Weasner's Astronomy Software Feedback

ASTRONOMY SOFTWARE FEEDBACK
Last updated: 23 June 2010

This page is for user comments on Astronomy software for the Windows (including the Meade AutoStar Suite), Macintosh, or Palm OS systems. Items that are more "review" oriented will be posted on the Astronomy Software Reviews page. If you have any comments, suggestions, questions or answers to questions posed here, e-mail them to me 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:	RE: Sitecom CN-104v2 USB to serial cable driver (Windows7)
Sent:	Sunday, June 20, 2010 12:14:30
From:	Piet van Leuveren (v.leuveren@kpnplanet.nl)
Thanks for your answer.

Subject:	Sitecom CN-104v2 USB to serial cable driver (Windows7)
Sent:	Saturday, June 19, 2010 13:15:43
From:	Piet van Leuveren (v.leuveren@kpnplanet.nl)
Since I bought a new laptop computer with Windows7 installed my Sitecom
CN-104v2 USB to serial cable driver is not working.
I need this driver for the connection with my Meade telescope.

Can you provide me with the right driver for Windows7?

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,
Piet van Leuveren

Mike here: As noted frequently on the ETX Site (and elsewhere), some USB-serial adapters have problems communicating with the AutoStar. See the article "AutoStar and USB" on the Helpful Information: AutoStar Info page. There is a brief item there about Windows 7. I recommend Keyspan adapters, although since I don't use Windows, I don't know the status a Windows 7 driver but I would assume they have one.

Subject:	Node Allocation Failure
Sent:	Monday, June 7, 2010 10:32:47
From:	David Pulley (david@davidpulley.co.uk)
Can some cast light on my problem?  I have a 5 year old ETX125 and 497
controller. When I connect the controller to my IBM laptop, running
Windows XP, via the RS232 port and press F9 for the remote handbox, all
works fine and I can control my ETX.  I am using Autosuite ver 5.50.
When I now connect to my LX90 with a 497EP controller running 5C1
software I get Node Allocation Failure message when trying to connect to
the remote handbox.  I am using the same IBM laptop, running the same
software, and using the same cables and adaptors.  If I now replace the
497EP with my old 497 plugged into the LX90 all works well again.

Connecting the 497EP controller to my ETX125 with the IBM laptop and
same cables gives the Node Allocation Failure.

My last trial was to replace the IBM laptop with my desktop (home built)
running Windows XP Professional and Autosuite 5.50.  With my old 497
handcontoller, same cables and ETX125, again all works well.  When I
replace the controller with the 497EP still using my desktop and same
cable set with the ETX125 I again get the Node Allocation Failure.

Any ideas?  Could there be a software bug (note I had the same problems
with 5B1 software) or possibly a faulty controller?  Or could it be
something else.

David

And:

From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
It is purely and simply a firmware bug in the 497EP.

(The details are that they've built an Autostar with more memory, and
different memory mapping.  Remote Handbox uses a two-byte protocol for
setting up the "menu tree",
but the 497EP speaks a three-byte protocol (well, it -needs- to speak
three bytes,
but their "port" of the firmware is sending a truncated two (of those
three) and
the menu system gets trashed.  It is a "node" on the menu tree which is
not getting allocated, and Remote Handbox complains.)

The StarMap section of Autostar Suite should work properly with the
497EP,
and the "Hand Control Panel" (alt-H in Autostar Suite)... consider it a
"remote handbox, without the menu tree".

have fun
--dick

And this:

I forgot to mention:  Andrew Johansen has written a patch to partly fix
the 497EP menu system, *and* his "MyScope"  PEC Editor has a Remote
Handbox that can use it.

(the label "PEC Editor" does not begin to describe the features of his
application)

Available from:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/johansea

have fun
--dick

And:

Thanks to everyone for the prompt response.
One final question.  Does anyone know if Meade intend to fix this?
Regards

David

Mike here: Given enough time and resources, all things are possible.

Feedback Archive

Check the Feedback Archive for previous editions of the User Feedback pages.

Go to the ETX Home Page.