3 replies to this topic

[Cuda]

My LX200GPS Autostar II controller (4.2g) has from day one exibited strange operational behavior in the following way:

When scrolling down thru "Tonight's Best" tour objects it displays "searching" with each downward scroll but when scrolling upward as in to go back to a previous object "searching" is never displayed and if "GoTo" is pressed after scrolling upward/back the telescope does not slew to correct position. In short it only works correctly when scrolling thru the object list in the downward direction.

I would like to know if this is normal 

I have found a way around this but it seems to me this is poor design/operation if normal.  Ways to make it work in the scrolling upward/back is as follows:
1. scroll back/upwards past the item you wish to slew to, then scroll back down to it and "searching" will again display and scope will then slew to correct position.
2. scroll back/upwards to item yiu wish to slew to and press "Enter" prior to "Goto"

Can any of you confirm that this is correct/normal operation pls.

Also can anyone tell me if the new wireless Autostar does the same odd behavior as I am considering the purchase of a wireless model.

Thank You
Cuda

[cannon]

You have dirty contacts on the keypad. You can take the keypad apart and clean the rubber and the board contacts with alcohol.

[Cuda]

Thanks for the reply but the keypads have in fact been cleaned and coated with a contact enhancement/metalic paint and then lubricated with lithium contact grease - my button presses work close to 100%.  It is not a button contact issue that I am sure of.  If it were a button issue it would not scroll up or down but it does that fine with the exception of "searching" not being displayed when scrolling up/back but it does scroll up/back to the previous object.  It seems as if the "Nights Best Tour" is meant to be used in only one direction and going back thru the objects list does not register the coordinates to the drives computer thus the reason for having to hit Enter key when going thru the list in reverse.

I still would like someone to try/verify this as it may well be just the way it works 

Still Confused
Cuda

[autostaretx]

Hi...

First: the *computer* is in the base of the telescope... the handbox has nothing to do with the issue you're seeing.  Thus changing to a wireless handbox won't affect this.

Next: I haven't run over to my LX200gps to test your symptoms, but i believe them, and they sound like believable current behaviour.

If you look at the Tour programming guide:
http://www.meade.com...oWriteATour.pdf
I suspect what you're seeing is a failure of the "Auto Select" function to notice the "up scroll" entry.
When you tap [enter], you -are- performing a "select", and that's when the Autostar moves from "offering" an object to "calculating" the object.

The same "must press enter" can be seen whenever you use the handbox to access a Solar System (i.e. orbiting) object... first you bring the name (Saturn?) on the screen, then tap [enter] to have its current location calculated (and "selected").  Only then will tapping [GoTo] go to the correct location.

In the past, Meade "listened" to "engineer @ meade.com" for bug reports.  It's *not* a "support" email (they rarely replied), but bugs reported there tended to get fixed in subsequent releases.

have fun
--dick