AUTOSTAR FEEDBACK Last updated: 30 September 2009

Welcome to the AutoStar feedback page. This page is intended to provide user comments on using the Meade Autostar #494, #495, #497, AutoStar III (for ETX-LS) cables, and the AutoStar updater software. See the AutoStar Info page for information from Meade and other users on the AutoStar, cables, and software. Send your comments and tips to etx@me.com for posting. Please use an appropriate Subject Line on your message per the Site Email Etiquette. Thanks. Remember, tips described on this site may invalidate the warranty on your telescope or accessories. Neither the submitter nor myself are responsible for any damage caused by using any contributed tips.

Subject:	ETX Question
Sent:	Tuesday, September 29, 2009 17:15:58
From:	Mike Horkey (mike.horkey@greencampuscorp.com)
I've had an EXT for about three or four years and admit that I'm pretty
frustrated with it.  Do you have any step by step procedures for
aligning it  for dummies like me?
 
Ugghhh!
 
Thanks
 
Mike
Reisterstown, MD

Subject:	Re: Autostar alignment problem - ETX 125PE
Sent:	Monday, September 21, 2009 02:43:07
From:	Arran Marshall (arran.marshall@hpcolours.com)
I finally got a resolution with my Autostar inaccuracy problem - I
downloaded the latest software (via ASU ver 5.9) and performed an update
via the RS232 port on my laptop to the handbox - now running version
5BE2 and it seems to be finding everything perfectly. I have also now
performed a Train Drive operation just to make sure it's in tip top
accuracy and all is in order

All the best
Arran

Subject:	Autostar alignment problem - ETX 125PE
Sent:	Thursday, September 17, 2009 01:28:00
From:	Arran Marshall (arran.marshall@hpcolours.com)
Firstly, great site, many thanks for your work. I have just received my
ETX-125PE and as luck would have it my first two nights were clear
enough to use it.

I couldn't wait to see Jupiter so set it up bypassing the Autostar
alignment and got straight into using it manually, as it were. However
when I finally negotiated my way through the menu to set up automatic
alignment (setting my hometown as Manchester in UK) I found that after
aligning with Arcturus and Vega the Autostar was way off with Polaris
and Mizar, a couple I thought I'd test it with. Then I found the Add
Site menu and added my coordinates (actually about 100 miles east of
Manchester)

After performing a repeat auto alignment it then found Polaris and Mizar
and pretty much everything on 'Tonights best' tour, but bizarrely it was
about what I would call a good hour ahead of Jupiter (i.e. quite a way
to the right of it but about the right Declination)

I can't help thinking that maybe the DST setting was wrong or my time
zone should be set at +1 hour instead of GMT, but could there be any
other explanation? The time shows correctly, the date shows correctly,
DST is set to on, and my time zone is GMT (+0.00) and I'm at a loss as
to why it found the deep sky objects and stars but not Jupiter - would I
be better to align with a 9mm eyepiece rather than the 26mm as I can't
swear it was dead centre on each alignment (but pretty close)
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated

All the best
Arran

And:

Thanks for the quick reply and kind assistance, much appreciated! I'm
glad you also think it may be due to the time, if anything it shows that
whilst I'm a complete novice I'm thinking in the right direction. I'll
definitely try your suggestion of re-training the drive anyway as it
seems it's best to perform this fairly regularly anyhow. I'll have to
check the manual for the Motor and Sensor calibration but could also try
these. I will also try adjusting the Time Zone since GMT and DST (or BST
here in UK) are 1 hour different, just trying to get my head around
which way (if any) I should alter it... it shouldn't take long to get it
either 2 hours ahead of Jupiter or spot on ... in theory

I'll let you know if I get it working properly, it might be a while as
this is the UK and as you'll probably know it's nothing like California
over here :-(

Many thanks again
Arran

Subject:	re: Controling zero image shift microfocuser using 497 autostar handset
Sent:	Monday, September 14, 2009 19:18:00
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
The two ways to reach focus control are:
(a) tap the Zero (0) key... that brings up the focus menu.
(tap it again to exit)
(b) as Mike wrote, press [mode] for 3 seconds, release.
 Scroll to appropriate menu
(tap it again to exit)

If the Autostar can't "see" the 909 APM, it won't offer the focus menus.

have fun
--dick

And:

From:	Gemmell , Hugh (HughGemmell@barnsley.gov.uk)
Thanks for the info, 

I discovered the 'tap the zero key' option last night whilst re-
familiarising my self with the autostar functions.

I also followed the clean the Autostar key contacts tutorial on Mike's
website and my autostar is like new. If only I could clean up the
polluted sky around Sheffield UK as easily !

Many thanks for your help, I'm sure you get hundreds of emails, taking
time to respond is very much appreciated.

Cheers Hugh

Subject:	Controling zero image shift microfocuser using 497 autostar handset
Sent:	Monday, September 14, 2009 05:35:16
From:	Gemmell , Hugh (HughGemmell@barnsley.gov.uk)
After a long absence from Astronomy I dusted down my old LX90 last
weekend ! Very slowly things came flooding back. However, I can't
remember what key presses/menus on the Autostar handset control the
micro focuser. I have trawled through the Meade manuals but remembered
that neither tell you what the 497 Autostar handset focuser key controls
are to control the 1209 via the 909 APM.

I have LX90, #909 APM, and the #1209 Zero image shift micro focuser.
 
Any help much appreciated
 
Hugh Gemmell

Subject:	DS 2114LNT. Unable to reset AutoStar
Sent:	Saturday, September 12, 2009 20:03:20
From:	Stan Siebenthal (ssiebenthal@cox.net)
You've helped this beginner in the past.  I hope you can help this time.

When we turn on the telescope, we get the motor failure message.  From
there we go nowhere, nothing, we can't access any menus.  Meade is NO
help, the "tech" says AutoStar needs to be reset but says we have to
access the menu on the handbox.  No can do.  Is there a way to reset the
handbox with my PC running Windows XP?  The only instructions we've
found are using Windows 98, and XP appears to be different.
Any help woould be greatly appreciated!

Stan Siebenthal

And:

Thanks for the very prompt reply!

Actually, I have a 497 handbox as well as a 494. Neith of them will work
as I described (both deliver the same message).  I would prefer using
the 497 since I paid good money for the additional flexibility.

Stan

Subject:	RE: Updating Autostar 497 version 1.0 for ETX-90EC
Sent:	Saturday, September 5, 2009 09:05:21
From:	Craig A. Green (stauros@tx.rr.com)
Update was successful to 43eg and the loading time was 22 minutes and 30
seconds.

As luck would have it we're probably mostly overcast this weekend but
next week is hopeful for a full test and checkout.

A lot of credit to Meade for a solid boot loader/update design in the
system!

And more importantly, the expertise of the enthusiasts and mentors
associated with this site!!

Clear skies,

Craig

Subject:	re: LX90
Sent:	Friday, September 4, 2009 20:24:09
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
From the sounds of your symptoms, the Autostar is not -receiving- signals
from the telescope.

During the power-up initialization, the Autostar asks the scope motors cards
"what are you?" and waits for an answer.
..and waits
.....and waits.

Meanwhile, the keypad is still active, and asking it to -slew- only involves
commands going -to- the motor cards.  No feedback is required.

The fact that both motors move (can you change speeds?) indicates that
all of the cabling is working (although a crossed-wire short could confuse things).

If anyone else in the Astro club has an Autostar, see if you can borrow it,
or give them yours, to see if it's the scope (motor card transmitters) or
Autostar (data line receivers) at fault.

good luck
--dick

From:	Peter Mellers (cryogenesis@xtra.co.nz)
Hi Mike, thanks for your email re my LX90 problem. Also got an email
from yr friend Richard whom I will reply to. Have'nt had much of an
opportunity to try all of your suggestions yet due to lack of time, but
I do thankyou sir for your input and support in helping me get to the
cause of the problem. All aside I would just like to tell you that the
scope still works fine apart from the computer so nothing will stop me
setting up tonight and enjoying the amazing clear sky overhead.. It
makes me feel quite humble and, yes, privaliged, to have the technology
to enable me to do so. It also seems to be very well made and reasonably
transportable. I'm not quite so worried  now as I have been lately,
because I'm sure it is something quite simple and I will be looking
forward to the Star party on monday night, when hopefully, and armed
with some solutions, we might be able to get Autostar up and running
again.
Thanks again
Regards
Peter Mellers

Subject:	Bug TLE description
Sent:	Friday, September 4, 2009 07:36:58
From:	Rainer Willkomm (rainer.willkomm@gmx.de)
a came over an old information given by dick for satellite tracking.
On your page http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_iss.html the
explanation for the TLE data contains a bug.

It is written:
"Here are today's values:

 1 25544U 98067A   01050.20978583  .00032487  00000-0  36862-3 0  6650
 2 25544  51.5750 323.9431 0009808 113.8873  50.0677 15.61998931128644
...
The 0009808  is the inclination, missing the leading "0."   so you'd key
that in as  0.0009808"

But according to Thomas
(http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/documentation/tle-fmt.asp) the 5th
parameter in the 2nd line ("0009808") is the Eccentricity of the object.

regards
Rainer

And:

From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
Rainer is correct... I probably called both the 51.575 -and- the (0.)0009808
the inclination.

Fingers typing words that the brain had already dispensed with...

Mike: could you please make the edit?  (i'm overbooked)
For clarity: the 51.5750 is the inclination
the (0.)0009808 is the eccentricity. (zero would be a perfect circle)

thanks for catching this (after eight years???)
--dick

Subject:	LX90
Sent:	Wednesday, September 2, 2009 15:25:36
From:	Peter Mellers (cryogenesis@xtra.co.nz)
Greetings from New Zealand and the Southern skies.
Am rather hoping you can throw some light, so to speak, regarding a
problem I have encountered with my recently purchased 8" LX90 ACF
telescope.
Am entirely new to astronomy but when I saw this scope for sale by
auction at a reasonably affordable price tag, and after talking with
owner, I decided to put in my bid, which turned out to be successful.
The LX90 was entirely brand new and only been unpacked and set-up once
indoors and never actually had any use. Once in my hot little hands my
first move was to take it along to my local Astronomy club
where they helped me set it up and give me some tips on care and safe
handling etc.
After two months of some quite nice winter viewing, suddenly the
Autostar Handset has decided to play up. When I plug everything in (
have a 12V power tank supply) the LCD screen lights up, then it does a
little beep. The screen then displays the " Welcome to Autostar"
message, and goes completely blank. Working the up, down and sideways
arrows still activates the drive so thats ok, but it will not allow me
to progress any further into the main menu.
Unfortunately, I don't have any warranty with dealership who originally
sold the scope, as it is now 16 months old/ new, and on phoning their
tech. support I found them rather unhelpful. He basically said that he
had never heard of this problem
before but it sounded like a softwear problem. Handset has not been
dropped or handled roughly. Question: If this is the case, is it fixable
or will I need to buy a new one ? Not sure how to resolve this issue
and a new handset over costs a hefty $499 over here.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
 
Kind Regards
 
Peter Miller
 
Auckland, New Zealand

And:

Thanks for your prompt reply. I have already tried a couple of your
suggestions to try and fix the problem, however, still the same. Will
continue to keep trying with the rest of your tips and hopefully resolve
it.
Will keep you posted.
Kind Regards
Peter

P.S. You have a great website

Subject:	AUTOALIGN
Sent:	Wednesday, September 2, 2009 05:59:54
From:	WILLIAM LEININGER (wmldityer@hotmail.com)
Just won a Meade ETX125PE at a local astronomy club.  New to star gazing
but interested in learning.  Store that donated unit said to stop in &
they will give a demonstration on the unit.  Contacted them to ask a few
questions as we are going on vacation & did not have time for the
demonstration before leaving (wanted to familiarize myself with the unit
somewhat before the demonstration). Tried autoalign & it looked like
scope was not pointing to North (off to left by approx. 15 deg. of where
I thought North should be).  When doing 2 star check the scope seemed to
be off by the same angle for each star as what it was when it was point
to North.    CS person at store told me that for our area (17517 zip
code) that there is a correction factor of approx. 11 deg.  Checked this
out on web and found it was due to the magnetic strength change from one
area to another (found our lat/long value to be 11 deg. 42 min.).  This
made sense to me since this was about the angle it was off when it did
its North & star alignments.  My question is how is this value entered
when aligning scope?  Thank you.

Feedback Archive

Check the Feedback Archive for previous editions of the AutoStar Feedback page.

Go to the ETX Home Page.