Software Page Milton Hill Observatory Est 2003
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All software on this page is copyrighted by William E Rison of Milton Hill Observatory © 2019

The software is free to use by anyone but cannot be modified and credit must be given to the author William E Rison.
I assume no responsibility for any damage done to any equipment while using this software, use at your own risk.
Any bugs or suggestions can be sent to the email at the top of this page.
All software is written for the Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Donations can be made to my PayPal account william@miltonhill.us to help continue program development, thank you.
Astro-Physics GTO Mini Control
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Function:
  • Guide/Slew mount with or without timed option at various rates.
  • Control focus motor connected to Focus port of mount.
  • Select tracking rate
  • Use keyboard to control mount.
  • Stop mount tracking past meridian or after set time.
  • Sync custom buit dome controllers with mount.

  • This program will control any Astro-Physics GTO mount via one of it's serail ports.  It is designed to use small windows to allow computer manual control of the mount. This is very useful when doing planetary imaging to move the mount and adjust a focus motor connected to the mount.

  • View screenshots
  • PDF document
  • Download program   Version 20.2-0  11-Feb-2024
Astro-Physics Mini ASCOM Driver v2
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Function:
  • Astro-Physics GTOCP3 ASCOM driver.
  • Most functions will work with GTOCP1 or GTOCP3 also.
  • GTOCP4 not tested.
  • Tested using SharpCap, Sequence Generator Pro. and PHD2 Guiding.
  • Cartes du Ciel tested.
  • Support connection via Lantronix XPort device.
  • Pulse Guide supported.

  • ASCOM driver was written to provide a subset of the Astro-Physics ASCOM driver for basic mount functions.  All communications to the mount are done with the connecting software.  The driver itself does not poll the mount.
    Serial RS232 communications to the mount can be provided using any serial device that such as: serial interface on motherboard, USB to serial adapter, Bluetooth serial adapter and the Lantronix XPort ethernet to serial device. The XPort requires a custom circuit board and needs to be configured before using the AP Mini v2 ASCOM driver. The default port is 7777 and IP address of 192.168.0.30. This must be set to match the XPort configuration web page.
    GTOCP4 newtork interface support also supported using com port CP4 IP. Use this driver at your own risk, as every condition has not been tested.

  • AP Mini v2 ASCOM Driver   Version 2.5.0 19-Jan-2024
Serial Port to XPort Network Device
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Function:
  • Requires 2 serial COM ports on the PC connected together, can be virtual ports or real serial ports connected with a null modem cable/adapter.
  • Requires control box with Lantronix XPort device for network connection.
  • XPort device serial port is configured to match physical device via the XPort's web interface.
  • Circuit board can be made by Milton Hill Observatory.

  • This program takes RS-232 serial port data, sends and receives it to a Lantronix XPort on a custom control board to any RS-232 device.

  • Working Diagram
  • View screenshots
  • Download program   Version 1.1 10-Mar-2020
Astro-Physics GTO, Meade LX200, AGF Dome Controller & Focus Box, MoonLite Focuser - Emulator
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Function:
  • Emulates an Astro-Physics GTO mount.
  • Emulates a Meade LX200 (Autostar) goto mount.
  • Emulates a AGF Dome Controller (Milton Hill Observatory).
  • Emulates a AGF Autoguider Focuser Controller (Milton Hill Observatory).
  • Emulates a MoonLite Dual Stepper Motor Controller.

  • This program will let you PC look like a Astro-Physics, Meade LX200 telescope mount and MHO (Milton Hill Observatory) AGF dome controller.   Requires one serial port on the pc, can be an USB to serial device.  Connect this serial port to another serial port on the same or different computer using a null modem cable then run software using this other port to talk to the emulator as if it was the real telescope mount.
    Supports 2 serial ports.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program   Version 15.0 2-May-2024
Meade LX200 (AutoStar) Mini Control
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Function:
  • Move mount at various rates.
  • Goto and Get RA / DEC
  • Control focus motor connected to Focus port of mount.
  • Set focus motor rate.

  • This program will control any Meade LX200 or AutoStar mount via it's AutoStar computer port.  It is designed to use small windows to allow computer manual control of the mount. This is very useful when doing planetary imaging to move the mount and adjust a focus motor connected to the mount.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program
  • LX200 Mini web page
MegaStar Observer's List Goto
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Function:
  • Display a MegaStar5 Observer's List file for Goto control.
  • Other custom tagged file formats supported, see program help.
  • Supports AP GTO, Meade AutoStar and Celestron NexStar mounts.
  • Photo timer.
  • Use keyboard to control mount.


  • View screenshot
  • Download program   Version 8.17-3 22-May-2022
AutoGuider and Focus Motor Control Program (requires 'AutoGuider Focuser Microcontroller' control box)
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Function:
  • Move mount using the mount's autoguider port.
  • Control up to 2 focus motors.

  • This program is used to control the AutoGuider Focuser Microcontroller unit which is a custom control box to control an autoguider port and focus motors.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program
  • AFG web page
Celestron CGE (Nexstar) Emulator
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Function:
  • Emulates a Celestron CGE (Nexstar) goto mount.

  • This program will let you PC look like a Celestron CGE (Nexstar) telescope mount.   Requires one serial port on the pc, can be an USB to serial device.  Connect this serial port to another serial port on the same or different computer using a null modem cable then run software using this other port to talk to the emulator as if it was the real telescope mount.

  • View screenshot (.net)
  • Download program
Photo Timer
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Function:
Print Custom Setting Circles
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Function:
  • Print setting circle for Altitude, Azimuth, RA or DEC.

  • Use this program to print setting circles of various sizes for any axis.   You can set the diameter in mm or inches and print up to 3 circles of different sizes on a page.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program
  • Vixen Porta II Circle (Save file and use Restore button in program to load.)
SkyChart III to Astro-Physics Mounts
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Function:
  • Allow SkyChart III to connect to Astro-Physics GTO mounts.

  • Program is used to handle the <ACK> command for a Meade LX200 mount and send back the "A" response so that regular LX200 commands will now work with the AP mount.  SkyChart III Telescope Interface must be set to 'Meade LX-200' and the 'Telescope Connection' set to the one end of a null modem com port.  The other end of the null modem com port is set to the 'SkyChart III' com port of this program.

  • Real or Virtual com ports can be used, a link to software that can create Virtual Null Modem com ports is provided below.
  • View screenshot
  • Download program
  • Virtual Null Modem web site
Show Test serial RS-232 Com Ports
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Function:
  • Send and receive data from any serial com port (RS232).

  • Program will show all com ports found on a pc then allow you to send and receive data from that com port. All control characters can be sent and received.
    Received control characters can be displayed by symbol name, hex value and decimal value.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program   Version 3.6 14-Oct-2022
Serial Port Relay
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Function:
CCD Flat Screen
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Function:
  • Generate flat screen for taking CCD flats.

  • Program can change the whole screen on a Windows PC to any shade of gray for taking CCD flats.

  • Program will remember last brightness, window size and position between runs.
    Left mouse button is used to toggle full screen mode.
    Right mouse button is used to toggle brightness bar on and off.

  • Download program
Astrophotography Rename Files
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Functions:
Find Files with searching of all sub folders
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Functions:
ImagesPlus Camera Control - Camera Exposures File Editor
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Functions:
  • Create and Edit ImagesPlus Camera Control exposures files for selected cameras.

  • Use the Load button on the camera control window Capture tab to open the file created by this program.

  • View screenshot
  • Download program   Version 2.19 19-Nov-2021
RA-DEC Adjust
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Function:
  • Take RA & DEC in Astro-Physics GTO or Meade LX200 format from an astronomy software program and adjust it, then send the adjusted values to the telescope.
  • The J2000 to Current Date check box allows for conversion of J2000 coordinates to the current Julian day coordinates.

  • Program requires 4 serial com ports to work. The Output Com Port must connect to the telescope. The Input Com Port is tied to another com port via a null modem cable that is used by the astronomy program that is communicating with the telescope. See Help / About for a diagram.

  • View screenshots
  • Download program
Serial Port To ASCOM
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Function:
  • Bridge between Astronomy Program using Serial RS-232 Port and ASCOM Telescope Driver.

  • Program will translate Astro-Physics and Meade LX200 mount commands to ASCOM allowing astronomy programs that do not support ASCOM, such as MegaStar and SkyChart III, to connect to ASCOM telescopes.

    Select Astro-Physics or Meade LX200 in the astronomy program, Astro-Physics is preferred.
    The 'RA No Tenths' check box can be used to truncate RA at seconds only. This may be needed by some older programs.

    For this program to work two RS-232 serial ports are required. They can be physical serial ports connected together with a Null Modem cable or adapter. A dual serial port USB adapter with a Null adapter between them is the easiest way to do this. Virtual serial ports may also be used and has been tested using VSPE (Virtual Serial Port Emulation) by ETERLOGIC.COM, the 32bit version is free.

    Version 1.6 July 23, 2016
      Fixes serial input buffer issue with missing data.
      Added check box to not send RA tenths of seconds.

    Version 1.7 July 25, 2016
      Added check box to control activity lights.
      Command log changed to RTF with right click copy to clipboard.

    Version 1.8 August 27, 2016
      Added the ability to simulate the side of the pier telescope is on.
      Some ASCOM telescope drivers did not support this property so it can be set here.

    Version 1.9 August 29, 2016
      Send AbortSlew for movement stop command :Q#.

    Version 1.10 October 5, 2016
      Added comands to get latitude and longitude.
      Added check box to calculate Alt & Az from RA, DEC, LAT & Sidereal Time for ASCOM telescope drivers that do not support the Altitude and Azimuth properties.  ASCOM driver V4.10 of the StarBookTen does not return altitude or azimuth.
      Fixed sidereal time not sending tenths of seconds.

    Version 1.12 November 14, 2016
      Added W button to allow adding and removal of program to Windows startup.

    Version 2.0 November 24, 2016
      Much improved serial buffer processing.
      Added time stamps to data displays.
      Changed program icon.

    Version 2.1 November 26, 2016
      Added Test button to query ASCOM telescope driver and show responses.

    Version 2.2 November 28, 2016
      Serial buffer processing imporvements.
      Added button to show all received serial data, resets every 5 minutes.
      Show buffer now shows receive count.

    Version 2.3 December 2, 2016
      Retry between 0 and 9 times can be set for the serial port Connect.   This can be useful for Bluetooth serail devices that take a long time to connect the first time.
      Added ability to save the log window to a file upon program exit.   The file is saved in My Documents with the name SerialToASCOM_Log [Date & Time].rtf.

    Version 2.4 December 4, 2016
      Save to File and Explore Save Folder context menu items have been added to the show commands data window.


    Version 2.5 December 18, 2016
      Added check box for showing serial port buffer receive count.
      Added support for stoping and starting tracking.
      Changed some colors for showing data.

    Version 2.5-1 March 16, 2017
      Fixed spelling error in command logging.

    Version 2.5-2 April 25, 2017
      Fixed error in set tracking rate message.

    Version 2.6-0 July 18, 2017
      Alt/Az to Ra/Dec check box will now work with Get and Slew.  &nbps;This will allow you to get and slew to Altitude and Azimuth if the ASCOM driver does not support it.

    Version 2.6-1 July 26, 2017
      Added space between logging timestamps.
      Added displaying ASCOM driver info. to Test button.

    Version 2.6-2 April 12, 2019
      Fixed transform Alt/Az to Ra/Dec issues.

    Version 2.7-0 July 10, 2019
      Fixed not sending # and sign at end of some commands. Bug created in v2.6-2.
      Added Stop and Start tracking buttons.

    Version 2.7-1 March 12, 2020
      Fixed sending 2 -- for negative DEC.

    Version 2.7-2 March 31, 2020
      Alt/Az to Ra/Dec now has an option for GET and GOTO instead of both.

    Version 2.7-3 June 17, 2020
      Fix missing + for responses sent back to serial port.

    Version 2.8 February 18, 2021
      Add ASCOM UTCDate to Get and Set Date & Time.

    Version 3.1 December 16, 2021
      Add J2000 RA/DEC conversion option, to and from serial port.

  • Download program
ASCOM AGF, AP, LX200 Focus Motor Driver and Test Program
Driver Properties
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Test Program
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Function:
  • Control a focuser motor using the ASCOM Focuser interface to emulate an absolute focus motor.

  • The focus motor must be connect to one of the following:
     Astro-Physics GTOCP control box with a Focus port.
     Meade LX200 mount's Focus port.
     AGF Focus motor control box (custom built by Milton Hill Observatory).

  • Download ASCOM driver v6.2.0
  • Download ASCOM test program v1.3
Screen Off v1.1
Program
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Context Menu
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Function:
  • Turn off display on a Windows Laptop or PC.

  • Program will turn off the display in the same way as the Power settings for "Choose when to turn off the display".
Usage:
  • Left mouse click or touch.
  • Turn off display.
  • Left mouse click, hold and move or touch and hold and move.
  • Moves program on the desktop and saves location at exit.
  • Right mouse click or touch and hold.
  • Shows Context Menu.
Context Menu:
  • Help
  • Shows help message box.
  • Iconify
  • Iconfiy program to task bar.
  • Exit
  • Exits program and saves location on the screen.

  • Download program
AFC - Ascom Focuser Control
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Functions:
Last update 27-Dec-2023