Can a Meade LX5 be ST4 modded?

[Lokifish]

Can an LX5 (with the XL quartz drive) can be modded to accept ST4 guiding. Not talking programing an Arduino or making my own PCB with relays. Just the basic ST4 port mod like you can on older Celestrons. I am looking to upgrade my current rig and (despite what many may think) a fork that can be guided and yield 300s exposures is the perfect tool for the job for me. I'm not posting this out of the blue either. I've dug through forums, internet archived sites and forums, and info on Meades in general is fairly lacking. The best I've found is can/can't arguments but nothing concrete. Hopefully somebody here knows the answer.

[Merlin66]

Yes is the answer. But it involves soldering connections inside the hand controller to allow the software to bypass the direction keys.

I had this arrangement on an LX6 controller. There were details on the MAPUG site.

I may have a copy in my files.

 

[Lokifish]

11 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

 soldering connections inside the hand controller

So the same mod one would make to an older Celestron controller (solder leads to direction button contacts, terminate leads at an RJ11 port, cut space for RJ11 socket in controller)? If so, that's great. It also makes me wonder where all the "you need an Arduino  or relays" stuff came from that I found when researching this.

[Merlin66]

Yeah, no idea. Keep it simple......