replacement hand controller for Gemini (cheap)

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #1 13-11-2006, 10:36 PM

I've built myself a replacement for the gemini hand controller, because the original one is starting to wear out and the keys don't respond properly.

It cost me about $10 to make, so anyone with an older Losmandy mount with Gemini like mine (6 conductor RJ11 connector) might be interested. It's based on a $7 keypad from Jaycar.

There's a short webpage about it here:

http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/equ...mini_hand_box/

cheers, Bird

davidpretorius · #2 14-11-2006, 07:37 PM

you little legend!

ving (David) · #3 15-11-2006, 07:14 AM

sweet. should work on other contrllers too huh?

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #4 15-11-2006, 08:46 AM

Should work anywhere that uses the same system - 4 wires (one for each direction) and connect to ground (or +12v) to activate.

The Gemini grounds the wires to activate them, but if you were building for a different controller that connected up to +12v then it's a simple change.

PS the Gemini has a second port for an autoguider that uses the same system, so I could connect a second hand controller to it and have one hand controller at the scope and another one over at the computer.

Bird