LX200 USB to serial

[mswift]

Hello

I am at a standstill trying to connect a Meade LX200-R GPS goto telescope to my laptop.

I would also like to use the Meade AutoStar and Starry Night Pro 7 software.

My laptop is Windows 10 with USB3 ports.

I am using without success a USB-to-serial RS232 convertor which has a Prolific PL-2303 XA / HXA chipset.

Initially I had a Code 10 error message but after following the suppliers instructions I managed to load the driver manually.

However that's as far as I got as the laptop will not connect to the telescope, AutoStar or Starry Night.

So far the supplier of the cable/converter has not come up with an answer.

My feeling is that the above chipset and driver are not compatible with Windows 10....????????

Now I just hope someone on your forum is out there using a Windows 10 laptop and USB3 ports with the above telescope and software?

Hope you can help......please.....its driven me nuts today.

Regards

Mike

 

 

 

[Davey-T]

Hi Mike and welcome to SGL, I have a LX200R that I used to have connected occasionally to update the handbox, using Win XP Pro.

The cable I used was one supplied by Meade as there was a problem at the time using anything else, unfortunately I lent the cable to somebody and never saw it again.

You could try the LX200 GPS Yahoo forum, lot's of clued up guys on there, not many on here

Dave

Did you get the one on this page ?

http://www.meade.uk.com/Meade-Accessories.html

[michael8554]

Prolific website is contradictory, unless I've misunderstood the info:

For PL2303 HXA, XA, HXD, EA, RA, SA, TA, TB versions)

Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 (32 & 64-bit) WDF WHQL Driver: v3.6.81.357 (09/04/2015) 
   - Windows 10  Certified WHQL Driver 
   - Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 Certified WHQL Driver 

Then further down the page:

• Windows 8/8.1/10 are NOT supported in PL-2303HXA and PL-2303X EOL chip versions.
• Run PL2303 CheckChipVersion tool program in Windows XP/Vista/7 to check chip version.
• Windows XP, 2000, 98 and Windows ME driver technical support is discontinued.
• Prolific recommends to use PL-2303HXD (HX Rev D) or PL2303TA chip.

Good luck with that!

Michael

[Dave In Vermont]

Here's a Yahoo Meade LX200 group. There are more than one. This looks quite active, so you should be in good hand:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LX200GPS/info

Good luck -

Dave

[Pan Euro]

I use a FTDI chip set usb/serial convertor with Win10 and have no problems.

[AllanJ]

With Windows 10 driver problem, I have scrapped all my prolific cables and changed to FTDI. Originally I bought a cable to connect to Synscan hand controller, but then I discovered, and bought an EQ Direct  FTDI from Astronomiser.  Works no problem.