EQ6 3.35 Firmware update

[Merlin66]

There is a copy of the earlier V3.27 available on the Skywatcher site.

I think your installer will work OK.

From other sources the V3.35 seems to fix the conflict (which arose with V3.34) between the handcontroller buttons and EQMod

[sbooder]

Thanks Merlin. I have v3.35 at the moment but it has been nothing but trouble since I updated. While v3.27 which was what the handset came with three years ago did not give me a lick of trouble.

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm

That's interesting!

I'm still on V3.27 (which does everything I need) but the good reviews of V3.35 (or the lack of bad reviews....) actually was making me think of upgrading.

[sbooder]

Hmmmm

That's interesting!

I'm still on V3.27 (which does everything I need) but the good reviews of V3.35 (or the lack of bad reviews....) actually was making me think of upgrading.

I am not sure if what I am experiencing is indicative of an upgrade or not, it may be misuse on my part or lack of understanding of what the new version has changed.

[Merlin66]

Simon,

That being the case, I'd hang in with V3.35 until such time as you can definately quantify a specific issue...then check out the Yahoo EQ6 group and see if others agree and have a found a fix......

[sbooder]

Simon,

That being the case, I'd hang in with V3.35 until such time as you can definately quantify a specific issue...then check out the Yahoo EQ6 group and see if others agree and have a found a fix......

Although I am a member of the EQ6 group I have not been following for a while. I will log on and read some reviews on the upgrade first.

One of the things I have noticed is the software's reaction to re-centring an object. It now slews away and back again when I use the re-centre but never goes back to the centre after I hit view object?

[philming]

Hi all !

I started using an EQ6 tripod extension to avoid meridian flips i.e.

Dont know if it's related to a missuse of the later or if it's due to 3.35, but it seems to me the 1 star alignment isn't as good as it used to be.

I used to have the DSO at the dead center of the sensor afeter a 1 star align, now it's ALLWAYS a little off (let's say on the lower part of the sensor)

What can explain this ?

[Aenima]

Hi all !

I started using an EQ6 tripod extension to avoid meridian flips i.e.

Dont know if it's related to a missuse of the later or if it's due to 3.35, but it seems to me the 1 star alignment isn't as good as it used to be.

I used to have the DSO at the dead center of the sensor afeter a 1 star align, now it's ALLWAYS a little off (let's say on the lower part of the sensor)

What can explain this ?

Slight errors in polaralignment can give bad goto's, or levelling the base before setting up can make a difference - I always find polar alignment affects the goto accuracy, its nice to have each target spot-on centred after a quick 1-star align.

Might not be your problem but thought it was worth a mention

Regards

Aenima

[philming]

Hi all !

I gave the polar alignment feature a shot the other day and was quiet surprised by the way it was behaving.

I had my DSLR connected to the scope with BYE on my Mac to monitor the alignment.

So I did a 2 star alignment, and lauched the PA routine.

Cant remember in wich order things went (alt and az or as and alt), but here's the point :

So I get to align the first of the two (let's say ALT), OK no problem, I could recenter the star in the middle of the liveview.

When getting to the second adjustment, I realized that when moving the screws to adjust on the mount, the star would move in the exact same direction as with the previous adjustement.

To make things clear : moving the ALT bolts would move the star left and right on the liveview, and moving the AZ bolts would do the same.

So in the end, there was no way I could actually center the star in the FOV.

Can anyone tell me how this could happen ?

Best regards

[Baffa]

I tried the new firmware but i must say the polar alignment works really good, was quite surprised how easy it was.

It's not without bugs though, for some reason you can't always slew to a named star, the menu just resets to the first star and nothing happens, not sure whats causing this.

Anyway, I'm still pleased they are still working on the firmware!

Skickat från min HTC Desire S via Tapatalk 2

[Aenima]

Hi all !

I gave the polar alignment feature a shot the other day and was quiet surprised by the way it was behaving.

I had my DSLR connected to the scope with BYE on my Mac to monitor the alignment.

So I did a 2 star alignment, and lauched the PA routine.

Cant remember in wich order things went (alt and az or as and alt), but here's the point :

So I get to align the first of the two (let's say ALT), OK no problem, I could recenter the star in the middle of the liveview.

When getting to the second adjustment, I realized that when moving the screws to adjust on the mount, the star would move in the exact same direction as with the previous adjustement.

To make things clear : moving the ALT bolts would move the star left and right on the liveview, and moving the AZ bolts would do the same.

So in the end, there was no way I could actually center the star in the FOV.

Can anyone tell me how this could happen ?

Best regards

I have had this same thing happen, it seems to be at a certain angle where up/down and left/right aren't as clearly defined as they would be on an actual Altazimuth mounts axis. The best I can understand it is the equatorial mounts are designed with a circular model in mind whereas the alt-az is right angled and basically a cross shape design and where the two meet the angles and movements are not so easy to separate into side-to-side up-and-down and a little bit of error in the scope or mount's position can really make it skewed.

I always assume the problem is my set-up and guess the difference as best I can by getting the star closest to center in that direction and re-doing the PA routine hoping for a better result the next time round

Best of luck with it anyways, I'm pretty sure it isn't faulty - just a little bit prone to error

Regards

Aenima

[PARTY MARTY]

I alway's use my QHY8L CCD as my eyepiece, I basically set up the re-polar align option on Synscan I align the alignment star within my red dot finder so it's in view of the QHY8L FOV and set the live view and cross hair decal on EZCAP and put the selected alignment star bang centre of the crosshair! Then Synscan will show how much I'm out of polar alignment. I press enter Synscan will move out of the cross hair and move back, then I adjust my Latitude bolts, to align star bang on cross hair and press enter and then Synscan will do the same procedure for the Altizmuth positon and the bolts. Once completed Synscan will give the set value! I now alway's get 000,00,00. 000,00,00. perfect polar alignment always now!!! where I used to use my recticle eyepiece and never as close as 000,00,33. 000,00.62 is the best alignment I could get! My exposures are now I'm achieving 20 mins and much more, as last time 10 minute exposures where very rare for me so I was limited to 5 minutes, With this process I have no need to drift align, it's that accurate!! I now swear by it by using my CCD method from now on and Synscan V3.35 just simply rocks!!!

[Aenima]

Marty you have a great system going there it seems - I keep playing with the thought of using a cam in the focuser rather than leaning in to the EP, and I definitely have no trouble believing that a reticle onscreen is far better judge of where the center is than my eyes!

Part of the trouble is when the EQ5 is carrying a 8inch newt the wobbles and weight imbalances tend to pull the scope around and this skews the strictly mathematical firmware results so that it cant be relied on to be 100% accurate when going by the readings on the handset.

But if I can be bothered to set the laptop up the reticle and webcam idea is a very tempting one, thanks for sharing it!

Regards

Aenima

[astrokoma]

i use the latest version, and i am happy with it.

I use the tripod's bubble level, i center the Polaris at the little circle (at correct hour angle), and i follow the 3 star aligment procedure (astrophotography) using an illuminated

reticle eyepiece .

After that, (the procedure takes me less than 10 minutes) every target is just at the center of the FOV, and i think that the mount us more accurate (go-to and tracking PHD) than the past.

[nitram100]

Very impressed with this firmware. I cannot see polaris from my location as my house blocks it.

1. I simply use the compass on my smart phone and point the polar scope north

2. 3 star align

3. Polar align one star

Job done, go to is spot on for visual.

[Aenima]

Very impressed with this firmware. I cannot see polaris from my location as my house blocks it.

1. I simply use the compass on my smart phone and point the polar scope north

2. 3 star align

3. Polar align one star

Job done, go to is spot on for visual.

Wow that IS rather good! It takes a bit of compromising and setting up in a less accessible place but I can at least SEE polaris then, I wouldn't have thought it worked otherwise and imagined all kinds of hassle trying to do it blind, but you have got on fine like that so its really quite a good test of the firmware right there.

Regards

Aenima

[PeterW]

Can you polar realign on any star or does it choose? I have a limited view of the sky and can't see Polaris, so I need realign to help me, but I need to select the stars from ones I can see.

How does realign work?

Peter

[PARTY MARTY]

Hi PeterW!

As soon as you select re-polar alignment, it will give a star to pick, If you press the scroll up and down keys at the bottom of Synscan handset, (not the direction key pads fpr dec/ RA) axis, you can select other bright stars!! I hope this helps mate!! V3.35 is really good and so easy to use!!!

[Aenima]

Can you polar realign on any star or does it choose? I have a limited view of the sky and can't see Polaris, so I need realign to help me, but I need to select the stars from ones I can see.

How does realign work?

Peter

Not sure if it helps but the star selection is defaulted to magnitude, but go into star alignment menu in Set -up (alignment-alignment stars ) and select Alphabetical. This is for alignment at the beginning but it might have an effect on the stars it uses for PA re-align. Worth a try.

But usually I recall choosing from a few but it has to be a star in the synscans handset menu...

HTH

Regards

Aeinma

[PeterW]

Cheers, tried it out in 2star goto mode (all I needed tonight) and it worked well, will try the realignment next time out!

Cheers

PeterW

[dph1nm]

I now alway's get 000,00,00. 000,00,00. perfect polar alignment always now!!!

Yes mine says that after you gone through the polar alignment procedure, but it is lying thought its teeth. If you then re-sky align with 3 different stars the polar offsets will no longer be zero.

NigelM