sky Plate Solver or ASTAP will work. Hope this helps... Here's my video on setting up ASPS. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h32qlqRrabV4pK8

[@chaprick0106]

I know my question is off subject a bit (my apologies)....but I was wondering if I could connect Cartes du Ciel through CPWI the same as you have done with Stellarium?

[@jeffrh]

Hi Rick I don't use Cartes but if it has an area where you can select the CPWI ASCOM driver for the mount... Then yes you can pretty much do the same thing...

[@christopherdeaver5372]

Great video. Thanks. I subscribed to your channel.

[@jeffrh]

Little late, Thanks for the sub... Glad you liked it.

[@estherilla6207]

could you please tell me where exactly are you connecting the MicroUSB port at the mount? or is it an RS232 port? thanks

[@jeffrh]

Both my CGX & CGX-L have a PC port which takes a USB2 B connector. That end looks like a printer port cable end. Kind of square. The other end is a standard USB2 A connector that can connect to a USB hub or your PC.

[@estherilla6207]

@@jeffrh oh thanks for your quick answer. My Nexstar only have 2 rs232 aux ports and the microB at the HC bottom. I am afraid I wont be able to use the HC and the CPWI altogther

[@jeffrh]

@@estherilla6207 Then you will need to connect to the mount through the hand controller... Depending on how old you mount is, it will have an RS232 port (kind of looks like an old analog connector for computer monitor) or a USB mini port... Either one should let you connect to the mount using CPWI and from there the rest of the video should work for you. I'm hoping you have a USB mini connector and not the RS232... ;-)

[@jeffrh]

It just occurred to me that the Celestron WiFi dongle will work with CPWI. You just need an AUX Port free on the mount. If you don't have one, Celestron makes an AUX Splitter that will turn one Aux into 2...

[@Ronbo765]

Good vid! Is CPWI required to run in the background for Stellarium to control the mount?

[@jeffrh]

Thanks, RonBo CPWI is acting as a Comms Port Hub. This allows for more than one programs to connect to the mount. If you don't wish to use CPWI 's planetarium and wish to use something like Stellarium. Then yes, you need to keep CPWI open in the backgrand and connected to the mount. You would need to connect Stellarium as is shown to the CPWI ASCOM driver to allow Stellarium to control the mount.Hope this helps...

[@Ronbo765]

@@jeffrh Did you ever try running the ASCOM Celestron Unified (6.1.7350, Feb 2020) Telescope & Focuser without CPWI and only Stellarium (or other app)? Says it works for all Celestron mounts and no mention of CPWI.

[@jeffrh]

@@Ronbo765 I need to be able to connect multiple programs to the mount at the same time and the Unified ASCOM Driver didn't do that. It is more for connecting one program like PHD2 or something like Stellarium. If you need to connect more than one program to the mount at the same time. CPWI or the old NexRemote program have the comms port hubs built into them. The Unified ASCOM Driver does not. Now something may have changed since the last time I tried to use the Celestron ASCOM Driver? Feel free to give it a try...

[@Ronbo765]

@@jeffrh Thanks for the input. Clear skies!

[@figzastro-photography]

Hey Jeff. Good video. Quick question, why do you connect to the mount instead of the hand controller on CPWI? I was always told to connect thru the hand controller.

[@jeffrh]

Thanks, Figz Photography I connect both my CGX & CGX-L via the mounts USB PC Port so that I can use the Hand Controller to find targets if I happen to miss the sensor. If I connected to the Hand Controller's USB or Serial port. It locks the Hand Controller out and I would have to use the PC which in my case is some 60" from the mount. What you can do if you wanted... is connect a second Hand Controller to the mount and use the second to make your moves. I will power the mount up first and do a Quick Align which brings up the Hand Controller for use. I'll then connect the mount to my PC and fire up CPWI. In CPWI I do my StarSense Auto Align. The mount is now ready for the night session and I have full use of the Hand Controller to make adjustments if needed to find my target. Hope this helps...

[@davidreason9593]

I would like to try this setup but my stellarium doesn't have the ASCOM option in Add a new telescope meun. How do I get that option in there?

[@davidreason9593]

Had a problem with the ASCOM platform. Have it sorted out now. Connected and ready to go

[@jeffrh]

David, Glad you got things sorted out. I think you'll like it. Works very well for me and I hope you also...

[@th3challenger895]

Hey,I need help installing the drivers,I've literally been trying for 7 months now and I can get it to work.Please help me I have a celestron nexstar 4se

[@jeffrh]

Not quite sure which drivers your referring too? CPWI has no drivers to install and Stellarium is using the ASCOM driver that CPWI is offering up. After you select the CPWI ASCOM driver in Stellarium. Your ready to go. I think this is shown in the video at around 4:50 mark. Hope this helps...

[@EugeneRu777]

Спасибо.

[@jeffrh]

Nожалуйста

[@natty55555]

The most frustrating thing with CPWI software is that as CPWI sometimes loses WIFI signal (the telescope usually goes on following the sky object), CPWI DEMANDS TO POINT YOUR TELESCOPE AT THE NORTH, before you can restore the (last) alignment. It is very uncomfortable when you had an excellent alignment and have to do it again :(

[@jeffrh]

Which version of CPWI are you using? Would you also be using the Celestron WiFi dongle? If so, that dongle is low power and starts to fail after 30ish feet or so. I stopped using my Celestron WiFi dongle 4 years ago because it was so flaky. Another thing that my interfear with the WiFi is the location. If you have a dense population around the gear. There isn't enough WiFi channels to spread out the bandwidth. You could also try using another channel which might help the cause. I have computer(s) at the mounts now and I use the PC port on the mount to connect to the computer. I'm using a wired CAT5e cable to connect to the PC. No WiFi drop-outs with a wire. You can go uo to 300 feet with a CAT5e cable before you would need to boost the signal with something like a switch and you can go another 300 feet... Then I will use Remote Desktop to connect to the mount computer(s) Works very well for my semi-remote setups.

[@natty55555]

@@jeffrh I have installed CPWI v2.5.2. The telescope is CELESTRON NextStar Evolution 9.25". It has a build-in WIFI module. Anyway CPWI works pretty well via WiFi till it loses connection, usually within 20-30 mins. I tried the wired link via Hand Control USB too. Of course the wired connection is much more stable, and nevertheless it fails sometimes. there is also an unpleasant side effect, that all Hand Control Buttons are locked while you use its USB port. To use two PCs and Remote Desktop is quite bulky in my opinion. In actual fact, it is CPWI software issue, the step "pointing at North" is not necessary at all. The telescope still holds the alignment even after a disconnection. The only thing you should do, to reconnect CPWI and sync it with the sky object still staying in the field of view. As a rule I set my telescope on my balcony and maintenance it from my PC in the warm room. There is only 3 meters distance between. Anyway I have to go outside quite often - in order to adjust focus or point OTA more accurately using the finderscope, if the sky object has not appeared on PC screen.

[@jeffrh]

@@natty55555 If you haven't updated the firmware for the hand controller and mount. That should be your next little project. Then try the WiFi again. Celestron did some work to try and help the WiFi with that mount. Again, these are low power devices and aren't made for long distance runs. 30 feet max is about all one would get in a crowded WiFI area. You should also look at changing the channel the that the mount is using to connect. Most consumer WiFi devices will use the lower channels which are very crowded and will hurt connections. Best I can do for you...

[@natty55555]

@@jeffrh Thank you. It would be great to get some contact with CPWI development team. In fact WiFi connection is always not stable, but any software is usually adapted to this fact. You do not lose content you have typed in MS Word or information on a site does not disappear suddenly when the Internet fails. I am a developer myself, if there was a public API for the mount maintenance I would probably write my own software. Anyway I see it as the software quality issue. Usually these who write new software they hardly use it themselves, unfortunately.

[@jeffrh]

@@natty55555 You can join Team Celestron. This is where Celestron put out beta software for they gear. You can find it here: teamcelestron.com/index.php You would need to join and get approval first to post. Clear skies.