Avalon STARGO STAND ALONE Wi-Fi
| Article number: | AV-9SSA001 |
| Availability: | More on the Way to us |
| Delivery time: | Special Order |
The StarGO is a GoTo Control System based on stepper motor technology. It has been designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Thanks to this characteristics it can be used in three main modality:
- Simple tracker – Without any kind of device. Just get the power and it is ready to track both in Equatorial and Alt/Az axis mode.
- Wireless GoTo System - To be used with SkySafari and smartphones/tablets. In this mode the 24 star pointing model is already available. This modality is mainly
suggested for visual observation. - Full GoTo system mount controller – To be used with a PC. In this way it will be possible to use the Stargo System, via ASCOM driver, with the main astronomical softwares such Maxim, TheSkyX, Phd2, SGP, Carte du ciel etc. allowing the full
control and features: home position, goto, park/unpark, autoguide, focus etc. This modality is mainly suggested for astrophotography. The System has been succesfully tested with Windows 7/8/10 (via ASCOM Driver) and OS X (LX200 classic). The StarGo Goto Control System was designed mainly for the Avalon Instruments mounts but, thanks to the programmable gear ratio and the motors kit available, it can be easily adapted to other mounts also.
The StarGo GoTo System it is composed by five main components:
The StarGo Control Box
The StarGO Control Box that can be embedded in the mount as for the Linear, M-uno and M-zero mounts, or in a separate control box for the M-Zero (and for its use with all other compatible third part‘s mounts). It has the duty to provide the smart interface between the internal motors and the external world. It performs all the communications with specific components (Focuser, CCD rotator, DSRL camera, and other auxiliary devices) using direct connections and with Windows and Mac computers via USB. The wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability is also integrated in the control box to interact with intelligent devices such smartphones, tablets and, again with Windows and Mac computers.
The StarGo Keypad
The StarGo Keypad allow the control of the mount, perform almost all the available and most needed operations as the Slewing, fine focusing, increase / decrease the mount Slewing speed, select system tracking speed (Sidereal, Solar, Lunar, Terrestrial)
StarGO software
The StarGO software, entirely developed by Avalon Instruments, perform all the setup and management operations required for the mount control. The software allow to set all the basically options for the mount alignemnt as the Observatory Location setting, the polar alignment syncing. Via ASCOM driver it is possible to connect the system to third party planetary software to slew to target and shot pictures.
The StarGo software also allow to perform many “Observatory function” as the “Park” operation. For example by using this function, if a “Set park” is performerd after a session and the mount will not be moved from that Observatory location, in the next session a new alignment will not be required. In this way it is like “having an observatory”.
X-Solver tool
The X-Solver is an application based on the Plate Solve solution. With X-Solver it is possible to build Sky Model till 24 stars that can be saved and used later even during other night sessions.
With X-Solver application comes two very useful tools: the Sky Model and Polar alignment. The Sky Model allow to build easily a sky model up to 24 stars. The tool provide an intuitive GUI that shows a 2D representation of the sky top view that can be designed from the user simply by the mouse double click.
The modeling function is particularly useful in fixed observatory installations, however for the speed of its execution, it may be used also for mobile installations, especially for visual observation (after a short period of CCD use at the very beginning of the session).
The Polar Align is a tool for a fast and easy Polar Alignment by using the Plate Solve function.
The StarGO-BT application
The StarGO-BT application for Android devices that allows to interface them with the StarGO control box via Bluetooth connection. With this application the Android devices become like a control pad. This application, as well as the PC StarGO, is under continuous development to add new functionalities.
AvalonStargo ASCOM driver
The AvalonStargo ASCOM driver that makes possible the interaction between the StarGO Control Box and the most used astronomical software applications such as Phd2, TheSkyX, SNPP7, Maxim, SGP, CartduCiel, Stellarium, etc.