EQ8 Help thread

bloodhound31 · #1 05-01-2014, 07:03 PM

Hi all, borne of necessity, I thought as more and more people buy the EQ8, it might be handy to have a thread where we can all go have a look for common problems with understanding a new mount.

I'll start off...

Finally I have got some time to spend with the new mount setting it up.

I've been through all the entering of time, date and location on my SkyScan controller (comes with the EQ8 as it did with the EQ6). I've come to the part where is asks if I want to do a 1, 2 or 3 star alignment. It then goes on to give me a selection of stars, none of which are visible and it also tells me the moon is below the horizon when I can quite clearly see it in the sky above me.

Obviously I've missed something big. I thought it might have been the South and East designators on my coordinates, but I just checked and they are correct.

Any help?

Cheers,

Baz.

Marios (Marios) · #2 05-01-2014, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloodhound31

Hi all, borne of necessity, I thought as more and more people buy the EQ8, it might be handy to have a thread where we can all go have a look for common problems with understanding a new mount.

I'll start off...

Finally I have got some time to spend with the new mount setting it up.

I've been through all the entering of time, date and location on my SkyScan controller (comes with the EQ8 as it did with the EQ6). I've come to the part where is asks if I want to do a 1, 2 or 3 star alignment. It then goes on to give me a selection of stars, none of which are visible and it also tells me the moon is below the horizon when I can quite clearly see it in the sky above me.

Obviously I've missed something big. I thought it might have been the South and East designators on my coordinates, but I just checked and they are correct.

Any help?

Cheers,

Baz.

Just a guess when you enter your location Alt, Lat are you entering them in negative or positive? I believe southern hemisphere is - Minus.

bloodhound31 · #3 05-01-2014, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marios

Just a guess when you enter your location Alt, Lat are you entering them in negative or positive? I believe southern hemisphere is - Minus.

It doesn't ask for that, just S and E in front of the coordinates. If I was northern hemisphere I would enter N instead of S.

acropolite (Phil) · #4 05-01-2014, 07:26 PM

What version handbox software do you have Baz?

bloodhound31 · #5 05-01-2014, 07:32 PM

I'm guessing it's the latest because I just bought it brand new with the EQ8 a couple of weeks ago.

LewisM · #6 05-01-2014, 07:44 PM

It sounds like a lat/long or date error Baz. Don't forget, Synscan is in Yankanese format - MM/DD/YYYY

bloodhound31 · #7 05-01-2014, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

It sounds like a lat/long or date error Baz. Don't forget, Synscan is in Yankanese format - MM/DD/YYYY

Yep, I've done it a million times before with the EQ6 and dozens of times tonight with the EQ8 Synscan.

I just restored the controller to factory settings.

The firmware version is Ver. 03.33

Terry B · #8 05-01-2014, 08:46 PM

Is it remembering the date correctly.
I remember when I had the EQ6 version it often didn't remember the date and time. After entering it there is a setting where it will display the date and time. Check that it is accepting your settings.

acropolite (Phil) · #9 05-01-2014, 09:00 PM

Software is up to 3.35, from memory that's what I have in my Synscan controller (az-eq6), I believe there is also firmware for the motor controller board. None of the firmware releases are bug free, but it might be an idea to get your handbox and motor controller firmware up to the latest. http://www.skywatcher.com/downloads.php?cat=20.

I think there may be an area where the handbox can be set to az rather than equatorial mode, might be worth checking. It's also worth reading through h0ughy's EQ8 thread, there is mention of the autoguiding spike issue which has apparently been cured with an update to the motor controller firmware. ( a seperate loader is used for this via the EQ direct mode on the Synscan controller)

LewisM · #10 05-01-2014, 09:25 PM

Baz,

May I suggest to back-date your handset to 3.27 - it's the only one I have found that works as it is supposed to, without any crazy 3 star alignment slewing goofery etc. I tried all the "updates" - none seem to work properly in the SH, especially 3.35 or any of the polar re-alignment routines.

Never had a single issue with 3.27 or one of the test Betas (cannot remember the number). 3.33 and 3.35 just go cuckoo - I had both doing the slew dance with 2 star alignment or 3 star alignment - off target, on target, off target, on target, settling OFF target...

h0ughy (David) · #11 05-01-2014, 11:24 PM

stay with 3.35 and update the motor hardware controller as well to the latest, then only use the two star alignment - you should be right with that. its an eq8 so you need the hand controller software support. also go read through the thread i started there is a truckload of help and advice within that

bloodhound31 · #12 06-01-2014, 01:45 AM

Thanks gang. No easy fix as usual. Another wasted clear night... sigh.

I'll go read up and potentially screw my new computer even more with yet another marathon of downloads and instals.

ReaPerMan (Paul) · #13 06-01-2014, 02:07 AM

I have a question about the EQ8. I've been struggling to get the EqMod fully working. The tty cable is plugged into my Mount Hub pro, not direct to the computer (same as my EQ6). All commands to move work, joy controller works but not slew to a location from the maxim data base. What I've also noticed is that when i move the mount by hand, no data is fed into EqMod. As far as it's concerned nothing moved. I saw this post from Tandum in the forum, post 296 , does anyone think this might explain it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

The eq5 and eq6 communicate with a 5v ttl serial line. The alt/az eq6 and the eq8 communicate with a 3.3v ttl serial line. All the adapters out there communicate with a 5v ttl serial line but some of them can hear the 3.3v ttl serial coming from the eq8 and some can't.

maybe going through the USB hub in the mount hub pro might be knocking off the signal somehow? Note control with the Syscan, 1 and 2 star align are all perfect. Any suggestions gratefully received.

all the best

Paul

bloodhound31 · #14 06-01-2014, 07:32 AM

It is official... I am a twit.

I had the date in the correct sequence, very careful to make sure I remembered it is 2014..... Just forgot that it is now January.... Got stuck in December..

I'm off to self-administer a barrage of uppercuts.

jwoody (Jeremy) · #15 06-01-2014, 07:43 PM

........it happens Baz!

bloodhound31 · #16 06-01-2014, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwoody

........it happens Baz!

It's why I sometimes fear to ask the experts, because one tends to get all kinds of elaborate fix solutions that require much know-how and time, when often it can be something VERY simple that has been overlooked.

This wasn't the first time either.

Last time it was PHD problems with my AG cam and it was weeks of fidgeting and giving up then someone pointed me to a simple drop-down menu and a single click. Fixed.

acropolite (Phil) · #17 06-01-2014, 09:06 PM

Baz, despite having solved your immediate problem, I'd still be doing the firmware updates, otherwise the random guiding spikes that h0ughy and myself experienced at Astrofest will be a source of constant annoyance.

TrevorW · #18 10-01-2014, 11:10 AM

If at first you don't succeed try try again but if all else fails give up, there is no point in making a fool out of yourself.