Grierson

See:- http://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-v3-hand-controller-firmware/

... and Blimey again! As a very new boy I was nevertheless always unhappy with the stock focuser which came with my 80ED. (I could not cure the slippage) Having fitted the Moonlite it is as different as chalk to cheese. I can’t of course challenge Olly’s comments and I may well be disappointed as the system gets more use but for the moment the focuser is as solid as a rock with camera, filter wheel and flattener hanging on the end. - John

Take care folks. The 'Fall Creators Update' is due on the 17th of October when you may have to do it all again!

Toggling the scroll keys inputs E or W. You should be able to download the manual from the SW site or IMVHO a little bit better version from Orion is here It's a wee bit more helpful (assuming you have the V4 SynScan h/s.)

No hemisphere setting that I can see David but setting the latitude prefixed 'N' should tell it where it is.

Thanks once again David, I'll bear your comments in mind. I have a more pressing issue at the moment in that when pressing the westerly slew key the 'scope slews east and vice versa when the easterly slew key is pressed. As the slew control keys on the EQMod ASCOM control panel work as they should I can only assume that I have input some info wrongly. Having researched the issues others have had and having been over it a number of times and I am d*****d if I can see what it is. I updated the firmware before starting out initializing the handset yesterday and I am coming to the conclusion that there may have been a glitch in the process. I am going to try again this morning. - John

Thanks again David. I'm not too sure that I have understood the way of using either EQMod or the handset without swapping cables. I connect the computer to the mount using a Lynx EQ Direct cable, via a hub. This has an 8pin RJ45 connector on the mount end (and a USB3 connector on the other) Are you saying that connecting the computer directly to the handset's RJ12 Multi-Purpose port effectively does away with the EQ Direct cable? If that were indeed the case that would give me a problem since I only have an RJ45 port on the lap top and of course a second cable would be needed. Like many a poor soul I have to set up the rig in the garden for each session and the whole thing is controlled over a single USB from the house. That works well although I have recently added a focuser and I've not yet had chance to try it. It may be data overload!! I don't really want to add more cables if I can avoid it. There are a myriad of things I don't already know about this hobby David. I continues to be a long, long learning curve. - John

Thank you for the re-assurance David and for the daylight saving pointer. - John

Since getting an HEQ5 mount in April I have been controlling it with EQMOD. Having finally got round to unpacking the handset yesterday I went through the initialization procedure by inputting all the required information including time and date. Could someone tell me if the handset should remember this info when no external power is present as, when I come to look at it this morning, the time and date are wrong with the time appearing to start from the time the power was switched off last night. The longitude and latitude and other info remains correct. I had assumed that there would be battery back up but maybe I'm wrong. Many thanks, John

Just a quick side track to a more mechanical approach! Have you considered a right angle finder? An SGL member suggested one to me when I was starting out last year. The finder bought cheaply on e-bay araldited to a piece of plastic plumbing from B&Q (a 'stop end' with a 30mm internal diameter fits my SW polar 'scope). Did the job the job fine before PoleMaster.

Can't speak for the first one but I have just changed from DSS to Astroart. It's a revaluation . Simple to use and no hang ups as yet.

I have one on my more humble 80ED. No problems at all so far. Certainly holds the ZWO 1600 and filter when vertical.

If you have an old copy of Lightroom there is a cheaper upgrade to LR6 buried in the depths of the Adobe site. BTW Adobe stopped supporting CS6 in January. As Alan has found the 80D needs Camera RAW ver. 9.5 which will not work with CS6. The last Camera RAW ver. CS6 can use is 9.1.1.461

Daft question but have you got the correct ASCOM platform installed properly together with the correct ZWO ASCOM drivers? Faced with your issue I would be inclined to re-install them from the ZWO website. John

When you open AstroArt and click on 'Plug-in' the Control panel will appear. Under 'Imaging/Guide camera' you should have two choices if the Plug-in has correctly installed, ASCOM or SIMULATOR. Select ASCOM and click on 'SETUP'. Click 'Connect' on the dialogue box that comes up. This will bring up the next dialogue box named 'ASCOM Camera Chooser'. On my machine the dropdown list is blank until you click the arrow. Click it and you should see at least 'ASI Camera (1), ASI Camera (2) and Simulator. Choosing ASI (1) and (2) will allow you to control your ZWO cameras. John Sorry we appear to have doubled and from your post it would appear that you are much more computer savvy than me.