Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) HCupdate for NexStar+

[Rush]

Dear Stargazers,

My on the road rig is based on a Celestron AVX mount since 1.5 years. 5 days before in the middle of one of those starry nights, AVX HC started showing

BOOTLOADER,INVALID PACKAGE ERROR 0080. For that night and nextnights im out imaging business.

Tried many times to solve this problem myself,No success:(

Called the Local Celestron Support. Usless beyond infinity.

Gave me the non functional support link and thats it. Is there a way to solve this annoying problem ?

Im unable to download Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) replaces HCupdate for NexStar+ from Celestron.com support source.

it keeps me redirecting to Manuals & Software. My Java is the neu 8 version.

it looks like this.

http://www.celestron.com/c3/support3/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=viewdownload&downloaditemid=771&nav=0,7.&group=iframe

Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) v.1.9.5030

Description
Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) replaces HCupdate for NexStar+ and StarSense hand controls. CFM requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 7.
To download JAVA please visit: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.htmlor http://java.com.
Detailed instructions are located in the ReadMe file included in the archive. Also included in the archive is a connection diagram which might be useful for first time users.

    Download the archive (.zip) file.
    Extract the archive.
    Run the program called CFM.jar.
    Click the Update button.

And now if you click the update button, You will wind up again on the Manuals / Software page.

Anyone out there who can give me helping hand ?

Many thanks and Clear skies

Rush

[PeterCPC]

I suggest joining Team Celestron.com where you should be able to find updates and answers to queries like this.

Peter

[Rush]

I suggest joining Team Celestron.com where you should be able to find updates and answers to queries like this.

Peter

Thanx Peter.

All the roads lead 2 Rome.

The common answer is get the download from Celestron.com.

Well, and that is were the trouble starts.The upgrrade / download programme doesnt function.

One of the local dealers send me a zipped copy of this mysterious upgrade Programme.

Lets see if i can manage to get it going. A good support is and should be accesable to all and to excute it with less effort.

Last five days,phew........some even wanted to sell me cables which i alredy have U know:)

interstellar flights might be easier than fiddling around with upgrading some of this firmware:)

Im annoyed cos i lost some wonderful starry nights. Hope U guys feel my pain. Sorry.

CS

Rush.

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein.

[Gazabone]

Totally sympathise. For a boot loading error, as you already know, the mount has to be reflashed. I've tried doing this on at least 5 PC, a mix of windows (XP, 7, 8 and 10) and Mac OS. The macs run the software fine but won't recognise that the mount is attached via usb. The windows will recognise that something is attached via usb but will not run CFM no matter what version of Java I download to it. When one of my mounts developed a boot loading error, I ended up sending back to Astronomia (now sadly defunct) who did it free of charge. They did tell me that they use an old computer to do it and weren't sure how later versions of Windows would cope with it.

I have posted these problems on SGL before and had several helpful replies but I still can't get the damn thing to work.

If you do overcome the problem I'd be really interested to hear how you did it!

[Rush]

Thanx 4 ur sympathy Gazabone.

Tried till now,its late past midnight.

I pressed the info button and another (lower left).

No response.Added a new com port,doesnt help either.

Im winding up for tonight.Already wasted a couple of hours:(

[Gazabone]

Thanx 4 ur sympathy Gazabone.

Tried till now,its late past midnight.

I pressed the info button and another (lower left).

No response.Added a new com port,doesnt help either.

Im winding up for tonight.Already wasted a couple of hours:(

I think Celestron products are generally pretty good and are great value for money. I could get the software for the old style mounts to work on my PCs but not the new ones (with the Celstron logo on the bottom left button of the handset).

Although I'm not an IT wizard by any means, I'm not bad with it either (and suspect there must be plenty worse than me) and I really think Celestron have to improve the whole business of hooking their mounts to a PC. Quite honestly, if I wanted to mess around with computers I would have chosen building PCs for a hobby, not stargazing. Good luck.

[PeterCPC]

I have had problems with the update manager before - I found that using a different USB port did the trick but I'm sure that you would have tried that. I'm sorry but I can't be of more help. All I would say is that if you join Team Celestron.com you can ask for help on that forum.

Peter

[Gazabone]

At last I've cracked it and it appears to be working. The mistake I was making was not properly unzipping the download. I created a folder that I called Celestron CFM and unzipped the download into that. The CFM.jar file now works.

As I write this, it's downloading package 8 of 11 so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my AVX mount will work at least as well in 10 mins time as it did before and I've not screwed it up completely!

[Gazabone]

Update

I've not been able to get out to try it out for real but after the upload to the mount finished the handset came up with the usual start screen (press enter to start alignment) so it's all looking good

[PeterCPC]

It really should be an easier process I feel. Fingers crossed.

Peter

[Rush]

Hi Gareth,

Wow, that sounds promising. Yes its true Celestron gadjets are money worth.

I did use some of their equipments in the past and was satisfied. This issue is quiet a time killer and irritating for me as i was expecting more reliability.

Thanx much for the assitance and ur mail. U know i got sick of the whole mount thing and of lack of time.

Local Celestron guys took my mount back for fixing and i left for Italy for a weeks holiday. Its sunny warm , 27 to 30 degs and sea is pretty calm with pasta and local white wine:)

As soon as i get back, i will get in touch with u. There is no steady internet and out here, only a loose wifi.

Clear Skies

Best regards from itlaly

Rush

[impactcrater]

http://www.celestron.com/support/knowledgebase?article=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.celestron.com%2Fc3%2Fsupport3%2Findex.php%3F_m%3Dknowledgebase%26_a%3Dviewarticle%26kbarticleid%3D2585%26nav%3D0%2C255%26group%3Diframe&title=The+hand+control+of+my+new+scope+shows+the+message+%E2%80%9CBootloader+invalid+package+0080%E2%80%9D+or+%E2%80%9CBootloader+invalid+package+0002%E2%80%9D.+How+can+I+fix+this+and+make+the+mount+work%3F

simple , eh !

this is the knowledge base answer to your question...it does not mean it will solve it !!

I have had this problem too...many components of the download seem unreliable

interestingly , if I do the update with my powerful desktop it simpely fails . if I do it with an oldish laptop it works....but not necessarily first go ....and then there's that java business.....

glad you sorted it

don't forget you can always find 'factory settings' in the menu...

[Gazabone]

The mount did work last night and was a lot more accurate than before I reflashed it........for about 1/2 an hour.  What was interesting was that after about an hour or so's use, it developed the dreaded bootloading error.  On the upside, as I already had my laptop out with me trying to do some astrophotography I only had to pop back inside to get the cable and reflashing was quick, easy and painless.  Within about 10 minutes, I was up and running again. 

Just curious that it seems to lose accuracy over time......one to put the Team Celestron now that I've joined up (many thanks Peter CPC for suggesting it in your earlier post).

Clear skies all.

[Rush]

Thanx 2 all for the help tipps.

Will join the Team Celestron .com.

Clear skies

Rush

[Cosmic Geoff]

I had to confront this problem a few days ago. Fortunately I had just purchased a serial cable and serial/USB adapter. (I wonder if fiddling with them precipitated the problem :-(

If you Google 'Celestron 0080 error' this leads you to a solution on the Celestron support site.

You have to download the appropriate firmware loader (CFM in my case).

The CFM is a Java program, so you first have to check that your laptop does Java. If not, you have to download and check it first. (Java 7 works with Windows XP, otherwise you probably want Java 8.  )

The Chrome browser does not do Java anymore, so you should use Internet Explorer for this work.

There is a 'Gotcha' with using the CFM, which you should pay attention to now. Hidden in the dropdown menus at the top of its page is an option for selecting what sort of mount you have. Set it to the relevant mount type - alt-azimuth or equatorial, and most importantly set it to use that type regardless of what mount it auto-detects.  I had to sort this after it auto-detected wrongly and programmed my SLT as a GT

After sorting that, click on a button in the top row of three and it's all obvious. Just wait a few minutes while eleven files install. Once it's done the scope is waiting and ready to use.

All this is a bit of a pain and requires a proficient computer user but is not too difficult.

It does expose deficiencies in the Celestion stuff though. Mention of Windows 98 and ME makes the various bits of software feel dated (though it does mean you can re-purpose old laptops for use in the dew). 

Why did I have to buy an expensive serial cable and adapter instead of using a stock USB cable?

[Rush]

Wow,

Thanx much for the detailed walkthrough:). Thumbs up.

I recieved CFM zipped from Celestron Support Germany.

Even then i was unable to upgrade and was at the edge of SCREAMING.

After i failed using different laptops,the mount was sent to Celsetron Experts by Baader Planteraium Germany.

I was told that they used an old desktop with W. XP.

upgrade was success, it works now, but i have a feeling its much louder than before and makes lot of weird noise,which i was

unaware in the past. But it works now and I m happy about it:)

Thanx once again 2 U all out there,

Clear skies and Cosmic spirits

Rush

[PeterCPC]

I just updated my AVX/Nexstar and it now shows the following versions:

HC 5.28.5184

MC 7.11.5056

are those the versions that show on your HC?

Peter

[cathalferris]

...

Why did I have to buy an expensive serial cable and adapter instead of using a stock USB cable?

I trust serial port communication a lot more than I ever trust USB communications. Serial is simpler, and a lot less prone to messing up. To me, it's a great pity that the serial port is being phased out on lots of newer hardware. I can understand why, as the serial port requires the presence of +/-12V as well as +/-5V and a lot of laptops don't have the circuitry to handle it.

Programming devices over USB usually means another layer of encapsulation for the data being transferred, and another place for data to get corrupted or lost. Doesn't mean that it's any better or worse when done correctly - it's the doing it correctly that's the issue for companies that do not have IT as their core competency.

[Cargeena2]

Major announcement for Celestron AVX/Advanced VX mounts locked up with bootloader errors!!

I've been quite aware of the issues with the AVX, mainly the Bootloader error messages that occur when using the Celestron Firmware Manager.

I had these issues about 1 1/2 years ago and the Celestron Techs couldn't advise me how to get the CFM to discover my telescope device nor upload any firmware upgrade packages.

So I had to send the hand controller to be reflashed which took about 3-4 weeks thanks to UPS Ground.

I saw no errors until recently.

I wanted to update my location settings for longitude/lattitude since we had moved so I fired up the Advanced VX mount in my living room & low and behold-I had the Bootloader 0080 Error message!

I connected the USB to Serial adapter from the hand controller to the laptop but the CFM would not discover/recognise my telescope!

The firmware upgrade packages loaded properly into the CFM but I couldn't get them past the locked out hand controller which now showed the Bootloader 0040 Serial error message.!

Eventually, I got the CFM to discover my device but when I went to upload the 11 firmware upgrade packages, they stopped in the middle of #2.

 

So I messaged the Supervisor of the Celestron Tech Support Dept and he told me to do the following:

Open the folder with the CFM executable .jar file in it and above that file I would see a folder named Packages.

I was told to delete that Packages folder then restart the CFM and lo & behold-The 11 firmware updates literally flew into the hand controller then into the mount!

This method, in my opinion & based on my determined research on AVX mount issues, is the easy fix for not just the Bootloader errors such as 0080 & 0040 but should easily fix the Error 16 & 17 messages that lock up the hand and motor control updates.

If you know of someone that has the AVX mount made by Celestron & know they are having issues uploading firmware software or if their mount is locked into multiple error messages, tell them of the above fix.

Huge thanks the the Celestron tech Support team and Tyler Michaelis, Supervisor.

This easy fix should help many with AVX lock up issues!

Clear skies from Carl Randall at Cargeena 2 Astronomy on Facebook!