AutostarETX's patch kits for the LX200gps Autostar II. 29-Sep-2006 Meade firmware v4.2g 1st edition. 13-Oct-2006 2nd edition, adds 10x tracking and "? for sync" 15-Oct-2006 3rd edition: adds "High Precision ON at power-up" 04-Oct-2008 9th: fix :FPsDDDD# bug (supplied by Andrew Johansen) 08-aug-2009 11th: improve Sun pointing in "replace Pluto with Sun" ; 12th: 01-mar-2010 New improved Peek/Poke routines ; 13th: 14-mar-2010 avoid Daylight prompt during manual time entry ; 14th: 14-oct-2010 save GUIDE rate instead of TRACKING rate (your choice) ; 15th: 27-oct-2010 Andrew's first 2-star patch [TwoStarFix] ; 16th: 12-feb-2011 twist the key (with version change) ; 17th: 02-may-2012 High Precision fix (stop freezing handbox) (c) 09/2006-5/2012 Richard Seymour and Andrew Johansen rseymour@wolfenet.com *this kit also includes patchLX42gg17.spf ... it is the same kit as the .txt file, but named so that StarPatch will find it, if it is copied to the /Program Files/Pixsoft/StarPatch/ folder This patch file is also distributed by Chris Carson's StarPatch updater. It is (slightly) renamed to PatchLX42ggv17.spf ***NOTE: in the following, you'll see references to "patchLX42gg.txt" and "BuildLX42gg.rom" *** as later editions of the kit appear, those names will change along with the patch edition number. *** so they'll become (for example) BuildLX42gg3.rom then BuildLX42gg4.rom then BuildLX42gg5.rom How to Install (very short... see 'Method' below for the long version): (a) fetch Meade's BuildLX.zip file from http://www.meade.com/support/auto/BuildLX.zip (b) unzip that to produce BuildLX4.2g.rom (c) put this patch kit's ClickMe.bat, StarMod.exe and patchLX42gg.txt into that same folder. (d) double-click on 'ClickMe' ... a DOS/Command window will momentarily appear (e) A new file should appear: BuildLX42gg.rom (if it didn't, something broke) (f) copy/move that file to the appropriate folder for your Updater: ASU: \Program Files\Meade\AutostarSuite\Updater\Ephemerides StarPatch: \Program Files\Pixsoft\StarPatch (g) use the 'Local' file option in ASU (or StarPatch) to Update your Autostar. Choose the entry 4.2G (uppercase G) ------------------- Introduction: This kit modifies the Meade firmware for the LX200gps Autostar II. These kits usually add features, and sometimes correct bugs. The current list of feature and fixes is under "Features", below. The kit works by modifying a copy of Meade's firmware ROM file on your PC, and then you update the Autostar with that modified copy to have the patches take effect. This .txt file is also compatible with StarPatch (see below). You do not need to pre-load your Autostar with the unpatched version. You can revert to "normal Meade" code by simply re-updating with the unpatched version (which is left intact on your PC). As with any Meade release, you can update any version of existing LX200gps Firmware directly to this version, no intermediate steps required. Each patch kit is -specific- for one version of Meade's firmware. Kit 4.2g will not work with 3.0d's firmware, and vice-versa. Suggestions or requests for additional features are invited. Some may be difficult or impossible to implement with the tools i use, but others may be surprisingly easy (and useful). have fun --dick --------------- Kit Contents: Five files. (a) this ReadMe file (b) StarMod.exe, an executable supplied by Chris Carson, creator of the StarGPS accessory for ETX/DS/LXD/LX90 and LX200 telescopes. This is the program which actually modifies the ROM files in your PC. (c) ClickMe.bat , the file you double-click to perform the patch. It does -not- do the upload to your telescope, you do that separately. (d) PatchLX42gg17.txt, the file containing the patch list. (and a dupicate copy named PatchLX42gg17.spf) (e) GPSdecode.txt, a "how to interpret GPS sentences" guide. ------------------ How to Install/Patch: (a) fetch the v4.2g firmware from Meade's support site, and unzip that file. (StarPatch can do this for you) (b) put that BuildLX4.2g.rom file into your Updater's Ephemerides folder (that will be \Program Files\Meade\ASU\Ephemerides\ or \Program Files\Meade\AutostarSuite\Updater\Ephemerides\ if you have the Autostar Suite package) (c) unzip this kit into that same folder (d) double-click the "ClickMe" file (e) a "Command Prompt" window will appear, and should show the progress of the patching. If you see "PATCH SUCCEEDED", it's happy. (f) If error messages appear, see "TroubleShooting", below. (g) If it succeeded, it will have created BuildLX42gg.rom (h) now use Meade's ASU Updater or StarPatch, to Update the Autostar with BuildLX42gg.rom (4.2G in ASU's Local list) Meade's Updater takes about 19 minutes, StarPatch takes 12. You can skip steps (c) through (g) by using StarPatch to handle both selectively patching and updating the Autostar in one step. See "StarPatch" below. Using Meade's Updater is covered in "Meade's Autostar Updater", below, and in more detail at: http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/guide-asu3x.html ------------------------ Features: The patchLX42gg.txt patch files contain: (a) Display and Editing of Drive Training Values [Editing of Training Values] (b) Optional Automatic Satellite Track starting at down-count=zero [Satellite AutoTrack] (c) Version number change from 4.2g to 4.2G [Patch 4.2G] (e) Adds "peek" function for use with Andrew Johansen's PEC editors. [PEC Editor Hook] (f) Adds :gpr# and :gpx# serial commands for greater access to the GPS receiver. [GPS commands] (g) Remembers and restores a Custom Tracking Rate setting across power-cycles. [Custom Tracking Rate] ******NOTE: "Custom Tracking Rate" and "Save Guide Rate" canNOT be BOTH selected (h) *Override "Not Aligned" test [Override "not aligned" test] (i) Allow 25000% Guide Rate [Guide Rate Limit/Message] (j) *"? for SYNC" (except in Tours) [SYNC start with "?" key(basic)] (l) 10 times Finer Control of Custom Tracking Rate [10x finer TrackingRate] (m) *Turn OFF Front Panel Power socket (Fan) at boot. [FanOff] (n) Ability to surpress "0 to Align" and "0 for Tour" prompts. [skip simple align][skip simple tour] (o) Adds Utilities/Take GPS Fix ... to allow keypad-commanded [TakeFixNow] update of Autostar Time via the GPS, even if it's already been done. (p) Sets GPS-UTC Offset to -zero- after Reset. [GPS-UTC Offset to zero] (q) *Sun available as Solar System Object (replaces Pluto) [Sun] (r) *always returns 'aligned' to :GW# command [GW always aligned (0->P)] (t) turn OFF Brightest Star as reset default. [No Brightest] (u) *Set High Precision ON at power-up [HighPrecOn] (v) Fix PARK in SouthernHemisphere [FixPark] (w) *Allow 100 degree DEC travel [MoreThan90] (x) *Prevent time-out dimming of handbox [BlockDimming] (y) Fix :FPsDDDD# bug (ignored sign) [FPfocusBug] (z) Clear Park Vars on booting [Clear Park Vars on Boot/ No PEC on Unpark] (aa) Improve two-star polar alignments [Sync on Polar Two Star aligns] (ab) avoid Daylight prompt during manual time entry [AvoidDSTprompt] (ac) Remembers and restores a Custom GUIDE Rate across power-cycles. [Save Guide Rate] (ad) Andrew's first attempt at a 2-star patch [TwoStarFix] (does not solve all issues) (ae) twist the key (with version change)(activates SMT license) (af) many many fixes (see below)( 17th edition) ******NOTE: "Custom Tracking Rate" and "Save Guide Rate" canNOT be BOTH selected NOT IN THIS KIT: (d) Display PEC values during Training/Updating (Meade does it) (k)* ** "? for SYNC in Tours, too (u) totally block access to GPS (still there,commented out) (s) fixes :Mn/s/e/w bug (Mn goes wrong way if RA PEC is on at Powerup) (Meade fixed it) Features with the asterisk (*) are NOT enabled by default. See "Options", below. Detailed descriptions: (a) Display and Editing of Drive Training Values: (default:enabled) My original reason for writing a patch kit: when doing a Setup > Telescope > Train Drives operation, what was happening? This feature adds two menu items, scrolled from RA Train and DEC Train: Setup > Telescope > Train Drives > Edit Az Train and Setup > Telescope > Train Drives > Edit Alt Train Menuing to either of those shows the results of your Drive Training, and lets you edit them from the numeric keypad. This lets you monitor the quality/repeatability of your Training, and may warn you of backlash changes. (b) Optional Automatic Satellite Track starting at down-count=zero When using the Object > Satellite feature to "chase" satellites, this feature automatically starts the tracking when the timer countdown reaches zero. This helps avoid forgetting to push the [enter] key. (default:enabled) (c) Version number change from 4.2g to 4.2g (uppercase) This change just makes the fact that the patch kit is installed visible at power-up and under Setup/Statistics. (d) Display PEC values during Training/Updating: Along with the 0->200 count, shows the error value which was just recorded for the previous segment. (e) Adds "peek" function for use with Andrew Johansen's PEC editors. This patch adds the new serial command: :EPaddress# :EP will return the contents of the 16 bit "word" at "address", so you will have to mask and shift it to reach the individual bytes. "address" and the returned data are in decimal ascii. Andrew Johansen's live PEC editor uses these commands to read adjusted PEC tables (and other data) on-the-fly, providing a better view of the RCX's operations. http://members.optusnet.com.au/johansea (f) Adds :gpr# and :gpx# serial commands for greater access to the GPS receiver. :gpr# serial command.. returns next GPS receiver string to rs232. does NOT filter for only GPRMC like the Meade-supplied :gps# command does. :gps# command still operates as per documentation (next GPRMC sentence) :gpx# serial command.. returns continuous GPS sentences until another serial character is received. Sentences are prefixed with "$" and postfixed with x0D (return) for direct compatibility with VisualGPS and the like. See the accompanying file "GPSdecoding.txt" for how to interpret the data. (g) Remembers and restores a Custom Tracking Rate setting across power-cycles. Without this optional section, Custom Tracking Rates are reset to zero (normal sidereal) at power-up. If you choose this option, the setting is remembered and restored at next power-up Note: to permanently get back to Sidereal, you must set CUSTOM to zero. (h)* Override "Not Aligned" test If you "align" by simply powering up and SYNCing on a star, without having previously PARKed, some times the Autostar will refuse to GoTo some targets with a "Not Aligned" message. This patch overrides that test and message. (i) Allow 25000% Guide Rate: Allows setting the "Guide Rate" to (well) over 100% of sidereal. (j)* ** "? for SYNC": Steals [?] key to act as "hold-enter" to start a SYNC operation. Hold-enter still works, but this allows getting around the flakey-keypad problems with hold-enter. Some "Help" functions still survive, but many are blocked by this patch. (k)* ** "? for SYNC in Tours, too: Extends above function to Tours (not in 42gg) (l)* 10x Finer Control of Custom Tracking Rate: changes units of Custom Tracking Rate adjustment from 0.1% of sidereal to 0.01% of sidereal. This gives you ten times finer control over the tracking rate. The units are roughly one tenth of an arcsecond of drift in one clock minute. (or 6 arcseconds in one clock hour) (m) *Turn OFF Front Panel Power socket (Fan) at boot. Enabling this patch forces the front panel power socket OFF at power-up. If you want it on later in the session, you can control it with Utilities/Aux Port Power (n) Ability to surpress "0 to Align" and "0 for Tour" prompts. As of firmware v4.0, the telescope starts by offering "0 to Align, Mode for Menu" at power-up (if you didn't PARK), and "0 for Tour, Mode for Menu" after AutoAlignment. These two menus can be individually bypassed (it always goes to Menu) by these two patch sections. (o) Adds Utilities/Take GPS Fix ... to allow keypad-commanded update of Autostar Time via the GPS, even if it's already been done. NOTE: the patch sets the time and date, but NOT the site. If you wish to -only- set the Time (not the date) to match the :gT# serial command, then locate the line "R a-ffc1 ff 00 <- ff=time only, 00=time+date" in the patch kit, and change the "ff 00" to "ff ff" (p) Sets GPS-UTC Offset to -zero- after Reset. This (zero) is the correct value for all Sony GPS receivers, which includes all "flat topped" GPS receivers, and most of the "round tops". The factory default of 13 seconds is incorrect for this year, even if it was needed. (q) Sun available as Solar System Object (replaces Pluto) This feature is commented out, as well as unselected. Please do NOT implement this option UNLESS you have full and proper filtering for solar operations. That's a FULL APERTURE block and/or filter, plus covers for all viewfinders. The sun is **dangerous** to your eyes and your equipment. (r) always returns 'aligned' to :GW# command. For those who wish to "Align" by just Syncing on a star, this changes the new :GW# command's third character from zero (for 'not aligned') to P (was parked). (s) fixes :Mn/s/e/w bug (Mn goes wrong way if RA PEC is on at Powerup) (t) turn OFF Brightest Star as reset default (Alignment stars will be named) (u) *Set High Precision ON at power-up (v) Fix PARK in SouthernHemisphere [FixPark] (w) *Allow 100 degree DEC travel [MoreThan90] (x) *Prevent time-out dimming of handbox [BlockDimming] (y) Fix :FPsDDDD# bug (ignored sign) [FPfocusBug] This serial command runs the focuser for DDDD millisecods. The sign flag was ignored in Meade's original code. Bug found and patched by Andrew Johansen. (z) Clear Park Vars on booting [Clear Park Vars on Boot/ No PEC on Unpark] This removes the faulty offset created by having done a Two Star Polar alignment which ended up with greater than a 5 arcminute offset from the pole. (aa) Improve two-star polar alignments [Sync on Polar Two Star aligns] When doing a Two Star Polar alignment, the unpatched scope does NOT take the user's slew-to-center of the first star into account for the second slew. The patch corrects that oversight. (ab) avoid Daylight prompt during manual time entry [AvoidDSTprompt] Since you only need to change that twice per year (if that), why get asked? (ac) Remembers and restores a Custom GUIDE Rate across power-cycles. [Save Guide Rate] If you set a custom guide rate, this patch causes it to be automatically applied at the next observing session. (ad) Andrew's first attempt at a 2-star patch [TwoStarFix] (does not solve all issues) Two Star Polar alignments which miss the pole by more than 5 arcminutes really mess up the autostar's internal variables. This was a first attempt to untangle the spaghetti. (but not enough) (ae) twist the key (with version change)(activates SMT license) Meade authorized us to enable SMT on all LX200gps scopes. (af) many many fixes ( 17th edition) ; Reworked Polar 2 star fix ; Reworked clearing Park vars and overwriting LST on booting ; Reworked :FP pulsefocus to prevent runaways for DDD<4 ; Fixed misc bugs associated with UserList processing ; Fixed Garbage collection for userlists and extended tours ; Fixed a whole pile of new Tour bugs ; Fixed leapyear daterollover for Feb28 ; Fixed Planetary calculations ; Fixed DEC reversals ; Fixed HiPrecision slew lockups ; Fixed Stop :MS slews going below horizon ; Fixed Midnight Rollover ---------------------------- Options: There are two ways to select/deselect the optional portions of the patch kit. The easiest is to use StarPatch to perform the patching/updating. It provides a "tick list" of the features, and you can just choose the ones you want. The less-easy way is to edit the patch file itself. Each subsection is identified by a [name in brackets], followed by a line of: S=Checked or S=Unchecked. Sections with "S=Checked" -will- be included, the "Unchecked" won't. Here is the feature list (again), with the corresponding [section labels]: (a) Display and Editing of Drive Training Values [Editing of Training Values] (b) Satellite Track starting at down-count=zero [Satellite AutoTrack] (c) Version number change from 1.0l to 1.0L [Patch 10L] (d) Display PEC values [Display PEC Values] (e) Adds functions for Andrew's PEC editor [PEC Editor Hook] (f) Adds GPS serial commands [GPS commands] (g) Remembers and restores a Custom Tracking Rate [Custom Tracking Rate] (h)* Override "Not Aligned" test [Skip Align Check] (i) Allow 25000% Guide Rate [Excessive Guide Rate] (j)* ** "? for SYNC" [SYNC start with "?" key(basic)] (k)* ** "? for SYNC" in Tours, too [? as Sync in Tours, too] (l)* Finer Control of Custom Tracking Rate [10x finer TrackingRate] (m)* Turn OFF Front Panel Power socket [FanOff] (n) **Ability to surpress "0 to Align" and "0 for Tour" prompts. [skip simple align] and [skip simple tour] (o) Adds Utilities/Take GPS Fix [TakeFixNow] (p) Sets GPS-UTC Offset to -zero- after Reset.[GPS-UTC Offset to zero] (q) Sun available as Solar System Object [Sun] (r) always returns 'aligned' to :GW# command [GW always aligned (0->P)] (s) fixes :Mn/s/e/w bug [Fix Mn/s/e/w commands] (t) turn OFF Brightest Star as reset default [No Brightest] (u)* Set High Precision ON at power-up [HighPrecOn] (v) Fix PARK in SouthernHemisphere [FixPark] (w)* Allow 100 degree DEC travel [MoreThan90] (x)* Prevent time-out dimming of handbox [BlockDimming] (y) Fix :FPsDDDD# bug (ignored sign) [FPfocusBug] (replaced below) (z) Clear Park Vars on booting [Clear Park Vars on Boot/ No PEC on Unpark] (aa) Improve two-star polar alignments [Sync on Polar Two Star aligns] (ab) avoid Daylight prompt during manual time entry [AvoidDSTprompt] (ac) Remembers and restores a Custom GUIDE Rate across power-cycles. [Save Guide Rate] (ad) Andrew's next attempt at a 2-star patch [(Experimental) Fix Polar Two Star align] (ae) twist the key (with version change)(activates SMT license) (af) many many fixes ( 17th edition) ; Reworked Polar 2 star fix [Fix Startup routine for ParkVars/PEC/LST] ; Fix Park vars and overwriting LST on booting [(Experimental) Fix Parking offset in Polar 2star ] ; Reworked :FP pulsefocus to prevent runaways for DDD<4 [Fix :FP focus Command] ; Fixed misc bugs associated with UserList processing [Fix UserList processing] ; Fixed Garbage collection for userlists and extended tours ; Fixed a whole pile of new Tour bugs [Fix DEC calc in Tour DeepSky IC] ; [Fix Tours to prevent Premature aborts] , [Fix Table Length checks in Tours] , ; [Fix Landmarks in Tours] , [Fix Landmarks to allow Negative Azimuths], ; [Fix Arp in Hbx and Extended Tours], [Fix Moon Item By Name lookup] , ; Fixed leapyear daterollover for Feb28 [Fix UTC Midnight Date rollover] ; Fixed Planetary calculations [Fix Planet Correction Tables] ; Fixed DEC reversals [Fix Backlash application in DEC] ; Fixed HiPrecision slew lockups [Fix HiPrecision slew lockups] ; Fixed Stop :MS slews going below horizon [Fix :MS Slew Command] ----------------------------- Method: ------------ Meade's Autostar Updater: Meade's "preferred" method of putting new firmware into the Autostar is to use their "Autostar Update (ASU) Client Application", available from their website: http://www.meade.com/support/auto.html Full instructions for using it to update an Autostar are posted at: http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/guide-asu3x.html The Meade updater takes about 18 minutes to transfer a firmware load to the Autostar. It is relatively "fragile", and frequently cannot connect to the Autostar if other processes in your PC are competing for the serial ports (such as a PalmPilot Sync program). ------------------------------ StarPatch: StarPatch is a combination patcher/updater developed to support the StarGPS accessory. It is available for free download from http://www.stargps.ca , follow the links to StarPatch. It is much more "robust" than the ASU (above), but cannot edit User Objects. When using StarPatch on the web or with an ".spf" file, each feature of the patch kit becomes "optional", and you can use a tick-list to choose which ones you want in your Autostar. If you are not pulling the patch kit from the web, it must be placed in StarPatch's executables folder: Program Files\PixSoft\StarPatch In short, to update an Autostar you connect the cables then start StarPatch and do: 1) click on the "Options" menu and select your "Handset type" and "Language" 2) click on the "File" menu and select "Get Updates..." to download the latest files 3) make sure the Autostar is connected to a serial port on this PC 4) turn the telescope on and wait until the Autostar is ready (it will beep) 5) click on the "Update Autostar" button and follow the instructions My patch kits now include the ".spf" version of the patch kit, as well as the ".txt" If you tell StarPatch (via its file chooser window) to use PatchLX42gg14.spf (for example), it will present the patch options as a tick-list. If you tell StarPatch to use BuildLX4.2gg14.rom (created by the "ClickMe" method), you will NOT be show the tick-list, since your choices were already made by the state of the "S=checked" lines in the .txt patch file itself. ------------------------------- Troubleshooting: As with any computer operation, things can go wrong. Each stage of the process can have problems, this section will try to cover the ones i can think of. There are five major stages of the patching process: (a) getting the files (b) unpacking the files (c) patching the files (d) updating the Autostar (e) post-patch: running the telescope (a) Getting the files: There are many ways to get the files you need. Perhaps the simplest is to get StarPatch, and let it do the rest of the work. Download it from http://www.stargps.ca (as noted above), install it, and start it. Then follow the steps listed above in the "StarPatch" section. Another way to get the files is from the web. The current Meade firmware file is posted on their website at: http://www.meade.com/support/auto.html You will require both the ROM file for the RCX Autostar, and the ASU (see Meade Updater, above). Install the Updater, then use your browser to fetch the firmware file from the same webpage, and unzip it into the Ephemerides folder found under the Updater. If you have Autostar Suite, that will be at: \Program Files\Meade\AutostarSuite\Updater\Ephemerides If you do NOT have Autostar Suite, it will be at: \Program Files\Meade\ASU\Ephemerides\ A third way is to have the Autostar Updater fetch the firmware file for you. This is a little arcane (it's easier to just use your browser, as above). The by-ASU method is described in: http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/guide-asu3x.html In short, start the Update process -without- having your RCX attached to your PC. The Updater will complain, and then tell you that all you can do is save the file to your PC's disk. Which is what we want, for patching purposes. The patch kits, and older firmware ROM files, are archived in many Yahoo Groups' Files area, and all are available from Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX site, under the Autostar Info page. http://www.weasner.com/etx (b) unpacking the files The patch kits and firmware files (unless fetched by the ASU) are compressed for faster downloading by a process/program called "WinZip" or "zipping". You can un-compress them to usable form with a number of programs. WinZip (www.winzip.com), StuffIt, some versions of WindowsXP, PKUnzip are but a few of the programs capable of unpacking them. By using compression, you gain additional assurance that the files arrive complete... there are "checksums" used in the zipping/unzipping which verify the contents. You'll be told by the "unzipper" if the file is corrupted. (c) patching the files The usual problems folks have with the patching process are: (1) the wrong files ... if you don't have BuildLX4.0l.rom on your PC, the 4.0L kit can't patch it. (2) the wrong places... the patch kit's files and the BuildLX4.0l.rom file have to be in the same folder on your PC. Then the patched ROM file has to be where the Updater or StarPatch can find it. StarPatch requires both the ROM and .SPF file to be in -its- program folder: \Program Files\Pixsoft\StarPatch (3) bad files (rare)... sometimes i will publish a kit with a typo in it... the patching process has cross-checks (the patch kit lists both the -old- (existing) data -and- the new data... if the "old" data doesn't match what's in Meade's ROM file, the patching program will complain, and not create a patched file. Error Messages: If the specified output file already exists, you will be asked if you wish to replace it with the new one. If the patch file's cross-check detects problems, you'll see messages like: Error: R 44564 ff c0 d1 [34ec: c0bb (source=0xC0) Error: R 44565 ff b6 bb 82 [34ec: c0bb (source=0xB6) PATCH FAILED, 2 Errors That is usually due to file naming errors, such as an output file becoming renamed to the original Meade ROM file's name. If you can't identify the error, please note the last couple of "Error:" lines and email them to me at rseymour@wolfenet.com (d) updating the Autostar The usual patch-related problem with Updating the Autostar is usually that the patched ROM file is not where the Updater or StarPatch (if you're working from a local copy) can find it. My kits modify the version number shown in the (*) Local drop-down list presented by the Autostar Updater after you click the big [update autostar] button. If you don't see the expected modified number (4.0l becoming 4.0L), then you don't have the patched file in that Updater's Ephemerides folder. Once you've identified the patched ROM file to the Updater, the next battle is getting the connection to the Autostar working, and keeping it alive (and unbothered) during the update. See http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/guide-asu3x.html for tips. Once the Update starts: do NOT do other things with your PC. Don't do Email, don't browse. Just let it perc away updating the Autostar. The timing for the transfers is fairly critical (or "picky"), and a fraction of a second's interruption can abort the transfer. As a precaution, read the Autostar Updater's HELP page on "Damaged Handbox" *now*, rather than after it is sitting there for an hour saying "Downloading... do not turn off", with the interconnecting cable wrapped around the cat. (oh, yes: banish all pets and small children from the area during the download, too). My advice is to simply walk away from the area during the expected download time (19 minutes for ASU, 12 minutes for StarPatch) To recover from a mangled update, cure the root cause (throw the cat out), and then perform a Safe Load procedure: connect the cables. Turn on the telescope/Autostar, tap 999 immediately. The Autostar should come up and display: FLASH LOAD Now start the Autostar Updater or StarPatch on your PC. Restart the update (click [update autostar] on the either program). They should notice the FLASH LOAD state of the Autostar and will ask you to verify that's what's going on. Answer the questions and the Update will be re-tried. (e) post-update issues: If you have completed the update, and the Autostar reboots properly, you're done. Enjoy. However, there are times when (among other things) the patch kits introduce bugs. This usually shows up as blatantly bad operation: blank screens, or "Proc Trap 2" messages. I apologize in advance. If that happens, simply revert to the original Meade firmware with the Updater or StarPatch, and let me know of the problem. Reloading Meade's firmware (or an earlier patched version) completely removes this kit. Read the websites (Mike Weasner's and the Yahoo Groups) for other folks' reports, or my posting of patched patch kits. ---------------------------- Glossary: Firmware or ROM files: the files provided by Meade to load the Autostar with new programming. Patch: changing a few bytes of the ROM file to change how it operates once loaded into the Autostar. My patches do not -add- bytes to the ROM files, they merely modify some of its existing ones. StarGPS: a plug-in GPS receiver for the 497 Autostar and the telescopes it operates. Available in two flavors: the original StarGPS (includes a registered copy of StarPatch) requires a patched firmware in the Autostar for operation.. this gives you signal strength and as-it-happens acquisition information on the Autostar's screen during the power-up cycle. StarGPS-LX: a plug-in GPS receiver for the Classic LX200 and other LX200-command-set telescopes (including the 497 and 495 Autostar models). Does NOT require a firmware change. StarMod: a program which accepts the patch list as commands to modify the Build.Rom file. It accepts three arguments: the Build file name, the Patch file name, and (optional) the output file name. The original Build file is opened read-only, and is unchanged by the procedure. Written by Chris Carson, developer of StarGPS (www.stargps.ca) StarPatch: a Windows program that can fetch the latest patch and ROM file and use these (or older versions) to update the Autostar firmware. A registered copy of StarPatch is over 10x faster than the Meade ASU when used with a 497 Autostar and adds GPS Setup capability to the 497 Autostar.