HEQ5-Pro Time and date

[oshb5]

Hello all

Can someone answer me a question where the time and date is concerned with the HEQ5 handset When I plug in and switch on it from the handset always starts from 8.00 also I have noticed that also the date is the same date as when i last used it. Is this right because I thought once it was set it kept the time & date? if not does anyone have any idea what my be wrong or how to fix it. So that it is the current time & date when i next power up the mount with the handset please. like my Ioptron.. thankyou for any help

Regs Andy

P.S. Iv just had a thought Could it be anything to do with me connecting the mount to the laptop via EQdirect in between the times I have used the handset ??

[Starlight 1]

Its the way it works as to time & date (it do not have a battery like a computer to remember so it just go back to the last time used.)

[red dwalf]

Hi Andy, the mount sounds normal, as mentioned above there's no backup battery, would be good if someone came up with a mod for this as it is annoying.

[streaky1]

The bios battery mod..think the pro name i will be called eq8 before long lol.

[oshb5]

Hi Rob

I thought I had read where it did keep time and date but must be mistaken.. Its same as the LED brightness what does that do? (Not the LCD brigtness or LCD contrast) I thought it would change the LED brightness on the polar scope but it stays the same weather it is 0% or 100%. Its not like the Goto Nova i have it keeps everything upto date all the time built in LED dimmer for the polar mount and also a built in red LED on the handset that can be used like a red torch also that you can dim But the best part its LCD has 8 lines so you can get plenty of info on the screen.

Also with the HEQ5 do you know difference in the handsets between the version 3 and the earlier ones?

regs Andy

[oshb5]

Hi Streaky

So there is a mod to be able to fit a backup battery?

Andy

[ItIsOnlyMe]

I have the synscan az and it does the same, I always wonder how it can remember a time/date but not keep counting to keep the correct time/date. Non volatile memory I guess?

Very annoying as the power supply cable in use currently is a little loose and the power occasionally drops out requiring all the data to be entered again.

Answer is probably to fork out £99 for the GPS mouse but it's a lot for what it does.

[Starlight 1]

I do use the gps and it save a lot of time in setting up . all you have got to do is say yes or no to BST.

[red dwalf]

Andy, the led brightness controls the brightness of the buttons on the handset, you can make then very bright I.e. 100% or reduce there light, not sure what what the outer version do or don't do but I belive that the newer version has the abilty to reduce the polar scope brightness as well. Not 100% on that I might be the eq6 models.

[bcfcciderhead]

The only info the handset keeps is the last location that was entered, your long/lat

[streaky1]

Hi andy, no mod i know ,but you would think they could fit a battery just like pc bios battery idea, i think they will make a battery backup system one day but it will probably cost the price of a full eq mount £££.

[oshb5]

Like I was saying My ioptron keeps loads of information like that I stil have it . It is quite a good after market goto Its fitted to a CG5 which is just over a year old and it is a better mount that the CG5-GT both in goto and guiding. But it is not stepper motor it is DC motors with encoders fitted which makes it as noisy as the coffee grinder itself. Other than this noise I would have kept it but my neighbours would not have been happy LOL. And another good thing about it was it only stood me about £350 a hundred quid less than the second hand HEQ5pro im using now but boy is it quite now iv had it apart and been through it. Iv even been thinking about ballracing the idler gears to a set of roller bearings that would make it like wisper lol

Andy