37 replies to this topic

[firemouth]

I have trouble with my LS8 lately. I turn it on and the first problem is the scope points south instead of north.

the second problem is that it looks for 2 to 15 alignment stars before it says I'm ready to view the night sky. Guess what? it doesn't track or fid the targets I choose.

I went into Utilities and selected reset factory default. That didn't help. 

 

 

What I don't get is if it is using GPS how does it not know what it is doing?

I just want it to work......

[Mark Sibole]

Have you tried new batteries?Ive found if the batteries are even a bit low they dont act right.

[firemouth]

I'm using a celestron power tank

[Bob Arnold]

Hi,

I've read that that the GPS can be affected by nearby metal objects.  Perhaps you're setting the scope up too close to a car or fence?

 

I also read about someone having a similar problem on the Yahoo ETX-LX group. If I remember correctly he found a solution.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Regards, Bob

[Bob Arnold]

I meant to say the ETX-LS Yahoo group. Sorry.

[Bob Arnold]

Just thought of a work-around. You could enter your location manually. 

[MistrBadgr]

If this is in an area where the scope has worked before, then I would suspect something wrong with the compass in the scope, but that is mostly a guess. If the scope does not know where North is, then nothing else is going to work right after that step.

You might try taking the scope out of automatic and doing a two star alignment like the LX 90 would do. If that works reasonably well, then the issue is most likely the compass.

The best bet, however, is to call customer support and see if they have any tricks for either determining what is going on or to fix the problem.

Bill Steen

[gfamily]

Have you refreshed the firmware?  I had a problem with my LS8 that was resolved by reloading the firmware from a Mini SD card. You'll need a 512MB Mini SD card - some people report that you can use a 2Gb micro SD card in a Mini SD adapter but it didn't work for me, so my advice would not to mess about but just look on ebay for a 512Mb Mini SD card - you can get them for just a few dollars. 

 

The other advice about not using the scope near large metal objects that might affect the internal compass sensor is also good.

[firemouth]

I'm suspecting it could be the firmware also. Nothing happened to the scope to cause this. It just quit working. Also the hand held keypad will not let me enter manual location and time. I can press Back and Enter all I want. it won't do it.

Is there a link for the firmware? I have many mini sd cards.

[firemouth]

OK, new problem. I can NOT get a SD card to fit in the slot. Is there some kind of trick? I tried 5 different brand cards and they will not fit.

 

Question: can I use USB port A to link to my computer? 

Running windows 7

 

Also, is this the right place for the update?

http://www.meade.com...ware-firmware/#

 

what exactly am I to choose and do I just install it on the SD card?

[MistrBadgr]

The card you need is a mini SD card, not a regular SD card. (I banged my head against that brick wall myself for a while.) A regular SD card looks like it should fit, but it does not. Instead of a mini, a micro SD card in a mini adapter will work. The trick is the size of the card. It cannot be a high density one. The maximum size is 2 GB, but it does not need to be one that big. I believe someone else has found real mini SD cards that were about a half gig in size, which is probably about perfect.

The best way to make one is to use the AutoStar Updater program. In fact, that may be about the only way to make the card that can go into the slot. If your scope has version 1.4, it cannot be updated from a computer. It must be done from a card. I had that with mine. With version 1.6, that problem is supposed to be fixed.

Another thing to try, if you have not done so already is to plug and unplug the connecting cable from the handset to the computer many times, to clean the contacts. When a scope sits for a relatively long time, contacts can get dirty from corrosion between differing metals and humidity.

Hope this helps,

Bill Steen

[firemouth]

It's version. 1.6a

 

Tonite it finally let me enter the time and location manually after many, many times of pressing the back key. After everything it searched for North and pointed due south.

I'll try to buy a mini card soon.  Shame i can't do it through the USB A port

 

What is the most recent version?

[MistrBadgr]

The latest version is 1.6a. Unless there is something in the scope that has gone awry that keeps it from sensing the usb port, you should normally be able to communicate directly with a computer through the AutoStar Updater program. However, the first thing the scope is supposed to look for when it starts up is a mini SD card in the slot with a version of software. If it senses one, then it will update itself with whatever version is on the card. If you make a mini SD card for dumping pictures from the little camera on board, the scope will lock itself up and not start up. You have to remove that card and then the scope can be started. Odd stuff, but that is the way it is set up.

Somewhere along the line, I would email customer support and see if they have any suggestions or thoughts.

Good Luck!

Bill Steen

[Wolfgang]

Hi Firemouth,

 

here you can order the latest firmware with Mini SD Card:

 

http://www.harrisont...rd_.html#SID=23

 

greetings

Wolfgang

[gfamily]

Hi Firemouth,

 

here you can order the latest firmware with Mini SD Card:

 

http://www.harrisont...rd_.html#SID=23

 

greetings

Wolfgang

 

Have to say that that doesn't look like a Mini SD card,

Mini SD Card 

 

What Harrison are selling

 

Could just be an incorrect jpeg, but you would want to check first...

 

(and you can get the card for half that amount on ebay)

[MistrBadgr]

The adapter or sleeve in that picture is a regular SD card size. The mini SC card has the corner cut out of it as in the picture above. With the right sleeve, the micro card with the LS 8 program on it should work. The micro card is 2 GB which is the maximum the LS will take.

Bill Steen

[Wolfgang]

Hello gfamily,
the picture with the 512MB mini SD Card I can not find on my link. The image on the Link from me, shows a mini SD adapter and a 2GB mini-SD card.
I have exactly this option and it works very well.
greeting
Wolfgang

[gfamily]

The problem is the picture on the http://www.harrisont...rd_.html#SID=23 page shows a micro SD card with a Micro to SD adapter. 

 

Unless Meade have changed the design of their telescope, people will need a Mini SD card, not a full SD card. 

 

And they can get a Mini SD card for less than half the cost of the card that harrison telescopes are selling. 

[Wolfgang]

Hello gfamily,
You're right, I have a Mini-SD-Cart Adapter from SanDisk and the firmware 1.6a is on a 2GB micro SD card! So, Micro-SD card into the adapter and then into the slot on the telescope. Thank you.
greeting
Wolfgang

[ka1bqp]

Firemouth,

It sounds like the scope's mount type might be set to Equatorial instead of AZ/ALT. You can find that setting under` SETUP/Preferences/MOUNT TYPE. This would explain the scope wanting point south instead of north. Also check the USE GPS setting. This is under SETUP/Preferences/USE GPS. It should be ON.

These setting should have defaulted to the correct values when you reset the scope, but it is worth checking.

Hope this helps,

Matt White