If you are using K3CCDTools...

[Telescopeman54 (Steve)]

Hello to all of my friends Down Under!

I just wanted to drop a note to let everyone know that we have encountered a BIG problem with the LATEST version of K3CCDTools. The version number 3.5.10.1082 WILL CRASH AT START UP!

DO NOT DO ANY UPDATES UNTIL IT IS FIXED! My son, Stephen and I wasted well over four good imaging hours last night chasing this thing. We thought is was something that we did. We finally loaded it onto two other computers and had the same results. It BOMBED! The web site has only the latest file and NO ARCHIVES! Not too smart in my opinion. We have sent priority notices to the author to let him know of the problem. Most likely, it will be resolved soon.

This leads me to the next item; has anyone got the original download file for version 3.5.10.1081? Stephen never kept the original download file. He has learned a big lesson as a result. Until we can get an earlier version we are dead in the water. If anyone has that file we would certainly appreciate getting a copy. We have the registration codes that we assigned to us. We just need a working copy.

Why do we want this software? Because we can do AUTOGUIDING with the Mini Tower and Mini Tower PRO WITHOUT ASCOM and without that silly adapter that iOptron made which is now out of production!! As many of you are aware, the ASCOM driver from iOptron is one step shy of useless. It's got more bugs than a sewer and crashes on just about everything else. When we use K3CCDTools and Voyager 4.5.XXX we do not need ASCOM and have great success with both programs. As far as we can determine, these are the only two programs that will talk to the iOptron hand controllers, DIRECTLY!!

Thanks to all and clear skies,

Steve

[Telescopeman54 (Steve)]

ALL CLEAR FOR K3CCDTools!

The problem was traced to a corrupted key file! WHEW!! With the author's help Stephen removed the file, reloaded the program and it is now working just fine! YIPEE!!!

This is great because K3CCDTool is a fantastic program and the ONLY one that we have found which talks DIRECTLY TO the Mini Tower. NO ASCOM Bravo Sierra needed!

Again, it's all clear for K3CCDTools!

CS

Steve

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

That's fantastic news Steve. Thanks for keeping us posted of the update to the problem.

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

Hi Stephen...welcome downunder...finally had enough with CN?

Brendan

[gbeal]

I started out with K3 V3 and liked it very much. What I didn't like was that every rime I formatted the PC (read often) I was forced to write to Peter K and ask for a new registration code. This was OK for a few times, but in the end I felt awkward and didn't, as a result I don't have it any more. Id like to be able to use it, but the round about way of keeping it running with a crashing PC put me off.
Glad you got yours sorted Steve.
Gary

[Telescopeman54 (Steve)]

Hi Brendan! Yep! The moderator NAZIS just dropped me again.

I posted some images of the modified MTs and PROs to show how much they could handle and they think I'm "hijacking the thread". I am so sick and tired of those self righteous schmucks who think they are just so darned special! ARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!! At this rate they are starting to make Herb York look good!

I just try to help people out by answering questions in the same manner I would if they were here beside me. If they want to take issue with it then that's THEIR problem, not mine. I can do just fine without them. They have very little value to me both personally and from a business stand point. The only ones that will be hurt are the people who would like answers that are straight up and factual.

I am just about on the verge of sending a reply to them that consists of two words. One begins with the letter "F" and the other one with "Y". However, for now, I will just not even bother with any reply, but, I sure am tempted to open up on them with both barrels. (Lead me not into temptation...! )

CS

Steve