Jay
Newbie
Posts: 6
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« on: June 22, 2009, 10:03:20 PM » |
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My Autostar II hand box is becoming progressively non-responsive. I can move the telescope and select the top level or two of commands, but even repeated pressing of the command keys deeper in the command set gives no result. I have to use the virtual hand box available in the AutoStar program on my computer once I have connected the computer to the RCX400 using a USB cable. The virtual hand box works fine. I thought the problem with the AutoStar II hand box was a cold weather problem, but it still persists now that the weather has warmed up. Do I need to replace the hand box?
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Mark Sibole
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« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2009, 07:06:57 AM » |
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It will need to be cleaned or replaced.
Google cleaning the hand paddle and there is a kit to re furbish it.
Mark
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Jay
Newbie
Posts: 6
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« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2009, 08:28:27 AM » |
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Thank you. I'll try that.
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Mark Sibole
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« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2009, 06:23:10 PM » |
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Jay More info from a friend.
Clean both the carbon buttons and the printed circuit board with ipa or silicone/adhesive remover (from auto paint shop). If the pcb traces are oxidized, clean off the oxidation with a pencil eraser or very fine emery cloth - then reclean with ipa. Carbon buttons can be rubbed against a sheet of paper to refresh the surface. I have never tried using the graphite from a pencil on the carbon buttons but suppose it would provide a temporary improvement. A better fix is to use the silicone/silver repair kit (available from mouser.com).
The touch pad buttons are made of plastic/rubber and the buttons have a conductive coating on the PC side used to complete the circuit when pressed.
Cleaning would remove the coating.
No need to worry - cleaning will not remove a conductive surface coating - unless you have applied the silicone/silver conductive coating fix.
The conductive carbon buttons or pills are molded from a silicone polymer which contains a high percentage of conductive carbon black(Shawinigan acetylene black). The carbon is added in the mixing process and is not a surface coating. The buttons are cured using a peroxide curative(dicup) which is the least sensitive to sulfur contaminants present in all carbon blacks. Unfortunately, the peroxide is not immune to sulfur and some inhibition of the cure is always present. This inhibition prevents some of the silicone from fully curing(or crosslinking). This uncrosslinked polymer, which is not conductive, eventually finds it way to the surface resulting in a coating over the conductive button. The cleaning process removes this layer exposing the conductive button.
The buttons are molded in one operation and later inserted into another mold for the keypads. They are bonded to keypad is this molding step.
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Jay
Newbie
Posts: 6
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« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2009, 08:20:20 AM » |
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Thank you for this very helpful information. I must say, it seems bizarre to me that Meade would supply a critical control component that is vulnerable to these problems without even attempting to offer a solution. I spoke to two separate technical service personnel by telephone, neither of whom was in any way helpful. Both of them said I would need to buy a new hand control and that it could be obtained only from a dealer, not directly from Meade. When I contacted a reputable national Meade dealer, they said that Meade does not supply the Autostar II hand control to dealers and that I would have to get it from Meade. I finally was able to order a replacement hand control from Meade, but they told me they did not have it in stock and my order would be placed on back order. All this for a critical part that should not have failed in the first place (but apparently fails regularly) and without which my $6000 telescope is useless.
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