Skywatcher EQ Handset

[simon84]

Hi all,

I have an NEQ6 Pro Synscan and was wondering something.

I plan to run the mount using the FTDI USB lead and a netbook so I have freed the handset up.

I have just bought a Syntrek Alt/Az mount and was wondering if its at all possible to flash my EQ handset to make it an Alt/Az handset so that I can have goto on the Alt/Az mount.

Thanks for any advice.

[simon84]

Right, I've just been on the Skywatcher website and I see that they have 2 downloads, one for EQ Handsets and one for AZ Handsets.

Are they the same thing though with just different firmwares? I could just try flashing my EQ handset with the AZ firmware......but it'd be nice to know if anyone has already done it.

[brantuk]

Hi Simon - check the manuals on the SW website - I think you'll find the pinouts on the alt/az handset are different to those on the eq handset. If re-flashing is possible at all it might involve some rewiring.

[simon84]

Cheers Kim, on my way now.

[simon84]

Well from what I can see both the Synscan EQ and Synscan AZ RJ11 ports are wired up exactly the same.

Cant find any pinout information regarding the RJ45 sockets though.

[simon84]

Sorry found it at the back of the manuals, they look they are wired up the same aswell. Guess the only thing to do then is flash my handset and see what happens.

[brantuk]

Good luck with that - I'd be very interested to see how you get on with it. If it works you'll have a great little alt/az goto mount

[simon84]

Well so long as the RJ45 connectors are the same I should be able to use the lead that comes with the mount to connect my flashed controller to it and like you say have goto.

All I need now is a serial to usb adapter so that I can flash my handset.

[Psychobilly]

Sly...

From the Skywatcher Manuals...

The SynScanTM AZ hand control cable has a RJ-45 with

8 connecting pins on one end and a RJ-12 with 6

connecting pins on the other end. Plug the RJ-45 end

into the hand control (Fig.c) and the other end into the

outlet on the mount (Fig..

The EQ mounts have RJ 45's both ends...

I have both an HEQ5 and Alt/Az mount alongside me as I type this...

Peter...

[johninderby]

The Az is a 6 pin and the EQ is an 8 pin. There was a thread where someone on SGL rewired his EQ handset to work with an AZ mount. However someone else followed those directions and unfortunately fried their AZ mount, so it's a very much at your own risk mod.

Someone else re-flashed their EQ handset to AZ and couldn't convert it back and had to get a new handset.

Well worth searching SGL for SynScan handset mods before doing anything.

John

[martin_h]

Take a look at this thread - http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-help/106845-reflashing-synscan-handset.html

[Glider]

DON'T DO IT (without checking, sorry to shout). Have a good search for a thread where someone accidently programmed an EQ handset with AltAzi software and fried it. In the end they had to send it back for a replacement, as I remember.

[simon84]

Thanks chaps for all that. After reading through all of that I'll just use the mount with the Syntrek handset.

I'm moving over to EQMOD for the NEQ6 so I can either sell or swap my Synscan EQ handset for a Synscan AZ handset. I dont think goto is a massive must have for the Alt/Az mount, just would have been nice if I could have done it with what I have.

[tteedd]

The Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6GT is an exciting evolutionary development of the hugely successful NEQ6 PRO. The AZ-EQ6GT is a dual purpose, fully functional computerised heavy-duty Go-To/Tracking astronomical mount in both Alt-Azimuth (AZ) and Equatorial (EQ) modes. Supplied with a Synscan handset with dual AZ/EQ firmware, it can automatically find and track over 42,900 celestial objects from its database. In EQ mode, the AZ-EQ6GT is designed for either visual use or precise astro-imaging. In AZ mode, it is primarily intended for visual use, and in this mode, two telescopes can be mounted simultaneously in parallel.

Looks like the same handset!