Urgent NEQ6 help please!

[Mattjohnson1978]

Hi. I have just set up my new NEQ6 pro mount for the second time and disaster........my hand controller is an orange blank screen! The mount is powered but i have no menus on my display and it doesnt respond to any commands. Anyone had this and got a quick easy fix??

Many thanks

Matt

[Spikey]

How are you powering the mount?

[Mattjohnson1978]

240v - 12v power supply but can go up to 15v. I just connected my auto guider up and i can control the mount thru that software so does appear to just be the hand control.

[bluesman81]

Try powering just the handset without the mount and see if its the same!!!!

[Spikey]

I was going to suggest a low voltage power issue but that seems unlikely now - if it's a variable PSU worth double chekcing it's on 12v and not something else.

Obvious stuff like pulling the connectors in and out of the handset to make sure they are seated properly; bent pins, crud on the connectors ?

[Mattjohnson1978]

Yep same as. I get the start up tone, and an illuminated screen but nothing else

[Spikey]

handset display contrast turned right down?

[Mattjohnson1978]

I dont think so, Simon. The orange screen is nice and bright...just no text. Any kind of soft reset that can be done on the hand controller?

[Spikey]

Could be, the contrast and brightness are indepently controllable.

[Mattjohnson1978]

so its possible ive turned the text down but not the screen?

[Spikey]

yes, i'll drag my hand controller out and power it on in a minute but I think the setting is under setup, handset settings.

Could also be a stuck button.

[VigdisVZ]

You should verify that the power source is not the cause by hooking the mount up to your car quickly. That atleast rules out one thing.

[Mattjohnson1978]

Thanks Simon. Ive just checked the PSU with a multimeter Carl, and the voltage is good. Besides, I have control over the mount via the autoguider. Something adrift with the handset

[Spikey]

A bit drastic but you could try re-flashing it, perhaps the firmware has corrupted itself.

[Mattjohnson1978]

Just looking into that now Simon, Trying to find the firmware loader

[Mattjohnson1978]

.........and double disaster........need to connect the handset to the serial port my laptop doesnt have!

[Mattjohnson1978]

An end to my nights imaging before it started

Gonna get a usb-serial adapter tomorrow and try re-installing the firmware but if that doesn't solve it, then I will have to give FLO a call

Thanks for your efforts guys.

[Spikey]

ah bad luck.

[Mattjohnson1978]

Is there a piece of software that will talk to the mount that does all the setup the handset does? Might be worth me looking into that for future technical hitches such as these.

[Spikey]

EQMOD/EQASCOM and use an ASCOM compliant planetarium program such as Cartes du Ciel - all free ! and you'll probably never use the handset again

You'll need one of these adapters for the EQ6 http://www.firstligh...ir-adapter.html

[Mattjohnson1978]

Ok cool! I take it there is a little more to that box than just a usb-serial converter?

[Spikey]

Yes, but you can make your own cable up if you want to.

Loads on info on this site here for the software http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/ and very highly rated it is too !

[bluesman81]

Since I got the HitecAstro EQDir USB I havent felt the need to even plug the handset into the mount. This along with CdC, Phd and Nebulosity is all I use out in the field. I think it is anyway....... Yep, it is....

[Mattjohnson1978]

Just looked at the directions of making your own......I'll buy one! Hopefully my handset will burst back into life tomorrow after re-installing the firmware. Thanks again for your help.

[philming]

I've had this problem twice over the last year. Each time the LCD had to be changer.