How to connect Meade ETX125 to Computer?

[bendiddley]

I have a Meade ETX125 and I want to connect it to my computer to operate it, but I don't know how, can anyone help?

[ronin]

What software package are you intending to use on the ETX ? It may depend on which package you use.

Have  seen a Meade connected from a PC to the Aux port on the side that was with one of the Mysky variants. Equally I am sure I have read of you having to connect from PC to handset to scope - in effect the software talks to the handset and that talks to the scope.

In the first case you set up and align the scope via the handset then centre a star and sync onto that, You then bring up the PC package and by whatever means tell the package that it is pointed at the same star. After that you Find a target, then select the goto option and (hopedully) the scope goes to the selected.

There is/was the iOptron (maybe ES) WiFi item that I think worked the other way, You plugged the WiFi into the handset and PC spoke to WiFi which spoke to Handset which spoke to Scope. Just recalled that whichever one I am thinking of could not be used on an ETX=70/60 as they did not have a port on the handset. So that implies they went via the handset not into the Aux port on the mount.

In effect I suspect that the question of Which software is relevant. Since I am now fairly sure that both options are possibilities.

Suspect it may not be worth searching the Weasner site simply because that went into dormancy some years back and software has changed since then.

Will ask Why ? Simply because to align and centre and see anything you have to have eye at the eyepiece. Moving a target to the centre of field is not easy from a PC, on a handset you feel your way around the handset.

The PC option is fine if you have a camera/webcam for EAA in the diagonal instead of an eyepiece.

Know it has been done, as said not sure the details and they may be software dependant, but unsure of the advantages in general use. Especially as it is not a common action, and that may be owing to how it is used.

Also I would expect the PC/laptop to need a serial port for output (NOT USB) USB is likely going to be too fast for an ETX to handle, so you will get many failures.

[Cornelius Varley]

To do this you will need a meade #505 or equivalent cable to connect the handset to a computer (available on ebay for less than £20). If your handset is still not functioning it might not work but you might be able to do a firmware update on the handset to unlock it.

[bendiddley]

Ok. I think I should have added that the hand controller doesn't work, it won't go past the startup screen. So connecting from the computer to the scope via the hand controller isn't an option. At the moment I can't get the scope to do anything because I can't get the hand controller working, so I thought if I could connect the scope to a computer at least I would be able to determine if its the hand controller that's is faulty or whether its the scope that is faulty. I have a serial to usb cable that came with the telescope and I have tried connecting it to my netbook running windows 7 from the aux socket on the scope base. I have downloaded the latest Autostar suite and what I think is the correct driver for the usb to serial cable but I cannot get autostar suite to see the scope. Nothing is happening. So I just wanted to see if there is something I was missing, some other way of connecting that others know about that I don't.

[bendiddley]

1 hour ago, Cornelius Varley said:

To do this you will need a meade #505 or equivalent cable to connect the handset to a computer (available on ebay for less than £20). If your handset is still not functioning it might not work but you might be able to do a firmware update on the handset to unlock it.

Thanks Peter. As just mentioned I do have a USB to serial cable but I don't know if its the right one or not as I can't connect to the telescope with it. I might try getting one of these #505 cables to see if that will work.