DaveL59

ok phone compatibility. I've unlocked the note-3 which I updated to android 10. App reports not compatible but press on and see. Unlocked just fine but the app crashes as you go through the alignment. Saying it is aligned it crashes again, so I guess they may be related to the camera hardware. Oh well, unlocked the note-10 and that goes through the alignment stuff just fine so I guess I'll be using the 10 for starsense and the 3 for SkEye/pics at the eyepiece then. Such is life, worth a go and I might have a play with other custom ROMs some day and see if another will run it any better on the note-3. Being older but premium hardware and I'm cheating re the android version I was hopeful but ran into the rocks on this so far lol.

perhaps John, tho I did rig something for now... Only held with 2 screws this way and I had to dig around to find a couple longer ones to suit but here it is piggy back on a tube ring on the TAL-1, seems quite stable 🙂 I'll have a hunt around for a thin plate so it can be more secure but for how this'll work I think. I've opted this route as I can simply transfer the camera bar over to the SW130 or the TAL100RS much as I'd planned on for the SkEye rig using a regular phone holder. Longer term I'll likely rig a prism/mirror onto the Joby holder so I can use that in either Starsense/SkEye mode and return this mount back to the LT70 for when I pass the scope on to my daughter. Did a quick test using a prism out of an old 10x50 bino and it gives much the same view as the mirror in this mount so I think that may be a workable solution if I can rig some suitable mounting for it later on.

so having just received my LT70 this morning I had a quick explore of the hardware, shame the foot is tapered or it'd be a real simple fix in the joby phone holder. It holds but not ideal to be able to rely on it remaining stable. I guess a rubber band under the phone might work tho. I notice that the view from the camera with the note-3 is pretty good in terms of corners and edges, but the note-10 clips and the phone itself cuts the view. Different camera arrangements plus I think the 10 has a wider FoV: The above is with the camera set to 1x, hopefully won't affect function. Will see later if I can register the note-3 also and if that'll work. Would be nice as the plan was to retire the N3 to be a mini tablet and for astro use so that'd be my preferred rig if the hardware can support the app. Will have a look at the OEM foot and see what I can to to transfer it onto a camera bar in a while.

so today the nice man from DPD dropped this off and I added a variable polarizing filter which they'd popped inside for me

talking of which, did you manage to get the mirror on your 5d sorted in the end?

according to tracking, mine left Dartford, reached Birmingham hub and is now on its way back south to Sittingbourne depot. Delivery supposed to be tomorrow so finders crossed... Pity I couldn't have picked it up myself as they aren't so far away and I'd have had it Friday.

Looking good! 🙂

yeah I expect it did, had to be worth a few mins and a low cost part to see and it paid dividends 🙂 For a heatsink, something like this should do fine or if its getting very warm (hot) then something like this Just be careful when fitting that it isn't in contact with any pins, and be aware that that big metal tab is connected to one of the pins (centre=ground) so any short from the heatsink to another contact point or component risks blowing things again.

I overhauled the Manfrotto 222 I picked up for a song and a nice simple job, works really well and as you say Peter easy to adjust for the load.

Wow that is good news Adam, surprised it survived with 12v hitting the 5v rail but great result all the same, plus you know some options if it barfs again to troubleshoot or build a replacement 🙂 Out of interest, how warm does that 7805 run? Might be worth fitting a heatsink just to improve its longevity.

yeah my note 10 seems happy and I've kinda some hopes the N3 might fly as I was thinking it can just be a mini tablet for astro stuff but being it dates from 2012 ish Will have to see when I can enter the code and try it out. For the J3 what version of android is it running (about and software version) as you'd need to be on at least 7.1.2 I think. From the specs it didn't have a magnetometer so if starsense expects that then there's not much you can do about it. That said, Celestron do list the J3 in their compatibility list https://starsenseexplorer.simcur.com/

I can't give a definitive answer to your options but I believe a new PIC would need to be programmed. For the what happened, sounds about right. It's very likely the PIC got fried when the regulator failed, tho it's a simple job to replace it and roll the dice and see if you got lucky. If not it can be removed and put in the spares drawer 😉 I guess the 7805 wasn't heatsinked but then it's a pretty low power circuit so may have been fine like that. Sounds like the bluetooth module switches the open/close command via relays, effectively being the same as pressing a manual button so the simple circuit steppenwolf describes may well suffice if the bluetooth module holds the relay closed for a long enough duration or the motor controller will operate on a momentary trigger. edit - having said this, I realised that the relays you replaced are 12v rather than 5v, so I'm not so sure you'd be able to prove function if you did swap out the 7805. Possible your original relays may still be functional so if you swapped those back onto the board as well you might be able to determine if there's life...

hi Astrid that last short bar is the originally supplied part that comes with the mount. As you already have a long dovetail on the OTA then you can just put this short part aside as you won't need it. It may come in useful later on if you get a short OTA scope or want to run a camera directly on the mount. For the SloMo control knobs the pic below shows where they are on my mount. You might notice I'm using the short bar here too, to mount the wood carrier for this particular scope which is a vintage one 🙂 I did reset the clutch levers so they lay "level" or at least within the boundary of the moving part, saves the lever colliding with other parts of the mount as you rotate the axis. Easy to do, lock it tight, undo the screw and lift the lever off, reposition as desired and refit the screw.

I believe this is the one you'd need https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/non-latching-relays/0369466/ but please do verify before buying 🙂

ahh I've spent a few days trawling around the XDA developers forum looking at what Note-X ported ROM's are around for this old note-3. The Note-7 port ran nice but was android 6 so SkEye would load and work but not starsense - play wouldn't even offer it. So I've moved up to an AOSP ROM now that is droid 10 and got it to install. The message about incompatibility is different I think, means you are on android 7.1 so the app installs. I guess it may be something about a hardware component it was looking for and either didn't find or found older firmware than it expects. I notice that on the play store app reviews there's many who said it works a couple times then says incompatible and doesn't work after. Guess we'll find out as we try. Did your app report it was a beta when first fired up? Mine did on the note-3 but can't recall it doing that on the note-10

just reflashed my old note-3 to android v10, loaded up a few apps including starsense explorer as that wouldn't install on the N7 ROM version (android 6.0.1). Funny when I fired it up it said not compatible, then seems to run just fine after that. I guess I'll know more once mine arrives and I have an unlock code to try and see if the camera and everything are picked up correctly.

Doh good spot Alan, I'd not noticed that!

I expect it'll need programming, unless a replacement can be sourced but sounds like there's no support now for this board. Not sure if the PIC chip would've survived as no clue which it is or the specs for it. Could be worth replacing the 7805 and try see if we're in luck...

ouch, that's not so good, sounds like the regulator may have failed short-circuit, not sure how the PIC would've handled that 😞

ok so the 12v feed to the end of the diode is good so at least the supply circuit is still sound up to that point. I'd expect to see the below on the board so if you aren't getting 5v then it sounds like the regulator has failed. But first check that you are getting 12v at the other pin 🙂

Can you confirm you have 12V at the band-marked end of the diode D3? Sounds like the voltage regulator may be dud if there's 12v at the diode, I assume it'll be something like a 7805 linear regulator, should be marked on the front.

Hi Astrid I think it varies as I have both SloMo cables on one EQ5 and knobs on the other.

worst case I wonder if something like this could full the role? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GSM-ROLLER-SHUTTER-OPENER-MOBILE-PHONE-REMOTE-CONTROL/321125300037?hash=item4ac48f3745:g:uIIAAOSwcOFWatKP

hehe I've never messed with PIC's but at this stage I'm thinking along the lines of basic circuit diagnostics. With luck it might just be something simple, if it is the PIC then I've no clue how we get that tested or programmed, esp without the original code. At least part of the upside is it's old pin-in-hole stuff, much easier to work with 😉

can you check that the electronics side if the circuit is getting 5v? Should be present across this small capacitor for example. at least that'd prove the 5v regulator side is still working and not gone open circuit. I'm assuming that is the regulator next to the cap and that D3 is a protection diode against reverse polarity. Worth checking that diode is passing correctly too if you don't find 5v coming off the regulator.