Updating meade etx controller

[MattD101]

If I update my meade etx 90 controller will I lose all my settings? Like locations and drive training?

[ronin]

Yes, they all go.

Any reason to update it?

Only ask as Meade's do not put out many releases of software and generally changes are minor,

[MattD101]

I just thought it would best to get latest update coz mines version 4.3ea and there's 6.0 out. Plus I couldn't find any satellites on the controller.

[ronin]

More changes then I had expected.

Best if you can get an "old" PC, one with serial ports.

[MattD101]

Well satellites came up but when I pressed enter the message said it had expired. What that means I don't know.

[MattD101]

http://www.meade.com/support/auto.html

[ronin]

Check the handset you need the #497EP for the latest software, from what I can see the #497 ended at 4.3eg after that it has to be the #497EP for ver6.

None of mine are that up to date to be the EP handset, and many of the updates seem to be for additional scopes.

Equally it says the Updater will determine which handset you have and get (I presume) the correct software.

In all my days of updating software systems scopes really seem to have some really poor methods.

[MattD101]

I think I'll just leave it then for now. Cheers for the info ronin

[bingevader]

If it was just something in particular that you wanted, you did use to be able add objects like comets and satellites to the database without updating the whole handset.

I'll be jiggered if I know what I've done with the instructions though.

Haven't used the handset for years. It got a bit temperamental and updating was almost impossible at that time, when computers moved away from dedicated serial ports!