audiostar firmware

[Osirisra]

Thinking I was doing the right thing I updated my handset which has now made my controller a default 497 autostar with no audio. :(

Who here has the audiostar contoller?

[mozzie]

ken
contact andrewj+ he's a member here and a meade expert.i'm shore he'll get you in the write direction...

[Osirisra]

Thanks Pete :)

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ken



Thats a neat trick. I'm trying to go the other way:P



I have been playing with the firmware for a week or so,
but not a real working Hbx till today.
( You must be psychic )

Currently, i suspect you have done no damage.
However, can you list EXACTLY what process you used to do this feat.

I havent been game to try using the ASU yet, but the Audiostar and 497EP are almost identical codewise, ( except for the audio )
Meade havent released any firmware updates yet, but once they do, reloading a correct firmware should fix it.

Andrew

[Osirisra]

I used the autostar update to add some satelites, comets and tours then it told me there was a update for my hand set so I thought it was for my controller and let it run. It was the 497EP and as you suggest it has not done any damage that I know of to the controller just made it a 497EP set and thus not utilising the audio board.

An update of the firmware for the audiostar should fix the prob, just need to wait for Meade to get their act together.

[Michael_Vasseur]

Hi,

I received an Audiostar as well and did the same thing; now it thinks that it's an Autostar 497EP.

I wonder if plugging the Audiostar into a LS telescope could do the trick...

Any thoughts?

Cheers!

Michael

[AndrewJ]

Gday Michael

If its an old model Audiostar, you can simply reload the correct firmware and it will work again.
I STRONGLY recommend only using the StarPatch ( free ) program to update firmware in the newer 497 type handboxes as it has many more safety features built in now to prevent this sort of thing.
If you have a later model Audiostar, then the std update procedure wont work and you will need to speak to your vendor, or do a 2 stage backdoor recovery process.
Soooo try to reload Audiostar firmware into the Hbx using StarPatch.
( You will need to use "Damn the torpedoes mode" but it will work or give an error that it cant erase the memory )
If it works you are laughing.
If not, ie you get the "cant erase memory" error
then depending upon how you want to handle it, you can
a) Request a new Hbx under warranty
b) Run a special little program we have developed that fixes the problem.
Caveat, the fix has been run by several people successfully now ( and by myself about a dozen times ) but it is not covered by any warranty


You CANNOT MUSTNOT plug an Audisotar Hbx into an LS scope.
It will work with LT scopes, but the LS uses adifferent type of Hbx an uses different cables.

Andrew

[Michael_Vasseur]

THanks!

Now where do I get the special little program, and how do I go to the "damn the torpedoes" mode? I received the Audiostar about a month ago, so it's quite recent.

Cheers!

Michael

[AndrewJ]

Gday Michael

If you read the relevant sections from
http://www.weasner.com/etx/archive/nov11/autostar.html
http://www.weasner.com/etx/archive/dec11/autostar.html
You can see part of the sorry saga as it occurred for other users.
The "damn the torpedoes" mode can be found by looking for "forcehandset" in the pages.
One user recovered OK by a simple reload, the second required the backdoor methods.
When Starpatch 1.803 is started in this mode,
it will warn you that you are trying to crossload firmware,
but will allow you to do do if you really want to.
Soooo, download and install StarPatch
Download the A1F7 firmware from the Starpatch site
and ensure it is in the Starpatch directory.
Start Starpatch and try to update the Hbx by loading A1F7.
Ie forcibly select Audiostar as the Hbx type first.
Starpatch will detect you have 497EP firmware loaded and give warnings, but in forcehandset mode, you can override them.
If it works, you are back in business.
If not, i have the "special little program" but i only release it when i'm happy the victim understands fully what needs to be done.

Andrew

[Michael_Vasseur]

It appears I have a newer version of the Audiostar (date stamp on back is 05/11, presumably made in May 2011).

When I do the ForceLoad method specified on Mike Weasner's site, I get the following error:

Write of page at 0xE02000 failed.
Handset flash memory is not working properly.

That's the status so far

Cheers!

Michael

[AndrewJ]

Gday Michael

It certainly sounds more like you have a newer model,
but i was expecting it to fail on page 0xE01000
not 0xE02000 as you listed.
I wonder if Starpatch checked to see if the page needed updating??
Either way, if you want to try the fix,
i will contact you off list and provide the cautions
instructions and program.

Just to close this one, for anyone else who finds this thread
whilst searching on how to unbrick an Audiostar.
Michael did have a newer model Handbox
and the fix has restored it.

Andrew

[Georg]

Hi Andrew,

I live in the Uk and read this thread and have been experiencing exactly the same problem and have tried everything as discussed on here and onWeasner's blogs.

All that remains now is for me to resort to your indicated program fix as both ASU 6 and Starpatch 1.9 normal and forced did not revert my newer version Audiostar handset 497EP from ASU updated version 5Ce2 back to its original A3S4.

With forceLoad I get the same errors, but at 0xE01000

I'm desperate and any help will very much be appreciated.

Thanks
Georg (aka George)

[AndrewJ]

Gday George
Try this link first, as the process and links to the file are now listed there.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Meade_Autostar/conversations/messages/3733
If you cant read it, send me a PM and i will reply with the relevant links and instuctions. The zip file i supply has full instructions in it, but i still like to warn people re the possibilities.

Andrew

[Georg]

Andrew,

Many thanks - immensely appreciated - will give that a go.

Georg