WiFi Replacement For Meade Autostar II Handbox

[michael8554]

There's a complete WiFi replacement app for the Autostar II handbox available, running on an iPhone or iPad.
You don't even need the Autostar II handbox to set up the mount.
The app is called ScopeBox and it's on half-price at the moment, £4.99 in the App Store.
Review at:

http://www.weasner.com/co/Reviews/2017/ScopeBoss/index.html

 

                

EQUIPMENT:
A)  You will need a Wifi RS232 Adapter. You can use SkyFi (£245), or Meade Stella (£219), or something like this (£30) - Umm, difficult choice..... I bought this :

     https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WiFi-RS-232-Adapter-Serial-To-WiFi-Converter-External-Dipole-Antenna-WA-232E/192123926853?hash=item2cbb7a7945:g:XOQAAOSwCU1Yv6c~  

    This company also sells them from the UK, just not at the moment I did this search ! The UK delivery was fast, and they sent me a PDF of the manual when I asked them to, so good service.
    Appears to be the same as a USConverters WA232.

    You can also get packages of an uncased module plus antenna plus power supply for about £15 !!

5-27 Volt power source for the Adapter, either mini USB or bare ends. I used a 5V mini USB mains charger.

C)  Meade #507 data cable. That's the one with a wide 6-pin RJ plug that fits the RS232 socket on the mount, not the #505 with narrower 4-pin plug that is used for updating the LX90/ETX type of Autostar:

      The DB9 gender needs changing - the #507 has a female DB9, but the RS232 Adapter is female too.
      So buy a #507 and solder on a Male DB9. This way you can make the cable shorter and mount the Adapter near the mount without cable loops.
      Or buy a #507 and a "Mini Null Modem Male to Male adapter" :

****  I've since discovered that the DCE/DTE reverses TxD and RxD.  So switch to DCE with stock #507 cable *****

D)  An iPhone or iPad running iOS 6 or higher.

SETUP:

Set the slide switch on the adapter to DCE(F)

Install a virtual COM port on your PC with USR-VCOM utility.

Open a browser and go to 192.168.0.3 which is the built-in config pages.

Change the Transmit Timer (mS) box to 10 (default is 100)

INSTALLATION:
1)  The WiFi Adapter should have the DCE/DTE switch in the DTE position. **** in DCE position, see above ****
2)  Plug the WiFi Adapter into the left RS232 port on the mount.

3)  Switch on the WiFi Adapter and connect to its WiFi signal with your iPhone. No need to enter any settings in iPhone.
4)  Switch on the mount.
5)  Open ScopeBoss on your iPhone.
6)  Go to the "Connect" screen, and enter first time settings of  IP:  192.168.0.3 and Port:   5000

7)  Press "Connect to Scope". The screen should go back to the keyboard display, with the text window showing your usual start-up message ("Daylight Saving" in my case, with the mount GPS turned off).

    Simples !

    Michael

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by michael8554

[michael8554]

UPDATE:

A user on the LX200 GPS Yahoo forum used the Hi-Link HLK-RM04 WiFi Kit, cost £13 on eBay, took 11 days to deliver from China.

Best to put it in a project box, about £5.

Also no Tx Rx reverse switch, so pins 2 and 3 on the #507 DB9 need swapping, or you could solder Tx, Rx, and ground wires directly to the WiFi adapter pcb.

Login to wifi is 12345678

Browse to the Config setup at 192.168.16.254

Login and password both admin

Then in the very first setting "Serial Configuration" change 115300,8,n,1  to  9600,8,n,1 (the baud rate) and Apply.

Michael

 

[George Shepherd]

Is there a similar for Audiostar. Have lost led screen on my hand set 

Kind Regards George

 

[michael8554]

Assuming the Audiostar is the same screen as the 497, look on Cloudy Nights forum for details of a source of replacement.

Michael