Synscan Upgrade and alignment advice needed

[spacezebra]

Hi all

I need some advice on upgrading to the Synscan Handcontroller to 3.27.

I have read that the current version 3.12 has issues where you need to say No to daylight savings (when it should be Yes), which brings me closer to the first star in a three star alignment but still out. Im close but about 10 deg from target. Ive fine tuned the geomagnetic 11.733 from south. Im getting star trailing after about 40 - 50 sec exposure.

Note: Octanes is a near impossibility in Albury CBD).

Im keen to get the alignment as accurate as possible prior to guiding - and I know that guiding corrects the small inaccuracies - however I would like to nut out this problem. Do I need to upgrade? - note that I have also read horror stories of the upgrade itself.

Can I get the thoughts of the EQ6 users.

Cheers Petra d.

[spacezebra]

Hi there anyone???

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Petra

Have you looked at the skywatcher site
http://www.skywatcher.com/swtinc/customer_support.php?class1=1&class2=101

The latest firmware is 3.27 and there are a few notes included in the upgrades. But you need to get the downloader as well
and you may need to install the ealier version 3.25 first

My Synscan came with v.3.27 so I did not need the update.

Barry

[spacezebra]

Hi Barry

Many thanks for the reply - I have the downloader ready to go, but wanted to make sure that the horror stories about upgrading are unfounded.

Thanks for the info about going 3.25 first.

Cheers Petra d.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

I was going to stay mute as I have an EQ5, not even a HEQ5 :(. The Synscan is the same thing though I think. My firmware upgrade from SW went well, although as Barry says you have to install the SW loader first.

I too found that you have to be quite fussy in setting true South when setting up. I have a few marks to use, where I know it lies from local setups. I got a military compass to assist in this

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Military-Black-SWAT-Outdoor-Camping-Navigation-Compass-/120828424639?pt=AU_Sport_Camping_Hi king_Compasses&hash=item1c21ef71bf

Even then the first star alignment was off, and a 3-star alignment would often fail. I wondered about the altitude scale on the mount used to adjust for local latitude, and tested it with an accurate level. It was about 4 degrees out !! So the Synscan thought I was in Melbourne not Sydney !!

I made several wooden triangles to the local latitude of various spots, as accurately as I could, and now I put one of these on the dovetail yoke with a bubble level on top, and adjust it that way.

I then realised that this would be quicker if the entire mount was level first, although I don't think that is strictly necessary overall. So I looked carefully at the mount's own little bubble level. It was half a bubble out of true !! So I got that out and remounted it properly. Jeez, Skywatcher :confuse3:

The first time after all this trouble a 3-star alignment worked perfectly :thumbsup:.

Here's an earlier thread, although ignore all that stuff I posted about returning to Home after each star.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=66322&highlight=scale

and

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=82611&highlight=scale

Cheers

[spacezebra]

Hi Geoff

Many thanks - will re-set the bubble, change compass and upgrade handcontroller.

How did you do this?...

" I wondered about the altitude scale on the mount used to adjust for local latitude, and tested it with an accurate level. It was about 4 degrees out !! So the Synscan thought I was in Melbourne not Sydney !!"

I thought mine was accurate :sadeyes:

Cheers Petra d.

[Barrykgerdes]

Although most polar alignment descriptions talk about drift aligning. The most important thing to get right first is the elevation (latitude adjustment). Then the azimuth. A lot of people do the azimuth drift and forget to do the Altitude drift as well.

I always check those inbuilt bubble levels first and apply the necessary fixes. Having the main platform level first may not be technically necessary but if it is the other adjustments are simpler and knowing your north south line is a must for quick alignment. I do it in the field with Stellarium the Sun and a vertical shadow stick. Stellarium shows the exact time the sun is on the meridian and then the shadow will mark the true N/S line.

Barry

PS I also have a polar scope and a video camera rigged on it. However finding Sigma Octans is not easy.

[GeoffW1]

Hi Petra,

I had read a bit about SW EQs being notorious for inaccurate latitude scales. It's a real shame, because they only damage themselves with that.

First I set the tripod level with its own bubble (trusting soul, me). Then I got a metal workshop try square like this (I'm an engineer originally)

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v2/287524411/COMBINATION_JOINER_TRY_SQUARE.jpg

(but any other reasonably accurate triangle will do) and set the mount scale to 45 degrees to match the angle on the try square. I put a standard bubble level on top of the square, and it was not level. I then adjusted the mount until it showed level on top of the try square, and the mount scale said 49 degrees !!

I repeated all that with a 30-60-90 draughtsman's set square, using the 30 degree angle, and the mount scale said 34 degrees. Aha.

Then as I mentioned, I got suspicious of the bubble on the mount itself. On my EQ5 it was held in there by a rubber plug and a paper spacer, which did not look like an accurate thing, so I took it out, squirted some neutral silicon in the hole, and poked it in there with a wire until it showed reasonably level to my separate bubble.

Let me know if you would like any more info, and I can send some photos etc to you, I don't want to rant on more than needed.

See you in Chat !

Cheers

[spacezebra]

Thanks Geoff and Barry

I thank you both for taking the time to reply.

Barry many thanks, Sigma Octanes is impossible here just 2km from CBD Albury. Ill work on the elevation - im really keen to get this as accurate as possible before launch into guiding. Thanks for the heads up on the download - ill do this after I get the mount spot on.

Geoff - Ill have a go at your idea now - as its looking ordinary for imaging tonight - so Ill work on getting the mount right.

Thanks again to you both - I may ask for pics...:D

Cheers Petra d.

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Petra

Here's a thought on getting the latitude correct based on simple (?) maths.
Find your latitude (Google earth) 36.08 deg south say
Get the tangent of the angle (scientific calc Windows) .7286 say .729
Get some straight wood slats or similar
Take a piece 1000mm long and then cut another 729 MM long
Set them at a right angle at one end take another slat and make a rt angle triangle between the 1000mm and 729mm points. You will now have your own angle gauge and you can have it accurate to at least 1 minute of arc.

Now you can use your spirit level on your special gauge sitting on the telescope wedge

Barry

PS I am going to make one out of some scrap angle iron to take to Wiruna this weekend. I will test it on the HEQ5 (649.5/1000.0)

BG

[spacezebra]

Excellent Barry, thanks again.

Im looking forward to hearing how your test goes.

Cheers Petra d.

[Screwdriverone]

Hi Petra,

A word of warning with the Synscan uploader, make sure that you use a FIXED Serial port (ie a built in one) on the computer rather than a USB to serial converter.

I "fried" my hand controller and it wouldnt even boot after I tried to upload a new version to it using a USB to serial converter.

I thought all was lost until I found a post here that warned me against it and recommended a native serial port on the PC, BAM, handcontroller uploaded, FIXED! Took all of 30 secs as opposed to diagnosing for two hours why it was fried in the first place!

You may already know this tip, just wanting to be sure and hopefully save you some pain.

I can also back up the altitude scale issue, BOTH my Skywatchers are out by about 5-8 degrees on their scales, I had the EQ2 one fixed by Tasco (ripped off and reglued) and the HEQ5 Pro one is simply ignored as I can find sigma octanis faster than I can set up the tripod now, using my article method :)

Cheers

Chris

[spacezebra]

Thanks Chris

Appreciate the advice - I was going to upgrade in the next few days.

I dont have a fixed serial port and was going to use the converter :sadeyes:

Now I'm turkey at christmas.

What are my options? Find a PC with a native Port??? any thoughts.

Cheers Petra d.

[Screwdriverone]

You might be OK, there are SOME serial USB converters that work I think, maybe try a search for the ones that have been proven to work, I recall some people have had success with certain brands....

Check twice, upgrade once...

Cheers

Chris

[Barrykgerdes]

Interested in Chris's trouble with a USB serial converter.

That seems a bit odd that it could cause any bother except for one often forgotten point. These adaptors install themselves on COM3 or COM4 primarily and many programs only expect the com port to be COM1 or COM2. Particularly programs that derive from Basic.

Also if you change the USB port the adaptor driver will allocate another COM Port.

I always re-asign the adaptor to COM1 or COM2

Barry

[Screwdriverone]

The problem wasnt the wrong com port Barry, I knew that trick, it was the fact the firmware upgrade progress would hang half way through and therefore junk the firmware already on the handset and whammo, no OS for the Synscan to boot with.

Nothing I could do with the one I had would work, when I switched over to the home PC with the fixed com port, the upgrade happened in 15 secs and all was right with the world again.

I seem to recall maybe a prolific USB to serial was a good one that worked, perhaps a search of the forums here will uncover the ones that are OK.

24+ years in communications means I have seen my fair share of USB and serial ports/cables as I have lost count as to how many I have had and the types I have used to connect to PABX systems and modems and routers etc etc....;)

PS. Try here Petra, seems to have lots of suggestions. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=34911

Cheers

Chris