Hoo boy,

The danged ETX just about got packed up and taken back to the store last
night! I discovered that my "brand new" Autostar had version 1.2 firmware
in it and the current version is 2.0i. Simple matter to download new
firmware? NOT!

I'll cut out the gory details and skip to the end.... I finally got it
loaded and now I think I have 2.0i in the Autostar (it says 2.0 but leaves
off the version letter in the handbox display).

And now that I have the new firmware loaded, how the heck do I figure out
how the new features work? There is a summary in the read me file that
mentions things like being able to skip the sun warning and the getting
started messages, but no clue as to how to do it. I tried the obvious like
pressing another key or holding ENTER or MODE or 5 longer and it didn't
work. Anyone know? And am I assuming correctly that what they mean is
that you can set it so that the next time you power up, you don't get the
sun warning and getting started messages at all? Wonder if you have to
send in a signed and notarized affidavit, witnessed by an MD and a
psychiatrist??

There also is a cryptic statement about a revised "train" routine in the
new firmware, but no explanation. That was the major reason I downloaded
the new software..... I discovered that the scope tried to take up the gear
lash using the train info but only when the small handbox was used. If you
used the Autostar, it idn't take up the lash with manual slews.... at all.
Haven't had a clear night to see if it pointed OK. Anyone know what the
change(s) are?

The updater shows (for example) that there are several hundred satellites
"available" but only 50 in the handbox. How do I add more to the handbox?
I looked at the list in the satellite editor and all it seems to show are
the ones that are in the Autostar.

I see that the moon has been added to the list of objects, and I also seem
to have managed to skip the alignment and gone right to tracking. I'll
have to see what I did... should make daytime alignment quicker to get
right to tracking.

Is there any way to get an idea of what satellites are currently up, or do
you have to pick one, wait for the calculations, and then get the "no
passes soon" message, and try another?

I tried connecting to the ETX with ECU and it worked.... after a fashoin.
Is the ETX a lot slower to respond than the LX200? I found a long delay
between things like a slew command and execution. Definitely a problem for
remote slewing, since you can't stop it at a precise location. But it
executed GOTOs fine, and seemed to report its current position OK.

Anyone know where you can get some telephone handset connectors? I ground
down a wall plug, but the Autostar really uses the handset connector, and I
don't recall seeing them in Radio Shack.

Enough for now..... It was close but so far, I'm keeping it! You should
have heard me grumbling about Meade software last night though! Do they
ever sit down and watch someone struggle with this stuff? I doubt it.




Paul Goelz
Rochester Hills, MI
pgoelz at eaglequest dot com
Videoastronomy and music web site:
http://www.eaglequest.com/~pgoelz

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