malc-c

That would work....

To be honest I never bothered with the decoupling capacitor or any cap/resistor combo as there is little need to drop the output in the same way you would for using a linear regulator to supply a micro controller etc. In this case you're emulating a battery so it doesn't really matter if the transient voltage decays slowly. Here's a couple of images as promised. It uses a 7885 8.5v 1A regulator to drop the 12v input to 8.5v for the camera. If the OP's battery is rated at 8v then a 7808 would be required. I do use a small heatsink. This has worked for me for a good 8 years or more....never had a problem Ignore the other modules, these were LEDs dimmers used to drive dew heaters, which are not used at the moment as they never really worked that well.

That's how I run mine. 12v comes into a small plastic hobby box, and is then split. 12v out to the mount, and then 12v to a small but of strip board with a 7805 regulator on it. The output then runs to the dummy battery, which was a normal battery but with the cells carefully removed. The 7885 (sorry) is a linear voltage regulator that basically drops 12v to 8.5v For example I can't find the website I followed (well it was a decade ago) but there are plenty of examples on the net. Just be carful removing the old cells form the battery. This basically sums things up - although Maplin are no longer around, so the parts list is obsolete, but it gives you the idea. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/201051-diy-canon-dslr-dc-psu/ - I didn't use the veillman kit,. just the regulator - I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow if that helps

That's really cool. Do I spy a microcontroller in there ? - I presume you just change some variables to match the gearing of the scope it will be used with and let it send the sidereal pulses to the steppers....? Care to PM me some details ?

Agreed, What's needed is a clear and concise list (bullet points help) of what you've done and what the result was. Try to be as detailed as you can, the devil is in the detail as they say

If it works then that's all that matters. I have sent a PM to @tomato - should you want the synscan unit looked at... You probably know more about PICs than I do, but unless the board is completely fried, there should be a way to get it back up and running...

Wow, that's amazing. I love the dolly design and the convenience it provides. It's a shame the goto function couldn't be resolved. We tried... I'll drop you a further PM later.... Fantastic light bucket you have there...and I'm sure it will bring you lots of enjoyment

Yes I subsequently found this out in the course of researching the issue. Although I don't have the mount in question, I have used ESSP devices to build wi-fil enabled projects, and it works along the same lines as discussed. Once connected to the "hot spot" you can then go into the settings and make changes for the device to connect to the main network if required. It will then work like any other device on the same network, in the last project this was a wi-fi enabled pulse proportional thermostat that I use in my incubator (I breed snakes). It was a case of locating its SSID, connecting, entering the SSID of the home network and login in password, rebooting and then it connected to the home network. I could then locate the IP address my home router had issues the ESSP device, and entering this in a browser displays the temp and humidity readings form any computer or phone on the same network. Now form what i've read, once you have connected to the AZ-GTi mount I believe you can change the setting so that the next time it powers up it connects to the home network and will either use an IP address issued by the routers DHCP, or if you know the IP range and format (ie if it use 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.0.1), can set the mount to use a static IP address. I think this maybe where the confusion of the IP addressing came from ?

If you google the subject it seems quite common for these mount to be problematical when connecting. One thing that comes up a lot in the previous post is interference from other wi-fi devices, mainly their home routers. One person only resolved the connection by taking his mount out of range of his home router, and then was able to connect and go to the settings and change the default channel to something other than 6 The problem here is that there seems to be confusion over IP addressing and networks. When powered up the mount acts as a wifi hot spot. It broadcasts its SSID for other wifi enabled devices to find and connect to. When you try and connect it will request a password, much the same as any wifi device needs the password to connect to your home router. When you enter that information it will normally provide an IP address and subnet mask for the device you are using. This password, IP and subnet has nothing to do with your existing wifi router, and home network. Once connected most devices can then be set up to connect to your home network if required. It will typically have settings for you to entre the SSID and password of your wifi network, and then on rebooting the device (the mount in this case) it will then try and connect to the home network much the same was as your phone will when in range. What's puzzling here is that the OP has performed a reset of the mount, which is showing up as a wifi hotspot on his phone, but he can't connect to it within the 15 minutes of powering the mount on (the SSID doesn't require any password). Looking at other posts on this forum and other websites it seems that a firmware update, or the purchase of a wi-fi dongle resolves the issue, which seems to stem from the ESSP chipset used in the mounts. The alternative is to use a handset and plug that into the mount, but that won't help if you wanted to use the PC version of the app and control the mount over your home network. Updating the firmware presents a problem, a chicken and egg situation as you need a connection to the mount in order to update the firmware to fix a connection issue.... If you purchased a wi-fi dongle then you would use this to handle the connections rather than just update the firmware ! - Alternatively the use of an EQDIR cable would do the same, but then once the firmware has been updated and if that fixes the problem, then you have an EQDIR cable that is of no use to you other than as a backup should the firmware get corrupted once again. Some of the older posts around 2018/19 seem to suggest it was a compatibility issue with newer phones at the time, namely a Galaxy model phone. Another reported it worked when he took the head to the middle of a field and could connect fine, but when he got back home the connection kept failing... even when he turned off wifi on his router, so came to the conclusion interference form his neighbours router was the issue, but as he had no idea who's and you can't aske them to turn off their wifi, he have up and looked for other options. One guys mount would connect at the end of his road, but not when he got home. He spent ages walking down the road, connecting and changing channels etc and then testing when he got home...to no avail. From the past couple of hours I've spent reading up on this it makes me question the suitability of using wifi as a means to control a scope, especially if it's just to use the phone as a substitute for a handset. I have no more to add that might resolve the OP's situation. This issue has been around since the first incarnation of these mounts, and doesn't seem to be resolvable. It's hit and miss, and for every post where someone says "yeah me too" there are posts form people who have had no issues with the same phone, app version and mount...

I just used a dummy battery housing wired to an 8.5v power supply (DIY using a standard 7805 regulator fed from the 13.8v supply to the scope) to power my 400D

My apologies, I mistook your mount for an HEQ5.... where as its the EQM -35. The only suggestion I can offer is to velcro the sysnscan motor module to the mount, probably to one of the flat surfaces like the one between the two green rings on the main body of the mount.

Bit impatient aren't we??? The reason I think you've not had a reply is that there may be some confusion over what you want to do. When you say "Motor control box" what do you mean... the handset ??? - The thing is there is no "motor control" box on an HEQ5 in the same way as an EQ5 or EQ3 has an external synscan box. The motorboard is actually inside the mount. If you mean that you want to fix the mount to the pier, then just use a suitable sized bolt through the centre of the top plate to tighten the mount down to it. Use a stainless steel stand off bolted to the plate so that you can polar alignment screws to fine tune the PA. Alternatively have someone weld three aluminium blocks with holes in at 120 degree angles so that tripod head (the red bit in the image) sits over them and then use bolts and washers through the holes to secure the mount to the blocks

I have no idea why they state four hours to clear the settings in flash memory !! At least this way will hopefully get you connected.... often after making multiple changes you can be chasing your tail trying to resolve an issue - often the best way is to reset and start over, and then make one change at a time, testing to see if they work. Hopefully the update you'll post later today will be a positive one

Its come a long way from that rough sketch you posted..... Looking good.

Ok I don't use these devices, but normally they don't connect to your home network. They broadcast their SSID, which you use your phone or laptop to connect to. The device then sets up the network connection between it and the phone or laptop as an separate network, which is probably why people are suggesting changing the IP back to a default internal IP. Once you have made that initial connection, then most IOT devices allow you to enter the details of your home network if they need to. Seeing that this is simply a means to control the telescope from your phone via an app that emulates the handset then there is no need for it to join your main network. If there is a way to reset the mount back to factory and then un-install the app and its settings, and reinstall, then give that ago.

Well as I was typing that last post, Pablocarlac dropped me a PM confirming that the handset now displays the right location and positioning co-ordinates and appears to function correctly, although a clear sky is needed to confirm full functionality of the mount. So here's the correct firmware for an MC003 Board, both binary and HEX format. MC003_V0214_A.hex MC003_V0214.MCF

I received a very interesting PM from Pablocarlac this afternoon.... It seems Skywatcher have thrown us a curved ball...... On the SW website it currently list just one version of firmware for Dobsonian scopes - Skyliner series - 8" - 16" - Version 2.09. It would seem that this firmware is suited to the MC004 motor boards fitted in these scopes. The confusion lies where scopes are fitted with older MC003 boards which, as Skywatcher have discontinued, is no longer supported and thus the firmware for those boards has been removed. So for anyone who has an older scope with MC003 motor boards they may run into an issue if they download and update the firmware form Skywatchers website as they will be installing the MC004 firmware. There is nothing in the update process that indicates the firmware is for the newer board. Anyway, through his/her research, and insistance, Pablocarlac has obtained the MCF file for the MC003 board, which has been shared with me for conversion to HEX and we are currently in testing to confirm the scope behaves as it should. If it checks out I'll upload the MC003 firmware and HEX file to this thread for future reference should anyone need it.

Do any of you remember the Iridium flares names after the satellites that used to cause the reflection...... The only thing that spooked me in the wee small hours one night a few years back was watching a bright light moving across the sky at a speed of a meteor, which then began regularly pulsing with the same intensity around three pulses a second, it then perform sudden change of direction before vanishing. No idea what it was, but it defied the laws of motion that I was taught at school !

Missed that bit .....😳

The process I followed for my 200P after I replaced the stock secondary with a larger one from Orion Optics to resolve an issue of un-silvered edges on the stock mirror went something like this Place the OTA horizontal with the focuser level Place a piece of paper on the inside of the OTA opposite the focuser Using callipers, measure the distance between the end of the OTA, and the inside of the focuser, then measure the diameter of the focuser and then ad half that diameter to the other measurement to get the centre distance for the focuser Mark this distance on the paper inside the OTA Using a set of digital callipers to measure the spider legs, set the boss centrally in the OTA Place a length of threaded bar through the centre hole and secure with a set washers and nuts. Use the callipers and or tape measure to set the bar, and thus the spider squarely to the OTA. Thus effectively the bar becomes the centre axis. Place the self centring adapter and self centring Hotech into the focuser, and adjust the vertical adjustment grub screw until the laser hits the centre of the bar Carefully remove the bar and then adjust the horizontal grub screw of the focuser until the laser sits on the line made on the paper. Fit the secondary flat to the boss on the spider. With a small hole drilled centrally in an eyepiece cap, place this centrally in the self-centring adapter, adjust the secondary and primary to get a good visual collimation Insert the Hotech and make the small adjustments to the secondary to centre the dot in the ring of the primary, and then adjust the primary to get the reflection centred and cancelled out by itself. Perform a star test, by taking images of a bright star at both extremes of focus and comparing them. Ideally the diffraction pattern around the spider etc are even and concentric Now there may be newer tools to aid this, such as using a laser pen inserted into the boss rather than a threaded bar.... but using the above method the results were nice sharp round stars. There are more than one way to set up a scopes optics, and my way is not infallible, but it worked for me

Nice looking scope, but it doesn't look like a HEQ5 mount as per the title and in your signature.... It clearly states Losmandy C-11

Is 192.186.4.1 the address of your router, which is also acting as a DNS server ? If so then every device connected to is would need to be on the same IP range. If by default your router is using 192.168.1.0 (or 192.168.0.1) as a default network then setting everything to a different IP range won't work unless you have set the router up to bridge networks. Normally these wif-fi enabled devices broadcast their wifi connection as a hotspot, which you search for and connect to, much the same way as you wold normally search and connect to any other wifi device. Depending on the device you are connecting to, it will then handle all the IP addressing, but most would use "ad-hock" type connections. If you are not able to locate the mount when it is broadcasting its SSID this could be down to a few things. It has to connect within 15 minutes of powering the mount up, so try power cycling the mount (turn it off and back on). If the settings have been changed you can restore the default Wifi settings to factory default by turning on the power without the SynScan hand control connected and no App operations via the Wi-Fi connection for 4 hours. The following was taken from the sysnscan app manual Hope that helps

I have one of the original QHY5 cameras running on windows 10. Not sure which driver it uses, as I installed both the ASCOM and Native drivers - both are attached, along with the original application for using / testing the camera, hope they help QHY5.zip

I'm sure if you type "collimation" into the search function on the forum you'll see the hundreds of previous posts on the tools and methods people use to collimate their scopes. From basic hole in a cover, through to sophisticated laser grid devices. One word of caution, whichever device you use, ensure it either has a self-centring fitting into the focuser. If it uses the normal eyepiece thumbscrews then its no point using one as the offset caused will affect the collimation. I personally use a combination of a cap, Cheshire and Hotech laser to calibrate and then perform the star test on my 200P. Depending on your skill, luck, and ability collimation can be achieved quite easily with either or all of them.

How do you know only one is blown? Most boards have the RX and TX pins of both PICs connected together, all be it with blocking diodes on one line as discussed above... I would have thought that if for whatever reason 12v was placed on these communication lines that both PICs would have had their UARTs damaged. IF you are confident that only one PIC has been damaged and the other is in good order (ie the handset is reporting no response from only one axis ) then no you wouldn't need to replace both PICs.