A little over a week ago (one year and three weeks after purchase) while traversing the Starlock cable hung on the mount. While it did not break or even crack the plug housings, it did stop the mount. When I attempted to reverse the slew to release the cable, the handset was non-responsive and read "DOWNLOADING. DO NOT TURN OFF." I released the clutches to unhang the cable and upon returning to the hand paddle found it dead. The telescope control panel light was out and cycling the switch produces no effect. I have checked the power supply and it is producing 12v as it should. I did a continuity check on the Starlock cable, and it appears to be shorted on all leads.
I called Meade and at the request of the service rep, provided them with my proof of purchase and a detailed writeup. Despite several emails and another call, I have heard nothing back in a week. Any suggestions? Is it normal for Meade to take more than a week to respond to a dead mount?
I have found where I can order another Telescope Control Box, but have been unable to find a replacement Starlock cable online.