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HEQ5 Pro Handset

quiggles

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quiggles

quiggles

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Help?!

Last night I made the fatal error of leaving my teenage lad out with the telescope - Skywatcher 200PDS on HEQ5Pro, and when I came back he said the light had gone out on the Synscan handset. Eventually he admitted that he'd "accidentally" removed the lead out of the bottom.

From that point the handset won't turn on... Any thoughts? Is there some kind of reset I can do? Or will I not be talking to my son for the foreseeable future.....

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

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You could try reflashing the firmware. Download the updatre software and the current firmware for the EQ handset v03.27 from Skywatcher and unzip the files. Connect the handset to the computer using the data cable, press button 0 and 8 simultaneously and then connect the handset to the psu. If the handset still works you should get the Synscan firmware version displayed on the LCD. If all is ok you should be able to reflash the handset.

Peter

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terrym2002uk

terrym2002uk

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Have you tried plugging the power directly into the handset unconnected from the mount?

If that works try to connect it to the mount again using a standard network cable with the power connected to the mount. It might just be a snagged cable.

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quiggles

quiggles

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Yup did it with the handset disconnected from the mount and the psu plugged into the handset....

Are there any dealers in the south east that can take a look do you think? I live in Woking, but I can travel a reasonable distance...

blumming kids!

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quiggles

quiggles

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Astronomia have been really helpful, so I'm going to take it there for them to take a look.

So is the EQMOD stuff easy? What's a typical setup in terms of converters/hardware and software?

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Macavity

Macavity

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There is a bit of a "learning curve" re. EQMOD. But much of my initial trepidation was personal lack of application? <G> Once I "got down to it", the documentation and Youtube video guides proved excellent - Kudos, Chris! I have to aknowledge a background in "science & computing", but much of the stuff proved refreshingly EASY... well within the capabilities of the average (younger, especially?) PC user. :)

Personally, I use a little "black box" USB adaptor like:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/hitecastro/hitecastro-eqdir-adapter.html

Typical fiddling with "Switch on sequence" re. ANY PC hardware, but works FIRST time now.

I use Carte du Ciel software on a Samsung Notebook... And for pretty much everything else. :)

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quiggles

quiggles

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I'm an IT bod myself, (20 years+, started as a programmer, PM, systems analysis and now tech pre-sales for speech recognition software), so I'm a little techie :)

The daft thing here is me letting my son use it on his own....!

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Viv

Viv

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I'm an IT bod myself, (20 years+, started as a programmer, PM, systems analysis and now tech pre-sales for speech recognition software), so I'm a little techie :)

The daft thing here is me letting my son use it on his own....!

They have to learn - sometimes at the expense of mum or dad.

But i'm really surprised, that it's crashed, just due to the cable being removed !!

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quiggles

quiggles

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Well thats why I'm not going loopy - I'm peeved that he pulled the cable out, but I think I'm more annoyed that it crashed and burned for such a little error.

Unfortunately I bought it secondhand, so I have no warranty, however skywatcher don't seem to have any service department that can offer a fixed price repair. Looks like I'll have to splash out on a brand new handset.

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Macavity

Macavity

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In fairness to the "boy" - I have no experience of parenting (LOL), I'm not terribly "convinced" by these modern (RJ-whatever) connectors. Coax power connectors can be even more dodgy? I suppose it no coincidence that "wartime equipment" (Lancaster bombers, whatever) used connectors more akin to PLUMBING than electronics... :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
quiggles

quiggles

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Well to round out the story....

Took it to Astronomia, (really helpful guys), and the handset was indeed dead, so had to purchase a new handset £149....

So unless my son isn't telling me something about the situation, (i.e. it hit the ground...!), it's disappointing that it got borked by the lead being taken out...

On the bright side I'm also looking into EQMOD stuff as well now - as if I didn't already have enough to learn about astronomy ;)

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Tribal-Wolf

Tribal-Wolf

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I don't think it would crash by pulling the cable out as I have caught mine 2 or 3 times and nothing happened, I think it's more likely where he tried to plug it back in again. Maybe he pushed into the wrong socket?

I could have taken a look at it but I'm too far away. There was one for sale ABS for £75 recently but that's the cheapest I've seen.

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