Really bad first Synscan experience

[Chris]

Hi folks,

I've recently upgraded to a second hand EQ6 pro which is my first Goto mount and tonight was the first time I've got to try it out. I connected the hand controller and the power supply securely and turned on the switch which prompted the hand controller to light up orange and I heard a single beep, so far so good I thought, then I patiently waited for something to appear on the screen but there was nothing:( I tried pressing some buttons and the arrow buttons seemed to control the motors ok and I even managed to blindly get it to up the slew rate to 9 which made the mount move more quickly but still nothing on the screen apart from an orange glow. I then tried all the usual suspects reapeatedly for the next hour things like connections playing with the buttons powering down-up and so on until giving up:(

I'm feeling a bit gutted really I know the mount was a nearly new Syntrek and the guy had bought a second hand controller for it to make it a Pro so its not like the controller is under warrenty or anything:(

Does this definately sound like the Controller to you guys? I've looked at the price of a replacement and they are quite a lot of money at 170 quid! I would be even more gutted if I saved for another controller to find that it was the mount:(

I bought it a month ago would it be reasonable to contact the guy I bought it from as in hindsight I should have perhaps tried it out earlier, I blame the month of cloud partly for this.

I have no power in my obsy yet other than my 12v power tank and my laptop is old and will only run off the mains so I can't even look into this Exmod business straight a way.

I'm hoping someone will just tell me its a setting or button I need to press but I'm not holding much hope for this, after an hour trying to get it to show me text.

Feeling a bit down now, I was going to look at buying a mirror grinding kit for an exciting new project but this expense has put that to a quick end for a while at least.

help

Chris

[Daniel-K]

chirs why arnt you using a EQMOD and ascom via CDC so much easier and would have save you just run an extension out to the obsy thats all im doing at the moment.

also could it be the contrast on the controller is set too high?

[Chris]

chirs why arnt you using a EQMOD and ascom via CDC so much easier and would have save you just run an extension out to the obsy thats all im doing at the moment

I've only just gone Goto so before now I've just had basic motors, I've heard people using words like Eqmod and the like but I've been using a very basic imaging setup until now. Not impressed with Goto so far its just an orange light as far as I can tell, I'll have to like you say get a very long extention cable out to the shed if I don't get the handset sorted. Gutted though, I payed for a second hand Pro not syntrek:(

[Astro_Baby]

It could be the brightness control, you would need to check what the sequence is for finding the hnadset settings blind. Have a look at the manual which is downloadable from the skywatcher site.

It doesnt sound as if its the mount itself to me. The beep is emitted which suggests the motor control board is ok in the mount.

If you cant work the handset out blind you could try reloading the software. Assuming you have the download cable and a Pc with a serial port or a USB to serial connector. A reload will probably set the handcontrol to factory set up.

Come to think of it I think there is a key sequence for return to factory set up. You need a read of the manual really.

[tich]

I've heard of folk re-flashing the handset can sometimes cure the display, might be worth a go.

Have a look

[Chris]

Thanks guys I must admit it crossed my mind about the text brightness being down but i dismissed it thinking they wouldn't have a setting for no text, although I was not leaving it to chance so I did down load the online manual and looked on page 26 which told me to scroll down the menu until I found contrast settings so unfiortunately it didn't tell me how many button presses to do:(

I do have a cable to to connect it to a PC but I think I need to buy an adaptor but this might be a good thing to have anyway, I will both revisit the manual for any key sequence which might reset it and I'll look at reflashing it and fingers crossed:)

I've Emailed the chap I've bought it from, I've bought several things from him now so hopefully he doesn't mind me asking if he knows whats going on?

[Chris]

I the guy got back to me and he's baffled by it, he doesn't think it would need reflashing if its not locked up and suggested checking the ribbon cable inside the controller to see if its come loose somehow. I'll open it up and have a look before I do the aformentioned.

[Chris]

I Checked the ribbon cable and it looks fine, but to be on the safe side I undid it to make sure the cable was sitting correctly. I then went back out to try it and still no joy:( back to the manual. I'm drowing my sorrows with a bowl of smartprice custard:(

[Merlin66]

Have you checked the power supply?

What happens when you dis-connect the handcontroller from the mount and just power it up on it's own???

[Chris]

I

Have you checked the power supply?

What happens when you dis-connect the handcontroller from the mount and just power it up on it's own???

I've not tried turning the mount on without the controller, I think the power might be ok? there are lights on and the mount slews so there must be power, just no text on the glowing orange handset for some reason?

[Merlin66]

No, I mean just plugging the power plug into the handcontroller on it's own - without connecting it to the mount.

(You'll see there's a 12V socket on the base of the handcontroller)

Try it and let us know.

[Chris]

ah I see, yes I'll try it now, thanks:)

[Chris]

ok it beeped 3 times and glowed orange with no text. Any ideas?

[Chris]

I've heard of folk re-flashing the handset can sometimes cure the display, might be worth a go.

Have a look

this will be my next port of call thanks tich:) just need one of those adaptor thingies, pc world per chance?

[Merlin66]

Astronomiser (and others) can supply a replacement serial > RJ11 cable ( to connect between the computer and the handcontroller)

http://www.astronomiser.co.uk/mcc.htm#skywatcher

( If you only have USB ports on your PC/laptop then you'll also need a serial>usb adaptor - I use Keyspan)

[Astro_Baby]

I have to say i couldnt see why cabling inside the mount would have any effect. Whether the hc is connected to a mount or not i should show the lettering.

I tried ro note down the sequence of key strokes to get to the LCD contrast menu but am so tired I couldnt get it right. Its probably irrelevant because i noticed even with the LCD contrast set to abolsutke minimum theres always text on the screen so it looks very much like your hand conteoller may be dead.

Your only chance is that a reflash might fix it. I have seen something like this peoblem with a Celestron HC sometime ago that wasnt used for ages and had been allowed to get very cold. It just lost the plot and became very erratic. A reflash fixed it so you might be lucky.

Sorry you are having prolems........sid you not get the lrevious owner to show you it working ?

[Chris]

Astronomiser (and others) can supply a replacement serial > RJ11 cable ( to connect between the computer and the handcontroller)

http://www.astronomi....htm#skywatcher

( If you only have USB ports on your PC/laptop then you'll also need a serial>usb adaptor - I use Keyspan)

Thanks, I'll see if I can find someone with a very old computer with a serial, if not I'll get the serial to USB adaptor:)

[Chris]

I have to say i couldnt see why cabling inside the mount would have any effect. Whether the hc is connected to a mount or not i should show the lettering.

I tried ro note down the sequence of key strokes to get to the LCD contrast menu but am so tired I couldnt get it right. Its probably irrelevant because i noticed even with the LCD contrast set to abolsutke minimum theres always text on the screen so it looks very much like your hand conteoller may be dead.

Your only chance is that a reflash might fix it. I have seen something like this peoblem with a Celestron HC sometime ago that wasnt used for ages and had been allowed to get very cold. It just lost the plot and became very erratic. A reflash fixed it so you might be lucky.

Sorry you are having prolems........sid you not get the lrevious owner to show you it working ?

Well I appreciate you trying especially when you're tired, thanks:) I think you're right that the reflash might be my only chance. I didn't get him to show me it working, the mount itself was only a month old when I bought it as the guy decided he didn't like EQ and wanted to go back to fork mounts, he gave me the reciepts with the date of purchase which tied in and its well within warrenty so I wasn't worried. I dropped the ball a bit with the hand set as this was the proper second hand bit which he had got to make it pro from syntrek, although he said he got it from a guy who pretty much decided to use EQmod straight the way so in theory it has had little use. He said it was all working fine as new, he did seem genuinely shocked when I spoke to him on the phone earlier, I don't think I'll be getting any money back though or at least he didn't offer any.

[Chris]

This adaptor looks good I'll check for retro serial cable pc's and if no joy order one of these:)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170721488105?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

[Merlin66]

Hmmm

Is it a V2 or V3 handcontroller??

Unfortunately I don't think there's a label....

(To others: I know the V3 can be reflashed and upgraded....but can the V2 be re-flashed to V2???)

[Astro_Baby]

No , flash is from v3 only. Good point but v2 handsets are pretty rare.

[Chris]

Good question, I'm fairly sure its v3 (luckily) the guy said it had the latest firmware (which would be the one before last now as theres a new one out). Also it comes with that weird serial cable for updating after solving the serial connection problem, I dig out my old almost not working laptop from 2003-4 and it doesn't have this connection, so who knows what era of computers this cable was intended for:D I might nip shops today to buy a serial to usb connector as I really cannot wait to find out if flashing will sort it out or not? At least then I know where I stand, if it doesn't work then I have no choice but to get electric sorted and learn all this exmod ascom stuff, I really wanted to keep things basic as well as I know all the problems peoples have with getting software to work when its clear, I now know how frustrating that is!

Thanks for all the help so far:)

[Chris]

No joy finding this adaptor in the mainstream PC shops so I've ordered this one online, Maplin had them but they were almost 4 times the price!

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1497.l2649

I'll read the Syntrek instructions just in case its clear later and as I'm not confident that flashing will fix things I'll format my ancient slow laptop for the obsy and install all the software I need if it can handle it:D

I had better start researching this exmod ascom stuff, can you do everything you can do with the handset like the accurate polar allighnment and the Goto, I'm a complete Noob to this side of things:)

[Daniel-K]

PA with ascom is a breeze have a look at this PDF also you get to use a game station hand controller to control your scope it looks great when people come round and you slew using your gampad. ascom used with cdc is what i use chirs if you need any help give us a PM im pretty use to it now and have converted my other astro buddy to using it

Dan

PolarScopeAlignment (1).pdf

[Chris]

Cheers Dan, I've read the pdf and it looks pretty thorough, the only thing I'm not sure about is that it asks you to select the clock position for Polaris, the handset works this out for you which sounds suitably idiot proof for me. I'm sure I'll pick it up, thanks for the offer of help if I get stuck:)

oh yeah, hows the dob build going Dan, would you belief it I was going to buy a 10" mirror grinding kit before this expense cropped up!