EQ5 Synscan issues.

Billyt (Bill) · #1 10-04-2010, 03:30 PM

Hi all

I have an EQ5 + Synscan Go-To. It has worked well over the last year till a week or so ago.

I powered up & started alignment, about 20secs after slewing to first star, the controller beeped like it was powering up & reset. LCD on Hand Control showed initializing.

Once it booted up again, I started slewing back to park position & got halfway there & same again, Reset & initializing, slewed another few seconds once it powered up & then it just went dead.

I can still power directly to Hand Control, but it shows message No connection to MC, or something similar. Plug power back to MC controller & nothing, dead, no beeps, no fire.

I am using a regulated AC adapter 12v 2.5amp. which unless it is faulty should be above the 2amp minumum specs.

Even not powering up, the MC box feels warm.

So sounds like the MC box has died? And if so are replacements easy to get?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Billyt (Bill) · #2 19-04-2010, 09:50 PM

Can anyone with this same setup (Eq5 Synscan) please let me know if there is an audible beep from the MC box if powered up WITHOUT the Hand Controller connected. I hear nothing at the moment, but cant recall if that was normal.

Just want to eliminate possibilities before I go ordering parts & so on.

Thanks.

Shiraz (Ray) · #3 19-04-2010, 11:07 PM

had similar sounding problem with my HEQ5pro. turned out to be the cable between the controller and the mount - intermittent open circuit somewhere in wire or connector and depended on mechanical stress on the cable (ie would sometimes drop out when slewing). Replaced with a fairly flexible standard cat5 cable and the problem went away. Of course, I carefully checked that connections were the same before plugging in (at least those that were not open circuit). could be worth checking. good luck

Billyt (Bill) · #4 27-04-2010, 12:52 AM

Thanks Shiraz, I have found the guts of the plug on the mount for "RA in" slides out a little away from its housing, but no amount of jiggling wires will gets any power up.

I would have thought the MC box would still power up though, unless the power loops through the mount.

Will pull it down & see if i can get a replacement from Jaycar or somewhere.

Thanks

adman (Adam) · #5 27-04-2010, 09:16 AM

Bill - do you still need to know whether the MC box beeps if the handset is not connected? I can test it out for you tonight if you like?

Adam

Scorpius51 (John) · #6 27-04-2010, 12:33 PM

Bill

I had a similar issue with my HEQ5 Pro mount. It turned out to be an incorrect DC connector on the power supply cable where it connects into the mount. The mount has (I believe) a 2.1mm DC connector and the cable had a 2.5mm DC connector. The mount would work until you slewed to a particular position then reset. The 2.5mm connector on the power cable was making & breaking intermittently with the mount's socket.

Good luck!

Cheers
John

Billyt (Bill) · #7 27-04-2010, 05:26 PM

Thanks John, gives me another thing to check tonight. I have a few different power plugs, but just the fact it worked previously with no issues makes me doubt it a little, but will check it all the same.

Adam., If you get a chance please. I didnt get any reply to that question. Also interested if you will get power up with the RA cable disconnected from the mount. Thanks for that.

adman (Adam) · #8 27-04-2010, 05:27 PM

If you hang on a sec - I'll check it now....

adman (Adam) · #9 27-04-2010, 05:30 PM

No - no beep from the motor controller without the handset connected (I had nothing connected to it). After connecting just the handset to the MC and powering up - the beep comes from the handset.

Adam

Billyt (Bill) · #10 27-04-2010, 06:02 PM

Thanks Adam, did you try power up with the RA cable disconnected? Sorry to be a pain, that the last thing I need to eliminate, suspected dodgy RA plug on mount.

adman (Adam) · #11 27-04-2010, 06:11 PM

yep - the MC box was connected only to the 12v power for my first try, and then only to the handset for the second try...

Billyt (Bill) · #12 27-04-2010, 06:38 PM

Ok Adam, thanks for your time.

I get nothing with just the MC & Handset connected., power connected to MC. (Power to Handset only is OK)

So looks like it still could be the MC box. Have some fiddling to do again.

Thanks all.

pjphilli (Peter) · #13 29-04-2010, 11:34 AM

Hi Bill
I had similar problems when I first got my HEQ5Pro. The first problem was the controller lead which I replaced with a 2 metre Cat 5E patch lead.
The second problem similar to the one you are experiencing I fixed by downloading a later firmware version for the paddle. The mount has worked perfectly now for about 1 year. Hope this helps.
Cheers Peter