PC link cable for EQ6

[The Mekon]

After three years of ownership, I now want to upgrade my Synscan software on the EQ6. (the thing was a pain in the neck last night with limited sky horizon) I bought my mount second hand from a fellow member. No computer link cable came with it. Any advice on where I can obtain a link cable? The manual states that it is a RJ-11 to DB9 cable. Thanks in advance.

[Larryp]

Most specialist computer shops can supply one, John. I wouldn't bother with the popular computer retailers, though.

[The Mekon]

Thanks Laurie, (and Cathy for the pm). I actually found a similar cable that came with the ServoCat on my reflector. I then discovered that modern computers don't have the 9 pin port that is required! ( they have a 15 pin instead) Neither of our home laptops have this port, my old work laptop does, but it is in Whyalla so will have to wait until it arrives.

[ZeroID]

The 15 pin is the VGA display port, not a serial connection. You're right though, most modern PC's don't have a serial port or a parallel printer port either !!
At work we use 'Legacy Adapaters' which are plug on mini docking stations because a lot of older products still have the requirement for firmware upgrades etc. You can get USB to serial adapters and used to be able to get PCMCIA to serial adapters. Worth checking at your local PC bits supplier.

[coldknights]

How I updated my SynScan Hand Controller

Hi thought it might be useful to write this down for others to read.
Now you have a USB to RS232 adaptor put the disc in the computer CD or DVD reader on your computer select the correct driver from the list to correspond to the operating system you have .
Click on that file and install the driver when it is is finished click finished.
Next plug the USB to RS232 adaptor into a your USB port on your computer.
The operating system will pick up that you have just plugged something into a USB port and will finish installing it,once it has finished it will tell you "Your Device is installed and ready to use".
While installing it may tell you what coms port it is as well if not go to device manager and have a look at the coms port and unplug the USB to RS232 adaptor and plug it in and you will see it come up in the device manager and you will be able to see what com port it is on.
Ok for example let's say it is on com port 7 for this exercise.
Next download the firmware and firmware loader from SkyWatcher website easiest to put it on you desktop for the next steps.
Once you have downloaded it and unzipped it start the firmware loader version 3
A box will come up first ( untick the Autoselect com port ) for this exercise we will say it is com 7 .
Then click on the browse button and find the update file you put on you desktop say for example 3.35 highlight the file by clicking on it and click open and it will now that file will be in the box window.
I then disconnected the hand controller from the mount and disconnected the cable from the bottom of the hand controller as well.
Next I connected the power lead that goes to my mount to the power connector on the bottom of my SynScan Hand controller.
Next I connected the Rj11 plug into the RS232 port on the Bottom of the SynScan hand controller ( which is the plug next to the socket that the lead from your hand controller to mount goes to.
Next I plugged the other end of that lead which is a 9pin DB9 into the DB9 end of the USB to RS232 cable adaptor.
Next I held in the Zero button and the 8 button in as I was turning it on which puts the hand controller into update mode and will display something like "SynScan update version ?.??.
Next I press the setup button once and it will display a Mi on the display.
Next I click on the update button on the pc and I waited till it said it had finished.
Then I closed the firmware loader program off turned the power to the hand controller off disconnected the power plug and the RJ11 from the bottom of the hand controller .
I then re plugged the power lead back to the mount re plugged the cable from mount to the hand controller up.
I turned the power on and the hand controller beeped and the new firmware was loaded showing version 3.35 set the setting for this location and enjoyed the new firmware.

[raymo]

wrong thread

[Tandum]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=234867

The PDF in this thread shows the pinouts to make a cable.

I found this thread in google, why didn't you?

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29193&d=1184127631

[The Mekon]

[QUOTE]


Probably because it is 6 years old!

Thanks to all posters for the help.