AUTOSTAR ROM VERSION 5 Last updated: 31 May 2009

Subject:	autostar versions 59E7 and 33E
Sent:	Saturday, May 30, 2009 19:14:59
From:	Joe Cudzik (jcudzik@cox.net)
I am wondering if the Autostar version 59E7 has some serious flaws
compared to version 33E when used with an ETX 125.

The 59E7 version is in a new controller I bought to replace the original
ETX 125 controller which has version  33E.

When I use the new controller I reset, calibrate and align the OTA
successfully. But then after a few minutes of tracking the telescope
goes out of control and moves to either the AZ or ALT stop.

After failing to get the new controller to work properly, I followed
directions from your website to repair the old controller by simply
cleaning the keypads in the old controller with an electronic cleaner I
bought at Radio Shack. Using my old controller with version 33E my ETX
125 now tracks continually (as it is supposed to do).

But I can't make my ETX 125 track continually with the newer controller.
I believe I  have compared all the critical settings in both controller
and they are identical. (Az and ALT ratios, AZ and ALT % etc)

Do you have any suggestions ?

Thanks for your time.
Joe Cudzik

From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
Yes, there are serious problems with the firmware in the new Autostars.

I have not "seen" versions 59E7 and 59Ed, but someone loaned me an
Autostar with the current version: 59Ef.
59Ef is also available from Meade's website, so we could analyze it.

I am aware of at least one person who updated from 59Ed to 59Ef and saw
many of his problems "fixed".

The remaining problems i'm -aware- of (meaning: there are more, i'm sure)
in 59Ef include:
---------
1) If you have an LX90-gps  east of Greenwich, it's confused.
2) The :EQ/:ES so AutostarSuite's remote treebuilding is broken
3) Planet calcs for Saturn/Jupiter etc (4 degree errors!)
4) PEC in motor speed calcs
---------------

Andrew Johansen (author of Andrew's PEC Editor) has been putting lots
of work into this.. and has managed to patch 59Ef to fix the above.
(yesterday... so this is "breaking news")
Once we test it a bit more, and batten down -how- to make it into
a user-accessible patch kit, we'll certainly post it.

If you wish to update to v59Ef now, you have one safe method:
(a) download the newest AutostarSuite (200 megabytes) which includes ASU v5.6
which is capable of dealing with the new Autostar.  You'll find that at:
 http://www.meade.com/downloads/

The new Autostar is called a  497EP  (instead of the older 497 ETX)

As a customer, i strongly recommend that you call Meade's support line to
encourage them to post the new updater to their website, and that they fix
59Ef, too (we know what's wrong, but the old line of communicating bugs to their
engineers seems to have been disconnected in late 2007 when they moved).
I suspect their attention is directed to the ETX-LS at the moment, but
it can't hurt to get them to realize that they've still got a ways to go
with the 497EP.   Customers in Australia suffer from the east-of-Greenwich bug.

You'll need a 505 cable to perform the update.  If you don't have one, you
can build one yourself from the instructions at:
http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_cable505.html

good luck
--dick

p.s. there is another avenue to the new updater, but i haven't tested the result
yet, so i can't recommend it yet.

Go back to the Warnings Page.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.