As reported on October 28th 2019, we can use Ethernet over mains to remotely control a laptop in the observatory located about 20m from the house.
A motor-focuser-adapted Bresser Messier AR 102xs f/4.5 ED refractor was mounted on the HEQ5 Synscan GOTO mount in the observatory. Using a 2" adapter, a Canon EOS 4000D DSLR was placed at the prime focus of the refractor. The DSLR was USB tethered to the observatory Windows 10 imaging laptop running AstroDMx Capture for Windows.
The equipment setup
The mount was powered by mains from an extension lead and a powerline Ethernet adapter was also plugged in, and was connected by an Ethernet cable to the Windows laptop.
Ethernet over mains adapter plug
The extension lead powering the Mount via a power supply and also connecting the Ethernet over mains adapter plug.
The Windows 10 imaging computer in the observatory was running a Tight VNC server and the Fedora Linux laptop used to control the Windows imaging computer was running the Remmina VNC client.
Fedora Linux control laptop indoors
The Fedora laptop displayed the Windows 10 desktop running AstroDMx Capture for Linux, and everything on the Windows laptop could be controlled using the Fedora machine’s keyboard and mouse.
Screenshot of the Fedora desktop showing the Windows desktop in the VNC client. The Windows laptop was capturing data on M101
Screenshot of the Fedora desktop showing the Windows desktop in the VNC client. The Windows laptop was capturing data on M37
M101 and M37 were both imaged capturing both Camera RAW and Tiff images.
Eleven 3 minute exposures at ISO 6400 with matching dark-frames were captured for M101 and twenty 90s exposures with matching dark frames were captured for M37.
The images were stacked in Deep Sky Stacker and post processed in The Gimp 2.10, Fitswork and Neat image.
M101
Closer view
M37
We have used Ethernet over mains previously to control an imaging computer in the observatory with a control computer in the house. However, this is the first time that we have used a Fedora Linux computer to control a Windows 10 computer running AstroDMx Capture for Windows.
