advice on old Meade LX200GPS

[graham.hobart]

G'day folks, I recently scored an old 12' Meade LX200 GPS. It fires up but the alignment is all askew. It takes ages for the GPS to get a fix, then I have to manually put the time and date in, and then if I choose alignment stars it will go to (in daylight) but when I then go to the Moon for example it says not risen yet (which it obviously has). I then go back and check the time and date on the hand box and its 2005.
I knw these things are buggy, it came with a RJ11 cable to USB serial adaptor which I can't get to register on my PC either.
Any help or advice appreciated, else I'm going to defork it.
Graz

[iborg]

Hi Graham

I would guess this is the old Meade GPS rollover issue.

I suggest looking at this link (https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/662137-gps-rollover-issue-addressed-in-autostar-updater-61/)as a starting point for fixing it.

I have updated a couple of LX90's so far, using Starpatch (https://www.stargps.ca/starpatch.htm). I am always nervous about this sort of thing, but, it went reasonably smoothly.

From memory, this is free to use for updating firmware.

Philip

[graham.hobart]

cheers Philip, I downloaded star patch but the computer is not seeing the comm port, it won't detect it. I tried to boot in safe mode (999) but it made no difference. I am now wondering if the cable is shonky. I might also try and plug the serial straight into an old pc with a serial connector and that way bypass the USB converter...

[iborg]

Hi Graham

Sorry things are not quite working for you.

You have probably looked at this link (https://www.stargps.ca/manual.htm#starpatch), but, just in case you missed it, take a look at step 9.

With the USB adapter, have you checked that is showing as COM1?

There can be a difference between 'seeing' the USB adapter and 'seeing' the telescope.

Using 'Device Manager' in Windows should allow you to check this. I think that the same USB converter will show as different COM ports, when connected into a different physical USB port.

And apologies if any of this is 'trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs'.

Good luck

Philip

[wayne anderson]

Hi Graham,

It can take some time to set it up, but well worth the effort, I have a 12inch Meade LX200GPS and when set up well it works great.

As others mentioned, upload the latest software patch for LX200, this should allow the LX200 to maintain correct date.

For the gps issue, check that the small round battery behind the control panel that powers memory for the previous gps data is a new battery, if it goes flat the gps takes a while as it cycles through all gps frequencies to find the right ones for your position, saving it to memory allows it to find gps Coordinates quickly.

Hope you can get it going well soon, regards, Wayne.

Lots of good advice for Meade LX200 on this site and the ones below.

GROUPS .IO - LX200GPS , LX200ACF, LX200R telescopes and their Autostars
https://groups.io/g/LX200GPS


CLOUDY NIGHTS - Meade Computerized Telescopes
https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/91-meade-computerized-telescopes/

[graham.hobart]

cheers guys, well connecting the serial plug directly to the back of the PC worked. So I can move the scope. The battery idea is a good tip -thanks, I pondered about that. I will try and change it out. There is now a conflict with the time and date shown on the hand set and when I connect to NINA but I remember seeing a youtube about that so I will keep digging.
I did the starpatch too.
Hopefully will get all sorted soon.
Thanks again for your help
Graham

[iborg]

Good news

[graham.hobart]

Just reading about the battery change. Is it a PITA to get the panel out from the front? Mixed reports on line...
The scope is too heavy to go in from under the fork.

[graham.hobart]

I have date and time set but now the latitude and longitude is wrong :shrug:

[iborg]

Hi

I would have expected the GPS to sort that for you!

I am not familiar at all with the LX200, is there a N/S hemisphere setting somewhere in the system?

Philip

[graham.hobart]

it seems to have a retention problem, even when i put the right time in , I hold the mode down to check it and it defaults back to 0800 again. Is there a battery in the handset?

[iborg]

Hi Graham

I did a quick search and found this (https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=168987). Hopefully relevant and useful.

Just for fun I did a bit more reading as well, and found this site (https://www.clearline-tech.com/repair-parts/lx200/lx200-hand-controller.html). Hopefully, not needed.



Philip

[graham.hobart]

Cheers folks. I literally sorted a lot of my issues by downloading an old copy of the autostar suite from the wayback machine. Now time and location is perfect and can slew from Pc!!!

[iborg]

Yeah!