PMX advice please

[tempestwizz (Brian)]

My SB Paramount MX has been packed up in its shipping box for the last two and a half years since my relocation to Laos. I unpacked it today and set up on a bench. Everything appears OK.
I powered it up with just the hand controller attached, but note that activating the controller buttons does not cause the mount to move.
I then fired up the laptop with appropriate software(it worked ok when I shut it down all that time ago). It seems to connect to the mount, but when I tell it to go ‘home’ nothing happens. Neither of the motors drive, and the system freezes. (Yes the axes are unlocked).
Grateful if someone can advise if the hand control buttons activate a working mount when it is not connected to it’s control software on a pc.
If it does, I’ll have to go to the SB forum and or pull the mount apart to see if a connector has come adrift in the relocation exercise.
Thanks in advance. Brian

[PRejto (Peter)]

Yes, the HC will operate the mount without the computer being connected.

It is important to listen to the sounds when the mount starts up. You should here 2 longish "whoopish" tones initially shortly followed by 2 short beeps. The two short beeps may sound like a single beep if they happen at the same time. Those 2 short beeps indicate that the mount has initialised and is ready to home. If those beeps do not sound it can mean several different things, but basically indicates that the MKS5000 is not communicating with the motor(s). It might be the MKS5000 board, bad cable(s), or failed encoder(s) on a motor.

The fact that neither axis appears to move on the homing command may narrow down the list of possibilities given that it would take 2 failed encoders, 2 bad cables, etc. The failure is more likely to be a bad board or cables that have pulled out of the board. That you can connect via USB to the board seems a good sign so it will take some investigating. The start up beeps are your first clue as are any flashing lights after startup.

HTH

Peter

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

the motors won't work until the scope is homed. You can do that without a computer by double clicking the little hand box knob in the centre of it's range.

[tempestwizz (Brian)]

Ahh. Thanks Graham (and Peter). That explains things a bit.
Later last night I connected the mount to the PC again after powering down, and it seemed to burst into life. I’m running TSX Pro, and I then noticed the mount is tracking for Southern Hemisphere still, despite changing the My Location setting for Laos.
Today I returned, after reading Peter’s response, and fired up just the mount. It would still not drive from the hand controller. In frustration, I rattled and pushed the joystick frantically, and suddenly it burst into life again. Somewhere in my frenzied State, I must have double clicked the joystick while in the central position.
It is communicating with TSX, but still tracking in the wrong direction. TSX shows the appropriate sky picture for this location so it must know where it is, but it is still driving the mount backwards.
There must be some legacy setting or file from the earlier setup that is overriding the My Location setting.
May have to delete all the .ini files and start again.

Thanks for your assistance. Brian

[tempestwizz (Brian)]

I think I have found the hemisphere tracking control. It is located in TSX Telescope control panel under Tools. The drop-down reveals a BCS panel. When this is opened, under the Utilities box is a Hemisphere control section where settings can be made for Northern or Southern. I would have thought this could have been gleaned from My Location, but sDly , not.
Will try it out tomorrow.

[PRejto (Peter)]

Also,

The HC will not operate correctly UNTIL you hear the two short beep tones and then will only slew the mount after the mount has finished homing. So, wait for the two beeps, then double click the HC, wait for homing to entirely complete (2 beeps). Should be good to go then.

Peter

[tempestwizz (Brian)]

After changing the Hemisphere setting in the BCS toolbox, the mount now seems to be behaving as I’d expect it to.
Now I just have to get it off my test bench, and under some starlight!
Thanks for all assistance. Brian.