Firmware - Pro's and Con's?

[TechnoViking (James)]

Hi IISer's,

I remember reading somewhere that updating the firmware in your mount is not a good idea unless something is not working correctly, and that you can "brick" your mount, i really wish i bookmarked the page, because it put me off the idea of updating my firmware! can anyone give the pro's and con's in updating the firmware in the hand controller and motordrive?
I have not updated mine, but have noticed on some rare occasions when i move the scope in DEC and release my finger from the button the mount continues to move a few degrees (slew speed 5) which can be frustrating when imaging. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance

James

[garywiz]

Updating your firmware is a great idea for a lot of reasons. Firmware in telescopes is complex, and it is not unusual for critical bugs to be fixed which affect day-to-day GOTO operation. Many people who assume their scope (or their knowledge) is lacking, discover that they have been battling some firmware bug that just happens to intersect with their usage patterns.

However, upgrading firmware is not without its risks.

First, DON'T upgrade your firmware unless:

1. You are reasonably technical and detail-oriented. There are a lot of minor details that, if you miss them, you can cause permanent damage. The worst part is that the Telescope manufacturers often do not provide information that is consistent or easy to understand. For example, upgrading a Celestron SE series requires that you know the difference between a NexStar+ hand control, and a regular NexStar hand control (it is not obvious, nor are they labelled clearly). Also, the firmware itself does not have good labelling, so the telescope will happily upload firmware for an entirely different model! There are also many different programs available, sometimes several from a single manufacturer (Celestron has 3 different ones for the same telescope, and you have to figure out which one to use). All in all, the biggest thing you need to do is protect yourself from the insufficient and often ambiguous information provided by manufacturers.

2. You can find an article on the web for your EXACT model (or as close as possible) that allows you to see what other people's experiences have been. Sadly, some manufacturers release software that makes it easy to brick your device. It is worth spending a few hours surfing the web, collecting experiences from others instead of shipping your unit back to the factory to be re-programmed.

All in all, you need to use caution.

One thing you may want to do if you aren't a computer whiz, is find a friend who is, and have a "firmware upgrade party". Even if they know nothing about telescopes, computer people often have to upgrade firmware on motherboards, and the issues are surprisingly similar and the software is similar as well. Two heads are better than one.

I have upgraded firmware on many many devices from computers to telescopes to phones and even industrial machines. The experience varies widely. Out of maybe 300 or 400 such upgrades I have done, I have had only one or two tragic experiences. I'm amazed it hasn't been more, since I've had several close calls where the equipment appeared "bricked" but I found a way to get things running again.

So, in short, the warnings you've heard are true. But, learning to successfully upgrade your firmware for your particular unit does have benefits, so it's worth considering.

[TechnoViking (James)]

Thanks Gary!
the funny thing is that I am an I.T technician, thats why updating a 4k scope and mount worries me, its not like a router which you can just bin and get another one. Ive updated many items firmware from wifi dongles to servers.
Ive got all the firmware files and deployment software for the scope all ready to go, I almost did it the other night, my finger was hovering over the <OK> button... then i chickened out lol.

Im sure it will work ok, but im still nervous because i found out recently because i bought my telescope and mount from Andrews, celestron wont cover it under warranty because they are not an authorized reseller... sigh....
Well if i get time tonight, ill bite the bullet and do it. If you see a post called "OMFG I BRICKED MY SCOPE" you will know it didnt go well LOL

Thanks for the confidence boost!

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

So James???

It all went well we can take it? The were no howls and sobs....

[TechnoViking (James)]

Just finished updating the firmware for the motor control and hand control, all went great! There was a tence 2 minutes when the percentage bar stopped, i swear my blood pressure sky rocketed lol!

Had a quick test, and it seems to work great, it even fixed that issue where the DEC kept moving after releasing the button on the hand controller.

It was a very easy update and only took around 30 minutes in total

Thanks again Gary for the dutch courage

[garywiz]

Congrats, James.

It's also cool that your problems have been solved. There's nothing like knowing you're running the latest revs. Sometimes you even find a new feature hidden in there somewhere.

Sorry for all the paranoid comments and hope they didn't add to any anxiousness! But, then again... it's always good to check the ripcord before jumping out of the airplane!