Wiimote-controlled scope

Wanna make a scope? Or better still, grind a mirror yourself. Or, you have some good tips in making a really useful accessory? This is the place to show what your hands can do...
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anat
Posts: 479
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 12:13 pm
Location: Bangkok

Wiimote-controlled scope

Post by anat »

I have used a Wiimote (Wii controller) for presentation. It is a really cool inexpensive item. I have just tried controlling a scope with the wiimote.

I use EQMOD (an ASCOM driver for a HEQ5/EQ6). It supports a joystick for controlling a mount. To use a Wiimote, we need two additional software
1) GlovePIE - a windows program that can talk with Wiimote and control the computer from a wiimote.
2) PPjoy - a virtual joystick program

Then I wrote a short script and set parameters in GlovePIE. Finally, EQMOD can recognize the Wiimote.

I don't have a EQ mount now but tried it using a EQMOD simulator. You can control slew direction, slew rate from buttons in a Wiimote. The coolest thing is that you can control the mount by tilting the wiimote :) If you want to do it during cloudy nights, please feel free to ask me.

Please see the following movie clip I took. The computer also tells the slewing direction (North South East West) COOL :)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ly1m3d10xvl
Last edited by anat on Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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mch3898
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:30 am

Re: Wiimote-controlled scope

Post by mch3898 »

Hi,

Your Wiimote is cool.

EQMOD is one great program and all with EQ Mounts should try it out.

I have used a wireless game control pad, the Rumble Pad, for quite some time now and it works great. Especially useful when doing star alignment without wires getting tangled! EQMOD even has a function to do spiral search which I find most helpful.

Christopher
anat wrote:I have used a Wiimote (Wii controlled) for presentation. It is a really cool inexpensive item. I have just tried controlling a scope with the wiimote.

I use EQMOD (an ASCOM driver for a HEQ5/EQ6). It supports a joystick for controlling a mount. To use a Wiimote, we need two additional software
1) GlovePIE - a windows program that can talk with Wiimote and control the computer from a wiimote.
2) PPjoy - a virtual joystick program

Then I wrote a short script and set parameters in GlovePIE. Finally, EQMOD can recognize the Wiimote.

I don't have a EQ mount now but tried it using a EQMOD simulator. You can control slew direction, slew rate from buttons in a Wiimote. The coolest thing is that you can control the mount by tilting the wiimote :) If you want to do it during cloudy nights, please feel free to ask me.

Please see the following movie clip I took. The computer also tells the slewing direction (North South East West) COOL :)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ly1m3d10xvl
christopher
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