Bluetooth Wireless telescope control
Version 2 of the BT telescope controller available, click here
Version 1 information below for historical purposes
Version 2 has all same capabilities and then some compared to version 1
Control your telescope wirelessly!
Your DB9 female rs232 cable from the scope plugs directly into this device.
Accepts 4.1V to 15V input via 5.5x2.5 center positive coax power connector or Meade AuxBus powering.
Bluetooth class 2 radio device, 10M range, BT v1.1
Provides a 9600 baud 8/N/1 3 wire interface to scope (TX/RX/GND) via DB9 male
Case dimensions 2 x 4 inch (50.8x101.6mm)
Circuit board dimensions: 1x3.7 inches (25.4x94mm)
Requires up to 40ma @ 12V when transmitting.
Requires PC/MAC with Bluetooth capability or a buetooth dongle.
See below for some dongles I have used with this unit.
Unit is identified as “GC-BT-Scope”
Passkey: “1234”
Update Feb 20, 2010: Added links to Hendrik's embedding the GC BT-Scope adapter into a fork arm of an LX90.
Click here for Hendrik's instructions for the operation.
Click here for Hendrik's instructions on using the Toshiba stack on windows with the GC BT1 adapter.
Click here for Hendrik's astro equipment page in English
Update Oct 2, 2009: Added pictures of flashing a 497 from a MAC using bluetoth and the new 'flashing' station.
I have successfully flash upgraded my Autostar 497 with this unit multiple times
The scope/unit were on different floors of the house than the machine I ran Starpatch on, linear distance was about 25 feet through the floor.
The time it took was no longer than hardwired (about 22min) at 9600 baud.
Links to the scope were maintained for 48hours running SMP to the scope with unit on different floor of house.
I have –not- attempted guiding via serial through this unit as of Sept 17,2009 but is on list of things to do.
The raw circuit board is shown on the left, assembled center and inside case to the right
The 5.5x2.5mm coax power input to the left, AuxBus power input middle and DB9 right
Using AutostarX to flash via bluetooth serial link
Look Ma, no scope! Flash station adapter to upper left (coming soon!), bluetooth unit upper right, 12V power splitter upper middle
SMP connected to unit for near 21 hours, this time includes the flashing of 497, see next pics
Autostar 497 flashed via StarPatch across the bluetooth link
My other projects:
PC/MAC USB to ST4 Autoguider interface
Availability:
I have enough stock currently to supply ten total units.
There are 5 units assembled and tested ready to ship in 2 business days.
I have 6 each of the various power splitters and AuxBus cables
It may take up to 5 business days
to ship unassembled units (all are tested for 4-8 hours).
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30 day return (except for buyers
remorse), buyer pays return shipping
One year warranty unless smoked by bad power (e.g. hooked up ‘roll your own’ backwards)
README: Comments on ground planes and ground loops
and unit powering:
Suggest power for lx200 classics is via standalone battery pack (e.g. min of 3 Alkaline batteries, 4 NiCd/NiMh or higher voltage) because of grounding scheme of lx200 through 0.1ohm resistor.
Standalone battery pack powering only the unit is the safest powering method of unit for all scopes because of any potential ground loop problems that may arise.
The GND of the power input jack is the same as the GND for the rs232 connector on the PCB. See picture of PCB above, the big fat trace going from pin 5 of the DB9 and down and to the left.
If you know you are going to use this with one of the power splitters or AuxBus power cable offered, I will cut (at your request) the GND trace going to the DB9 connector because scope and unit will be on same power supply. This can be undone by a jumpering in the cut trace indicated in the previous line.
Ground loops are bad mojo! Very high current can flow which does REAL BAD THINGS to electronics including but not limited to –fire- before the traces burn through and the electronics have let out all their magic smoke!
Why do I say all this about ground loops? Our scopes live in dripping dew environments which just complicate the issue. All my testing has been performed with both the AuxBus adapter and an external 3 prong PC style power supply with –no- issues and the GND’s connected but this is –your- scope we are talking about, not mine.
Any questions, email me: astrogene1000_stuff AT yahoo.com
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The base unit assembled and tested. Requires power input you supply or see below $59.00 + Shipping ($6 CONUSA, $11 international) |
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Roll your own power cord $4.00 + shipping is
included in base unit
5.5mm x 2.5mm plug end,
6ft 24ga wire with tinned ends. Unit can be powered
from 4.1V to 15V. 3 alkaline or 4
NiCd/NiMh batteries. Wire up as center
positive.
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AuxBus coiled cable power, 12feet$5.00 + shipping is included in base unit
4P4C coiled cord, 26ga wires Same as supplied with 909 clone
(Cannot be purchased separately, must be ordered at same time as base unit) |
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Splitter for AuxBus, use 2 devices in one AuxBus socket $7.00 + shipping is included in base unit
True 4P4C plug and jacks (not 6P4C phone splitter) 26ga stranded wires (Cannot be purchased separately, must be ordered at same time as base unit) |
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Coax power splitter cable Meade$11.00 + shipping is included in base unit
Input: 5.5mm x 2.5mm center positive jack Output 1: 5.5x2.5mm plug 18ga wire (scope) Output 2: 5.5x2.5mm plug 24ga wire (unit)
18ga wire 3 feet long 24ga wire 6ft long (Cannot be purchased separately, must be ordered at same time as base unit) |
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Coax power splitter cable Celestron $11.00 + is shipping included in base unit (Check you plug/jack sizes!)
Input: 5.5mm x 2.1mm center positive jack Output 1: 5.5x2.1mm plug 18ga wire (scope) Output 2: 5x2.5mm plug 24ga wire (unit) 18ga wire 3 feet long 24ga wire 6ft long (Cannot be purchased separately, must be ordered at same time as base unit) |
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If you have previously purchased the base unit and wish to add power options, email me.
BT dongles to consider:
I have used both of these dongles to talk with the unit (and many other different BT devices).
I have found them to be reliable and offer solid connections that do not drop easily (if much at all even with other devices in use and connected for days)
As with all radio frequency devices, BT is affected by co-existence with WiFi, Microwave Ovens, anything in the 2.4Ghz spectrum.
I am not associated with either of these companies in any way, just personal experience.
If you have not used Bluetooth in
the past, there can be a learning curve. I will help if I can but most likely
cannot answer all questions about specific configurations.
Low cost dongle, 100m range, BT 1.2
These are hit and miss, one purchased a few years ago works perfectly
One purchased recently drops connections after 10-20 minutes
Comes with BlueSolei, unsure about Vista or Linux compatability.
Not plug and play with XP BT stack, requires drivers (such as the supplied BlueSoleil)
Is plug and play on MAC OSX
No longer available, this one seems to be the replacement for it:
Plug and play with XP stack, please see the specs and read reviews on the page linked before making any decisions
Is plug and play on MAC OSX, see the link for other compatability