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malc-c

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Everything posted by malc-c

  1. Not that I know... I used one from Maplin (shows how long ago that was ) and that worked just fine. Placed the dongle on the mount, once it found enough satellites it came back with the positional data that was read straight into EQMod
  2. And that is what I said Which is what you have... So between us the OP has all three things to flash the camera and install it on a PC....
  3. If it's displaying the "no response" message on the handset with power applied to the board then it needs to have the PICs replaced. The process of removing the old microcontrollers, programming them with a converted firmware file and then soldering them back is documented in this thread. You will need to get two PIC16F886 microcontrollers and a PIC programmer in order to load the code. If you live in the UK then drop me a PM and I'll let you have the details on how to have the board repaired. If you are outside of the UK then you will either have to buy the components and do the job yourself, or find an electronics repair shop that fixes laptops etc and get a quote from them for doing the work. Unfortunately, you can't buy a replacement and drop it into the existing dobsonian base for the reasons the OP stated in his posts. The new boards don't fit without changing the housings, which together comes to almost the cost of a new scope, hence who this thread got started
  4. Ahh this takes me back.... I still have my Phillips 800 flashed... SPC900 driver attached, which is the third item on Stuarts list... spc900nc_00_dw7_eng.zip
  5. Where do you live ? You should be able to order the PICs from one of the global suppliers such as DigiKey, Mouser or RS. On several occasions I've been asked to supply pre-programmed PICs to people outside of the UK and it has only ever gone smoothly once and that was using an expensive tracked and signed for service for all stages of the shipment. Others either gel lost in transit, delivered to the wrong address, or delivered to the wright address but signed for by someone other than the addressee and thus have been stolen !! I certainly wouldn't entertain a full repair from someone outside the UK where the handset needs to be sent along with the faulty boards, for these reasons. It would also be very costly given the weight and value and I'm not prepared to take that risk with someone else's equipment, nor deal with the hassle of claiming on the insurance should the parcel go missing. Look for companies local to you who do the soldering and assembly of third party products, I'm sure they would be able to replace the two PICs for you once you have programmed them with the HEX code contained in this thread. They may even be able to do the programming and soldering for you for a reasonable fee.
  6. That's really strange that it allowed you to upload the wrong firmware as the updating software reads back the mount details and cross references that against the file checksum and if it's not the same it reports that the firmware isn't for the mount you are trying to update. However as you now have either a corrupted or incorrect firmware installed that is preventing you upload the correct version the only way to resolve this is to reprogram the micro-controllers with the correct file. The process of which has been covered in this motorboard repair thread However this is very much dependent on the type of micro-controller used on the motor boards. If its new then it may use an ARM processor which require a particular method of programming which isn't covered, but if they are the older 16F886 processors then the details are covered in the thread. Some of the boards that are fitted to dobsonian scopes have a row of programming headers so can be re-programmed without removal of the chips. As you will see I've repaired a few boards that are based on the 16F886 chipset so if you get stuck drop me a PM and I'll go through the details. If the board doesn't have the ICSP header then it can be reprogrammed by soldering 5 wires to the relevant pins of the chip, but if that fails then the chips have to come off the board for reprogramming in a PIC programmer.
  7. Have a read of similar posts and you'll soon see that getting decent images requires a scope that is way above your budget. Also you have no idea how long her interest is going to last, and most kids don't have the patience to wait for a scope to be set up etc. The Skywatcher Heritage 100P as mentioned above is an ideal starter scope for kids. It will resolve Jupiter and a good three of its moons, but only as a large dot surrounded by smaller dots, so don't go thinking you will see a large disk with banding and the great red spot. Point it at a gibbous Moon and it will give a very good image that will wow her (it did when my Nephew used one of these scopes when he was 9). Nice to see you are thinking logically, so should she grow out of the interest you can sell it and recover some of the cost.
  8. No worries - there is no rush.... your image that you posted is fabulous by the way !
  9. I have listened to both series of podcasts mentioned on BBC sounds several times.. excellently produced and transports you to that era... Another source that covers both Apollo 11 and 13 (plus others) is Gene Kranz's book (audio book) "Failure is not an option" It's quite amazing to realize that they managed the feat with computers that had less computing power than modern TV remote controllers.
  10. Its just a shed... which by nature is not designed to be a "controlled" environment. The wood will have a moisture content, especially in damp weather, and this can lead to a damp environment which leads to mildew / mold. Most of us who added a warm room to their observatories have used insulation in the floors, walls and roof, with a little ventilation, which results in a warmer dryer environment. Now whilst there is not a lot you can do about the floor, insulating and lining the walls and roof with polystyrene and 4mm ply might be something worth considering. For now, pick up a couple of map vents like these Place one low down on the right wall, and the other up high on the opposite wall, this should provide a decent air flow as and warm air rises and some will pass out the upper vent and cooler air will then be drawn in through the lower.
  11. Whilst the issue may well be a design/manufacturing issue, having purchased the board from FLO it is they that you have a contact with. Now we all know FLO pride themselves in excellent customer service so I wouldn't have thought you would have much trouble opening discussions with them, especially as they have to trade under the various consumer rights that exist in the UK. It would then be down to them to seek redress through whatever distribution network SB have in place. If a manufacture is assuming their product would only be used in one method, ie a permanent setup and not a constant set up and dismantle situation, the latter of which tends to break weak solder joints then that is being very short sighted. If it such a common issue as muted above, then they should consider replacing that socket with a type A or B USB port. But then at £700-£1500 for a PCB, maybe they are just happy to let the money roll in. Anyway, that's my 2p worth...
  12. If it's just the USB > serial chip that needs replacing then it shouldn't be a problem for any computer repair shop to remove and replace the chip, assuming is something like the FTDI 232 5V device. Heck I have a couple of these in my electronics parts box, they aren't that expensive, probably under a fiver ! Whilst I've soldered a few in my time they are fiddly, especially as I get older and need glasses ! - But I have a friend who works for an electronics company and could replace the chip for me if I asked her. If the OP wants to try this (assuming it's been proven to be the issue) then all they need do is drop me a PM to exchange details. Again there would be no guarantee, and may scupper any chances of getting the board repaired as suggested in my previous post
  13. If the mount powers up through the handset, and responds just fine, but when powered directly everything is dead then this suggest the fault is either in the connection between the small interface board where all the connections are made and the main board, or the main board protection diode has blown, or the two large capacitors have failed (a common issue). If you are confident in soldering then it might be worth looking at these parts first. If not, drop me a PM and I'll take a look. Can't promise anything, but the current board in my HEQ5 had a similar issue and replacing the capacitors brought it back to life
  14. Are they a UK based company, if so then UK consumer law applies which basically is that you would expect something of reasonable quality to last a reasonable amount of time, and for £700+ you would expect the motor boards to last longer than say one in a cheaper mount such as an HEQ5. It doesn't matter about any "warranty", the consumer rights trump that. It would down to the company to either repair or replace the board, and any possible human error would need to be proven, such as any reverse polarity application, which then would make you liable for the cost. I would certainly be contesting the quality and reliability of these parts and sighting my rights as a customer. If however it's not a UK based company then you may find your're out of luck, unless you purchased it through a UK based agent. If this is the case your complaint should be addressed to them as they are responsible as you would have paid them the money, and that is whom your contract is with.
  15. I'm more than willing to take it off your hands and have a play... I've fixed quite a few boards over the past few years... Saves the thing going to land fill !
  16. Personally I would spend £40 more and get the enhanced drive as this has an ST4 autoguide port should the OP chose to get a finder/ guider or auto guider later. Or if they are sticking with the EQ5 then the synscan upgrade would be the way forward, but that wouldn't leave much of his budget for anything else
  17. That's a shame.. I have two EQ6 boards that have been repaired sitting here, one of which I could have provided on an exchange basis... If you want to donate your old board to the cause drop me a PM. I'm sure that the supplied LED in that ring is used to provide polar scope illumination.
  18. Have to agree with Olly, the mount is the most critical item when taking up imaging. Put a decent camera /lens or telescope on a poor mount and you will always be disappointing in the results. Put an average scope or cheaper end lens/camera on a decent mount and the results will be encouraging... Put a high end camera /lens or scope on a a really decent mount and any issue tends not to be equipment related
  19. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is price. Decent eyepieces start form around £80. Decent Barlows, £100. Use a £100 barlow with a stock or cheap eyepiece and you will be wasting your money. Follow Geoff's advice... invest in a decent branded (Celestron etc) 7mm / 8mm eyepiece. Conversely, spending £800 on a top flight eyepiece and then using it on a low end scope is also a waste of money - There has to be a balance
  20. Read through all the other threads that ask the same question. You'll soon see that your budget is around 2.25x short for what is normally considered the entry level mount alone, and then you need to buy the optics. Having said that, I agree with the above post, and purchase the synscan upgrade for your EQ5, and use the 200P. I would however suggest increasing your budget by around another £200 - £250 for a small guide scope so that you can track a target star as the EQ5 lacks the precision motors found on the more expensive mounts. Imaging is a rabbit hole.... it never ends up being cheap....
  21. Yes you have basically hit the nail on the head... your scope has a long focal length of 1500mm with a focal ration of f11.81. Its this long focal length that makes it great for observing the Moon and planets. With the supplied eyepieces the magnifications are 60x and 150x. The 3x barlow lens effectively gives a 4500mm focal length so you'll get 180x and 450x with the supplied eyepieces. At those magnification the depth of field would make focusing difficult, assuming the image could be focused with that combination. But the main problem would be the focal ratio which would be around f35, meaning that the image will be extremely dark and lack any definition. The relationship between focal lengths of the telescope, the focal lengths of the eyepieces and the focal ratios are so intertwined that increasing one has a knock on effect. Increasing magnification by using smaller focal length eyepieces, or adding barlow lenses requires more aperture to gather more light to maintain the same brightness and detail as seen with lower magnifications. To be honest I would return the 3x barlow and consider getting a decent 6 or 8mm eyepiece. The image will be slightly higher magnifications, but no so much that the image is too dark.
  22. I think its more to do with the max weight it can safely counterbalance. (before extension bars or additional weights are needed.) Also it relates to mass. Ignoring the slightly biasing for imaging, in an ideal world the scope and counter wrights will be perfectly balanced in all axis, but a setup with 8kg of equipment suitably balanced will put less of a strain on the gears and bearings than a 12kg load especially if the mount is driven
  23. Guys we all know the answer is 42 and the Earth is just an experiment by white mice - what more is there to understand 😆
  24. The PDS version of the 200P is quite a good all rounder for imaging. At f5 it's fast enough to get nice bright images of DSO's, and with the addition of a 2x barlow, nice detail of Jupiter and Saturn. If used in an exposed location on a breezy night it can act like a sail, but that's one of the caveats of a large aperture. It does need an HEQ5 as the minimum for use with DSLRs or dedicated imaging cameras, not only because of the load capacity, but also because the mount has better precision stepper motors and control board. The combination of HEQ5/200P has been the recommended entry point for imaging for some time. You can go smaller, such as a 150PDS on an EQ5, but whilst being more portable you lose 2" of aperture and the better precision the HEQ5 offers. As the above posts states, imaging is a deep rabbit hole.. You can easily end up throwing thousands of pounds at specialist scopes and mounts. There is no real one scope fits all, and where imaging is concerned, the mount becomes more critical than the optics sitting on it.
  25. I have a chain of four 300mm white LED strips all fed via an inline dimmer with an on/off switch in the scope side, with a normal 40 lamp in what was the warm room. When I uses to use the scope it was done remotely from the lounge so no need for any red lights when in operation.
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